Monthly Archives: January 2011

Crowding out beats letting go

on January 24, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Freedom, Tips

I have a friend who says he can voluntarily let go of emotions he doesn’t want to hold on to anymore. I’ve let go of many things, but never in the moment from conscious intent. He sounds sincere, but frankly I doubt him. Like telling an angry person to calm down, suggesting someone let go of something is counterproductive advice. Trying to let go of something voluntarily focuses your mind[…] Keep reading →

Why I avoid proprietary software

on January 23, 2011 in Blog, Entrepreneurship, Freedom, Humor

I was helping a colleague install some software on an Apple computer a week or two ago. In the process we had to install a c compiler, which was Free Software. I don’t remember the details, but somehow Apple had set it up so he had to register with Apple to install the software. I’m sure there was a way around it, but Apple set it up that way. There’s[…] Keep reading →

Where does value come from?

on January 21, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Nature

What creates value? Do things have inherent value? Many parts of society value gold, money, status, and so on. But if you’re hungry enough, those things will lose their value relative to a modest apple. On the other hand, if your material needs are covered, a simple apple loses its value. Water and oxygen are necessary for life, but since they are nearly freely available at least to individuals reading[…] Keep reading →

How willing are you not to judge?

on January 20, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Tips

Many people are quick to say they don’t judge. People seem to value not judging others. Come to think of it, I do. People all too commonly say they aren’t judgmental when someone else is judgmental about something they aren’t. For example, when one person says “Americans are too fat,” the other may say “Don’t be so judgmental” or, more mildly, “I’m not so judgmental.” It’s all too common because[…] Keep reading →

Unsolicited advice annoys people: how to avoid giving it.

on January 19, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Education, Tips

Some people like to give advice. Maybe everyone does, despite knowing how annoying it can be. Sometimes we think we can help so much or don’t think of the other person’s perspective enough that it feels worth it. We’re all used to our thoughts preparing the advice: hoping to avoid stepping on toes, to avoid insulting, and so on. The other person’s annoyance is often justified. That is, our advice[…] Keep reading →

Awareness

on January 18, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Nature

Jet lag knocks off more than just your sleep cycles. Since I’ve been jet lagged the past few days I’ve had the chance to notice. Your body temperature is higher during the day and lower at night. When you’re jet lagged, you’ll find yourself lying in bed trying to sleep when your body temperature is high. Everyone I’ve asked about it has remarked that, yes, when they’re jet lagged they[…] Keep reading →

Demotivating acceptances

on January 16, 2011 in Awareness, Blog, Freedom, Tips

[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Despite ourselves, accepting things can demotivate as much as rejections can motivate us. Physics, at its core, has always meant to me studying the most basic elements of our environment: space,[…] Keep reading →

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