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As someone with a firmly blue-collar perspective on the world, these weird sacred cows of the city that people elevate to the status of guru are as mysterious f

As someone with a firmly blue-collar perspective on the world, these weird sacred cows of the city that people elevate to the status of guru are as mysterious for me as they are asinine. I read up on Gwyneth Paltrow after reading the article, and checked her website where I found idiotic products that made my heart stop with some of their claims. When my heart finally started again I cursed god for letting me live to see things like $300 leather sandals, a $75 candle to "clear my energy" and a $70 crystal drinking straw that radiates heart opening...whatever the hell that means. Now theres a guy telling people how to eat in Silicon Valley, and I cant help but remember how this ended last time. Steve Jobs was essentially a station of the cross at the holy church of silicon valley who could do no wrong, speak no evil, and walked a path of enlightenment akin to a god of knowledge... until he died from trying to cure a common cancer with fruit cups and meditation, instead of medical science. Thats the part we dont seem to talk about very much, and I feel like it would do wonders to scale the wind back from the sails of these quacks. Being directly attributed to the cause of death for a diet related disorder would give these self-proclaimed lords of the human body a chance to reconsider their podcast --or at least hire a lawyer-- before they click upload.

tomcam 8y ago
Hang on. I am the last thing from a Jack Dorsey fan. However, I see nowhere in his somewhat grotesque tweets where he tells me what I should do. As near as I can tell, he is simply telling us what he is doing.
- d136o 8y ago
  That's part of how this all works, if you wield influence it's not necessarily by way of telling people exactly what they should do, rather you convey your vision and others work to make it happen. And I think that this can yield very effective teams, but it can also result in cult like herd behavior. Two sides of one coin?
  - smacktoward 8y ago
    The Master doesn't talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!" -- Tao Te Ching, Chapter 17, Stephen Mitchell translation (http://taoteching.org.uk/index.php?c=17&a=Stephen+Mitchell http://taoteching.org.uk/index.php?c=17&a=Stephen+Mitchell)
- leoh 8y ago
  I agree. Which points to a similar problem with this article. Dorsey suggests saunas, and Bowles takes it further, talking about "Faraday Saunas", making Dorsey seem more asinine when Dorsey never mentioned that in the first place.
  - andreilys 8y ago
    This is the death rattle of a dying media that will soon be replaced.
jchrisa 8y ago
What does "the city" have to do with anything?
- rmason 8y ago
  Battle Creek, Michigan is to the cereal industry as Detroit is to cars. Both Post and Kellogg were started there. Cereal was originally pitched as health food, something that was good for you. https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-battle-creek-michigan-cereal-0603-story.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-bat...
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
manchinchouette 8y ago
Blue-collar and asinine in the same sentence. Well done, sir.
osehgol 8y ago
well said
andreilys 8y ago
Reading the article here are the things Jack does: 1) 10 day meditation retreats 2) Sauna and ice baths 3) Walking 5 miles to work 4) Daily intermittent fasting 5) Drinking salt juice Could you point out which of these activities would be deemed 'quackery'? These all seem like fairly benign things, with backing from scientific studies or centuries of tribal knowledge being passed down. I doubt we will ever escape the cult of idolization, that seems to be a recurring pattern no matter the century. Jack encourages a healthy lifestyle that if more people adopted in moderation, would end up being a net positive. The current norm of over-consumption, over-medication (1 in 6 Americans are given psychiatric drugs), and over-stimulation is one that has had a noticeably negative effect on society. Anyone that bucks this norm and encourages a more mindful approach to life is alright in my books.
- elliekelly 8y ago
  > Could you point out which of these activities would be deemed 'quackery'? These all seem like fairly benign things, with backing from scientific studies or centuries of tribal knowledge being passed down. You conveniently omitted the parts that aren't backed by science. It's not just a sauna, it's a "near infrared" sauna. Saunas aren't quackery but a near infrared Sauna is. It's also probably dangerous. The article also mentions his use of cryotherapy which isn't backed by any solid science and also conspicuously absent from your list. Your last six comments are some version of this same question so I suspect you aren't asking because you're genuinely curious but rather because you dislike the conclusion others have reached.
  - andreilys 8y ago
    Cryotherapy is mentioned in the article, but this is merely a sly sleight of hand by a journalist with an anti-tech bias, I would encourage you to reread it. If you actually search Jack Dorsey + cryotherapy, nowhere does he endorse or talk about using cryotherapy. He does espouse the value of cold ice baths though (which have shown to have several positive benefits) From a quick Google Scholar search it seems that there are plenty of studies showing the efficacy of near-nfrared light treatment, so I can see why he would upgrade his sauna with one. Whereas I haven't seen you back up your claim of the danger of infrared saunas (Done in moderate dosages, not in extremes). 1) A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/ "RLT and ELT are large-area and full-body treatment modalities for skin rejuvenation and improvements in skin feeling and skin complexion. The application of RLT and ELT provides a safe, non-ablative, non-thermal, atraumatic photobiomodulation treatment of skin tissue with high patient satisfaction rates. RLT and ELT can extend the spectrum of anti-aging treatment options available to patients looking for mild and pleasant light-only skin rejuvenation." 2) Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/ IR appears to be more versatile than other electromagnetic wavelengths (such as visible light) as it can induce neural stimulation effects as well as promoting a wide range of therapeutic benefits in cells or tissues. An increasing number of new reports in recent years have indicated that different forms IR application have clear clinical benefits, and the mechanisms of IR are becoming clarified. Moreover therapeutic levels of IR can be delivered using devices without any external power source, simply by using the heat production of the human body to drive emission of FIR from materials containing minerals. 3) Far-infrared therapy for cardiovascular, autoimmune, and other chronic health problems: A systematic review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935255/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935255/ "As a potential complementary therapy, FIR radiation had both thermal and non-thermal effects. The thermal effect of FIR therapy could increase blood flow and vasodilation by heating the tissue (hyperthermia), similar to ordinary thermal therapy composed of heat pads or hot water.87 In addition, FIR treatment with low levels of delivered energy (non-thermal effect) also had biological activities.88,89 A study of patients receiving HD treatment had shown decreases in stress and fatigue levels by FIR stimulation rather than thermal treatment (heat pads), which was probably attributed to the non-thermal effect.10 An explanation of non-thermal effect of such low energy levels was that nanoscopic water layers got disturbed by low irradiances, leading to the change of cellular membrane structure, then made the therapeutic effects.87"
nabla9 8y ago
The need for spirituality and search for deeper meaning is not going away with secularism. It transforms into purifying or self actualizing behaviour using certain foods, doing certain exercises, asceticism, meditation, being part of movements and scenes (congregations). Singularity or life extension are the ultimate nerd rapture. I speak as secular fanatic myself. I have meditated 20 years now. 2-4 hours per day and have done maybe 50 week long retreats (over a year of my life meditating 8-10 hours a day) I teach newcomers. I'm worried of all this startup and commercial mentality around meditation. The beat and hippie generations had similar eastern spirituality fad and false prophet phase where vulnerable people were abused and taken for a ride. There are better ways to relax, there are better ways to fix anxiety and mental problems or become more productive citizen. I would not recommend meditation as alternative to therapy. The goal of really fanatical meditation is something completely different.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- moretai 8y ago
  And what is that goal?

