Things I would tell my younger self

General Chat
21

Sometimes competition can be good and drive someone to try harder or achieve something good that you might have not achieved otherwise.
I think that “trying to impress others will not make you happy” might be a more accurate advice. I’ve seen people actually build an extra floor at their house, which they do not need, “just because the neighbour did the same” … now, years later, they’d wish they could have all that wasted effort and money back, but it ain’t coming back and the neighbour is not really impressed either. :sweat_smile:

Big showy cars, useless/flashy brand products, the newest phones and gizmos, bi-annual furniture changes all to impress people that actually despise you. I am not sure what to do with these people. Some of them are loaded with cash, so “you do you” I guess, but others go heavily in debt to achieve a fake social status and it is not rare for all that junk to end up being repossesed by the bank. Those end up in a really bad state, considering how much they had made “external validation” their most important characteristic and metric of success. :confused:

2 Likes
22

It’s called “conspicuous consumption,” a term coined by Thorstein Veblen in his book The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899).

1 Like
23

I agree, although in my case that was not the only problem. I used to derive self value from doing well in competitions with others, like math olympiad, go tournaments etc.
Nowadays I still enjoy doing math and playing go, but no tragedy when I make mistakes.

2 Likes
24

On this I would agree, but still think this is a valuable lesson learned. No harm in the learning process.

2 Likes
25

Curiously, I “liked” this comment, then realised that I did check it out, and it didn’t grab me at the time.

The time just has to be right eh?

5 Likes
26

I remember well that when i discovered the game, i was interested in investigating time and space. So it came just at the right time.

3 Likes
28

That term only confuses everyone. Better to try to think and write about similar ideas without ever using these two words.

1 Like
29

How did I?

30

My post was a reply to OP

31

O I see. You may use the binded arrow in the OP next time.

32

You are right. I apologize for the inconvenience.

2 Likes
33

Is this something you would tell your younger self?

Personally I choose not to live by that philosophy, because life is more fun for me this way.

2 Likes
34

It’s funny that we’re calling free will into question, but not traveling back in time…

But even in the world where time travel exists and free will does not, you can still tell your younger self things. Probably exactly what you heard from your older self earlier :smile:

4 Likes