6 ms·

> Was it brain chemistry? ADD? Millenial entitlement? The Bipolar Lisp personality? Depression? SAD? A once-seen-impossible-to-unsee glimpse of the Gervais Prin

by maratd 13y ago

> Was it brain chemistry? ADD? Millenial entitlement? The Bipolar Lisp personality? Depression? SAD? A once-seen-impossible-to-unsee glimpse of the Gervais Principle? Oh please, enough with the drama. I've led the same life. So has everyone else here. I had the foresight to realize my ailment early on. I'm lazy and bored easily, which is really the same thing. > But I was fired six months in for low productivity and low engagement. So people told you were lazy and rather than accept that at face value, you decided you have some sort of a medical condition? Look, take my advice. Work for yourself and take on short-term projects. Nothing that lasts more than a month or two. That way, by the time you get bored with it, you're on to something entirely different. > I realize I'm the proverbial crank working alone, but I'm trying very hard to avoid the common pitfalls---setting hard deadlines, getting customer feedback, getting appropriate exercise and social interaction, etc. And it's working. Things are happening. Milestones are being reached. Eh? I spoke too soon. Looks like you're already on the right path.

duaneb 13y ago
Here's a brilliant idea—help a person by framing their issues as personal and moral failures. That's sure to be a positive catalyst for change. EDIT: For some reason I can't respond to the comment below. My point was, it's easy to frame problems with terms like "weak", "irresponsible", and "lazy". It's hard to actually attempt to communicate, identify a problem in a way that you can talk about the same thing, and find a solution.
- maratd 13y ago
  > Here's a brilliant idea—help a person by framing their issues as personal and moral failures. That's sure to be a positive catalyst for change. You're being sarcastic, but it actually IS. We live in a culture where everything is a disorder. How convenient, that all of your failures can be blamed on something you don't control. Here's an idea. Everything you don't take responsibility for. Everything you don't see as your own failing ... you have no control over and are destined to suffer under its yoke for the rest of your life. And no drug or doctor will fix it for you.
  - derefr 13y ago
    But diseases are something you control. With drugs.
  - modfodder 13y ago
    So you could cure schizophrenia without drugs or doctors just by seeing it as you're own failure?
  - chris_wot 13y ago
    There's a difference between hectoring and constructively engaging in discussion. But your comments aren't correct. SAD and ADHD are real. Medication can assist people to lead a better life.
  - PhasmaFelis 13y ago
    I really don't have the time or energy to deal with people like you right now, so how about I just link to a comic that expresses the basic gist of it: http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=84287 http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=84287
  - 6d0debc071 13y ago
    ... The strong form of that claim consists of the idea that no doctor or drug has ever improved anyone's life with respect to mental disorders. That no-one who's been diagnosed with ADHD, for example, has experienced a higher standard of living from the actions they took around that diagnosis. I've heard of people, even on here, who claim their lives have been improved after a diagnosis. So you're arguing against quite a heavy prior in that regard. It also seems that the weaker form of your claim - that you'd mean fix entirely - wouldn't really serve you in the context of the discussion. After all, why would we think that anyone can be made perfect or that it's even rational to invest heavily in doing so rather than taking a shortcut to an acceptable level of functioning? So, all that in mind. Where's your evidence for your claim that 'Everything you don't take responsibility for. Everything you don't see as your own failing ... you have no control over and are destined to suffer under its yoke for the rest of your life. And no drug or doctor will fix it for you.' ?
  - UK-AL 13y ago
modfodder 13y ago
Oh please, stop with the bullshit. Not everyone has the same exact physiology and the same past personal experiences. Both of these will affect how each and everyone us reacts to daily life. Just because you're lazy and bored doesn't mean that he is (or I am or anyone else on this forum is). Or do you assume everyone here wears the same 10.5 shoe size as well?
invalidOrTaken 13y ago
I want to engage with this comment because it's one commonly encountered with this sort of thing. >Oh please, enough with the drama. I've led the same life. So has everyone else here. It is precisely my tiring of drama that's led me to my present attitude. Please note that this was a response to an article someone else posted, not a please-pay-attention-to-me self-post. I never talk about this sort of thing in person. My only purpose in commenting as I did was to provide the perspective of someone who has some contact w/the issues in the article. >So people told you were lazy and rather than accept that at face value, you decided you have some sort of a medical condition? Actually it's quite the reverse: people told me I have some sort of medical condition, and I treat myself as though I'm just lazy. It's not necessarily that I disagree with them, but that I think the second is a more cost-effective frame of mind. >Look, take my advice. Work for yourself and take on short-term projects. Nothing that lasts more than a month or two. That way, by the time you get bored with it, you're on to something entirely different. Candidly, this strikes me as relatively irresponsible advice, and half-humblebrag. "I just get so bored with normal corporate work, you know? I always need something new." (Subtext: Despite my inability to commit to a position, I am so talented it doesn't matter. Oh, you're not talented enough to make it work like I am, i.e. inferior to me? Sorry brah. Best of luck.) It's just a hard problem. Those who would judge you as lazy probably can't be communicated with---the answer to that is simply producing. Those who would diagnose you are well-intentioned, but I worry about getting stuck in a victim frame. I don't have time to be a professional victim. I have other things to do. In saying this, I don't wish to cast aspersions on those taking medication for whatever conditions they may have. I do wish to provide some hope for those who think they may have some sort of condition, but are wary of the stigma associated with acknowleding such.
- maratd 13y ago
  > Candidly, this strikes me as relatively irresponsible advice, and half-humblebrag. "I just get so bored with normal corporate work, you know? I always need something new." Wouldn't know, I've never done corporate work. Merely commenting that I myself frequently get tired of doing the same thing after a month or two, to the point where things simply don't get done. Hence the recommendation for short-term projects. > Those who would judge you as lazy probably can't be communicated with---the answer to that is simply producing. When you produce, isn't that the cure? Not everyone needs a pat on the back. > I do wish to provide some hope for those who think they may have some sort of condition, but are wary of the stigma associated with acknowleding such. As do I. The first step is rejecting this nonsense about "conditions". What you have or don't have, you don't know and quite frankly, nobody can tell you. It doesn't matter either. You have it and it's not going anywhere. What you have control over, however, is how you live your life. Far better than medicating yourself to the grave, is to simply mold your life to reflect who you are. A blind man shouldn't live next to a cliff.

