What was your big mental realization?

I realized that a source of unhappiness is expecting other people to do or say something without communicating with them first. People are not good mind readers, so you have to be clear about what you want and expect.

I wrote more about it here: https://moviewise.substack.com/p/communication-insights-from...

But the real realization is that you should not expect anything from anyone. You should be able to feel happy and satisfied no matter what other people do or don't do.

In other words, don't allow other people to control your happiness by setting yourself up to be dependent on what they say or do. It shouldn't matter to your contentment. If you can just accept things as they are and enjoy what you can without lamenting what could be, what could have been, what other people have—then you can be stronger and happier:

https://moviewise.substack.com/p/facing-lifes-difficulties

That reading social media (including hacker news) and news is mostly addiction and is a huge waste of time because it has little relevance to your life. The mechanism is similar to gambling where most of the stuff you do find on these sites is irrelevant but once in a blue moon there's something interesting and it makes you keep coming back for more!

That I'm just a device for the energy - I don't have another term and I don't want to call it God or something religious/spiritual - to keep dancing.

That's why, if I sit for too long, it makes me move. That's why, if I move for too long, it makes me sit.

Most people create little mental boxes to imprison themselves in.

Try more crazy things, you'd be surprised how often it can work out.

A lot of trees I walk past will outlive me.

The world is maleable.

Incentives are powerful.

Proximity is powerful. Neurons that fire together wire together. Choose wisely what’s within close proximity.

Minimizing ego improves learning efficiency.

It's ok to not be productive.

Life is much better when you’re good at relaxing.

It's ok to be happy.