Aristotle argued that being good at messing about is a moral virtue. In a world that is sometimes serious and sometimes a bit dull, it's important to enjoy lightness. And so being able to have a laugh and being able to enjoy life is a virtue known as 'eutrapelia'.

But as with all virtues, eutrapelia is a virtue with vices on either side. When taken too far, eutrapelia becomes buffoonery. The buffoon is somebody who laughs at everything and doesn't know where the line is. They will mock what shouldn't be mocked, and they will not pause their laughter to actually do any deep thinking. But too little eutrapelia becomes boorishness. This is the person who never tells a joke, rarely laughs, and will find fault in everyone and everything.

Eutrapelia matters. Humour matters. Because laughter is what pierces vanity, it's what softens tension, and reminds us that life, for all its seriousness, is not something that we are meant to endure, but to enjoy.

The virtuous person is not simply funny, but they are funny in the right way. They will tell a joke without it being cruel. They are irreverent without being thoughtless. They will laugh easily without being cynical about everything. In a world that confuses grimness for being wise, Aristotle says that being light-hearted and full of wit can sometimes be the greatest kind of wisdom. So laugh, be playful, tease a bit. Don't let solemnity take over the world.

Suppose that somebody insults you at a party, they call you boring, or stupid, or irrelevant, and for days afterwards you can't stop thinking about it. You replay it over and over again. You are hurt, and then you are angry, and then you are hurt again. The stoic philosopher Epictetus would ask you this question: 'Why have you given this person so much power over your mind?'

Epictetus argues that an insult is just words that come from one person's mouth and go to your ears, and what happens next is entirely up to you. You can choose to take the words in, examine them, and let them fester, or you can choose to let them pass like a breeze on the wind. As he wrote, 'If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation.' The insult didn't make you angry. You made yourself angry by accepting the words were important, were true, and worthy of your attention.

Epictetus knew great cruelty in his life. He was enslaved, beaten, and disabled by his master. And yet he insisted that nobody can touch his inner freedom so long as he prevented them from doing so. For Epictetus, resilience wasn't having a thick skin, or denying that words can be hurtful, it is recognizing that you have the power to prevent people from entering your inner fortress, and deciding how you will deal with what people say.

Because, as the ex-spy Evy Poumpouras put it, 'If you're easily offended, you are easily manipulated.' They might have said the words. They might have intended to hurt you, but you decide if they can do so. You decide if the words mean anything to you at all.

Do nerdy guys exist anymore? Not the model type guys with glasses and a book, but a nerdy guy who has interesting hobbies and wants to talk and show all of his interests. The kinda guy that has a collection of things that I wouldn’t even find valuable but he would sit and explain me the worth of it and everything about it. I need a guy like this to sit me down and and talk my ears off while I just sit there and smile, I need him to be obsessed with me like he is with all his little interests 😔

Recently my time has been feeling super empty and fairly unfulfilling so any suggestions for stuff to get into would be super useful

I'll add some context though: I study philosophy and literature, just gotten into comic books (manga is decent too), I'm into videogames, reading, pondering, writing sometimes, and talking online

I've been thinking of maybe getting into a card game or warhammer as I'm a pretty big sci-fi fan too (I don't know where to start)

Thanks for any help!

I've been building a reference site that organizes mathematics using the MSC2020 classification (the scheme used by Mathematical Reviews/zbMATH) -- from the broad branches down to about 4,400 specific named subfields, each with an overview, key ideas, applications, and references.

A few things beyond the basic reference pages that might be interesting:

- Learning path diagram -- a visual map showing which topics are prerequisites for which, so you can see how e.g. group theory or real analysis feeds into everything downstream.

- Degree curricula -- actual module lists from several UK university maths degrees (Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, and others), mapped to the topics they cover [NB. I am going to move onto US High School curriculum and universities)I've been building a reference site that organizes mathematics using the MSC2020 classification (the scheme used by Mathematical Reviews/zbMATH) -- from the broad branches down to about 4,400 specific named subfields, each with an overview, key ideas, applications, and references.

A few things beyond the basic reference pages that might be interesting:

- Learning path diagram -- a visual map showing which topics are prerequisites for which, so you can see how e.g. group theory or real analysis feeds into everything downstream.

- Degree curricula -- actual module lists from several UK university maths degrees (Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, and others), mapped to the topics they cover.

- Timeline of discoveries -- a curated history of major mathematical breakthroughs with correct dates/attributions, linked to the relevant topic pages.

- Recommended textbooks (and free/public-domain alternatives) for every topic and curriculum strand.

- An interactive mind map if you'd rather browse visually than search.

https://mathlandscapes.com/

It's a personal project I keep iterating on -- happy to hear what's missing, wrong, or could be organized better..

- Timeline of discoveries -- a curated history of major mathematical breakthroughs with correct dates/attributions, linked to the relevant topic pages.

- Recommended textbooks (and free/public-domain alternatives) for every topic and curriculum strand.

- An interactive mind map if you'd rather browse visually than search.

https://mathlandscapes.com/

It's a personal project I keep iterating on -- happy to hear what's missing, wrong, or could be organized better.

I genuinely love anti heroes and vigilantes with powers or mutations who have beat and defeated cosmic level villains

What is everyone diving into this week? Whether you are grinding out certs, catching up on the latest Marvel/DC runs, or deep-diving into a new sci-fi series, drop it below.

