Basman

There is no argument being made that you can't improve your condition with hard work and willpower but you'll never outrun a cheetah. A cheetah's "genetic floor" is so beyond you that it is impossible to compete in terms of running speed. If you where born retarded and needed 24/7 care then you wouldn't even be able to make this post. The fact you can think about this stuff and are presumably healthy means you have relatively good genes. It is really just the observation that genetics determine what you could call your "genetic floor" and "genetic ceiling". The average person is far away from their "genetic ceiling". It is about appreciating when things are out of your control. It is not binary, you can self-improve in most cases but you'll never out-lift a gorilla.

Yeah, you might be right. I'm probably giving mommy Mette too much credits.

My theory is that the Social Democrats wish to capitalize on the aging population. Mette Fredriksen comes of as a savy business woman more than anything else. Very much a career politician. That kind of demeanor can be good for finding solutions to complex problems (she handled Covid well for the most part compared to other countries), but it comes with the downside of not truly having a vision for society based on conscious development. She seems stuck in stage Orange. That is my perspective though.

Relationships and connection is probably one of the greatest sources of happiness for humans. Its why I think it is so tragic that people are being priced out of having children nowadays. Nearly everything aspirational that people do are meaningful because it is a contribution to someone else's life. That is a lot of where the excitement and meaning of a life purpose comes from. Contribution. It is why people are willing to die in wars so that future generations can enjoy peace and freedom.

It is disappointing to me because I believe right-wing governments tend to in general be less functional than left-wing governments but it is not surprising. The war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty and immigration seem to push people to the right. It could also perhaps be seen as a cyclical thing as we internationally been moving left politically the last 10-20 years.

I think the recent shift of the Social Democratic party to becoming more right-leaning has pushed voters more left. I'm not too educated on current affairs but removing a holiday, downsizing education, tax cuts for top earners, and not to mention the whole mink thing, among others, I can see people shifting away from the right as it is not serving their best interests.

It is only three months, no? Tension should pass as they realize you are not going to hit on them. Even if it doesn't you'll get used to it eventually. Try to keep contact to a minimum and focus on your work and nothing else.

He's funny and seems to be an enjoyer of having a "father figure". Good for him. Just try it. See for yourself if it works.

No. Just try things. Don't rely on gimmicks for connection. As I've grown older, I've realized that I tend to take too much responsibility for a conversation (it is an unconscious response to trauma I suffered as child under a critical family). I've noticed that often when conversations are awkward or stilted it is due to the counter-part not engaging in a way that helps create flow or who is saying weird stuff. If you lack experience socializing, maybe you tend to take too much responsibility for the flow of the conversation.

Hell Let Loose is a bit of an acquired taste due to dying in one hit, forcing a much tactical and strategic playstyle. You will die a lot to enemies you can't even see clearly. But the immersion is unlike any other PvP games and when you succeed at the game, it is one of the most fun I've had with gaming. You will have tense and cinematic moments that will linger and stay with you as these "war stories", how you outsmarted an opponent by the skin of your teeth. I was once camping along a grove out in the open and I was getting shot at, forcing me to go prone behind a nothing but a tree stump. I couldn't fire back, as I would get shot as soon as I rise from cover (the enemy knew exactly where I was while I didn't know where they where, only the general direction). But the enemy kept shooting at me so I waited till they ran out of ammo with their gun, at which I quickly rose from cover, found and shot them. Very few games can manage to give you "moments" like that that stick with you consistently.

Sekiro has been one of if not the best experiences I've had with gaming. The palpable sense of growth and accomplishment as you journey from start to finish is unlike any other games I've played. One of the best combat systems in gaming. You will be stonewalled in this game and you must grit your teeth and earnestly try. But the victories you get feel earned and are so worth it. My biggest triumphs in gaming have been with Sekiro.

Rainworld is amazing albeit the brutal learning curve for new players due to the difficulty being centered a lot around knowing what to do. It is not a game that is particularly difficult execution wise unlike something like Sekiro. It is hard to describe the beauty of the game, you really should try it out yourself. It has a bunch of Buddhist themes in its story, which I know many of you will appreciate.

It could be a skill issue. You get more out of socialization if you are comfortable with social friction, know how to approach and talk to people, etc. I get energy and joy from a conversation with good flow despite being a conventional introvert all things considered. You could combine an interest with socialization, like sports, art, nature based hobbies like hunting or kayaking, etc. That way you enrich your life with a meaningful activity and socialize at the same time. You also will have the advantage of a common interest in that case. My brother works a 9-5 and used to just be gaming after work but after being introduced into viking fencing by a colleague his social life exploded as well as gaining an enriching hobby where he travels around the country. He even got a girlfriend out of it who shares his passion.

