3 ms·

Hey, it worked for the current president: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-trump-positive-thinking-215704 http://www.politico.com/magaz

by acqq 9y ago

Hey, it worked for the current president: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-trump-positive-thinking-215704 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-tru... "“In conditions of uncertainty and risk,” the researchers explained, “some instances of optimism lead people to make better decisions by helping avoid more costly mistakes and contribute to survival and flourishing.” Even so, it’s true only to a point. “Excessive optimism,” they concluded, “can become problematic and lead to poor strategic planning, disillusionment and disappointment, and risky behaviours"" Trump also wrote, according to the article: "“Someone asked me if I thought I was a genius,” he wrote in 2009 in Think Like a Champion. “I decided to say yes. Why not? Try it out. Tell yourself that you are a genius.”" The researcher's thoughts: "“For most people,” said Norem, who specializes in optimism, pessimism and personality psychology, “there’s a point at which, if that’s all they bring to the table, it breaks down.” The question is where that point is for Trump. He is so clearly not most people. In the words of Mitch Horowitz: “He is a kind of Frankenstein monster of the philosophy” of positive thought."" The whole article is really worth reading.

jacquesm 9y ago
Never thought I would see anybody comparing Trump to Feynman, please try to see that the one is a poser and the other one a bona-fide genius.
- acqq 9y ago
  Please note the post to which I respond, specifically: "Does this work for Feynman, because he is a genius? in the same way that lots of successful people offer tidbits of advice that wouldn't apply to someone in different circumstances, or perhaps with a different level of intellect." My response post is answering to that part of the question by referring to the article, which is worth reading exactly because it discusses that problem: when and where can it be said that somebody is just delusional, even if he gets to be a president of the only remaining "superpower". More globally, the attitude described in the article is a broad phenomenon, which is also worth considering. In short, please read the article linked, don't react based only on your initial emotion. I guess you'll understand the post differently. I thought my quotes were a good selection, still I think you really missed the point if you complain that I compare them as equal. As you see in the article and my quotes, Trump operates under the assumption that he's a "genius." Reading the other news, even when somebody (to be precise, a Secretary of State!) calls him a "moron" he responds with the IQ challenge (sounds like a joke but it's not): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/10/donald-trump-forbes-rex-tillerson-moron https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/10/donald-trump... The previous article, here again for clarity, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-trump-positive-thinking-215704 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-tru... is however clear about the eventual problems of being delusional. Much bigger problem for everybody else than for the person himself.

by acqq 9y ago

jacquesm 9y ago

Never thought I would see anybody comparing Trump to Feynman, please try to see that the one is a poser and the other one a bona-fide genius.

acqq 9y ago
Please note the post to which I respond, specifically: "Does this work for Feynman, because he is a genius? in the same way that lots of successful people offer tidbits of advice that wouldn't apply to someone in different circumstances, or perhaps with a different level of intellect." My response post is answering to that part of the question by referring to the article, which is worth reading exactly because it discusses that problem: when and where can it be said that somebody is just delusional, even if he gets to be a president of the only remaining "superpower". More globally, the attitude described in the article is a broad phenomenon, which is also worth considering. In short, please read the article linked, don't react based only on your initial emotion. I guess you'll understand the post differently. I thought my quotes were a good selection, still I think you really missed the point if you complain that I compare them as equal. As you see in the article and my quotes, Trump operates under the assumption that he's a "genius." Reading the other news, even when somebody (to be precise, a Secretary of State!) calls him a "moron" he responds with the IQ challenge (sounds like a joke but it's not): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/10/donald-trump-forbes-rex-tillerson-moron https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/10/donald-trump... The previous article, here again for clarity, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-trump-positive-thinking-215704 http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/13/donald-tru... is however clear about the eventual problems of being delusional. Much bigger problem for everybody else than for the person himself.