komponisto comments on Insufficiently Awesome - Less Wrong

28 Post author: Cayenne 19 April 2011 07:28PM

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Comment author: hwc 20 April 2011 12:33:20AM *  8 points [-]

I've been explicitly working on being awesome for the last few years. A friend introduced me to The Sims and I played long enough to reach my character's life goal, then realized that I should be working that hard on reaching my own goals.

Results:

  • A new and better job, about to move to a much cooler town.
  • A lot closer to my ideal weight and fitness level.
  • A little more comfortable with myself.
  • A lot happier.
  • Several goals temporarily abandoned (learning a language, picking up an instrument). These were difficult to do on my own and consumed time better spent learning other things.

Since joining LW, I've had the nebulous goal of knowing all of the material on the site well enough to teach a semester class on it.

Comment author: Cayenne 20 April 2011 01:21:14AM *  2 points [-]

Learning a language is a good idea! I've heard that Esperanto isn't hard to learn... hm.

Edit - please disregard this post

Comment author: komponisto 20 April 2011 05:58:55AM 4 points [-]

Dorikka's comment notwithstanding, there are several Esperanto speakers here on LW, including yours truly.

I largely agree with Vladimir_M on the value of learning languages from a purely instrumental point of view -- except of course it depends on how easily you can do it. For me, it's probably my single greatest ability, so the opportunity cost is low. Also, competence in more than one language has status-signaling value beyond its practical uses. (This is true particularly in the United States, where knowledge of foreign languages is considered an esoteric skill.) And quite frankly, I find it to be an enjoyable hobby.

Comment author: JackEmpty 11 July 2011 02:16:16PM 1 point [-]

Any Esperantists who are willing to be a conversational partner to someone just beginning to learn the language (myself)?

Comment author: Emile 20 April 2011 09:14:49PM 0 points [-]

Dorikka's comment notwithstanding, there are several Esperanto speakers here on LW, including yours truly.

Yup.