late-nite self-improvement

[jazzfish]

And lo, another well-thought-out response to Mr du Toit.
The duToitification of the Western Conservative: "His main thesis is that Western males are becoming wimps, and his essay itself proves that there is at least some truth in the thesis; never before in human history has there been so much puling and whining about such inconsequential irritations." [from the_radix]

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"What do you care what other people think?"
It's a book by the estimable Richard P. Feynman, a sequel to Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! It's also a way of checking things I do. If I find myself starting to do something and then hesitating, for whatever reason, I ask myself, "What do you care what other people think?"

This isn't "Don't care what other people think," because that way madness lies. Other people's wishes are as valid as my own: no more, but certainly no less. What it is is a prompter for doing, without losing sight of thinking.

It works sometimes. It's stopped me from yelling a couple of times (no, not at anyone reading this), and it's started me doing a few things that I wouldn't've otherwise. Too, It's forcing me to be honest with myself about my motivations, which can only be good.

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Oberlin isn't all that big a school; jude and sirleebutler, you probably know a few people in common. Other than me, that is.

Comments

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

Many years ago, I read both those Feynman books inside one cover. Excellent, both. :)

[jazzfish]

*nod* He's way cool. I've picked up several others that aren't quite as cool, though still interesting (The Pleasure of Finding Things Out and, uh, another one. The Meaning Of It All, I think.)

[skreidle.livejournal.com]

Ahh.. wasn't aware of any others, though I'm unsurprised. :)

[jude.livejournal.com]

only about eight people in common on the friends list. :P
plus, i think (altho i could be mistaken, it was a few years ago) he used to date a friend of mine. ...in which case i'd been wondering what had happened to him.

[uilos.livejournal.com]

I believe that P/TNH also had that link this week. Probably P.