tomcam 8y ago

Hang on. I am the last thing from a Jack Dorsey fan. However, I see nowhere in his somewhat grotesque tweets where he tells me what I should do. As near as I can tell, he is simply telling us what he is doing.

d136o 8y ago
That's part of how this all works, if you wield influence it's not necessarily by way of telling people exactly what they should do, rather you convey your vision and others work to make it happen. And I think that this can yield very effective teams, but it can also result in cult like herd behavior. Two sides of one coin?
- smacktoward 8y ago
  The Master doesn't talk, he acts. When his work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!" -- Tao Te Ching, Chapter 17, Stephen Mitchell translation (http://taoteching.org.uk/index.php?c=17&a=Stephen+Mitchell http://taoteching.org.uk/index.php?c=17&a=Stephen+Mitchell)
leoh 8y ago
I agree. Which points to a similar problem with this article. Dorsey suggests saunas, and Bowles takes it further, talking about "Faraday Saunas", making Dorsey seem more asinine when Dorsey never mentioned that in the first place.
- andreilys 8y ago
  This is the death rattle of a dying media that will soon be replaced.

jchrisa 8y ago

What does "the city" have to do with anything?

rmason 8y ago
Battle Creek, Michigan is to the cereal industry as Detroit is to cars. Both Post and Kellogg were started there. Cereal was originally pitched as health food, something that was good for you. https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-battle-creek-michigan-cereal-0603-story.html https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/travel/ct-trav-bat...

