Edward J

Exploring the infinite. Excellent day

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

@elonmusk Funny that when Elon bought Twitter he said it was for free speech but ended up using it as a government propaganda machine

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

We are just the stories we tell ourselves, there is no ‘deep down’. To be the person you want to be, start telling yourself a different story of who you are.

For example, if you always tell yourself and others that you’re bad at public speaking, you reinforce and identify with that narrative. Change the narrative and start being the target version of yourself.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

People will often say that their goal in life is to be happy, but this is the wrong goal. If happiness feels unattainable for you, maybe you’re looking at it wrong. Here’s why –

Happiness is a fleeting emotion, so it is not possible to feel happy all the time. If this is your expectation, you will be disappointed, no matter how hard you try.

The human body has a tendency towards homeostasis, or equilibrium. When we feel happy, we are experiencing a concoction of hormones being released. Hormone levels then return to a baseline state of neutral happiness. This is an evolutionary trait to keep us motivated.

In a way, our dopaminergic system rewards the path of least resistance, which can lead us to seek continuous stimulation or to find ever better sources of entertainment. But our brain will always adapt and this will become the new baseline, leaving us feeling numb or depressed. This is a human condition known as the hedonic treadmill.

Don’t make happiness your goal. Make your goal to get better at playing the game of life. Human being is a verb and our evolutionary reward mechanisms are oriented around surviving, which is a perpetual act with no destination.

Keep taking steps in the direction that you know is best for you. Keep levelling up in each dimension of your life. When you beat a level, move up to the next. Choose to be on the edge of your comfort zone, so you’re always growing, learning, and having new experiences.

If you’re struggling to start, then smart small – wake up earlier, make you bed, tidy your home – whatever is manageable for you. You will always experience ups and downs, which you must accept, as it is only our resistance to this that causes suffering.

By making your goal to play the game of life, rather than to be happy, you free yourself from unrealistic expectations and attachment to fleeting emotions.

As you lean into life and continue to level up, you will feel proud of the person you are becoming, which will give rise to a deeper, sustained sense of contentment and satisfaction, not dependent on your mood. Long lasting contentment is earned by playing the game of life.

#happiness #GoalSetting

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

@David26788655 @joeselvaggi @jordanbpeterson Is it not more likely that the existing power hierarchies built on money from fossil fuels are using propaganda to maintain the status quo, rather than the science being wrong? Who is really trying to exert control?

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

The earth's systems are complex, so there are lots of knock on effects - warming disrupts atmospheric circulation by altering temperature gradients, weakening jet streams and shifting pressure systems. This exacerbates heatwaves by trapping warm air, intensifies droughts by reducing moisture transport, and amplifies storms by providing more energy. Heat increases evaporation, accelerating water cycling from the ground to the atmosphere, which causes more intense rain and flash floods.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

Your skepticism for politics is valid and unfortunately important topics are exploited for political gain. However, is it not more likely that the false rhetoric is created by the rich and powerful oil beneficiaries who want to maintain the status quo rather than the global scientific community who want to prevent catastrophes that will mainly impact the poor?

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

@FanaticalMonk @jordanbpeterson Who exactly is the elite? Not the oil beneficiaries who control the money and power and have an interest in denying scientific consensus to maintain the growing wealth gap? How would the elite be benefiting more from protecting the climate?

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

Rather than attaching your happiness to the next flashy distraction or source of overstimulation, practice looking for happiness in the smallest of details.

The very fact that we experience existence with conscious awareness and can interact with the fabric of reality is beyond mind blowing.

Wherever you are, you get to witness the totality of the universe expressed in the changing form of clouds, the rain dancing on a window, or the soft glow of the sun’s rays that have travelled a hundred million miles to your retina.

The baseline experience of humanity is unfathomably lucky.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

No one is saying that we shouldn’t have an atmosphere - earth’s atmosphere is well balanced to sustain life.

If you’re interested, you can look in a science text book to learn about the carbon cycle and radiative forcing. Or you could trust the scientific community where there is over 95% consensus (the convential threshold used in science to determine if something is statistically valid is 95%).

You probably trust science in other aspects of life, e.g., medicine, astronomy, electronics, so what is the reason for denying science here? Maybe your views are manipulated by politics?

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

You are factually incorrect. We measure a rise in sea level of 6-8 inches and it’s accelerating with increased glacial melting that we can easily see. We track extreme weather events which increase each year in number and severity, constantly breaking records, with corresponding financial losses

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

Your ability to delay gratification will largely determine where you end up in life

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

In the grand scheme of the universe, nothing matters. The true nature of reality is a metaphysical abstraction beyond our comprehension. Life is fundamentally absurd. In the face of absurdity, choose your own purpose.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

We live in an age where we are being brainwashed by surveillance capitalism to the point where all of our views and opinions will be determined by an algorithm and we’ll be unable to conceive an original thought.

The only way to stay free in the 21st century is to create for yourself, not only consume -

Write down your ideas, make music, art, or poetry. Spend time in nature for inspiration and read novels to let your mind conjure images.

If you don’t, a lifetime of acting out a role at work and being manipulated by your timeline, the media, and fake news that is designed to trigger you will rewire your brain until you no longer know who you are.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

@jordanbpeterson Live up to being the person you want to be with each seemingly minor decision and the rest will take care of itself

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

How to win any argument: listen to the other person's viewpoint, don't disagree, try to understand why they'd think like that, repeat it back to them, find something you agree on as common ground, work from there to keep them open to your viewpoint.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

How to regain your focus: only pick up your phone when you need it for something; don't pick it up to find something to do

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

When you find yourself getting caught up in the day-to-day nonsense, remember that you are the universe experiencing itself.

[Edward J @infinite_edward]

Getting a good physique is not the main reason for going to the gym everyday, this is:

By forcing yourself to do something you don't want to do everyday, you literally grow the region of your brain that controls willpower (the aMCC).

This only works if you push yourself beyond what you enjoy, i.e., that extra 5 minute sprint. An icy cold shower works too.

By just showing up to the gym everyday, you gain discipline, pride, and the ability to go beyond your comfort zone, that transfers into everything else that you do.

The primary benefit of going to the gym is not to look good, its to build discipline.

#discipline #PersonalGrowth #neuroscience