I'm talking about winning. In practical terms, I don't think anyone is going succeed in making great strides in success or status in general society without acquiring a great deal of knowledge about human psychology, so I doubt that winning will look like social or economic success in the short-term. I think when you speak of those "who acquired all those things through virtue or behaving a particular way, and not by chance" you betray a false dichotomy. Those aren't the only two options. The third option is that the game is rigged.
We live in a society that intentionally confines "winning" to a small, highly-controlled, socially maligned group so that its fruits can be exploited by the larger majority who are unconcerned with such things. It's more than an issue of what individuals do and do not do, our society and its institutions are designed to reward and punish behaviour in a way that's at odds with rationality. Doing well in our society is indeed a product of "behaving in a particular" way in the most general sense of that term but is not a factor of anyone doing anything one could simply learn to do or do better.
The only way to find success in our situation is by understanding human psychology at a deep level and having a much fuller operational understanding of it than we have now. It would be either a process of extreme reform (i.e., replacing the whole of society) or one of exploitation and subterfuge (essentially treating people as a means to an end).
We live in a society that intentionally confines "winning" to a small, highly-controlled, socially maligned group so that its fruits can be exploited by the larger majority who are unconcerned with such things.
This sentence makes me think that we're probably talking about entirely different things. I indicated in the grandparent that I consider people who are wealthy and happy and who have good friends to be "winning"; I don't believe such people are maligned; surely the opposite is the case. Perhaps we're talking about different things.
Basically, I cannot stand people who will not bow to the Truth.
I always had this trait, but I noticed lately that it is becoming worse, and has consequences. Ironically, the main trigger seems to be the sequences. They gave me a confidence that sometimes frightens me. There are multiple manifestations:
The closest semi-famous embodiment of this character trait I can think of is Xah Lee. I like much of his writing, but he can be very blunt, sometimes to the point of insult.
Needless to say, I do not endorse all these changes. The problem is, while I know I should calm down, I just can't lose when I'm confident truth is on my side. I'm not even sure I should. (Note however that I'm rather good at losing to evidence.)
So, what do you think? What should I do? Thanks.