Harry

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in self-help. In an industry where we are told 'fake it till you make it' and 'follow your passion' Holiday gives us a good case for rationality above puffing up our egos. Expect a LOT of resistance when reading this book—your ego is not going to like it's bubble of illusion being popped.

@Lorcan The best thing you can learn from Stoicism is how to differentiate between: 1/ Situations in which you have full control. E.g. Your reaction to getting punched in the face 2/ Situations you have some control over. E.g. Persuading someone to do something. 3/ Situations you have no control over. E.g. Getting to the airport on time when you are on a train. Stoicism advices you to focus all of your mental effort into what you control. This means no more stressing, worrying or mourning over things you cannot change. Also, it advices that you try to convert goals which are 2/ based into goals which are 1/ based. For example, if your goal was to persuade someone to buy a chocolate bar, you would change it to be as persuasive as I possibly can in my next interaction. This subtle difference means that even if the person rejects your chocolate bar, you wouldn't have failed your goal if you were as persuasive as you could be. This mindset will shake anyone out of a victim mentality and force them to focus on what actions they can take.

Firstly, Physicist try and present theories in as simple a form as possible. However, these concepts are incredibly difficult to grasp—so they require a high level of mathematical ability to understand. There is no big scientific cult making everything too confusing for the layman to understand. Secondly, great question! Nothing is 'directly' perceived. For example, when you look at a table you aren't actually perceiving it, you are seeing photons (light particles) hit your eyeball. In much the same way you don't observe atoms directly—but you infer their existence from interactions with other particles.

I'm calling bullshit on that one.

Your voice goes high pitched at the end of every sentence. If you fix that, you'll sound 10x more confindent.

If something 'supernatural' is observed, It becomes a natural phenomenon. Therefore the laws of physics would have to change to encompass it.

@Psychonaut what a profound insight

@philosogi His personal life is a shambles. Although he is undoubtedly a genius, I predict he is orange on the spiral dynamics scale.

I agree with @quantum —'Sapiens' is fantastic!

@Emilio Hell yes.

@Heart of Space It's pretty simple, you have three options: 1) Keep doing what you are doing—and keep fucking things up. 2) Take responsibility of your actions, stop breaking your commitments to your girl, and cultivate some self-control. (Easier said than done for some people) 3) Stop getting in monogamous relationship when you cant be monogamous. Look into polygamy if you can get past the need for your girlfriend to only bang you.

Coach Corey Wayne will help you out. Look at his YouTube videos and free book on his site.

Youre right, as of yet nobody has been able to combine quantum mechanics and reletivity into a single unified theory. However that's not to say it's impossible to do so. You're right, in quantum physics particles can only exist with certain discrete physical properties (energy, momentum etc.). On the macroscopic scale, these discrete changes between physical properties are so small that it cannot be measured.

@Progress I can think of a couple of ways it can be done with your equipment, but it's up to you!

Good start man. I Loved your analogy about us being caged up from childhood—not knowing how to adapt to the realities of life—never getting the chance to learn from our mistakes. A tip for your presentation. If you stand up while you speak you will be able project your voice with more energy and enthusiasm, and show off some swarve body language. All the best to you, Harry.

@Actualizer Even if you were to forgive, it sounds like you're ego will triumph. You think it will make you egoless and thus a 'better' person—yet striving to be a 'better' person is an attribute of the ego. Trying to mimic an egoless person does not make your ego suddenly vanish ;P

@Wonka Own your insults and they will no longer have any power over you. What do I mean by this? When a person insults you they are looking for a negative reaction. If you don't give them that reaction, then they feel defeated and are far less likely to insult you again. To become immune you must own your insecurities. Your brother in law is bringing up your graduation because you are insecure about it—thus give him the reaction he is looking for every time he mentions it. You need to accept that you failed (or whatever happened) and not feel so bad about it. In the long run it really doesn't matter whether you graduate this year or next year. Here is the difference between the reactions of someone who is insecure and someone who is self-accepting. 1) "why would you say that to me that really hurts" , with a defeated look on your face and pain in your eyes. 2) "Well at least I can party it up at college for another year while you're stuck at home working", with a cheeky grin on your face, showing that you are bantering. Paraphrasing from Tyrion Lannister, " Never forget who you are, Bastard, because nobody else will. Wear it like armour and nobody can ever hurt you"

@Sukhpaal Hit the nail on the head. But "Six Pillars of Self-esteem" by Nathanial Brandon. He gives practical advice on how to raise your self-esteem. Study this like a Bible of the good-life, complete all the exercises and I assure you you'll be a changed man by the end.

@pixelwaveWhy would you need to ask her for permission to date other women? It's your life, do whatever that fuck you wanna do! ;P @NelsonPalmer

@Salaam I study Physics at Undergraduate level. I'm not questioning the existance of electromagnetic phenomena. I am questioning the link you have made with EM and a whole host of other events which, in my eyes, it has no role in. I agree attraction and repulsion have a large role to play in human life but I don't understand how EM has anything to do with this.

I'm sorry, I may be being close-minded, but this sounds like a whole load of pseudoscience. Could you send me some links that a could have a browse through please?

I agree with you here. Most of our morality seems to be derived from basic instincts about what is right and wrong. I've also found that these instincts are flawed in a number of ways. For example, I have a intuitive feeling of wrongness in my belly at the idea of homosexuality—as do many others. Of course, under examination this intuition reveals itself as wrong. In order to examine morals moving forward we should ask a simple question, "What can we do to maximise the well-being (or minimise the suffering) of all conscious creatures?"

@Salaam What do you mean by 'electromagnetic tension'?

@NelsonPalmer Im sorry but this is awful advice.

You say you've read these books--yet everything you communicate tells me you haven't really digested them. Have a read over them again. You need to keep absorbing the knowledge until it becomes a natural part of your being. Are you OK with going out with this girl even though you know she has a boyfriend? If the answer is no, then pursuing her is gonna slowly chip away your self-esteem.