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by rimantas 5125 days ago

  > 1. The world is trying to keep you stupid.
No it doesn't. Quite the opposite. While the idea that less educated are easier to manipulate is true the item on the list says expresses a different idea.

  > 2. Do not have faith in institutions to educate you.
You can only educate yourself. However institutions can help a lot. As for outdated curriculum: guess how old Newtonian physics and calculus is. Now think how many still have problem grasping these.

  > 3. Read as much as you can. Learn to speed read with high retention.
Agree with the first part. The second part is oxymoron.

  > 4. Connect with everyone, all the time.
Bullshit.

  > 5. Don’t waste time being shy.
Bullshit.

  > 6. If you feel weird about something during a relationship, that’s usually what you end up breaking up over.
Ok.

  > 7. Have as much contact as possible with older people.
Why?

  > 8. Find people that are cooler than you and hang out with them too.
Why?

  > 9. You will become more conservative over time. For this reason, you need to do your craziest stuff NOW.
Why? Do I need to do the crazy stuff at all? Also, not sure about the whole getting more conservative thing.

  > 10. Reduce all expenses as much as possible.
Ok.

  > 11. Instead of getting status through objects (which provide only temporary boosts), do it through experiences.
Whatever.

  > 12. While you are living on the cheap, solve the money problem.
Whatever.

  > 13. Learn to program.
Why? Why program, not plumbing? I think people to often conflate programming and reasoning skill.

  > 14. Get a six-pack (or get thin, whatever your goal is) while you are young.
How about not getting fat?

  >15. Learn to cook
  
Ok

  > 16. Sleep well
Ok

  > 17. Get a reminder app for everything
Bullshit.

  > 18. Choose something huge to do
Ok

  > 19. Get known for one thing.
Whatever.

  > 20. Don’t try to “fix” anyone.
Mostly true. But you can be a good help for someone who really tries to change.

My addition: don't make shallow lists like this.

5 comments

> 1. The world is trying to keep you stupid.

No it doesn't. Quite the opposite. While the idea that less educated are easier to manipulate is true the item on the list says expresses a different idea.

He is actually right, in several ways. For example, how do you find the average joke posted by a friend on Facebook? Also TV is called the idiot box for a reason. And its not easy to break the addictive traps. And this is just one way.

Similarly if one _thinks_ there is a lot of weight in other points as well. But of course one has to interpret them in one's own context.

I just started watching CCTV (Chinese State TV in English - Broadcasting locally from 'Cornroe' Texas), and the contrast with ABC/NBC/CBS etc., is amazing.

Actually foreign news, not just US forces adventures, and human interest.

Do yourself a favor and watch at least source of foreign news, such as the BBC, CCTV, CNN Intl, Al Jazeera etc.

Most of your why? can be answered by reading the actual post.
Concerning your conservative remark: hands down the best high school class I took was my US government class. It taught one all the shit about the political process...practical stuff (as opposed to the literary significance of Hamlet) every adult should know in order to make informed voting decisions. Stuff that one most likely will not learn anywhere else unless they put effort into doing so (and we all know how motivated the general public is to do that).

One of the things they touched upon in the early chapters was how people, in general, are more liberal in their youth and, as they acquire wealth and other serious assets (mortgage, family, 20 foot boat, etc), they become more set in their ways and thus, conservative. Makes sense when you think about it...

Conservative is an overloaded word. If you read the blurb following conservative it seems like he's using it in the sense of risk-aversion not in the sense of political spectrum. Both tend to be true facts of life, but the idea of trying to accomplish big things when you can take more risks is the more important one.
Why not? What makes it bullshit?
Thanks