Reflecting Without Ruminating: How to Learn from the Past Without Living in It

    I spent three hours last night replaying a conversation from five years ago. The conversation: A technical decision I made that turned out to be wrong. What I was doing: “I should have seen this coming. Why didn’t I research more? Everyone probably thinks I’m incompetent. What if I make a similar mistake again? Am I even good at this?” Three hours. No answers. Just anxiety. This wasn’t reflection. This was rumination. ...

    August 26, 2025 · 12 min · Rafiul Alam

    Dopamine Fasting 101: How to Reset Your Brain in a Hyper-Connected World

    Deeply Personal Current: Dopamine Fasting 101 Zero Waste on a Budget All Posts Next Dopamine Fasting 101: How to Reset Your Brain in a Hyper-Connected World My wife and I were sitting on the couch the other night, supposedly “relaxing” after dinner. ...

    February 21, 2025 · 10 min · Rafiul Alam

    The Uncanny Valley of Empathy: Why AI Therapists Feel 'Almost' Human

    Deeply Personal Current: The Uncanny Valley of Empathy Cooking with an Algorithm All Posts Analysis Paralysis The Uncanny Valley of Empathy: Why AI Therapists Feel ‘Almost’ Human I did something weird last month. ...

    February 13, 2025 · 11 min · Rafiul Alam

    Social Comparison Theory: The Instagram Depression Link

    I deleted Twitter from my phone last Tuesday. Not because of the politics or the drama. Because I couldn’t stop comparing myself to people who seemed to be crushing it while I was struggling. Every time I opened the app: Someone raised a $50M Series B Someone hit $100K MRR on their SaaS Someone gave a keynote at a major conference Someone got acquired by Google Meanwhile, my startup was barely break-even, my side project had 47 users, and I’d just had a PR rejected for the third time. ...

    May 6, 2024 · 16 min · Rafiul Alam

    Trauma Without Exploitation: Handling Depression, Addiction, Grief Respectfully

    Shane stands on the edge of a cliff. He’s drunk. He’s suicidal. He tells you he doesn’t see a point in living anymore. This is a farming game. And somehow, Stardew Valley handles this moment with more care, respect, and emotional intelligence than most “serious” narratives manage. How do you depict trauma-depression, addiction, grief-without: Exploiting it for shock value Romanticizing suffering Using it as lazy characterization Trivializing recovery Let’s explore how to write pain respectfully. ...

    8 min · Rafiul Alam