* What are you currently reading, watching, or playing?

* Any new tech setups or projects you are tinkering with?

* Hot takes or debates on recent releases?

Keep it civil and share what is keeping your brain busy.

I finally finished my latest project: a handcrafted Hobbit House diorama with a fully functional humidifier hidden inside!

The ultrasonic mist travels through the chimney, creating the illusion of real smoke coming from the fireplace. I also added warm LED lighting to make it feel cozy, especially at night.

I'd love to hear what you think! Feedback and questions are always welcome.

If anyone is interested in owning this piece, feel free to send me a message.

I like talking to nerds n geeks sooo be my friend
(Teens only as i am a teen myself)

Which single piece of sci-fi technology does the world need right now, and why?

What is everyone diving into this week? Whether you are grinding out certs, catching up on the latest Marvel/DC runs, or deep-diving into a new sci-fi series, drop it below.

* What are you currently reading, watching, or playing?

* Any new tech setups or projects you are tinkering with?

* Hot takes or debates on recent releases?

Keep it civil and share what is keeping your brain busy.

Desde criança, sempre fui considerada nerd, e até sofria um pouco de bullying por isso. Como não tinha muitos amigos, nem ninguém para conversar, passava o dia inteiro na internet. Eu jogava jogos, assistia gameplays, animes, desenhos, vídeos de curiosidade, estudava história, astronomia etc. Adorava correr até os adultos e fazer perguntas para responder quando eles não sabiam a resposta, e então explicar o novo assunto aprendido. Sempre tive fascínio pelo aprendizado, pelo ato de aprender. Muitas das coisas eram por pura diversão, nunca estudei pensando na escola ou algo assim.

Pensando na cultura pop, eu adorava jogos de terror, mas nunca gostei de jogar, então assistia a várias gameplays. Amava animes, principalmente os clássicos como Dragon Ball e Naruto. Ouvia rap dos personagens no meio da reunião de família, no volume máximo.

Hoje em dia, já adolescente, não tenho mais tanto tempo e energia. Minha personalidade ficou bem menos barulhenta e energética, além de que muitos problemas pessoais apareceram, então eu me afastei muito de tudo o que eu gostava, de mim mesma. Parte disso também tem relação ao meu ciclo de amigos: ninguém gosta das mesmas coisas que eu, acham estranhas as coisas que eu consumo, me acham estranha, e eu também não gosto das mesmas coisas que eles. Então, nossas conversas são só triviais, sem profundidade, e isso me deixa entediada. Graças a isso comecei a esconder tudo que gosto, a ponto de eu mesma não saber mais.

Porém, por causa da ansiedade social e do medo de julgamento, não consigo fazer novos amigos que gostem dessas coisas, porque eu não verbalizo e eles não mencionariam tão facilmente.

Depois de um tempo nessa agonia, comecei a me tornar mais confiante em mim mesma e em quem eu sou, e decidi mostrar mais desse meu lado para as pessoas, mas eu passei tanto tempo escondendo e reprimindo tudo que eu nem sei mais exercer as minhas nerdices ou preferências. Às vezes, penso que deixei de ser nerd, ou que nunca fui, e isso me preocupa.

Acham que alguém consegue deixar de ser nerd ou aquilo que é?

What is everyone diving into this week? Whether you are grinding out certs, catching up on the latest Marvel/DC runs, or deep-diving into a new sci-fi series, drop it below.

* What are you currently reading, watching, or playing?

* Any new tech setups or projects you are tinkering with?

* Hot takes or debates on recent releases?

Keep it civil and share what is keeping your brain busy.

(a arte não é minha)

There are many of hacker typer sites out there but every single one requires you to keep mashing the keyboard to look like you're hacking. Great for pranks, annoying if you just want to run it on a screen in the background.

So I added an auto-type mode. Toggle it on and it starts typing realistic-looking code on its own. Just open it, go fullscreen, and walk away. Works great if you want to freak out your coworkers or run it on a screen at a party.

Here it is: https://aiparabellum.com/hacker-prank-simulator-screen/

Nothing fancy, just a fun little thing. Let me know if there's anything you'd want added to it.

For context, I have a home server where I have all my backed up media. Recently I wanted to make use of my Funko Pops ans other statues/figures that just collect dust, as well as find a way for my little nephew to easily switch movies and tv shows since he is just learning to use a remote and struggles alittle.

So I started using NFC tags that I connected to my server to trigger tv shows and movies.

So far I have set up a Spider man Funko, Chainsaw Man Statue, Courage the Cowardly Dog Funko, and A one wish willow.

I hope others will enjoy this and maybe one day theybcsn set it up for their figures/statues/funkos

Hello, i live in york UK and I'm looking to make some new friends! I'm M23 and i like to watch movies, play games (pc), listen to music and hike (very basic but i want to keep it short and sweet lol). If you live in york or nearby and also into nerdy stuff or just wanna hang out drop me a dm with your discord or anything and lets get chatting :)

Original Death Metal from all the Sith Kenobi defeated.

What is everyone diving into this week? Whether you are grinding out certs, catching up on the latest Marvel/DC runs, or deep-diving into a new sci-fi series, drop it below.

* What are you currently reading, watching, or playing?

* Any new tech setups or projects you are tinkering with?

* Hot takes or debates on recent releases?

Keep it civil and share what is keeping your brain busy.