Seth Thomasmeyer

Educator && Software Engineer

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

“Do not think that what is hard for you to master is humanly impossible; and if it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.” - Marcus Aurelius

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

@Dan_Arrows @HardcoreHistory

[Tim Ferriss @tferriss]

An email from Coach Sommer I revisit often:

Hi Tim,

Patience. Far too soon to expect strength improvements. Strength improvements [for a movement like this] take a minimum of 6 weeks. Any perceived improvements prior to that are simply the result of improved synaptic facilitation. In plain English, the central nervous system simply became more efficient at that particular movement with practice. This is, however, not to be confused with actual strength gains.

Dealing with the temporary frustration of not making progress is an integral part of the path towards excellence. In fact, it is essential and something that every single elite athlete has had to learn to deal with. If the pursuit of excellence was easy, everyone would do it.

In fact, this impatience in dealing with frustration is the primary reason that most people fail to achieve their goals. Unreasonable expectations timewise, resulting in unnecessary frustration, due to a perceived feeling of failure. Achieving the extraordinary is not a linear process.

The secret is to show up, do the work, and go home.

A blue collar work ethic married to indomitable will. It is literally that simple. Nothing interferes. Nothing can sway you from your purpose. Once the decision is made, simply refuse to budge. Refuse to compromise.

And accept that quality long-term results require quality long-term focus. No emotion. No drama. No beating yourself up over small bumps in the road. Learn to enjoy and appreciate the process. This is especially important because you are going to spend far more time on the actual journey than with those all too brief moments of triumph at the end.

Certainly celebrate the moments of triumph when they occur. More importantly, learn from defeats when they happen. In fact, if you are not encountering defeat on a fairly regular basis, you are not trying hard enough. And absolutely refuse to accept less than your best.

Throw out a timeline. It will take what it takes.

If the commitment is to a long-term goal and not to a series of smaller intermediate goals, then only one decision needs to be made and adhered to. Clear, simple, straightforward. Much easier to maintain than having to make small decision after small decision to stay the course when dealing with each step along the way. This provides far too many opportunities to inadvertently drift from your chosen goal. The single decision is one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox.

[DPRK News Service @DPRK_News]

Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un thinks you can achieve your dreams, if you believe.

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

“No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.”

- Sichuan proverb popularized by Deng Xiaoping, CCP leader from the late 1970s to the early 1990s

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

“Every action is a speculative venture; every action is embedded in the flux of time.” - Ludwig von Mises, Human Action: A Treatise on Economics

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

"In a world growing ever-more divided, Christ begs and pleads for unity. In a world of friction and violence, Christ's church... has repeatedly banded together to turn back the forces of godlessness and authoritarian incivility." - Daniel Hanson, https://t.co/H1g4NLlKZx

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

An Introduction to Algorithms, Pt. 4: The TSP and Heuristics https://t.co/N0nnPEuhs1

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

I recently taught my computer science students a series of lessons on cryptography. They really enjoyed them, so I wrote this article to reach a wider range of educators, students, and people who want to learn more about cryptography. I hope you like it!

https://t.co/PiewlT1L5Q

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

An Introduction to Algorithms, Pt. 3: Efficiency && Big-O Time Complexity https://t.co/rcDFZrD70G

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

I just taught my AP CSP students about algorithms, and I decided to write up this 3-part series geared towards other students and self-taught devs. I know how intimidating this topic can be, so I've broken it down to make it as accessible as possible -- https://t.co/eHh5IRlHVa

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

https://t.co/ovQvOpdooK

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

“Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in [it]. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success, and the key to being regarded honorably.” - Jiro Ono

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

https://t.co/eGsiPaFNKS

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

[1/x] Thomas Jefferson remarking on the 50th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence: “May it be to the world what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all) the signal arousing men to burst the chains…

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

[4/x] ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of God. These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

“[In scientific pursuits] we’ve placed so much emphasis on not mistaking signal for noise that when someone hands us a beautiful, perfectly clear signal on a silver platter… we get so stunned we’re likely to forget that this is only part of the battle.” https://t.co/yg3m4xM1qz

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

https://t.co/cLuAoURs5p

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

[1/x] Hard Questions: The Bait & Switch Fallacy

If you are trying to answer a hard question, you will be tempted to replace it with an easier one. You might even answer this easier version, and convince yourself that you’ve actually answered the original hard question.

[Seth Thomasmeyer @SethThomasmeyer]

[7/x] p.s., individuals w/ a god complex are particularly susceptible to this bait and switch fallacy bc it absolves them from considering: 1) their judgment model(s) are broken, 2) they are fallible, 3) systemic processes that have served them well in the past are outdated.