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

manchinchouette 8y ago

Blue-collar and asinine in the same sentence. Well done, sir.

osehgol 8y ago

well said

andreilys 8y ago

Reading the article here are the things Jack does: 1) 10 day meditation retreats 2) Sauna and ice baths 3) Walking 5 miles to work 4) Daily intermittent fasting 5) Drinking salt juice Could you point out which of these activities would be deemed 'quackery'? These all seem like fairly benign things, with backing from scientific studies or centuries of tribal knowledge being passed down. I doubt we will ever escape the cult of idolization, that seems to be a recurring pattern no matter the century. Jack encourages a healthy lifestyle that if more people adopted in moderation, would end up being a net positive. The current norm of over-consumption, over-medication (1 in 6 Americans are given psychiatric drugs), and over-stimulation is one that has had a noticeably negative effect on society. Anyone that bucks this norm and encourages a more mindful approach to life is alright in my books.

elliekelly 8y ago
> Could you point out which of these activities would be deemed 'quackery'? These all seem like fairly benign things, with backing from scientific studies or centuries of tribal knowledge being passed down. You conveniently omitted the parts that aren't backed by science. It's not just a sauna, it's a "near infrared" sauna. Saunas aren't quackery but a near infrared Sauna is. It's also probably dangerous. The article also mentions his use of cryotherapy which isn't backed by any solid science and also conspicuously absent from your list. Your last six comments are some version of this same question so I suspect you aren't asking because you're genuinely curious but rather because you dislike the conclusion others have reached.
- andreilys 8y ago
  Cryotherapy is mentioned in the article, but this is merely a sly sleight of hand by a journalist with an anti-tech bias, I would encourage you to reread it. If you actually search Jack Dorsey + cryotherapy, nowhere does he endorse or talk about using cryotherapy. He does espouse the value of cold ice baths though (which have shown to have several positive benefits) From a quick Google Scholar search it seems that there are plenty of studies showing the efficacy of near-nfrared light treatment, so I can see why he would upgrade his sauna with one. Whereas I haven't seen you back up your claim of the danger of infrared saunas (Done in moderate dosages, not in extremes). 1) A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3926176/ "RLT and ELT are large-area and full-body treatment modalities for skin rejuvenation and improvements in skin feeling and skin complexion. The application of RLT and ELT provides a safe, non-ablative, non-thermal, atraumatic photobiomodulation treatment of skin tissue with high patient satisfaction rates. RLT and ELT can extend the spectrum of anti-aging treatment options available to patients looking for mild and pleasant light-only skin rejuvenation." 2) Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/ IR appears to be more versatile than other electromagnetic wavelengths (such as visible light) as it can induce neural stimulation effects as well as promoting a wide range of therapeutic benefits in cells or tissues. An increasing number of new reports in recent years have indicated that different forms IR application have clear clinical benefits, and the mechanisms of IR are becoming clarified. Moreover therapeutic levels of IR can be delivered using devices without any external power source, simply by using the heat production of the human body to drive emission of FIR from materials containing minerals. 3) Far-infrared therapy for cardiovascular, autoimmune, and other chronic health problems: A systematic review https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935255/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935255/ "As a potential complementary therapy, FIR radiation had both thermal and non-thermal effects. The thermal effect of FIR therapy could increase blood flow and vasodilation by heating the tissue (hyperthermia), similar to ordinary thermal therapy composed of heat pads or hot water.87 In addition, FIR treatment with low levels of delivered energy (non-thermal effect) also had biological activities.88,89 A study of patients receiving HD treatment had shown decreases in stress and fatigue levels by FIR stimulation rather than thermal treatment (heat pads), which was probably attributed to the non-thermal effect.10 An explanation of non-thermal effect of such low energy levels was that nanoscopic water layers got disturbed by low irradiances, leading to the change of cellular membrane structure, then made the therapeutic effects.87"

nabla9 8y ago

The need for spirituality and search for deeper meaning is not going away with secularism. It transforms into purifying or self actualizing behaviour using certain foods, doing certain exercises, asceticism, meditation, being part of movements and scenes (congregations). Singularity or life extension are the ultimate nerd rapture. I speak as secular fanatic myself. I have meditated 20 years now. 2-4 hours per day and have done maybe 50 week long retreats (over a year of my life meditating 8-10 hours a day) I teach newcomers. I'm worried of all this startup and commercial mentality around meditation. The beat and hippie generations had similar eastern spirituality fad and false prophet phase where vulnerable people were abused and taken for a ride. There are better ways to relax, there are better ways to fix anxiety and mental problems or become more productive citizen. I would not recommend meditation as alternative to therapy. The goal of really fanatical meditation is something completely different.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
moretai 8y ago
And what is that goal?