5 ms·

Because "a good measure" does not change based on how you feel.

by throwaway74432 2y ago

lapcat 2y ago
Not sure how feelings factor in here.
- throwaway74432 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - lapcat 2y ago
    > I actually don't know how to respond to this level of ignorance about basic psychology. Please read and respect the HN guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > Do you really not know, or think it's debatable, that how people subjectively view themselves is influenced by their mental state / feelings / emotions? I'm talking about looking at yourself over a period of time, and not just on any given day. You can look at yourself in the mirror every day for months or years, over the course of many different mental states / feelings / emotions. Moreover, the fit of your clothes is pretty good objective measure. If your pants start falling down, you can be pretty sure that your stomach has become smaller. (This is actually one of the few annoying aspects of getting into shape, having to buy new clothes.)
    - throwaway74432 2y ago
      It sounds like you want someone to agree with you that your memory plus your subjective view of yourself is a "good measure" of progress, despite the existence of scales and measuring tapes, which dwarf your subjective memories in terms of reliability and accuracy. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
      - lapcat 2y ago
        It's really not that complicated. I can tell a lot of things by looking in the mirror. That I need a haircut. That I need a shave. Despite the fact that I've literally never used a measuring tape on my hair. That my hair color changes slightly (lighter or darker) with the seasons. That my hair has gotten grayer with age. (I would prefer to deny that, but eyes can't actually lie that much.) I can tell if I'm sunburned (I never tan, sadly). And yes, I can tell that my stomach has gotten thinner or thicker over time. These are not exact measures, but you can in fact reliably tell when your body changes. Subjectivity is not blindness. By the way, your previous comment was flagged dead. You might want to reconsider the way you reply in light of that.
        throwaway74432 2y ago
        You're right, it isn't complicated. The beauty of a true good measure (ie, a scale or other measuring device) is that you can track actual discrete progress over a very short time span. If you didn't know your hair grew, could you track the amount that it grows in 24 hours by looking in a mirror? With a measuring tool, you can. That's a good measure. Compared to it, looking in the mirror is a poor measure. That's why scientists use measuring devices when trying to track quantities, instead of "eyeballing" it and claiming its good enough because they noticed some change.
        lapcat 2y ago
        > If you didn't know your hair grew, could you track the amount that it grows in 24 hours by looking in a mirror? Why in the world would I want to track that? It's not a good measure; it's a dumb measure. Nobody sane measures their hair in 24 hour increments. I don't know anybody who measures their hair at all. Even hair stylists eyeball it! > The beauty of a true good measure (ie, a scale or other measuring device) is that you can track actual discrete progress over a very short time span. This is a mistake, in my opinion. People are too obsessed with measuring their weight weekly, or even daily. That's not a good measure. Health is a marathon, not a sprint. The key is persistence: stick with the exercise, stick with the diet, and the results will come in time. A week is nothing. Even a month is practically nothing. Progress is never magically uniform. Plateaus and even setbacks are inevitable. Impatience just leads to premature doubt and failure. It's really about changing your lifestyle permanently rather than some temporary weight loss gimmick. I've never thought in terms of losing N pounds. I think in terms of becoming a healthier, fitter person, and losing N pounds is simply a side effect of that.

Because "a good measure" does not change based on how you feel.

lapcat 2y ago

Not sure how feelings factor in here.

throwaway74432 2y ago
[flagged]
- lapcat 2y ago
  > I actually don't know how to respond to this level of ignorance about basic psychology. Please read and respect the HN guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html > Do you really not know, or think it's debatable, that how people subjectively view themselves is influenced by their mental state / feelings / emotions? I'm talking about looking at yourself over a period of time, and not just on any given day. You can look at yourself in the mirror every day for months or years, over the course of many different mental states / feelings / emotions. Moreover, the fit of your clothes is pretty good objective measure. If your pants start falling down, you can be pretty sure that your stomach has become smaller. (This is actually one of the few annoying aspects of getting into shape, having to buy new clothes.)
  - throwaway74432 2y ago
    It sounds like you want someone to agree with you that your memory plus your subjective view of yourself is a "good measure" of progress, despite the existence of scales and measuring tapes, which dwarf your subjective memories in terms of reliability and accuracy. We'll just have to agree to disagree.
    - lapcat 2y ago
      It's really not that complicated. I can tell a lot of things by looking in the mirror. That I need a haircut. That I need a shave. Despite the fact that I've literally never used a measuring tape on my hair. That my hair color changes slightly (lighter or darker) with the seasons. That my hair has gotten grayer with age. (I would prefer to deny that, but eyes can't actually lie that much.) I can tell if I'm sunburned (I never tan, sadly). And yes, I can tell that my stomach has gotten thinner or thicker over time. These are not exact measures, but you can in fact reliably tell when your body changes. Subjectivity is not blindness. By the way, your previous comment was flagged dead. You might want to reconsider the way you reply in light of that.
      - throwaway74432 2y ago
        You're right, it isn't complicated. The beauty of a true good measure (ie, a scale or other measuring device) is that you can track actual discrete progress over a very short time span. If you didn't know your hair grew, could you track the amount that it grows in 24 hours by looking in a mirror? With a measuring tool, you can. That's a good measure. Compared to it, looking in the mirror is a poor measure. That's why scientists use measuring devices when trying to track quantities, instead of "eyeballing" it and claiming its good enough because they noticed some change.
        lapcat 2y ago
        > If you didn't know your hair grew, could you track the amount that it grows in 24 hours by looking in a mirror? Why in the world would I want to track that? It's not a good measure; it's a dumb measure. Nobody sane measures their hair in 24 hour increments. I don't know anybody who measures their hair at all. Even hair stylists eyeball it! > The beauty of a true good measure (ie, a scale or other measuring device) is that you can track actual discrete progress over a very short time span. This is a mistake, in my opinion. People are too obsessed with measuring their weight weekly, or even daily. That's not a good measure. Health is a marathon, not a sprint. The key is persistence: stick with the exercise, stick with the diet, and the results will come in time. A week is nothing. Even a month is practically nothing. Progress is never magically uniform. Plateaus and even setbacks are inevitable. Impatience just leads to premature doubt and failure. It's really about changing your lifestyle permanently rather than some temporary weight loss gimmick. I've never thought in terms of losing N pounds. I think in terms of becoming a healthier, fitter person, and losing N pounds is simply a side effect of that.