Some of Manson's concepts derive from Stoic Philosophy, from the Greek 'stoa' (porch). Playwright David Mamet says discussions from "The porch guys" became Stoicism. But I digress.
- Accepting your experience of life as being great and wonderful is the single greatest thing you can do for your happiness. (Extends Cartesian existence)
- Finding something important and meaningful in your life is perhaps the most productive use of your time and energy. (Keep the list manageable.)
- True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving. Happiness is wanting the problems you have and wanting to solve them. (Want what you have.)
- It doesn’t help to feel good about yourself unless you have a good reason for feeling that way. The struggle makes self-esteem useful, not the participation trophy...Counterintuitive insight by (serial killer) Herb Baumeister regarding evil: some of the worst criminals often felt good about themselves. Low self-esteem was not always associated with evil acts.
- Trust is the most important ingredient in any relationship for the simple reason that without trust the relationship doesn’t actually mean anything.
- Our lives today are filled with information from the extremes of the bell curve of human experience. The best of the best, worst of the worst, and most upsetting of the upsetting. (Extremes and deviance sell. My son called the news...bad things that happened to other people)
- People who are exceptional become that way by thinking they are average and focusing on improvement. You don’t become exceptional by believing you are exceptional.
- The man who believes he knows everything learns nothing. (Anyone who believes they are the best at everything is delusional.)
- Manson’s idea of “kill yourself” is similar to Paul Graham’s idea of “keep your identity small.” The central point is that if you don’t have an identity to protect, then change becomes much easier. (Ego is the enemy.)
- It is the act of choosing your values and living by them that makes you great, not any outcome or accomplishment.
"...give me a lifetime of promises and a world of dreams"
Lagniappe 1: Have a meaningful philosophy. "Share something great."
Lagniappe 2: "Corner rip." Horns-like action into backscreen for layup. Via Zak Boisvert via Pickandpop.net
Lagniappe 3: Is your targeting good enough? Collin Castellaw shares concepts and drills. Targeting is definitely an issue for our young players.