by maratd 13y ago

duaneb 13y ago

Here's a brilliant idea—help a person by framing their issues as personal and moral failures. That's sure to be a positive catalyst for change. EDIT: For some reason I can't respond to the comment below. My point was, it's easy to frame problems with terms like "weak", "irresponsible", and "lazy". It's hard to actually attempt to communicate, identify a problem in a way that you can talk about the same thing, and find a solution.

maratd 13y ago
> Here's a brilliant idea—help a person by framing their issues as personal and moral failures. That's sure to be a positive catalyst for change. You're being sarcastic, but it actually IS. We live in a culture where everything is a disorder. How convenient, that all of your failures can be blamed on something you don't control. Here's an idea. Everything you don't take responsibility for. Everything you don't see as your own failing ... you have no control over and are destined to suffer under its yoke for the rest of your life. And no drug or doctor will fix it for you.
- derefr 13y ago
  But diseases are something you control. With drugs.
- modfodder 13y ago
  So you could cure schizophrenia without drugs or doctors just by seeing it as you're own failure?
- chris_wot 13y ago
  There's a difference between hectoring and constructively engaging in discussion. But your comments aren't correct. SAD and ADHD are real. Medication can assist people to lead a better life.
- PhasmaFelis 13y ago
  I really don't have the time or energy to deal with people like you right now, so how about I just link to a comic that expresses the basic gist of it: http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=84287 http://iwastesomuchtime.com/on/?i=84287
- 6d0debc071 13y ago
  ... The strong form of that claim consists of the idea that no doctor or drug has ever improved anyone's life with respect to mental disorders. That no-one who's been diagnosed with ADHD, for example, has experienced a higher standard of living from the actions they took around that diagnosis. I've heard of people, even on here, who claim their lives have been improved after a diagnosis. So you're arguing against quite a heavy prior in that regard. It also seems that the weaker form of your claim - that you'd mean fix entirely - wouldn't really serve you in the context of the discussion. After all, why would we think that anyone can be made perfect or that it's even rational to invest heavily in doing so rather than taking a shortcut to an acceptable level of functioning? So, all that in mind. Where's your evidence for your claim that 'Everything you don't take responsibility for. Everything you don't see as your own failing ... you have no control over and are destined to suffer under its yoke for the rest of your life. And no drug or doctor will fix it for you.' ?
- UK-AL 13y ago

