This Week, According To Rani...
Mono No Aware 物の哀れ
Mono no aware is a saying that you probably haven’t heard of before. Have you ever felt a bittersweet pang as you watched something beautiful fade away? In Japan, there’s a saying for that: mono no aware. It means: the gentle sadness of knowing everything beautiful is temporary, and loving it more because it will not last.
Is something more beautiful when it’s fleeting? Do we love something or someone more deeply because the fear of it lasting forever is never promised? Think of receiving a bouquet of flowers and knowing they will only bloom for a short while. This is the gentle sadness of recognising that beautiful things are temporary.
Although we don’t typically use this saying in everyday life, we feel it more often than not. It asks us a question we already know the answer to: is it true? I think it is. Nothing is ever guaranteed in life, not love, a job, your age, or a pet. Everything special is fleeting. Maybe that is exactly why we appreciate it so much.
What I take from this saying is simple: stop, take a deep breath, and appreciate what’s right in front of you. One day we will all grow old. We will lose lovers, friends, and family. The flowers will wilt, the sunsets will fade. Everything is beautiful, if you’re willing to look from the right angle.
So stop, breathe, and look around. Everything you love is fleeting. And that is exactly why it is beautiful.
Going Analog...
This year is about doing things with intention, being present, and putting meaning into all we do. I think as a society, we lost touch with being “real” for a while, and I felt it too. That constant pull to perform, to document, to perfect. So I’m glad to see filters fading out and raw, authentic self expression taking their place.
Going analog is more than a micro trend. It feels like a movement. We’re seeing celebrities using flip phones, movie stars deleting their social media, and landlines coming back. A quiet shift away from always being reachable.
“Analog” is about slowing down and going back to the basics. Saying no to iPhones, Instagram, and online calendars, and yes to film cameras, playing vinyl on a Sunday morning, and planning your week with a diary instead of a screen. It’s about rewiring our brains, relearning how to be present, and retraining our social skills without a screen in between.
Get ready for a cultural mindset shift. Less optimisation. Less scrolling. More tactility, more intention. Maybe this year is about choosing fewer inputs and more moments. Welcome back the quiet luxury for your brain.
