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Comment by sandworm101 | Hacker News Reader

>John Zelenski, a psychology professor at Carleton University

>Barbara Fredrickson, a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

>Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California

Sounds like the real path is to win a good job at a large educational institution that allows you the time off to do all the things you need to be happy. I'd rather hear from those "experts" who manage to find happiness when not sitting under a tree on a sunny campus. Where is the expert who works 16-hour shifts on north sea oil rigs?

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> Sounds like the real path is to win a good job at a large educational institution that allows you the time off to do all the things you need to be happy

Most of the academics I know are ridiculously busy, trying to juggle teaching, research, publishing, grant applications, conferences, and so on.

> Where is the expert who works 16-hour shifts on north sea oil rigs?

Oil rig workers get a lot more time off than academics. Most work 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off, or 2 on / 3 off.

Pay ain't bad either. Not SWE III at a FAANG level but certainly not bad

Self help fluff is the drop in replacement for economic instability by the psychotherapy world. Economics is too political and “like the weather” it’s just a natural phenomena that nobody can do anything about (sarcasm)

Modern self help is also selfish. There was a great bit on the Bojack Horseman show. A character disappears. Everyone is looking for them under the idea that they might have committed suicide. In the end, they went to decompress on their California ranch. They wanted to disconnect and so didn't tell anyone where they were going. Self help, with no regard for how your self help negatively impacts countless other people. When confronted, the character doesn't care. They take pride in choosing to "take responsibility" for their own happiness. Selfish jerk.

No one is allowed to take some time to them self without reporting their location constantly? Sounds like other people need to check their neurotism

No ones saying report location constantly, but it is a dick move to not let people know that you'll be disconnecting and be unreachable for a while. Otherwise it can be very concerning if no one can get in touch or if there's an emergency.

cf. Shit Life Syndrome, "a phrase used by physicians in the United Kingdom and the United States for the effect that a variety of poverty or abuse-induced disorders can have on patients." [0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shit_life_syndrome

> Where is the expert who works 16-hour shifts on north sea oil rigs?

Probably working, and making fat $$$$ in the process. And if he's not working, probably chillin like a villain.

Instead, where are the people working 2 x fast-foot jobs to pay their bills. 16 hour oil rig gigs or long days fishing translates to lots of days off, but slangin burgers at Maccas without means you'll never advance.

> director of the Greater Good Science Center

Sinister sounding. The greater good has been the excuse for some of the worst atrocities in history.

You're thinking of the Greater Good by Oppressing Minorities and Nonconformists Science Center

(Greater Good) (Science Center) or (Greater) (Good Science Center)

My first reading is actually the later. It sounds to me like a science center that was amalgamated or expended into a "greater" version.

Ah yes, when the Good Science Center acquired the Pretty Good Science Center.

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