To Live Your Best Life, Do Mathematics

But I've been a young nerd with nerd friends, then working with nerds.

By some twisted fate, life forced me to improve my people skill a lot. It was painful, I didn't ask for it, but now I'm glad it happened.

Now I still have a big nerd entourage, because I like to be surrounded by people smarter than me. But I can't help but notice all the things they do that drive others away. Things I used to do.

And this things are linked to they nerdy skills.

E.G:

- they don't play artificial social games

- they don't try to dress up

- they are straight forward and honest

And they are because it would not make sense for them to be otherwise. It would not be logical. I would be stupid. A waste. Useless.

So they don't do it.

They also usually have a strong ability to feel, connect with people. But they also use they intellect to deal with those instead of knowing how to manage their emotions. But using a screwdriver to nail something is inefficient. And people are so overdoing it. Touching, making noise, taking attention, expressing themself in overwhelming ways. This is utter nonsense to them. It takes a toll.

So they take a distance.

And the world is always agitated, filled with unimportant things, requiring to switch context, to take stances on unnecessary things.

So they stay in their head.

And people are petty. Why would anyone not do what's best if they know it is ? Why would not somebody work for the group ? Why would somebody purposely destroy something ? Pick up on someone ? This is mean, it makes no sense.

And why would they not use proper words. Understand this efficient sentence ? Get the reference to this book / movie that is so good ? Talk about those stuff, sport / terrible tv show / cars that are such bullshit. Ignore scientific evidences to run their life ?

So they separate themself from part of the population.

These traits, I see them over, and over. But it's what allow them to analyze. It's what allow them to concentrate. To remove clutter. To categorize. To extract. To model systems. To abstract. To understand. To solve problems. To bring solution. To makes things better.

As usual, generality is not reality.

But this is my experience of it.

The problem I got with philosophy is that it's supposed to be applied knowledge. But it's always consumed as an intellectual one.

As a result, the smartest philosophy lovers that I know are incredibly unhappy. They know so many things. But knowing something doesn't mean you are able to do anything about it.

Some becomes cynical. Other become depressed. Other procrastinate to hell.

But only those who actually take the knowledge and try to act on it, improving themself in the process, ends up happy. And once they get there, they usually don't quote much philosophy anymore, except for humorous purpose or make someone feel better.

Bottom line: it's interesting to look for the meaning of life. But it's necessary to actually stop and live your life unless you want to have the joy of Sartre, the energy of Rilke, the sense of purpose of Kant and drive of Schopenhauer. Hint: you really don't.

I met some people that are both good at maths and with people skills. They are, however, adults. They started as nerds, and worked their people skills on the way up.

But starting with both, I never met one.