Author: Munro Stewart

Hi Lola. "Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due." - William Ralph Inge

• I wonder if worry and anxiety about a possible negative future are best turned into a grateful and hopeful mindset for what is good about today, and how positive the future could be if we dream for it.
• It may be that the things that truly affect us negatively often happen out of the blue, and we are more resilient and able to cope with those events than we realize. A grateful and hopeful mindset may help us enjoy what we have today, and make a future that is happier and better.

Brb experiencing crippling existential panic about the singularity and the impending irrelevance of humanity - Lola Blanc

Hey xkcdHatGuy. Great video on the socialization of intelligence, I really enjoyed it and I always like hearing your thoughts and ideas on everything. Here are a few of my thoughts on just a couple of the major concepts you touched upon.

On Psychology

TLDR - I agree that improving the psychology, intelligence, practical knowledge, and life improvement skills of everyone throughout their life may be crucial.

• I agree that it is always worth getting ideas and opinions from everyone, and listening to everyone, as great ideas for ways of living and different perspectives could ultimately come from anyone or anywhere.
• I agree that improving the overall intelligence, memory, learning ability, and psychological functioning of everyone will always be very beneficial and worth pursuing instead of only focusing on or relying on tools and technological advancement.
• I agree that we can and should continue to improve the tools and ways in which we come up with, debate, organize, implement, simplify, and teach new ideas, policies, habits, practices, and ways of living which could make life and society easier, better, fairer, and happier for everyone.

On Specialization

TLDR - I wonder if having the option of specialization and using the different strengths of different people has advanced and improved civilization.

• A goal of everyone focusing on psychology or teaching everyone to truly think for themselves, on the level of being a lifelong scholar and intellectual who can come up with new ideas and practices for living, seems admirable and worth trying on some level or to a degree.
• I wonder, though, if we may underestimate how few people will ever have the time, energy, ability, and most importantly the desire, to read, learn, and ideate consistently and in depth. Many people are busy working, living, playing, socializing, and following their own interests, and may have trouble simply learning the required policies and recommended practices that they need to follow or that may make their life better or happier.
• I wonder if different people have different strengths, aptitudes, and proclivities, and that many people will always prefer to do something different, or might even find it difficult to be learning and thinking all of the time.
• I wonder if everyone can have a different purpose, role, objective, or inclination if they so desire and that every area of expertise, skill, willingness, or aptitude can contribute towards the betterment of life and society as a whole.

On Scholars

TLDR - I wonder if certain people may have a great strength as a scholar or teacher, and that it may be beneficial for different people to follow their own interests and desires.

• I wonder if it is the role of the scholar, philosopher, educator, teacher, thinker, intellectual, activist, and even politician idealistically, to specialize in forming, learning, debating, creating, and teaching ideas, policies, habits, practices, and ways of living that can improve our life and society. Like all roles, it is certainly an important one, as we know how a single idea, change, practice, or way of living can make life and society better, fairer, easier, and happier for all of us.
• I wonder if the role of both a thinker and a teacher are extremely important, but so may be the role of a person who doesn't want to think much at all, and as a general example would actually prefer to use their hands to help build homes, infrastructure, tools, or technology for everyone and feel in their element and like they are contributing.
• Therefore, I'm not sure that psychology needs to be the primary driver, be more important, or win over technology any more than physical healthcare needs to win over mental education, or enjoyable entertainment needs to win over exciting athletics, or factual scientists need to win over psychological therapists, or caring for children needs to win over building construction.

On Services

TLDR - I agree that psychology and philosophy are very important, and I wonder if scholars and educators are one important piece of a large and diverse puzzle.

• I agree that psychology and scholars may be underrated as you said, especially in our current society as it stands, and that we could certainly have more and better scholars and thinkers who have an aptitude and desire for independently or collectively thinking, learning, teaching, and implementing potentially helpful and new ideas, practices, and ways of living.
• In particular, I wonder if simplifying our ideas, best practices, long books, and mountains of information could be what leads to huge advancements and improvements in our future lives, precisely because everyone does not have the energy or time to be a scholar, the ability to learn things quickly, or the desire to spend time reading and learning constantly.
• However, I'm not sure that only psychology and philosophy, by themself and exclusively, will always lead to better improvements and happiness in our life than technology, science, healthcare, education, construction, engineering, electricians, maintenance and repairs, food and beverage production, transportation, law, journalism, history, literature, entertainment, arts, leisure, and any other social and economical activities or services which people have created or create in the future.

Thanks again for sharing another great talk with many different ideas to think about. More than anything, it's really a joy to listen to all of your different thoughts. I think you are doing an excellent job of following your passions and trying to help make your life, the lives of others, and the world a better and happier place.

