issue 09 - the action bias
issue 09 - the action bias
why we prefer to do something over nothing, My Purple iPod Nano (2nd Gen), returns and Reflections, summer drinks, street style snaps and more
housekeeping updates/reminders: we have launched our paid subscription tiers, our weekly paid issue went out to you all on Friday, hope you enjoyed it!
going forward, paid issues will arrive on Fridays and will have a short preview of content if you are on a free subscription. free issues will continue to arrive on Sundays (possibly will switch to every other Sunday), though they will be shortened in content and length.
our paid subscriptions start from USD$5 a month: we’d like to keep writing as accessible as the price of a coffee ☕
you can manage and upgrade your subscription right here - thank you so much for considering a paid subscription, and we appreciate your support.
FRESH: self
i came across this website called The Decision Lab one day whilst on my Instagram explore page. they specialise in ‘Behavioral Product Design’ (sounds a little ominous), but have a database of free articles explaining common psychological biases that we may have as humans, and how these can affect our day to day lives, or how marketing strategies can utilize (or exploit) these biases to persuade us in particular directions.
i’ve particularly found the Action Bias to be insightful and relevant to my day to day behavior. here is their short summary about it:
“The action bias describes our tendency to favor action over inaction, often to our benefit. However, there are times when we feel compelled to act, even if there’s no evidence that it will lead to a better outcome than doing nothing would. Our tendency to respond with action as a default, automatic reaction, even without solid rationale to support it, has been termed the action bias.”
the article also later touches upon how this bias is inherently linked with the construct of productivity - “We equate taking action and keeping busy with productivity, another quality we assign significant value to.”
i often find myself buying into this construct, and implementing the Action Bias as a result. ironically, it’s not always the most productive choice. take writing FRESH as an example: at some point mid-week, if the Sunday issue isn’t finished yet, i’ll usually start getting anxious and feel the impulse to immediately try and finish it all in one go, on that particular day. most times, that doesn’t end well - i either end up feeling too overwhelmed to write, or end up writing something that doesn’t feel up to par. however, if i direct my focus elsewhere, seemingly ‘not taking action’ towards finishing the issue, a pocket of time naturally appears sometime later, where i feel inspired and ready to finish the issue. (this week, it’s Sunday afternoon, a handful of hours before this is due to be published.) it feels daunting to leave something uncompleted for the time being, yet sometimes it is the best course of action to take.
the most important step we often miss, is pausing before taking action, to evaluate whether action would be the most ideal or efficient choice in the situation. with the knowledge that we have the innate impulse to choose action over inaction, we can strive to make an informed and logical decision of our own accord, without being overly controlled by our biases.
FRESH: new music
James2007 - jamesjamesjames
Melbourne-based jamesjamesjames is back with his second EP release, titled and inspired by the good ol’ days circa 2007. the EP is filled with Y2K-hyperpop, breakbeats, techno, downtempo and lo-fi house - something in there to suit everyone’s taste! my current track of choice off the EP is I Dunno Her, a mellow downtempo groove perfect for dusk time.
My Purple iPod Nano (2nd Gen) - jamesjamesjames
also from the James2007 EP, My Purple iPod Nano gets a slight rework from jamesjamesjames himself, bumping up the energy and big room stabby synths. also check out the salute remix of the track in the same remix package!
Skyline - Khalid
here’s another funky little summer pop banger from Khalid! it also happens to be produced by Chrome Sparks - very very rad to see him venture into pop production!
FRESH: events and happenings
The Return of Virtual Self (!!!)
oh yes, Porter Robinson’s trance alias Virtual Self is making its comeback at his festival Second Sky later in October this year, debuting a new back to back set with none other than G Jones! though VS did make a sneaky appearance at a surprise opening set during the Austin stop of Porter’s Nurture Live tour last November, officially speaking, it’s been almost three years since the last VS set, opening the very first Second Sky in 2019.
seeing some of the classic VS visuals (from the EON BREAK music video released back in 2017) remixed with G Jones’ signature graphic black and white visuals is very surreal. G Jones has been making a bit of a splash lately with his latest run of DJ sets, notably his trap-hyperpop-esque edit of Madeon’s Dream Dream Dream, and his return to Second Sky is in great timing (he played at the first Second Sky also!). very excited to see what these two are busy cooking up together.
also a good time to bring back this playlist:
Anjunadeep Reflections
trance trio Above and Beyond announced the debut of their third record label under the Anjuna imprint, this one is named Reflections, a home specially for all things downtempo and ambient!
Reflections is a concept that sister label Anjunadeep has already been exploring over the past few years, with releases of the Anjunadeep pres. Reflections volumes (1, 2 and 3). i enjoyed all three volumes very much, and it’s exciting to see them develop the sound even further into its own separate label!
here’s a little more insight into the flavor of the label from Above and Beyond:
“Reflections is born from all those moments in between the dancefloors - the mornings after, the nights apart, the journeys shared along the way. Those moments of Reflection.”
if you’ve dipped a toe into the electronic scene and culture before, you’ll be able to relate those scenes, memories and feelings - i for sure do! some of my favorite memories are deeply rooted into those in-between moments, and i’ve become just as fond of those times as much as time actually spent on the dancefloor.
my own soundtrack to those moments is this, clam down comedown. there are quite a few Reflections tracks in here already, and i can’t wait to add more!
FRESH: cuisine
Tansan/Wilkinson Sparkling Lemon Ginger
our beloved local convenience store chain Circle K has quite the impressive drinks selection on a regular basis, sometimes they even stock exclusive varieties imported from Japan that aren’t available anywhere else in Hong Kong. in the recent round of special drinks restock, this lemon and ginger combo caught my eye, and it turned out to be a fantastic new product gamble.
the basis of it is a sparkling water, slightly soda-y, with just a little kick of lemon and ginger flavor to get things spicy and interesting, yet not overwhelming and very refreshing. i’ve guzzled my way through a good 5-10 bottles of these already, they’re my favorite drink of late to enjoy on the beach on a sunny day.
i also discovered a fun DIY mocktail recipe the other day, mixing one part Sparkling Lemon Ginger with one part Pink Guava Juice (from issue 05) - it’s a perfect combo.
FRESH: style
the lovely Rayson of @raysonperspective snapped this very NYFW-esque shot of my friend Clara (in green) and i the other day, out and about on the town.
we were actually on our way to get takeout from Chotto Maki (more info about them on Friday’s paid issue), not to an exclusive catwalk show from an up-and-coming designer, though i wouldn’t mind wearing the same look to that too!
FRESH: bling
usually we do custom orders through messages on Instagram, but we’ve added a separate listing on the site for a custom necklace order if you prefer a simpler ordering process!
alright, over to you now! hit up the comments section with your thoughts, or if you enjoy a little prompting:
do you often find yourself implementing an Action Bias? towards which aspects of your life is this most noticeable in?
when do you find yourself most able to deeply reflect on your experiences? is it a particular time of day or of the week?
what’s your go-to summer drink, and why do you love it?
peace, love and blessings,
wing
head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!
i loved this issue!! i hadn’t heard of the action bias being specifically called that before, but it was so interesting because i definitely agree with how it affects me on a daily basis. (also - the aesthetic with the pale yellow and pink is lovely and i adore reading these even more because of that <3)