Giving a mysterious title to this thread on purpose.
I guess it could fit in the "outpatient" counselling section. Or in the philosilliness section for that matter.
I haven't talked much about myself yet, and what's next is important to me : through this new thread, I am willing to make a social experiment.
Of giving and taking, so hang on tight, goodies ahead.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What does make, or break, success, in your opinion?
In mine, it is personality. More specifically, confidence. And even more specifically :
you cannot communicate what you are not.
As information does tend to be free, a quirky personality will convey quirks, and cause quirks in relationships.
An angry personality will convey anger. On the other hand, a cool and confident personality will convey...
Got it?
So, who am I? A man, and a free minded one. A hell of a strong minded one, even.
Why Argo Navis? I explained earlier it was the mythological "vessel of victory", and a former constellation, Wikipedia me as needed for more informations.
What do I do? Consulting, at the moment, for major firms. DHL at the moment, 500'000 employees, I am on HP-UX/Sybase apps in their headquarters these days, in Prague.
Where do I live? This is difficult to explain. Let's say "all around the world (for the funk like George Clinton or Redman)".
I have a homebase, but have been here, and there, and have kept travelling for the past 12 months.
Why do I explain this? Because the confidence I am talking about is a SKILL, one that can be taught and learnt.
One that can drive a man from having the social skills of a cactus to something very different.
AND because I need you.
Things are changing in my life at a tremendous speed, and it's time for some BIG decision making - might as well query one of the most
advanced "new ideas generator" on earth. Also known as the "Ozone Asylum"..
My opinion on success?
I believe success has nothing to do with possessions, income, popularity, or respect. I measure success by wisdom. I'm not talking about wisdom as some may think. Wisdom as I see it is knowing right from wrong and always picking right irregardless of the outcome, even if it means death. Since Buddhism and Judaism have different teachings, both cannot be right and both may be wrong. I believe in Christianity (Baptist to be exact), thus I believe that I can become more wise as I learn and practice God's teachings in the Holy Bible. I believe this as a fact, and I would die before I would deny that. A Buddhist monk would be exactly the same way with the Dharma. But both teachings cannot be right. This is even more so as the fact that Christianity and Buddhism are very diverse religions. So, my belief on success isn't what I gain materialistically, but what I gain eternally in heaven. What I gain materialistically are just tools for success.
I am not saying I am right or I am better than anyone else. I'm just saying that whenever there is a conflict between beliefs, both cannot be right. I sort of like how diverse everyone in here is, opens doors to possibilities and allows things to be seen from another's point of view. When two or more individuals have a debate or argument, it's about their beliefs. If everyone believed the same thing, irregardless of whether it is right or wrong, there will be no conflict in the world. Everyone can change their beliefs, though some are harder to change than others. Nobody is so firm in a belief that they cannot be moved from it, even I. So, if I end up denying my beliefs in this post later in my life, I pity my future self.
Hm. Okay, fun stuff, debate ahead : zavaboy, you're contradicting yourself. And me Which is cool.
1) I believe success has EVERYTHING to do with respecting others and respecting oneself. But you could see the attitude as a part of wisdom - depends on what wisdom is to you.
2) I believe that there is not such a thing as a "pefect" wisdom, or ideal wisdom, when you start talking about different beliefs - that is where you contradict your own...
beliefs? or wisdom? Er.
Define wisdom, pleeease.
In the meantime, my main question, asked with too much mystery in it, has received a funny answer somehow : NOBODY can decide in my place.
What I was looking for is an echo to a few key concepts to success.
But let's define success as PERSONAL achievement of defined targets - wether those are wealth, good friends, four wives and seventeen kids.
DECISION MAKING bit : I think winners never play with scared money.
This idea has been screaming in my head for the past days.
I think one should try it ALL or not try anything to achieve "personal goals" (defined above as meeting success).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, back to the concrete ground : I am switching from consulting to fix employment, and this involves risks - because I received a proposal from the consulting firm's customer
(well, two to be honest).
AND I am topping this with the distribution of an application I have been developping for nearly one year.
