Human Mint

Self-deception is ugly. Be careful y'all.

Not even enough, I am just starting to see the points being made.

Great question. You have to ask and listen, ask and listen. Be with the question for long periods.

Attachment is what keeps me from awakening. I don't really want to awake. On the other hand can't wait to awaken. I wanna party!

Tripping near body of water, not a great idea.

Good question. They extracted capital like there was no tomorrow, milking the shit out of those poor countries which in turn fueled the industrial revolution. The problem is how they did it. They've left a scar in every country they put a foot on. But guilt is nonsense and cheap. Plus they were not the only empire. It is a good question asking in what ways it was dysfunctional.

@Joseph Maynor Thanks for those shares.

I think this discussion falls into the intellectual subforum. I want to share what it is a very powerful idea about music which I've been contemplating for a while now, this will probably resonate to those who like to compose their own music. And I'll try to explain it simply for the majority that doesn't play music. When you study music theory you are just learning to play the Infinite Song. Every song in existence is just part of one big song, which has every note, every scale, every harmony progression, every rhythms changes imaginable. As a limiting being the challenge is to produce beauty out of different combinations and configurations of notes. You're like a scientist experimenting with different combinations until you find the ones that work. And then you make a business out of that. All of your study of music culminates in you being able to playing effortlessly anything that you want beautifully, that's what's so compelling about the art. The more I study, the more I see the similarities between different songs, and the more I know how to reproduce them. Those songs which at first seemed like a mistery what exactly made them sound so good, now I can pinpoint what makes them the way they are and I can reproduce the art and add my own touch. Because you understand the mind behind the creation of that song. I'll refine my explanation more and more the upcoming years but for now that's what I am intuiting. I always dreamed to crack the code of music for more than a decade, this is my life purpose.

Opening the thread for more pratice talk. To me it is hard to think in terms of deliberate practice, since training is a messy process with many different phases. As you level up your skills you progressively transform your practice routine. I just try to orient my practice towards general goals. But it is almost guaranteed that you'll get good just by sheer volume. Constant repetition is crucial. No one can pin point exactly what makes you learn something. The only problem it can feel very draining. That's where I think the advice of practicing for a couple minutes a day comes in, because you're generating more stamina. Practicing to the point that it doesn't feel like work requires a build-up. Building familiarity is a powerful concept.

@Joshe Maybe you won't resonate with this, but I view it as how much are you able to channel creativity. Because at my best flow state moments it feels like I am being possesed by creativity. Or Spirit takes over. It could be analogous to energy levels though. Some people have achieved that through lots of cocaine

@Joshe I get ya. I notice I am more clear minded (or cold blooded) at mornings. There is a reason why the belief of making the most productive decisions should be done in the mornings. Is not that you can't work in the evenings, or at night. But state is different. Personally I get fatigued quite easily late in the day. Starting in the morning is super wise. This is part of valuing health (caring about energy levels, setting up telemetry). I noticed increased mood when taking supplements like vitamin D, B complex or omega3. But still the ice breaker is the inertia you build up through constant action.

@Ulax For sure. You learn what you repeat, for good or for bad.

It sounds weird to me. It is like if you walk the same path over and over again you'll eventually remember every little detail of it, even if you weren't proactive. In my experience the biggest obstacle is to stop trying.

It works, for sure. But I am not at an advanced stage so still a lot to discover. A common enemy of focus and practice is addiction, whatever you can think off. But stacking hours of practice, nothing beats that. Your memory is a precious thing. Choose what you want to cement on it wisely.

Ok. I will just step back for a minute because honestly I don't understand why it triggers some people so much, or how it affects some of you (Leo's perspective on things). I don't want to be throwing wood in the fire to something I don't fully understand. I am not a very gullible person myself so I take everything with a pinch of salt. And actually I do have more harsh opinions in some areas, but I am not a public figure so I don't know how you would react.

Or it was me leaving that made us win...

3 goals in 13' minutes from Argentina, a miracle. I went off for a walk in the minute 80' for fresh air when we were 0-2 hoping for nothing and I got to capture the moment with my cellphone.

"I asked God and he told me" At some point communicating the highest intelligence just comes in form of riddles and poetry.

With introspection? I would go with questions like: How is best to do introspection? What is keeping me from doing good introspection? Where can this lead me? I personally like those more general questions.

@Elliott That is absolutely fine. You'll only get concerned with consistency if you can never get enough, like me. Then you'll start to think in ways to invoke that desire to train even when you don't want. Than can happen if you have a strong sense of urgency.

@Joseph Maynor Or in other words you want too keep the musicality always alive otherwise it becomes depressing.

@Joseph Maynor I don't particularly like learning scales alone either. I think it is best to quickly try and apply them in your playing. But clearly there is a phase of making sense of the scale too. I don't know, it's hard to say what makes you progress and what not. It is always an open question that you have to figure out by yourself. I always remember Pat Metheny's analogy with language. Something like: when you speak you don't think what word to say next, they just come. Same think while you improvise with an instrument. The important thing is to know you can achieve that.

I agree with that. But kids do have special powers. For example there is a window in your first months of life where you can aquire perfect pitch. After that you can't learn it as an adult never, as much as you want it.

I was learning German a year ago. I am listening that language again after a year and I undeerstand a lot of words. Makes me more motivated. I grinded hard.