4 ms·
Gardening. As an engineer I like to imagine I can build and the structure stays up like a stone arch. But a person and even a habit is not stone or silicon bu
by afarrell 6y ago
Gardening.
As an engineer I like to imagine I can build and the structure stays up like a stone arch.
But a person and even a habit is not stone or silicon but living. So what does it even mean to "work on" something which is living?
Gardening
You absolutely _can_ build terraces and trellises. And self-help books can give you great seeds and saplings.
Yet there will always be watering and weeding to be done.
If you want your life to bear the fruit of your choice, it is up to you to rise every morning and tend to your garden.
- afarrell 6y agoThere are a few places you can take this metaphor. 1. You probably do not want to plant cotton[1] year-after-year. Know the things which sustain your soil and put in the effort to nurture them as well. 2. Be careful of trying to regularize[2] your life too much. [1] https://www.vox.com/2015/7/13/8948477/george-washington-carver https://www.vox.com/2015/7/13/8948477/george-washington-carv... (But also be wary of letting woo keep you from doing what you need. Getting actual medication for my ADHD has been life-changing.) [2] https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/03/16/book-review-seeing-like-a-state/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/03/16/book-review-seeing-lik...
- nishparadox 6y agoSide Note on [2]: "slatestarcodex for now is deleted due to privacy issues with NYT and Scott...