The socialization of intelligence - xkcdHatGuy YouTube

September 9, 2023

A person who uses their thinking and thoughts to transform their life and the world around them for the better.

thinkist

noun

1. A person who uses their thinking and thoughts to transform their life and the world around them for the better. Their thoughts propel them to ultimately take action towards making their vision come true.
2. A person who thinks that you can turn thoughts and ideas into reality.
3. A person who understands that action, work, habits, and routines are also needed to make changes, complete tasks and projects, and achieve goals and dreams.
4. A person who thinks that action and results begin with ideas, thinking, and believing.
5. A person who values ideas, thoughts, belief, positive thinking, writing things down, and subconsciously influencing their mind as an important part of the process to complete tasks and projects, achieve goals and dreams, improve their attitude and character, get things done, and make changes in their life, the lives of others, and the world.
6. A person who values and encourages optimism, positive thinking, praising one another, and positive reinforcement. They may also devalue or discourage pessimism, negative thinking, putting people down, and negative punishment.
7. A person who may or may not appreciate the ideas of using positive thinking, affirmations, autosuggestion, imagination, writing down and reading goals, talking about their goals with others, journaling, gratitude, prayer, and focused meditation to help one improve their character, their attitude, their life, and the character, attitude, and lives of others.
8. A person who may or may not appreciate the sayings "Thoughts are things, and powerful things at that." and "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve."

Updated Date - August 23, 2023
Original Date - May 15, 2014

Hey Huliatt. Here are some practical ideas to help build an identity, which you might consider.

Habits

• Affirmations - Write down and read positive thoughts and ideas of what you want to be.
• Hobbies - Write down different hobbies you enjoy doing, separate from your work role.
• Goals - Write down a list of goals, activities, and things you want to achieve or do.
• Tasks - Write down 3 tasks you want to do today or tomorrow, in the morning or evening.
• Journal - Write down your thoughts on things, as well as things you are grateful for.
• Health - Exercise, eat healthy, don't smoke, meditate to improve your brain and body.

Quotes

• "Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny"
• "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit."
• When reading the first quote, you might replace character with identity, a synonym.
• You might replace excellence too, maybe with growth, wellness, happiness, character.

Hey xkcdHatGuy. Here are some of my thoughts on your thoughts in "Isolation in post-modernity".

Intro

• I am likely wrong about all of this and it's written tersely and impolitely
  • So take my thoughts and suggestions with a grain of salt and read between lines
• Well said, people being afraid to talk about politics and ideas makes sense
  • So only talk about political and societal ideas with friends who would like to do so
• Here is one video talking about people's inflexibility on society and policy ideas
  • So realize and accept you will face resistance with ideas and being authentic
  • Who do we discriminate against the most? - Bite Size Psych

Notes

1. People all find it difficult to make and keep close friends and partners
   • So accept and understand you're not the only one with trouble connecting deeply
   • Battle Of Someone - Blues Traveler
2. People don't care about someone's work in general, in your case your ideas on society
   • So make work friends and talk with fans who share your interest in debating ideas
   • Think And Grow [Dreams] - Goodreads
3. People want to be happy and have fun, not talk about ideas or policies for living
   • So learn to have personal experiences with friends where you don't talk about work
   • Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
4. People do form relationships to get something from someone else, as you said
   • So focus on others' interests, likes, wants, and things they want to do or talk about
   • How To Win Friends And Influence People - Goodreads
5. Being yourself is authentic, but might not make someone likeable, friendly, or popular
   • So decide when you want to be yourself, and if or when to try and fit in with people
   • Ego - Bibi Bourelly
6. We feel happiness doing what we want, and being of service and useful for society
   • So find a balance between doing things you want and doing things to help others
   • Don't Sweat The Small Stuff - Goodreads

Quote

• It's dangerous to try and really connect with someone. It's so special when you can find a person you can be yourself with. - Halt and Catch Fire

Isolation in post-modernity - xkcdHatGuy YouTube

Hey Derek.

Explorer versus Leader? Both.
Perceiving versus Judging? Both.
Flexible versus Structure? Both.
Dreaming versus Planning? Both.

Nature Verus Nurture

You are likely right, but I will add that the concepts of complementarity, dualism, yin and yang, and balance are convincing and worth remembering as well. I wonder if it's not exploring that makes a bad leader, but being an excessive explorer and dreamer without having the balance of also being a leader and planner. As an example, imagine if I theorized and wrote "Drinkers are bad leaders". Yes, an excessive alcoholic who is drinking too much all of the time would probably be a bad leader. But I wonder if a person could be both a drinker and a good leader if they balance their drinking with moderation. One could even postulate that being a moderate drinker, or moderate explorer, could make someone a better leader.

Explorers are bad leaders - Derek Sivers

March 16, 2023