Jump to content
Objectivism Online Forum

Matthew Nielsen

Newbies
  • Posts

    14
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Previous Fields

  • Relationship status
    Single
  • State (US/Canadian)
    California
  • Country
    Poland
  • Biography/Intro
    If you want to know me, see this. It's a playlist of my favorite songs, with a good description about some inductions I've made. A system should have integrity: complexity and simplicity united. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKIavIRgiWa1eDE-tjv-PeUiua69OlGk_
  • Experience with Objectivism
    Anthem, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, Ideal, Virtue of Selfishness, OPAR, OTI.

    Currently reading DIM Hypothesis.

    Don't know:
    - The Night of January 16th
    - Tara Smith's books
    - Yaron Brook's books
    - Entire Binswanger (oh, how I wish I had the time...)
  • Copyright
    Copyrighted
  • Real Name
    Matthew Nielsen
  • Occupation
    Software Engineer

Recent Profile Visitors

1940 profile views

Matthew Nielsen's Achievements

Novice

Novice (2/7)

0

Reputation

  1. Here's my contribution to philosophy: vs. Ayn Rand's definition: Think of the DNA and the brain. Aren't they patterns? The brain - structure of neural connections. Watch my video on this topic:
  2. Since I am also new in finance I want to add my own inquires to the thread: what do you think about Warren Buffet & Ben Graham's value investing? Buffet says that the average person would be better off investing in an index fund rather than following the market. I mean the average person as in not willing to spend great effort and time to track their investments. How much effort is required to beat performance of an index fund? How many hours spent on reading - learning the principles, and how much time required to properly evaluate one business? Also, as it may contribute to the well being of my fellow Objectivists, I want to pass on to you that the market is heavily overvalued, and Soros and Icahn are both shorting it generally. There could be a repetition of 2008. (but I'm not financially literate in that degree, so I'll stop there. Go read on it and make up your own mind).
  3. Today I had a good creative day, did this(editing) in 6 hours straight, without breaks. Feels great. What do you think?
  4. Let's create a pool of inspirational material. Could be paintings, photos, movies. Don't be cheap with the selection, only the best of the best.
  5. Thank you for your wise advices. I'll try to develop relations with them and grow my skill set. I won't ask you how to do it, since there is a ton of material on this particular topic, which I'll now study. A question on how to socialize wasn't included in the OP, so naturally you wouldn't answer it. But if you have any valuable advices that you think are important don't hesitate to share them. By the way, the main question has been answered and therefore the thread is concluded, but as I said - if you have any valuable advice that you wish to share, it is very welcome and I'd be glad to receive it.
  6. Objectivism has changed me a lot for the better. I feel genuinely happy, like Howard Roark. I love myself and my life. I am relaxed and productive, I practice integrity and all the other virtues. However, I feel a slight need of socialization which is unfulfilled. It's not much, but I believe I could be much more happy if I had a companion. But. Most of people of my age party and do crazy stuff. I can't find anyone that shares my interest in anything or is half rational. Most of the people I know sell themselves for publicity and approval. I don't like that. I have bad relations with people as I don't think most of them as virtuous, avoid them, and they quietly reciprocate me and avoid me too. Generally, I see that people often disapprove of my justness. They somehow find vices fun and boast about it. I was wondering if should I remain isolated or try to make friends with the best of them. Is it possible without betraying myself? If so, how. Does it bring happiness, if so how much. Is it worth it in your experience? Note that I'm not talking about keeping relations with people in general, but of the specific group of people that I come in contact with(mainly through school).
  7. I meant: number of integrated concepts. You can't count it, but it is quantitative. An "integration" = integrated concept. An integrated concept is by definition rational. I agree, the more useful integrations, the better.
  8. What I meant by "value" there was how habitual it is for you to act virtuously. But now I see it is virtue by definition. There is no right number of rational integrations for man, the more the better. Overintegration(qualitatively) can happen, but then it's no longer rational integration (as in true to reality).
  9. The variable factors in these values, example of rationality: 1) The easiness with which you exercise rationality, the degree to which it is a habit 2) Now this is rationality as a Virtue, and I agree that this can be justly described using a Boolean value - rational/irrational. But there is also rationality as a Value - it increases your value as a person, and it can measured by degree: the amount of rational integrations in your mind, some people are less rational, some are more, the rocket scientist that believes in God is more rational than the drug abuser who wants to achieve Nirvana through LSD, Aristotle was irrational to some degree, but Aristotle ≠ Plato the amount of time that you've spent exercising rationality - how consistent you are over time
  10. I am also interested in any tips regarding integration of long books. Make flashcards and come back to the material? Take notes? - any special, concrete tips? I have something that could possibly work, but it requires some effort: take notes, then make a recording of the important stuff that you want to remember (for example using a computer or phone), and then you can listen to the recording multiple times, for example during commute time etc. Remember that to integrate something to long term memory you need to come back to the material. So it possibly would be a good idea to make your batch of notes one day, then come back to that batch, say 1-2 days later, read it to make a recording, and then listen to it after some time.
  11. Examples of Virtues: Rationality, Independence, Honesty How are these "actions"? I think that they are character traits that you have to develop over time through action, and when you have them, you need to keep it. So they are, basic, or fundamental values that allow you to pursue higher(less fundamental) values. You could define "virtues" as I mentioned earlier, but according to the original Objectivist definition, I would categorize only "the act of focusing one's mind" as "virtue". After second thought, I think that Virtues could be worded as rational action, independent thinking, honest thinking, but wouldn't they still, technically, be values that you developed through focusing your mind? But it still remains that "Rationality", "Independence", "Honesty" are character traits that you have to develop and keep.
×
×
  • Create New...