Comments on: What “Be Yourself” Really Means

By: Why Your Unique Self Just Ain't Enough For Success | Hackadelic

Why Your Unique Self Just Ain't Enough For Success | Hackadelic — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:56:04 +0000

[...] by What “Be Yourself” Really Means, a cool contemplation about an advice that is usually both, thoughtlessly given and [...]

By: White Shadow

White Shadow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:40:01 +0000

That depends on each individuals preferences. I’d prefer if my terminal values didn’t drift, but if someone’s terminal values included value drift it would be only rational for them to allow it to happen.

Of course, the issue is largely moot at this time. Due to the messiness of our brains, we don’t really know what our true terminal values are All we’ve got are some fuzzy approximations and shaky moral philosophies. So there is actually have at least one good reason for changing our minds from time to time – we may discover a bit more about our true preferences and decide to move closer to them.

By: Hackadelic

Hackadelic — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:44:20 +0000

If inconsistency is “human”, do attempts to be consistent make us “un-human”?

By: White Shadow

White Shadow — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:25:04 +0000

On the other hand, you can’t help but “being yourself”. Even when you try to become someone else, you are yourself, because that attempt is part of your personality at that given time.

That’s an interesting point. Though I doubt human minds are always sufficiently consistent/non-buggy to successfully preserve their own over-arching individuality and goals; genuine, uncontrolled personality drift probably occurs anyway.

By: Hackadelic

Hackadelic — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:17:45 +0000

After reading through a couple of other related posts, I’d say you seem quite fine with being yourself, even if (or exactly because) your posts are laced with delicious self-irony on that matter.

By: Hackadelic

Hackadelic — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:28:49 +0000

My thoughts exactly! “Be yourself” is nearly as helpful as “use your unique talents”.

Success and failure are created in the context of demand and supply. Be too unique and you may end up alone, with no audience, no demand. Bee too alike, and you may end up with too much competition to get anywhere close to the top of your “niche”.

On the other hand, you can’t help but “being yourself”. Even when you try to become someone else, you are yourself, because that attempt is part of your personality at that given time.

A much better, and much more helpful metaphor is “You can start a journey only from where you stand.” Assessing who we are is the first step towards becoming who we want to be.

Thanks for a great reading.