This involves drastic commercial and legal moves, and instant choices by the minute. I was hoping to strike the attention of someone who has had a similar situation.
But this is all fun and games after all...
I'm sorry for not clarifying respect. I meant the expectation of respect. Just because you may be respected doesn't mean your successful. Some may respect you because they know you'll snap their head off if they don't or some may respect you because you are kind and loving and they feel bad when they disrespect you. You believe that respecting others and oneself has everything to do with respect, I believe that it has at lot to do with success, but not everything.
I disgree with you that there isn't perfect wisdom. It's there, but it can never be reached by anyone except Christ, because everyone on earth is a sinner. I would define success as "the pursuit of happiness." Most people miss what that really means and what it was intended to mean as it was written in the United States Declaration of Independence. But people falsely associate happiness with money when it has already been proven that the happiest people in the world are in the poorest countries. And why do you think Christians are generally happier than everyone else? When "the pursuit of happiness" was written in the Declaration of Independence, the writer intended it to be obeying the laws set down by God, or the Ten Commandments. If these laws are obeyed, got will bless us, thus making us truly happy, happiness that can last through a lifetime of hardships.
I'm not a debater much, but when my beliefs are challenged, I have to stand up for them. If you disagree with my beliefs, then so be it.
Zavaboy, no more meds for you. EVER. Don't even mention them.
Btw, you're talking the "proved" Christ to a PAGAN with an interest for Buddhism - I believe in men as men, in life, and in forms of spirituality beyond physical life, but your Christ to me is nothing - no insult meant, it's merely a statement, I believe he is a spiritual person who existed and would really come back to earth if he was to hear the idiocies professed in his name.
I believe in the flying Spaghetti monster MUCH MORE than in your Christ : it has bigger balls for one.
For the rest, general assumptions like :
* it has already been proven that the happiest people in the world are in the poorest countries.
* Christians are generally happier than everyone else?
Are dangerous, off topic, NOWHERE NEAR TO PROVING ANYTHING, and debate killers : I am not tring to inflict my beliefs on you, what's with waving your superior happiness because you're enlighted by...
(the little candy boy under the Christmas tree at the mall near my place - and say I failed to see the holliness of it).
I'd advocate meds when served with such a strange soup of "random assesments
turned into proofs by the holy means of some moronic website and the doll under the Christmas tree" (moronic in the religious sense).
But in your case, DROP THE MEDS.
And hand them over. To me.
They look like STRONG MATERIAL
...Now, timeout as far as I am concerned : I will leave the thread at that in respect for you holy period
- as much as I do NOT believe in Christ having anything to do with the pleasure of meeting my fellows
and getting together - and I will jump on a plane to Amsterdam.
To commit enough sins to make up, in the name of ME, for the candy-sweet "debate" that this thread
is turning into
It has nothing to do with my meds...
You live your life based on your beliefs, I live my life based on my beliefs. Our beliefs are very different, so you see my beliefs just as crazy as I see yours. So, I stop here, if that is what you wish.
Might be. Only thing is my "beliefs" about observable and measurable facts are just that,
observable and measurable.
I don't despise your right to believe, I make fun of your approach to communicating those beliefs,
thank you for the laughter.
But then, I feel I have completion of the title of this thread :
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Argo navis is.. fed up of pointless arguments. Merry xmas lunatics worldwide!!
,) Let the actions speak the words for the time being, Docilus - it's Christmas for one...
And time is a major element in (re)building broken things. Been a good boy, all I ask for is some more time.
it has already been proven that the happiest people in the world are in the poorest countries. And why do you think Christians are generally happier than everyone else? When "the pursuit of happiness" was written in the Declaration of Independence, the writer intended it to be obeying the laws set down by God, or the Ten Commandments. If these laws are obeyed, got will bless us, thus making us truly happy, happiness that can last through a lifetime of hardships.
1) I fail to see how that silly report is proof of...anything, especially that the poorest people are the happiest...
2) I certainly saw nothing in the link to suggest any evidence for christians being happier than anyone else
3) Happiness used as a measure of success is strikingly more buddhist than christian I would say The key of course is to simply stop desiring more, and you'll be happier with your life...
