Sunday Supplement #120 (August 27th, 2023)
Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.
Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“Make no judgments where you have no compassion.”
– Anne McCaffrey
Book of the Week:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K. Dick
Philip K Dick was a Hugo Award-winning author who often explored varied philosophical and social questions in his novels.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco after Earth’s species have been severely affected by a global nuclear war.
The novel follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tasked to “retire” six escaped Nexus-6 model androids and a sub-par IQ human, John Isidore, who aids the fugitive androids.
Those who have seen Blade Runner will recognize the characters and plot. The 1982 film adapted the novel, but a few elements and themes were changed.
Dick’s novel is a sci-fi classic, much like the movie, and it is a good jumping-off point for those interested in his work.
Movie of the Week:
Wolfgang Petersen’s Das Boot is a 1981 West German war film adapted from the 19733 Lothar-Günther Buchheim novel.
The story is set during World War II and follows a German submarine crew on a dangerous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Petersen masterfully crafts a film that covers the exhilaration of battle and the tedious stretches of submarine life in between.
There are a few other movies/stories, like All Quiet on the Western Front, that compassionately depict different sides (other than US/Allied) of war, and Das Boot is one of the best.
There are a few different versions of the film, but a director’s cut (clocking in just shy of five hours) is one I highly recommend.
Brainfood of the Week:
Brené Brown on Empathy | RSA
Brené Brown is the author of six number-one New York Times bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy.
This video starts with Brown asking, “What is empathy, and why is empathy very different than sympathy?”
She goes on to explain how empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection.
Four qualities of empathy are perspective-taking, staying out of judgment, recognizing emotion in other people, and communicating the recognition.
I’ve featured Brené Brown in previous Sunday Supplements. Check out the video for the full breakdown, and check out the other posts for more of her content.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“The reward for goodness is nothing but goodness.”
– Surah Ar-Rahman 55:60
This Quran passage resonates with me in a few different ways. The first is the idea of spreading goodness in the world and how it can multiply.
I think small gestures can often be overlooked, but a kind word or action can often be the bright part of someone else’s day.
Another aspect of this verse I think about is not creating expectations around an act of kindness. Holding open a door or letting someone in on the road and getting annoyed at not receiving a gesture of thanks can be an example.
Sometimes, the reward of goodness from a kind act is paid forward when we aren’t there. We shouldn’t act kindly and look for a selfish pat on the back.
Try to operate from a place of compassion with others, and have a blessed week ahead!
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