5 ms·

Kind of reminds me of this: http://web.archive.org/web/20160304105922/http://www.lambdassociates.org/blog/bipolar.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20160304105922/

by base698 10y ago

Kind of reminds me of this: http://web.archive.org/web/20160304105922/http://www.lambdassociates.org/blog/bipolar.htm http://web.archive.org/web/20160304105922/http://www.lambdas... "Another feature about this guy is his low threshold of boredom. He'll pick up on a task and work frantically at it, accomplishing wonders in a short time and then get bored and drop it before its properly finished. He'll do nothing but strum his guitar and lie around in bed for several days after. That's also part of the pattern too; periods of frenetic activity followed by periods of melancholia, withdrawal and inactivity. This is a bipolar personality."

westoncb 10y ago
That's a very nice essay—and unfortunately, I found myself described very accurately in it. I'm currently unemployed, sitting adjacent to a large pile of empty Indian food takeout bags, skimming a book on Abstract Algebra to better understand a paper on theory of deep neural networks—all of which has no connection to any lasting thing I'm doing aside from not working on a side project which happens to be at a local minimum of interest at the moment. I wonder if anyone here has figured out good ways of compensating for this personality type, who has managed to somehow turnout relatively well-adjusted in spite of it ;)
- mos_basik 10y ago
  An ADD diagnosis in my twenties and an Adderall prescription have done wonders for my depression (gone), unemployment (working), self esteem (good), ability to maintain interest in projects (more fun than video games), sleep schedule (regularish) and social life (I now actually initiate plans to do things with humans now and then). Before consulting with professionals, I'd never considered this might be my problem because I've never been hyperactive... But after doing some reading, it seems that this sort of disorder can present in a variety of ways, only one or two of which include hyperactivity. If you are reading abstract algebra books because you want to, maybe this would encourage you as much as it did me - many people with various presentations of ADD are diagnosed in grade school because they "hit the wall" - they reach a significant level of dysfunction re: attention span, etc. and people around them are able to notice. However, the more a student is able to rely on their own natural intelligence to carry them (rather an ability to study), the longer it can take for a problem to appear. I was a junior in a CS degree at an excellent university when I finally hit my wall and realized I had to change something or everything would fall apart.
  - westoncb 10y ago
    I've wondered about this. I think I'm gonna see a psychiatrist soon and just present the anomalies in my background and see if they come to the same conclusion...
- justaaron 10y ago
  smell the whiff of death a few times, realize that your time on earth is limited, stop messing around, and make each stroke of your blade count (and follow through) only you can ride your private racehorse. everyone else who tried got thrown. get on and ride. basically, one has the tools to be a proper cyborg ninja, and the only thing stopping one are minor personal vanities that actually deliver minimal pleasure compared to the pain they create in blocking ones self-realization. ditch em :) *i find yoga, stretching, exercise, etc. helps to gather the passion and focus to unleash it when sitting still again...
  - westoncb 10y ago
    I think that's probably pretty on point. Thanks.
agumonkey 10y ago
I .. am reading this in my bed. I need to reflect.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

by base698 10y ago

westoncb 10y ago

That's a very nice essay—and unfortunately, I found myself described very accurately in it. I'm currently unemployed, sitting adjacent to a large pile of empty Indian food takeout bags, skimming a book on Abstract Algebra to better understand a paper on theory of deep neural networks—all of which has no connection to any lasting thing I'm doing aside from not working on a side project which happens to be at a local minimum of interest at the moment. I wonder if anyone here has figured out good ways of compensating for this personality type, who has managed to somehow turnout relatively well-adjusted in spite of it ;)

mos_basik 10y ago
An ADD diagnosis in my twenties and an Adderall prescription have done wonders for my depression (gone), unemployment (working), self esteem (good), ability to maintain interest in projects (more fun than video games), sleep schedule (regularish) and social life (I now actually initiate plans to do things with humans now and then). Before consulting with professionals, I'd never considered this might be my problem because I've never been hyperactive... But after doing some reading, it seems that this sort of disorder can present in a variety of ways, only one or two of which include hyperactivity. If you are reading abstract algebra books because you want to, maybe this would encourage you as much as it did me - many people with various presentations of ADD are diagnosed in grade school because they "hit the wall" - they reach a significant level of dysfunction re: attention span, etc. and people around them are able to notice. However, the more a student is able to rely on their own natural intelligence to carry them (rather an ability to study), the longer it can take for a problem to appear. I was a junior in a CS degree at an excellent university when I finally hit my wall and realized I had to change something or everything would fall apart.
- westoncb 10y ago
  I've wondered about this. I think I'm gonna see a psychiatrist soon and just present the anomalies in my background and see if they come to the same conclusion...
justaaron 10y ago
smell the whiff of death a few times, realize that your time on earth is limited, stop messing around, and make each stroke of your blade count (and follow through) only you can ride your private racehorse. everyone else who tried got thrown. get on and ride. basically, one has the tools to be a proper cyborg ninja, and the only thing stopping one are minor personal vanities that actually deliver minimal pleasure compared to the pain they create in blocking ones self-realization. ditch em :) *i find yoga, stretching, exercise, etc. helps to gather the passion and focus to unleash it when sitting still again...
- westoncb 10y ago
  I think that's probably pretty on point. Thanks.

agumonkey 10y ago

I .. am reading this in my bed. I need to reflect.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]