Games aren't about elevating people spiritually but the wonder of slipping into another world. In this respect RDR2 is very successful to many. Not the first time someone makes a thread trying to mix gaming with self-improvement. At best you'll get something artistic out of games by playing them a bit but you shouldn't really be playing games if you think you got better things to do.

No kidding, lol. That nefarious evil sorcerer moon grass.

Yeah I know, the words being overused excessively lately but I didn't know what else to call it.

Contemplation is pretty hard if you are not used to it. In my experience, you just have to kind of sit there and keep thinking on the issue with a undistracted mind. The answer will not always immediately be clear to you and can take some time but never that long. It just feels like a lot of time because it is uncomfortable to contemplate with such focus I find. Another problem when answering the questions in the life purpose assessment in my experience is a lack of experience. A lack of experience can make it harder to know for sure what it is you want exactly. A estimation of what you want approximately is sufficient in my opinion if you make the express intent of accruing more experience in the future so you will become more clear. Life purpose is a long-term intention you set for your life. You don't need to figure out everything in one go.

I'd move back to Amsterdam, help take care of my aging father, draw a lot, date around and find a partner, pay off my debts. Travel at some point to. I'm not that ambitious, really. You are right that all of these things are huge time sinks, not only money sinks, but I think it can be bit of a trap to over-value your time. Life doesn't need to be 100% efficient to be worth living and you can always get rid of things once they've been exhausted of what they are worth to you.

Ok, it is locked in now lol. Stay away. Done.

I think people who grew up "on the streets" learn to tell apart people who you should avoid because they are exposed to so many colorful people, some unsafe and chaotic. I think it is good to be wary of people. When I see someone who's kind of "weird" in a way that signals that they could start drama I generally avoid them as much as possible. I don't look at them even. I mind my own business. Ghastly. The botox make her look like a cheap slut.

There are clearly positive aspects to her, playful, friendly, beautiful. But she's clearly a mess. She seems desperate for some kind of unconditional love which could be a hold-over from unmet childhood needs and she seems to project that need very intensely. Wanting unconditional love from adults is a childish notion and maybe why she is so obsessed with this "Tim" guy. He seems to her like someone who is going to give her the kind of love she craves. If you where unscrupulous you could easily use her for sex. I can see it being harder to resist the temptation if you are more desperate for sex. she is supposedly beautiful.

I second to avoid any "women bad" social media content. It is a whole cottage industry know of videos "criticizing" the dating market, the behavior of certain women, criticizing women for being "illogical", etc. The problem is that it frames women as an "other" and shrinks your world view. Gender war derpstate that can get in the way of growth.

The "last version of Windows" is about to end. 4 things you can do: Upgrade to W11, though this may require a hardware upgrade. Stay on W10 at your own risk. You can permanently keep your PC disconnected from the net to mitigate security risks. Subscribe to ESU for three years of extended support (delaying the issue). Switch to Linux. Bloatware, ads and privacy issues are going to be a problem with W11, though it is apparently possible mitigate this problem by trawling through settings and disabling all sorts of widgets, bells and whistles. Copilot, while I'm wary of data harvesting, could potentially speed up data work. I'm considering switching to Linux though I've heard programs tend to work worse for Linux as it is an unpopular OS and therefor less prioritized. Thoughts?

Conflict isn't the end of the world. You should learn to prioritize your needs as opposed to compromise to keep the peace constantly. You need a strong sense of self to make the most of life. It shouldn't really matter what people think of you. Not being able to confidently say "no" to others is a huge disadvantage and will rob you of a lot energy and joy. How people treat you is generally an extension of their survival strategy. Maybe they are nice to you again after you started ignoring them because they rely on you for work. Point is, don't take it so personally. I recommend reading the book "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Dr. Glover. It is a self-help book about "nice guys" who struggle getting what they want in life. It sounds like you to be honest.

From your writing, it sounds like you try to keep the peace by placating what you perceive to be other people's wants as opposed to making your personal needs a priority and maintaining boundaries, I.E. it sounds like your needy. Needy = trying to get what you want and avoid conflict by being "good" to others. People might treat you badly because they sense this paradigm in you. It gives them a sense of power because you care about how they feel. The work culture at your job sounds kinda toxic as well. Very competitive and jealous.