4) I can assure you that 'obeying the 10 commandments' was not in any way what Jefferson had in mind when he wrote 'the pursuit of happiness'
Okay. It certainly is time to give it away. <drum roll>
Firstly, I am sincerely sorry for the way I sneaked in : I wanted to spread a new, and natural image of myself before
revealing the truth. I *do* feel bad about the comedy bit of it, and ask for apologies.
If I had landed back *under the sunlight*, it would have been *creepy vibes* allover the place, and I did not want that either.
So, after two years "out" so to speak, I have been back around for FIVE MONTHS now.
Considering no arguments have occured during those five months, and that I naturally contributed a few positive ideas, including :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- a contagious enthousiasm demonstration about Linux : http://www.ozoneasylum.com/29369
- the relevant FAQ update
- pointers here and there regarding Java, for TP namely
- a couple of witty comments in site reviews
- a practical demonstration of anger management when I confessed I was ALF : http://www.ozoneasylum.com/29619
- some constructive feedback, given in full respect of my partners in debate, about the current status and possible future of the GN
- some philo bits about self esteem, and how improving it may impact one's interpersonal relationships : http://www.ozoneasylum.com/29797
- in the same philo section, some clear pointers about my intent, and a humble request : http://www.ozoneasylum.com/29800
- and finally, the resurrection of interest from javascript gurus through December 2007 20 liners
I can admit it : I am ALF.
No wait, my doctor says I am not. Sooo... I have been known in the past as the nutter "that shall not be named".
But here and now, it was a necessity to hide it and let things unfold, for everybody's interest.
I have never played such a "game" in the past, believe it or not.
I think it's Nemesis who mentionned it : InI had three identities,
a low self esteem but clever boy, who left an awkward vibe behind because of his random outbursts.
But also, left many constructive contributions.
Whiney, torn between two "I's", struggling to find himself, InI was expressing pain, and randomness from too kind
to strangely agressive.
_Mauro came back having found he had a right to existence, but far from being in control of it yet, followed by a traling slash
and clumsy, still.
...
Two years have passed. http://www.beyondwonderland.com is now a "Requiem" to those past identities, or lack thereof, because InI really IS dead.
The mentionned "requiem", read vertically, asks the same question which is the title of this very thread (the strange comments bit). Wtf is Argo Navis?
The picture on the first page, "Carinae Nebula", is the heart of the constellation "Carina", one of the bits of the stellar
"vessel of victory", also known as the ship of Jason and his argonauts. Translates to <something> in greek. ,)
Some of you have guessed it, as I could not hold it in anymore - it was unfair for one, and it IS now time to demonstrate, publish, and PLAY!
InI being symbolically dead and burried in my past, along clumsy _Mauro - and as I cannot change that past, only the present, and it's impact on the future..
Long live argo navis
<insert the sly smile of a MAN here>
An extra session with Suho to anyone who didn't see that coming from a mile away
You seem to be off to a better start so far (although slightly 'obsessed' with your previous persona and 'legacy' that was left).
Good luck with the new you. Just try not to freak out when someone ruffles your feathers, since it's bound to happen.
Welcome back. Best of luck staying mellow. Hope to see some cool code snippets flying around (and not flames).
--
Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature.
Took it a bit over the edge these past days when I felt the twenty liners were desired and it was time to share toys with my web buddies.
Or in Taxon's words "back then", I am "such a pompous f*".
Whatever
@Bugimus, the search for the self is such a common need in a world that is reinventing itself in unprecendeted ways. As said before, I guess
many need to find a purpose and grow their "little Buddah" - or their spirituality in whichever terms best fit.
Last, but not least for today :
- there is a purpose to stroking something about my past identity, but all will fall into place when the time is right.
