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Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

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Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#151

Post by slothtrop »

sridca wrote: post #102
andai wrote: post #62

I was going to suggest Dr. Peterson, but Ctrl+F revealed a veritable graveyard of downvoted comments about him already. That's too bad. So I'll go with Steve Pavlina's [0] work instead. Steve Pavlina's blog is a mix of solid personal development advice mixed with a journal of his self experimentation. His most interesting work is on belief systems, and on deliberately installing new belief systems to improve your lif…

That's a clever way to mention (suggest) Mr. Peterson and evade the downvotes. :-P Being an individualist I don't agree with his life advice one bit. Those that are not looking to settle down to anything less than perfect in life I'd suggest looking up "Actual Freedom".

> Being an individualist I don't agree with his life advice one bit.

Without knowing much about him, my impression was such that he's a staunch individualist

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#152

Post by eafkuor »

HNLurker2 wrote: post #148
eafkuor wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? I thought they were cartoonishly bad. A group of hipsters dispensing cheap philosophic pills for lazy fake intellectuals.

True true. They don't even teach Philosophy. their video is the embodiment of cognitive ease.

Yep. I'm really surprised to see them upvoted on HN to be honest.

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#153

Post by sridca »

slothtrop wrote: post #151
sridca wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a clever way to mention (suggest) Mr. Peterson and evade the downvotes. :-P Being an individualist I don't agree with his life advice one bit. Those that are not looking to settle down to anything less than perfect in life I'd suggest looking up "Actual Freedom".

> Being an individualist I don't agree with his life advice one bit. Without knowing much about him, my impression was such that he's a staunch individualist

I have read parts of his book and watched some of his lectures, and would hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant (which is what the word individualist refers to).

Just for starters, allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant.

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#154

Post by slothtrop »

sridca wrote: post #153
slothtrop wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Being an individualist I don't agree with his life advice one bit. Without knowing much about him, my impression was such that he's a staunch individualist

I have read parts of his book and watched some of his lectures, and would hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant (which is what the word individualist refers to). Just for starters, allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant.

> hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant

Maybe you have some example as to why.

> allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant.

This sounds like a mischaracterization of whatever it is is espoused. No one lives in a bubble, but a strong social network isn't antithetical to self-reliance, because self-reliance isn't an absolute nor is it purported to be - 0 people are entirely self-reliant in the literal sense. It's in practice about initiative, to move beyond a stagnant dependency. For example, seeking professional help in the instance of mental health to improve our lot, or reading a book to that same end, is an example of self-reliance at work. No one can make you do it. You have to want to improve. I see it as self-motivation.

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#155

Post by sridca »

slothtrop wrote: post #154
sridca wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have read parts of his book and watched some of his lectures, and would hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant (which is what the word individualist refers to). Just for starters, allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant.

> hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant Maybe you have some example as to why. > allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant. This sounds like a mischaracterization of whatever it is is espoused. No one lives in a bubble, but a strong social network isn't antithetical to self-reliance, because self-reli…

I'm talking specifically about the life advice being dished out by Mr. Peterson. Given that you said "without knowing much about him" perhaps you should first familiarize yourself with what he is promulgating before continuing this discussion.

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#157

Post by andrei_says_ »

godelmachine wrote: post #147
andrei_says_ wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I teach it. Treat it as learning a new language where you’re also learning new attitudes. If interested let me know and I’ll give you a free 20 min intro via zoom.

I am absolutely interested. How do I reach you?

Email me at D-nunlzx2ae16l6yjt6@maildrop.cc

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#158

Post by slothtrop »

sridca wrote: post #155
slothtrop wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> hardly characterize him as a person who is independent and self-reliant Maybe you have some example as to why. > allowing your well-being dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant. This sounds like a mischaracterization of whatever it is is espoused. No one lives in a bubble, but a strong social network isn't antithetical to self-reliance, because self-reli…

I'm talking specifically about the life advice being dished out by Mr. Peterson. Given that you said "without knowing much about him" perhaps you should first familiarize yourself with what he is promulgating before continuing this discussion.

If you know, you can sum it. Should be easy if you criticize it in abstract

Re: Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?

#159

Post by sridca »

slothtrop wrote: post #158
sridca wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm talking specifically about the life advice being dished out by Mr. Peterson. Given that you said "without knowing much about him" perhaps you should first familiarize yourself with what he is promulgating before continuing this discussion.

If you know, you can sum it. Should be easy if you criticize it in abstract

Yup I did:

> Just for starters, allowing your well-being [to be] dependent on being above some level in some social hierarchy is hardly considered being self-reliant.

It may be hard for some not to lump self-reliance (aka. being autonomous) and hierarchy-consciousness (to coin a word) together; which is where the third paragraph of my original comment comes into picture (something you seem to have ignored[1]).

---

[1] I can guess it because of this:

> [slothtrop]: 0 people are entirely self-reliant [in affective context] in the literal sense.

As a matter of fact I know at least 6 people who fit that description.

And:

> [Mr. Peterson]: I’m saying it is inevitable that there will be continuities in the way that animals and human beings organize their [hierarchical] structures. It’s absolutely inevitable, and there is one-third of a billion years of evolutionary history behind that … It’s a long time. You have a mechanism in your brain that runs on serotonin that’s similar to the lobster mechanism that tracks your status—and the higher your status, the better your emotions are regulated. So as your serotonin levels increase you feel more positive emotion and less negative emotion.

I know at least 6 people for whom it is not (anymore) "absolutely inevitable".

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