Matthew Hahn
@matthewhahn.com
Former prisoner. Dharma student. Union tradesman. Program facilitator for Mindful Prisons & Boundless Freedom Project. Sober since 2005. Hobbyist photographer. San Jose, CA.
Kicked a divot out of Stalin’s grave.
https://linktr.ee/MatthewHahn
Kicked a divot out of Stalin’s grave.
https://linktr.ee/MatthewHahn
Not as awkward as I thought it would be.
October 22, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Not as awkward as I thought it would be.
I know nothing about Substack but have considered starting one. What do I need to know here?
October 5, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I know nothing about Substack but have considered starting one. What do I need to know here?
The results, generally speaking, were that my life got better, I started to experience less fear, and my heart became more joyous.
So, there's that.
So, there's that.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The results, generally speaking, were that my life got better, I started to experience less fear, and my heart became more joyous.
So, there's that.
So, there's that.
One thing I do know is that about twenty years ago I started running a bit of an experiment with my own life. I asked myself what would happen if I started doing the right thing even when it seemed to come at great personal cost.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
One thing I do know is that about twenty years ago I started running a bit of an experiment with my own life. I asked myself what would happen if I started doing the right thing even when it seemed to come at great personal cost.
But I'm just musing over my cup of coffee. I don't have answers to any of this. I don't know.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
But I'm just musing over my cup of coffee. I don't have answers to any of this. I don't know.
It would be much easier to galvanize people around issues like Gaza and Trump if we could temporarily set aside issues of Amazon and Starbucks and Bad Bunny and Twitter.
But, then, at the same time, all of those issues are interrelated.
But, then, at the same time, all of those issues are interrelated.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
It would be much easier to galvanize people around issues like Gaza and Trump if we could temporarily set aside issues of Amazon and Starbucks and Bad Bunny and Twitter.
But, then, at the same time, all of those issues are interrelated.
But, then, at the same time, all of those issues are interrelated.
I sometimes wonder if we are stretched too thin. Like there are too many ethical choices. It's like walking into the supermarket and seeing two dozen types of ketchup for sale.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
I sometimes wonder if we are stretched too thin. Like there are too many ethical choices. It's like walking into the supermarket and seeing two dozen types of ketchup for sale.
There are so many causes and conditions that lead people to act in particular ways towards moral issues. One thing that comes to mind is the plethora of moral concerns available in the "market of moral issues".
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
There are so many causes and conditions that lead people to act in particular ways towards moral issues. One thing that comes to mind is the plethora of moral concerns available in the "market of moral issues".
Is that because they don't care about workers' rights? Does it mean they care more about animals than humans? I don't believe so.
They are typically just as struck by my lack veganism given my other moral principles.
They are typically just as struck by my lack veganism given my other moral principles.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Is that because they don't care about workers' rights? Does it mean they care more about animals than humans? I don't believe so.
They are typically just as struck by my lack veganism given my other moral principles.
They are typically just as struck by my lack veganism given my other moral principles.
One thing that often strikes me is that I meet people that are very morally engaged with a particular issue - say animal rights, veganism - but don't bring the same energy to a different issue, like shopping at Amazon.
October 5, 2025 at 3:06 PM
One thing that often strikes me is that I meet people that are very morally engaged with a particular issue - say animal rights, veganism - but don't bring the same energy to a different issue, like shopping at Amazon.
He ended by saying something along the lines of, "I am comfortable with my level of moral engagement. This is where I choose to put my energy".
October 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
He ended by saying something along the lines of, "I am comfortable with my level of moral engagement. This is where I choose to put my energy".
Randy said that he spends the bulk of his time thinking about ways of making the technology in a smart phone more ethical and a cause for good. He said that he understands the issues with smart phone manufactures, but that this wasn't his focus...
October 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Randy said that he spends the bulk of his time thinking about ways of making the technology in a smart phone more ethical and a cause for good. He said that he understands the issues with smart phone manufactures, but that this wasn't his focus...
Someone asked Randy a question about a different moral issue of our time. I don't remember exactly what the question was, but it might've been something about the way that smart phones were manufactured and what his stance on it was.
I was struck by his answer.
I was struck by his answer.
October 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Someone asked Randy a question about a different moral issue of our time. I don't remember exactly what the question was, but it might've been something about the way that smart phones were manufactured and what his stance on it was.
I was struck by his answer.
I was struck by his answer.
I once attended a workshop on 'smart technology as existential threat' with one of the founders for the Center For Humane Technology (Randy Fernando). His focus was on finding ways that social media, smart phones, internet, various techs, etc could be used for greater good, rather than harm...
October 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I once attended a workshop on 'smart technology as existential threat' with one of the founders for the Center For Humane Technology (Randy Fernando). His focus was on finding ways that social media, smart phones, internet, various techs, etc could be used for greater good, rather than harm...
So we must choose which moral issues are of the greatest importance to us. This isn't easy. We may vacillate between various moral compasses depending on the moment.
This doesn't mean that we have set aside moral principles, but it does mean that we have to decide where to put our energy.
This doesn't mean that we have set aside moral principles, but it does mean that we have to decide where to put our energy.
October 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
So we must choose which moral issues are of the greatest importance to us. This isn't easy. We may vacillate between various moral compasses depending on the moment.
This doesn't mean that we have set aside moral principles, but it does mean that we have to decide where to put our energy.
This doesn't mean that we have set aside moral principles, but it does mean that we have to decide where to put our energy.
Nearly everything we engage with in our modern world has ethical concerns. Where we shop, which companies we buy from, when to call the cops or not, what jobs we should take...
Underneath all of it we understand that we are complicit in some degree of harm.
Underneath all of it we understand that we are complicit in some degree of harm.
October 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Nearly everything we engage with in our modern world has ethical concerns. Where we shop, which companies we buy from, when to call the cops or not, what jobs we should take...
Underneath all of it we understand that we are complicit in some degree of harm.
Underneath all of it we understand that we are complicit in some degree of harm.
For example, I think that racism is wrong and I also think that eating animals is wrong. I spend more energy trying to be antiracist than I do trying to be vegetarian (which I am not). This is a choice. Sure, I could do both, but I only have so much energy.
October 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
For example, I think that racism is wrong and I also think that eating animals is wrong. I spend more energy trying to be antiracist than I do trying to be vegetarian (which I am not). This is a choice. Sure, I could do both, but I only have so much energy.
With regards to having flexibility with certain moral issues, I think many folks do in fact have to choose where the bulk of their bandwidth is directed. In a world as ethically complex as ours, trying to find a "good enough" path forward often requires some degree of moral compromise.
October 5, 2025 at 2:29 PM
With regards to having flexibility with certain moral issues, I think many folks do in fact have to choose where the bulk of their bandwidth is directed. In a world as ethically complex as ours, trying to find a "good enough" path forward often requires some degree of moral compromise.
For context: bsky.app/profile/matt...
I once burgled a home & stole a safe. I cracked the safe & discovered photos of the owner molesting a child. He reported the burglary to police. I turned the photos in. The cops called him in to discuss the burglary. He confessed. We both went to prison.
October 3, 2025 at 10:51 PM
For context: bsky.app/profile/matt...
This is good, thank you.
October 2, 2025 at 2:47 AM
This is good, thank you.