I have to say that I appreciate the effort you've been making with your new persona. Be it InI, _Mauro, or argo navis, though, it's still just you. And I mean that in a good way. By this I mean: within you is the potential for everything, from the very best of the spectrum to the very worst. Just like everyone else. What we become depends on which part of our potential we choose to develop. People change, it is said, but I like to think of people more as gemstones. Within each gemstone is the potential for something very beautiful and very wonderful, and at the same time very unique. It all depends on how you cut and polish that gemstone. Do it in a way that brings out the best that is hidden within and you will have that very beautiful and very wonderful something. Do it in a way that ignores the nature of the gemstone and you will end up with something flawed, or even broken. The difference between people and gemstones, though, is that you only get one shot with a gemstone, but with people you can recut and repolish until you get it right.
Like your philosophy master Suho, I get to be a GEMSTONE! And we all get that at once.
Nine Inch Nail's "somewhat damaged" song above outlines some essential bits of this "bringing out the best of oneself"s idea
in a beautiful, controlled, and seemingly disrupted way :
quote:
so impressed with all you do
tried so hard to be like you
flew too high and burnt the wing
lost my faith in everything
...
You'll get to discover that, since I have established clear long term and short term purposes, I tend to move "proactively" -
you'll see senseless pieces of a bigger puzzle falling into place automagically. For instance, outlining my "road to redemption" this way
came right before poi, Cprompt and others started wondering.
This is merely a consequence of a proper "competency to cope with the challenges of life" ,) Proof within the concept.
If you can't say anything good then don't say anything, eh? That's usually a good rule of thumb. I love the animations, BTW, especially the first one about music.
Hard work, friendship and an ounce of je ne sais quoi that make some people shine.
Strangely enough, yesterday I read the following article about how to raise smart kids and place people in right mind set to succeed in school, work, life.
quote:Hint: Don't tell your kids that they are. More than three decades of research shows that a focus on effort - not on intelligence or ability - is key to success in school and in life
Well, yes and : low self esteem can be developed in two ways - bullying your kids into believing they cannot,
or spoiling them into believing they cannot. Getting both from the two parents is the worst case.
These make for adults that are not aware of their true capabilities, not self-reliant, and have a low "self deservednes", on a subconscious level.
So they develop EGO rather than self esteem, or no self esteem and no ego and it shows.
Whereas healthy adults believe deep inside they have a right to being happy, a right to enjoying life, themselves, and thus,
invest healthy energy in pursuing healthy and clear purposes.
..So self confidence, when natural and developed, makes for that "shine" and charisma you mentionned, and FORTUNATELY, a broken
self esteem can be rebuilt.
............................................
More good news : succes is VERY PERSONAL, mine is not yours, yours is not mine, but it DOES boil down to enjoying oneself deeply - for some it's about friends,
for some it's about yoyo. For everybody, it is well deserved as long as it doesn't imply violating the boundaries of other people.
Funnily enough, in my daily exploration of the self (I seriously do devote some daily time to self improvement and balancing my life, reallyreally),
I stumbled into this article about education, bit harsh, but so true: http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-3584.html
More food for thought : the same phenomenon works for "over medication", it hinders resistance of the body - I smoke and have failed to quit,
I casually drink a *bit too much* (once a month on average) - and have an excellent health, like stunningly superior to what I "should" feel like at my age.
As opposed to a "neat freak" relative of mine, who treats his body with so much (too much) care he hinders his own health, and is now on regular medication
because of cholesterol. Go figure.
More food for thought : "karma" is about developping the natural self, not the ego - it is about being detached of the outcome of a situation,
and injecting one's intentions without secrete motives - it is NOT about arrogance and everything we could label "ego".
And it is about those intentions bouncing back at us - wether good or bad => Hence my interest for Buddhism.
Or for physics : "each action..." ,) It works in all philosophies basically : push reality, it'll push you back, boast your kid's ego, he'll have an ego problem.
Better assist him in developping healthy means of expressing his own "karma".
(side note)
....
Maz Letov to Bugimus for the new kid
Geez, are you growing a whole tribe of baby bugs or what (I think I remember you had a few kids already)? Do not forget ONE crucial thing about their education..
Actually, I only have one kid and she's 6 now. It looks like it's going to be only one and Wella and I are both fine with that. And have no fear she's already on a steady diet of comic books