modfodder 13y ago

Oh please, stop with the bullshit. Not everyone has the same exact physiology and the same past personal experiences. Both of these will affect how each and everyone us reacts to daily life. Just because you're lazy and bored doesn't mean that he is (or I am or anyone else on this forum is). Or do you assume everyone here wears the same 10.5 shoe size as well?

invalidOrTaken 13y ago

I want to engage with this comment because it's one commonly encountered with this sort of thing. >Oh please, enough with the drama. I've led the same life. So has everyone else here. It is precisely my tiring of drama that's led me to my present attitude. Please note that this was a response to an article someone else posted, not a please-pay-attention-to-me self-post. I never talk about this sort of thing in person. My only purpose in commenting as I did was to provide the perspective of someone who has some contact w/the issues in the article. >So people told you were lazy and rather than accept that at face value, you decided you have some sort of a medical condition? Actually it's quite the reverse: people told me I have some sort of medical condition, and I treat myself as though I'm just lazy. It's not necessarily that I disagree with them, but that I think the second is a more cost-effective frame of mind. >Look, take my advice. Work for yourself and take on short-term projects. Nothing that lasts more than a month or two. That way, by the time you get bored with it, you're on to something entirely different. Candidly, this strikes me as relatively irresponsible advice, and half-humblebrag. "I just get so bored with normal corporate work, you know? I always need something new." (Subtext: Despite my inability to commit to a position, I am so talented it doesn't matter. Oh, you're not talented enough to make it work like I am, i.e. inferior to me? Sorry brah. Best of luck.) It's just a hard problem. Those who would judge you as lazy probably can't be communicated with---the answer to that is simply producing. Those who would diagnose you are well-intentioned, but I worry about getting stuck in a victim frame. I don't have time to be a professional victim. I have other things to do. In saying this, I don't wish to cast aspersions on those taking medication for whatever conditions they may have. I do wish to provide some hope for those who think they may have some sort of condition, but are wary of the stigma associated with acknowleding such.

maratd 13y ago
> Candidly, this strikes me as relatively irresponsible advice, and half-humblebrag. "I just get so bored with normal corporate work, you know? I always need something new." Wouldn't know, I've never done corporate work. Merely commenting that I myself frequently get tired of doing the same thing after a month or two, to the point where things simply don't get done. Hence the recommendation for short-term projects. > Those who would judge you as lazy probably can't be communicated with---the answer to that is simply producing. When you produce, isn't that the cure? Not everyone needs a pat on the back. > I do wish to provide some hope for those who think they may have some sort of condition, but are wary of the stigma associated with acknowleding such. As do I. The first step is rejecting this nonsense about "conditions". What you have or don't have, you don't know and quite frankly, nobody can tell you. It doesn't matter either. You have it and it's not going anywhere. What you have control over, however, is how you live your life. Far better than medicating yourself to the grave, is to simply mold your life to reflect who you are. A blind man shouldn't live next to a cliff.