This is a very well-thought and basically an essential article for those of us who seek self-improvement and efficiency improvements, in order to be on the best state of ourselves possible, so that we can make the best decisions at our jobs or get work done faster and better.
But there’s something about self-deprecation or intentional self-harm that stems from something psychological very deep inside some people’s brains, giving them a certain sensation of pleasure…
I know many people from my generation who cope with daily struggles by binge watching some TV series, stuffing themselves with processed foods or drinking and staying up late. The problem is whether it comes from an alienated reward pathway, or just a long-term damaged psyche.
And in both these latter cases, this article wouldn’t help because those people aren’t even actually looking for improving their lives. Those people are trapped in a downward spiral and they can’t get out of it themselves, because they lack the self-judgemental skills that some have (like the author does, otherwise he wouldn’t be proactively seeking this lifestyle). And thus, I think this article only works on people already looking for self-improvement, hence not having an “outdated OS”.