The 25 Principles for Adult Behavior (John Perry Barlow) | Hacker News Reader

The 25 Principles for Adult Behavior (John Perry Barlow)

openculture.com

49 pointstosh8 comments

I am surprised to see "tolerate ambiguity" on the list because I've found that many arguments stem from one party interpreting a statement the other party made in an unintended manner because the way it was said allowed interpretation instead of being explicit.

Is there something to "tolerate ambiguity" that I am missing? Does it not apply to the case I describe?

And how would you react in such a case? If not by being tolerant to the fact most communication is ambiguous and learning to deal with it?

I double back and resolve the ambiguity rather than continue ahead to find myself in an argument taking past each other because our fundamental assumptions differ.

That very thing has happened to me enough times to become entirely fed up with it to the point that I strive to stamp out ambiguity when I come across it. Such an approach seems to work well so far, or at least leaves me better off than I would be without it.

All that aside, my approach seems to be clearly different from the norm, and does cause some friction at times (although I would argue less friction than would arise if left ambiguous) which definitely has me wondering if I've not taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way.

I certainly would like to better learn to deal with it, assuming that dealing with it is a means to more effective communication (note here how I avoid the ambiguity trap by including my interpretation of your ambiguous statement)

> Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.

This seems out of place. Expressing my beliefs as a function of my experiences and understanding, is a fundamental step in adulthood (along with pragmatically taking charge of your life). Many of the other steps, listed, require the understanding that your views are that and not some other abstract truth.

I interpreted that as to reduce talking about yourself.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16344562

Good stuff, but if Barlow's publishers want to compete with Jordan Peterson, this list needs more anti-socialist paranoia and dipshit manichean framing about how chaotic women are.

Oh, I'm sorry. Is Jordan Peterson not on top of the best seller lists with an entire book of rules for adults? Was I out of line to draw that comparison?

If not, what's the problem? JP doesn't hilariously and noxiously blame "cultural Marxism" and the "feminine chaos" of women for the life difficulties of incel basement-dwellers who need to be told to clean their rooms?

Barlow has never looked better than he does under today's comparison.

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