[Waterluvian]

> Like all childish thinking, it contained some truth. Physical fitness is less important than spiritual, emotional, and mental fitness.

One kind of growth I love to see is when someone becomes less confident in their opinions over time. A lot of people “grow up” by just being super confident and stubborn about new ideas.

[zeroxfe]

I think that the wax and wane of confidence is a natural (and healthy) cycle to preserve.

You start knowing nothing, and have no confidence, then learn stuff and your confidence builds, then you capitalize on that (learning x confidence) by doing productive things, then you hit barriers that create confusion and break down your confidence, at which point you realize you knew nothing and start learning like a beginner again.

Unhealthy confidence does not have this pattern, whether it's low or high. Even "medium" confidence, IMO, signals some kind of rut that one is stuck in, which tends to stifle creativity.

[Gravityloss]

This is a good comment explains why discussions so often are so painful.

I quite often get explained to me the things I already know, in long monologues. Even things that I have created, only having people explain them to me years later, but using terms somewhat incorrectly etc.

And then I'm probably also doing that to other people.

[jebarker]

This is very encouraging! As I said in another comment, lack of confidence in opinions due to realizing the limits of knowledge feels debilitating. Glad to hear maybe it’s just the start of learning like a beginner again!

[kmoser]

Apparently the author is still of the mind that physical fitness takes a back seat to the other types of fitness. Anyone who has suffered from an extensive debilitating injury or illness quickly learns that it drags you down spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. Even minor injuries or illnesses, when sustained over time, can have a profound effect on your mental health. For that reason, I would argue that physical fitness is more foundational (and therefore more important) than mental well being.

[Waterluvian]

I was thinking about this on and off this morning. My first thought was that the body is the base foundation for all of those things. None of them matter or can be in meaningfully good shape if the body is in poor condition. Then I started thinking it may just be an interrelationship where they all depend on each other. Then I thought more about what exactly is it that we're trying to evaluate? Is it quality of life? Because that really begins convincing me that there really is no priority list here and they are all deeply dependent on each other. Ever been depressed and tried to exercise? Ever been in terrible health and tried to be happy?

[boogieknite]

ive experienced this effect on mental health for a day or two after major injury but after a bit i find something else to occupy my attention and effort

in simple terms staying active mentally helps me wait out the recovery. healthy spirit might mean i can accept the injury more quickly and get that day or two down to a few hours

sort of like the article it usually begins by dabbling in some activities i can do with my injury

[jmogly]

That stuck out to me as well, physical fitness is super important for so many reasons, one being it is one of the best tools to help improve your mental health.

I think part of really growing up is first recognizing how little you know, humility, and second still acting despite knowing you don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle, bravery (without bravado)

[jebarker]

As with all things it seems, this has a failure mode too, at least for the person growing up. I’ve become so un-confident in my opinions on most things that I basically don’t have any. For current event type things I just realized that everything is endlessly complex and finding authoritative, balanced and trustworthy sources is too time consuming to be practical. In work I am just constantly aware of the limits of my own knowledge that it manifests as imposter syndrome, low self esteem and procrastination. I often envy the folks that are confident in their opinions.

[kridsdale3]

More people need Socrates.

[xnx]

"I know that I know nothing" (approx.) -Plato