@destraht It's funny, bragging about reading difficult philosophical texts will make most people think that you're full of shit or some weird autist. Don't even get me started about Western esotericism. Unless they're close friends whom I can trust, I don't ever tell normies what I'm actually reading atm.
@bloodexorcist It's an easy way for corporations to make their workers more predictable. Plus if you make a certain type sound cooler than the others (INTJ), everyone will believe that they are that type and act accordingly.
Don't let them quantify you.
@TheStoicCrane While I agree that chess proficiency is a mental achievement that one should be proud of, I found that the danger with chess has to do with its all-consuming nature. Once you begin playing chess often enough, you cannot get the game out of your head. You see it in your sleep, in your daydreams, and even when you're talking to others. It makes you obsessive. You'll want to memorize entire opening sequences so that you don't lose in the first 10 moves.
Other intellectual pursuits (e.g. philosophy, language, history) are connected to things outside of themselves. Besides applying chess strategy to everyday life, chess is extremely insular. I have respect for those who master it, just as I might respect some crazed mystic who has spent years away from civilization, engaged in deep meditation.
Read More