self-reflection

Bilingual

The Tapestry of Influence: The Inspirations That Shape Us
2 months ago
- The author's perspective is shaped by a fascination with people who distill complexity into essence, seen in architecture, philosophy, comedy, and design.
- Influences include modernist simplicity (Mies van der Rohe, Jony Ive, Brionvega), Zen teachings (Suzuki Roshi, Tao Te Ching), and comedy/improv (George Carlin, Andy Kaufman, Daniele Luttazzi).
- High school experiences—a film forum and a tech lab—exposed the author to diverse arts and early digital tools.
- Pop culture (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dreamcast, REZ) and lowbrow/highbrow juxtapositions (comics, Dragon Ball, Balzac) are equally formative.
- Self-production of video and audio since before algorithm feeds, and tinkering with technology, led to early career opportunities.
- Street photography is a creative outlet that marries formal design with spontaneous truths, akin to visual zen koans.
- The author's outsider perspective—coming out as gay at 15 near the Vatican—amplifies the ability to see connections between disparate ideas.
- The core message: one's unique voice comes from combining highbrow and lowbrow, ancient and modern, serious and playful influences.
Every Enemy Wears Your Face
2 months ago
- People often externalize their anger onto others, but this anger is usually directed at themselves projected onto mirrors of their own flaws.
- Avoiding self-reflection leads to creating enemies or villains to preserve a sense of moral cleanliness.
- Each person can be a villain in someone else's story, often for serving as a convenient mirror rather than malicious intent.
- Real harm exists, but most everyday conflicts involve projecting one's own traits onto others.
- Self-victimization is a trap; staying in a situation signifies enrollment, not imprisonment.
- Advice often reflects the advisor's own fears, not genuine concern for the recipient.
- Emotional disabilities can be invisible, leading to misinterpretation of behavior as intentional harm.
- Everyone has an invisible 'wheelchair'—flaws they cannot see, causing defensive reactions when confronted.
- Relationships are spaces where personal traumas are played out, and the goal is to see others clearly without projection.
It's okay to walk uphill
2 months ago
- The author first cycled uphill with effort to impress an imagined viewer, questioning the value of performing for an unseen audience.
- Next, the focus shifted to cycling for self-improvement, viewing this as a higher stage of motivation.
- The third stage involved cycling without any 'for'—eliminating motivation altogether as a form of true spirituality.
- Finally, the author walked uphill, observing nature (birds, warm wind), and concluded that this is acceptable.
Show HN: A static, client-side tarot calculator for Brazilian Portuguese
2 months ago
- The Personal Arcana Calculator uses tarot's 22 Major Arcana to create a symbolic portrait based on birth date or name+date combination for reflection.
- The result is not a fixed destiny or personality diagnosis; it offers themes, strengths, and areas of attention to generate concrete questions.
- Each arcana page includes essence, strengths, attention points, and relationship/work insights, encouraging a balanced view without idealization or fear.
- The calculation reduces the birth date sum to a number 1-22, with an optional Pythagorean name conversion; results are consistent for the same input.
- Readers are advised to apply insights to real situations, take small actions, and avoid treating the reading as absolute truth or professional advice.
- The tool is part of a self-knowledge journey and should not replace qualified guidance in medical, psychological, or other fields.
Prioritize mental health, and why communication is so important
2 months ago
- The author reflects on a journey from excitement in their first internship to severe depression and career struggles, marked by a persistent lack of motivation despite initial confidence.
- They experienced performance issues in jobs, including poor communication, slow work pace, and low-quality deliverables, leading to being fired, and realized their problems were unique compared to peers.
- Self-blame shifted from external factors like companies or bosses to internal issues, with theories including lack of discipline or possible ADD, but the root cause remains unclear.
- LLMs initially helped with multitasking but contributed to sloppier code by bypassing thorough testing processes, exacerbating work quality issues.
- Diagnosed with severe depression, the author is now on medication and benefits, focusing on healing, with gratitude for healthcare and support from friends and family, emphasizing the importance of communication.
- Future goals include stopping mistakes by planning tasks meticulously, finding pride in work by addressing demotivation, achieving stability through work discipline, and transitioning away from software development until ready to avoid being a burden.

self-reflection

The Tapestry of Influence: The Inspirations That Shape Us

Every Enemy Wears Your Face

It's okay to walk uphill

Show HN: A static, client-side tarot calculator for Brazilian Portuguese

Prioritize mental health, and why communication is so important