[prionassembly]

I didn't know about this.

I can't open the link, but I read https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/technology/tony-hsieh-dea... and the whole thing seems classic untreated bipolar disorder.

I wonder how much of SV shenanigans can be attributed to manic breakdowns. There was already a "hypomanic advantage" meme going around a while ago; and, of course, thinking you can slightly toe the line towards a controled flirt with mania is classical bipolar anosognosia.

PSA: For many years, I self-administered the Young's Mania Ratings Scale everytime I felt the scales begin to tip. It's very short and impressively insightful. You might not know what mania is actually is, and if you live a high-intensity lifestyle you owe it to yourself to take it just once:

https://psychology-tools.com/test/young-mania-rating-scale

[Elof]

I've been in tech in the Bay Area for 15 years, mostly in startups, and I can say that untreated mental health issues (myself included for many years) are a very real thing.

[rchaud]

I wonder if this will be the new frontier of bio-hacking: attempting to replicate the symptoms of mania to get a "performance advantage".

[Jtsummers]

This is one reason some people use some kinds of drugs (particularly uppers of various sorts). They create a temporary manic or hypomanic state, even if that's not the term the users would choose to describe the produced state. Of course, it doesn't always lead to positive or even neutral outcomes especially as many are habit forming and the user can develop a tolerance to it (necessitating more of the drug in order to achieve a comparable effect as before, which exacerbates issues stemming from the side effects and high-dose/long-term use).

Look at college students and knowledge workers using various ADD/ADHD medications, as an example.

[redisman]

Is mania a desired state though? It's very chaotic and we already have adderall. I would guess it was more of a facsimile of happiness than a productivity hack. I'm partying all day, my mood is chemically elevated so surely this is what happiness is right?

[rchaud]

That's why it's called 'bio-hacking'. Implicit in the name is the assumption that you can have the benefits of something without the natural drawbacks.

[sneak]

> and, of course, thinking you can slightly toe the line towards a controled flirt with mania is classical bipolar anosognosia.

This is one of those amazingly insightful things sort of hiding in plain sight. There is some plain wisdom right here.