Sunday Supplement #94 (February 26th, 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.
I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
– Stephen Hawking
Book of the Week:
Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and is on many best novels lists of the 20th century.
The book is told from the point of view of an unnamed Black man who lives in hiding at the start of the novel and recounts his life up to that point.
Without spoiling the entire plot, the novel covers the narrator’s time in school, living and working in New York City, and making speeches at rallies for an activist group.
There are many themes in the book around identity, illusion, and race that are brilliantly explored in the vivid narrative.
Ellison’s novel is on so many best novels lists for a reason. If you haven’t checked it out yet, put it on your list.
Movie of the Week:
The Last King of Scotland is based on the events of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime during the 1970s.
The 2007 film follows Scottish med school graduate Nicholas Garrigan as he goes from working at a missionary clinic to becoming Idi Amin’s personal physician.
Garrigan realizes how naive he was when he started his journey and realizes few are willing to help him escape the country as events escalate.
Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Idi Amin. The rest of the brilliant cast is rounded out by James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, David Oyelowo, Gillian Anderson, and Simon McBurney.
Whitaker’s performance alone is worth watching the movie for, but the film itself is well-written and has much to appreciate.
Brainfood of the Week:
11 Optical Illusions That Will Trick Your Eyes | Bright Side
For this week’s Brainfood of the Week, I decided to share a fun video that goes over 11 different illusions that challenge the brain.
Some of the illusions are ones you might have encountered before, but there are sure to be a few that have you scrolling back to see what you missed.
I think this video is a fun reminder that everything we encounter isn’t always as it appears.
Bright Side is an amazing YouTube channel with over 44 million subscribers that uploads three videos daily.
Their channel covers a variety of great topics, including recent discoveries, space exploration, true stories, valuable tips, fun tests, riddles, and more.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Know that the life of the world is only play and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the broth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure; whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.”
– Surat Al-Hadid 57:20
I don’t prescribe to any religion in particular, but I find many passages from various religious texts contain much wisdom.
In this passage of the Quran, the emphasis on the illusion of the world is a fascinating look at how we can mistakenly place great emphasis on things or thoughts.
Regardless of whether or not you have faith in a God or an afterlife, the example of how fickle a perspective can be should give us pause in our own beliefs.
This Quran verse reminds me to continue to grow, have patience and understanding, and not be disillusioned with my own narrative.
Try to be patient and understanding, and have a blessed week ahead!
14 Comments