Question of the Day, 4/08/10 - Change

[cim]

you can only change your attitude to things, you can't change how good you are at Pokémon, just your attitude to getting better at it. so technically you can't change anything

If something you do results in something about you changing, then you've changed it, no?

I guess I just don't quite get how "you can't change anything" is the natural result of whatever you're thinking, unless you're trying to be profound through oversimplification.

 

[Surgo]

This is a painful question because the answer is so obvious: my work ethic.

I have a very difficult time motivating myself to do anything. For all of college I coasted on natural brilliance; in graduate school that's made a lot harder.

I might be changing though -- this term I'm in a class that has monstrous amounts of homework that, for me, takes even longer because I don't have the background. I don't want to fail so I have to work -- this has impacted other things I do (like my actual graduate school job, which is research) so they get worked on as well. Rising tide lifts all boats?

I hope the work ethic stays once the trimester is over.

 

[ivar]

I wish I was better with meaningful relationships. My social skills are superficial: make good first impressions, be bold, schmooze people I don't like, but once thinks become more intimate (with girls), "I" pop out and the result is rarely good. It's sort of depressing when the only time you are yourself most people don't like you. Which is why I'm making more acquaintances and more flings to compensate. I don't mind this but it would be nice to have a special girlfriend so I can retain my sanity.

edit: it's really why I like smogon, but it's still a bit depressing being a generally despised user!

 

[connoisseur]

My weight.

God I'm so self centered. Maybe if I were skinnier all of my other problems would go away.

Nah, you just need to be less lazy.

For me I would definitely want to give myself dedication. I rarely pursue something for a very long time with very high intensity.

 

[les gets]

This is a painful question because the answer is so obvious: my work ethic.

I have a very difficult time motivating myself to do anything. For all of college I coasted on natural brilliance; in graduate school that's made a lot harder.

This is pretty much my exact answer, except I'm still coasting in high school.

 

[v]

I'd like to be a more serious individual. A lot of people find it hard to take me seriously because I don't behave in a serious fashion, and that can be quite vexing. I'd also probably try to be less of an asshole, because frankly it's entirely unwarranted and out of hand.

edit: also higher self-confidence and maybe physical appearance

 

[NikLink]

I can't make myself work except at the very last moment before a deadline. I locked myself once in a distractionless room to see if I could actually work like that, but I just ended lying on the floor looking at the ceiling. I can stay like that for hours, just lying around doing nothing. Working feels like self-inflicted pain to me.

And as for things I'm actually EXCITED to do (Eg becoming a good competitive player) I quit as soon as it starts becoming an actual effort. I'd also say something about intimacy issues but that's more negligible.

 

[cim]

I can't make myself work except at the very last moment before a deadline. I locked myself once in a distractionless room to see if I could actually work like that, but I just ended lying on the floor looking at the ceiling. I can stay like that for hours, just lying around doing nothing. Working feels like self-inflicted pain to me.

And as for things I'm actually EXCITED to do (Eg becoming a good competitive player) I quit as soon as it starts becoming an actual effort. I'd also say something about intimacy issues but that's more negligible.

I don't mean to comment on everyone's thread, but this is an extremely common problem, obviously. Has anyone found a solution? I need one.

 

[Surgo]

The solution can come in the form of a pill these days, but it has nasty side effects and develops an addiction so that cure is worse than the disease.

The healthier solution is to work on changing your habits. Not easy, but I'd say that since people do it every year by quitting smoking cold-turkey, you can do it too.

 

[Eraddd]

I remind myself "I'm screwed if I don't hand this on time."

My pride refuses to let me let any work go undone, without quality, unless if it's some shitty course i don't really care about (Includes English)

 

[NikLink]

I remind myself "I'm screwed if I don't hand this on time."

My pride refuses to let me let any work go undone, without quality, unless if it's some shitty course i don't really care about (Includes English)

But most of the time I'm NOT screwed. I can just easily coast on decent-to-good grades without much effort. I mean, my laziness became a really serious problem last term, and my grades went UP. By 2 points.

I mean seriously, what the fuck.

Edit: What pride?

 

[Doctor Heartbreak]

laser eyes