Basman

I have personal experience with mentorship programs and I got burned basically. Wasted a couple years in my early twenties and thousands for ultimately nothing. My life would look different if I hadn't "signed up" for it. It was not related to trading but I think what I learnet from it about online programs as a business still apply. A couple of rules for detecting a course that is more interested in being sold than teach, basically: If the program guarantees money in any way, especially a specific amount, then stay away. A good course is about learning first and foremost. When a program guarantees money, that is merely a marketing strategy to make the deal seem less raw and like passing up the deal makes you lose value. The prices of these courses and programs are marked up considerably, so they need you to be willing to fork over the dough somehow. What you can learn from these courses, you typically can learn elsewhere. Cheaper or for free. 80% of a program is about selling you on a particular vision. There might be an ideological angle too. If the ability to connect to a father figure type personality is implicitly part of the marketing, then definitely stay away (Andrew Tate for example). A good course won't try to appeal to your need to please a father figure. It won't be relevant, because it'll be simply about learning something concrete and specific. With all that said, you can still learn from these program and there might be genuinely good advice, but you have to contend with the fact that you are most likely being upsold. To me, the simplest rule is to look out for any guarantees of money. Those are dead give aways that the course is atleast overpriced for what its worth.

Very interesting take. I personally believe that machinery isn't capable of consciousness like humans (consciousness, as in sentience and awareness of internal and external existence). I feel like this thread is kinda derailed by the non-dual discussion, because it ultimately doesn't matter what AI is from a non-dual perspective, in my understanding of it at least. The distinction of AI being conscious or not, that is.

It's not hard for many people to spend good money on a smart phone, considering most people spend a 3 hours and 15 minutes every day on their device. It's useful. And better, more luxurious models cost more. Hence the demand.