eunikins

Great! I hope it helps!

Thanks Yuri. I can see how you may have found the post inapplicable to you since you seem to have it all figured out. That said, if you have any specific feedback or additions to the advice I listed (which sounds very similar to the advice you were trying to give me in your original comment), I'd welcome it from someone with your expertise. I enjoy discussions between entrepreneurs that benefit us by adding to our best practices.

Hey Yuri, thanks for your comments. I hope you didn't miss the point of my post, which basically gives the same advice your entire post just repeated. Not sure why you seemed to inject a bit of condescension into your last line.

The point of the post was to inform people that these three were possible pitfalls that a new self-employer could fall into, and I gave advice (the same exact advice you listed) on how to avoid them. You clearly have figured it out for yourself and seem to agree with my points, so it sounds like you agree with 3/3 of my assessment and advice. I believe you misjudged the point of my post -- it is to advise newbie self-employers, not ones who've already figured it out like yourself.

Yes, people are braver under anonymity. Over the Internet there are more anonymous readers who can access a public discussion and a poster's real identity-- thus more chance that one of these anonymous readers are crazy enough to cross the line and exploit their knowledge of the poster's identity to harass them in real life.

Before the Internet it would've been a lot more difficult to read all these dissenting opinions/discussions but also harder for a person to commit harassment. My entire point is that the Internet is a double edged sword (But im sure we all know that already). That said, the pros do outweigh the cons :).

People on facebook aren't necessarily outspoken, as they have private profiles limited to only who they decide to add as friends. And usually, people remain "friends" with those who share similar opinions (aka circle jerk) because those who disagree probably have defriended them or have had a flame war over comments which doesn't lead to anything.. Because the "hater's" identity in this situation is not anonymous either.

For most people, posting under their real identity doesn't really get them in trouble. I'm talking about posters who discuss controversial topics publicly- not only is it so easy for someone to send in anonymous hate emails, but now they can anonymously harass the poster in real life by calling up their boss or family members, after a few clicks of research on the Internet.

It makes me wonder in what form this kind of "hateful" harassment (say, one step below actual hate crimes) existed in the days without Internet.

It's sad that our personal info can be used with such malice in this day and age when we're supposed to celebrate the accessibility and transparency of information. That people still cannot be freely outspoken under their real identities because some spiteful person who disagrees with them might call up their bosses to try to get them fired (or worse). When people on the Internet cross the line and make things personal because they feel a sense of power in hiding behind their anonymous computer screen and having someone else's vulnerable and real identity in their hands.

Gwern, thanks for the humble reply and all your writings. Maybe one day we will be able to celebrate your talent as part of your identity.

The endorphins from working out really help -- I've gotten back into yoga and even at 20 minutes every morning, I feel like a more productive person, raring to take on the day.

I've found that there are people who just spam-post statuses to show off, garner attention, and/or put on their best face, but never really 'like' other people's posts or pay attention to their news feed. This behavior makes sense, because my FB news feed depresses me and augments any bit of subconscious insecurity I've willed myself to ignore. Except I deal with it by unplugging from FB, whereas the aforementioned type of person would overcompensate by ignoring the news feed, posting about their great life and garnering attention. This would be an interesting psychological study to read about.

Great point - I didn't even think of this. To add, I would reply to them once or twice a day, in one condensed email that addresses all of their emails. Also - I use Gmail for my business account so I can easily click on the 'Move To.." -> "Label" button, effectively archiving and organizing it at the same time.

Asian immigrant parents produce just as many problematic first-generation asian kids. The middle-upper class asian bubble of a community I grew up in may have seemed affluent, filled with polite and studious kids, but the undercurrents of bored, overachieving, over-pressured teens lost to gangs and drugs are never talked about.

The asian kids that do come out hardworking and studious from our tiger parents are not all rainbows and sprinkles either, as many are stunted in emotional development and social communication due to the extreme discipline and pressure we had to deal with growing up.

Lastly, and most ironically, asian immigrant parents always push their kids to be the best, and being "good enough" is never enough. The pressure to achieve, the detached politeness of the traditional asian culture -- there are plenty of cracks that a misguided teenager could fall into.

"Good enough" can be applied to job, money, work, and any other tangible thing. But humans and emotions make the world go 'round, and when you have the future of an innocent, malleable human being in your hands, there is no such thing as "good enough" parenting. That is the entire dilemma being discussed here for women - compromising to be "good enough" at work so that they can be "good to the best of their ability" for their children. Not the other way around.