[andreyk]

This is of course partially true, but the notion that you can just decide to be the best version of yourself is a bit weird, as many factors outside your control limit your range of actions. As you mention, physical health is pivotal, and having poor physical health is going to limit you significantly. You can work on your physical health, but as with many low income people you may have to work hard for money and have no physical energy left over for such feats. Poor mental health in particular is going to limit your ability to change 'who you are right now' - it's simply not possible to choose to be positive, for instance.

But I do of course agree it's a good philosophy to recognize you can choose to act in accordance with who you want to be, insofar as it is possible. And at the same, to work to chance your circumstances to expand your possibilities about who you can be.

[graeme]

> but as with many low income people you may have to work hard for money and have no physical energy left over for such feats

People love to bring up edge cases but most people on that situation aren’t on Hacker News.

Vast majority of audience here is in a position to improve their energy.

And I’ve had health and digestive issues that impair me more than average. Guess what? By controlling my environment and inputs I can have a massive difference in my own average energy levels

> it's simply not possible to choose to be positive, for instance

I fundamentally disagree with this statement. There’s always a choice. Do you speak from experience or are you assuming what others with worse physical challenges than you must logically feel?

(I draw a distinction here between acute and chronic issues. If your spouse has just died or you just broke your leg and are in excruciating pain, positivity has little role. I’m talking about longer run)

[rory]

> You can work on your physical health, but as with many low income people you may have to work hard for money and have no physical energy left over for such feats

If you are physically exhausted from your work, you almost certainly exercised enough during that work to be in good physical health. The health problems of low income people are almost always caused primarily by nutritional issues (too much food, too little, or not the right variety, depending on the context).