I live in Germany and right next to the highest point of the (European) Netherlands, it's only a 5k walk and you barely notice the elevation change. It's not necessarily underwhelming but definitely not overwhelming, in fact it's just whelming - so I'm glad OP got more out of the experience.
A well written piece. I achieved financial independence and left the rat race. Very glad I did before I got guillotined like many of my friends. While sometimes I miss being around smart people, I never want to see the inside of a giant corporation building again. I hope Ole Trøan finds peace in his post-Cisco life.
I don’t find that strange. Our drug policy is not backed by any sort of philosophy. E.g. possessing cannabis is illegal in NL. The policy is the outcome of micro-panics (a few accidents with tourists on shrooms), indecisiveness and fear.
I thought it was relatively balanced. "It happened to work for me this time but it could have gone horribly wrong." That's the truth of psychedelics as a theraputic tool.
It is true that the text comes with disclaimers, but I read them more like the result of a 25 year career in corporate, rather than a genuinely balanced view on the matter.
They're being used as a crutch to fast-track achieve the illusion of a goal.
That is textbook abuse, because you're deluding yourself into believing that you're achieving something, when in reality, the only thing you do achieve is addiction. Or so the worst-case outcome anyway.
Abuse of course sounds like you're hurting someone else, but in this case, you're just hurting yourself. But you do that quite hard.
__
Ego death is hard, but achievable without cheating like that. And - not to be snarky - when laid off, you have a lot of time for the introspection to pull that off without such crutches.
The author decided otherwise - and it's their right to do that - but it's still textbook substance abuse, which is objectively bad.
Hence my comment to correct that.
It shall be read as directed as the reader getting wrong ideas. Not at the guy clearly struggling and just finding something that works for them.
If you take a look at the rest of the comment section, you will see why this is ethically necessary.
FWIW, it's not the author's fault that this ended up in this place, but it still ended up in this place, and with that, it is harmful, because HN does not comprehend the idea of context.
I love psychedelics! I use LSD recreationally every few weeks or so. I believe it's related to psilocybin (from magic mushrooms) by also being a tryptamine. Always love hearing about good experiences.
> And of course the exclusion. Inside a group, then outside it. People I ate lunch with went quiet. The chats went quiet. I became a story other people told carefully.
This is why I don't rely on workplace being the place where friendships happen. Whenever I feel like there's friendship growing, I add that person on some app, and then we meet outside of work. In that way even if we part ways professionally, we can still be friends privately. I spam people with game screenshots, pics of food, and racist rants. I invite them to gatherings and outings.
its a power thing isn't it...organised collectives have way bigger influence than individuals...and the most successful organised collective is the business company... nowadays some of them more powerful than nation states... individuals subject to company objectives and other individuals empowered by their position in a company...a vote is no longer the expression of liberty...we are under the whims of corporations... companies are the true sovereign, go, incorporate, pay Irish taxes, and give the middle finger to ur government
It is correct though, since 2010 Saba is a "speciale gemeente" of the Netherlands, and its mountain is thus our highest point. Before that it was organised as a separate country "Nederlandse Antillen" with the other Caribbean islands.
I've recently hiked to the highest point of Belgium, it's 693 meters but because humans have some ego thing attached to round numbers they built a 7 meter tall stone tower you can ascend to hit 700m.
I live in Germany and right next to the highest point of the (European) Netherlands, it's only a 5k walk and you barely notice the elevation change. It's not necessarily underwhelming but definitely not overwhelming, in fact it's just whelming - so I'm glad OP got more out of the experience.
A well written piece. I achieved financial independence and left the rat race. Very glad I did before I got guillotined like many of my friends. While sometimes I miss being around smart people, I never want to see the inside of a giant corporation building again. I hope Ole Trøan finds peace in his post-Cisco life.
Strangely, mushrooms are illegal in NL, but truffles are not.
I don’t find that strange. Our drug policy is not backed by any sort of philosophy. E.g. possessing cannabis is illegal in NL. The policy is the outcome of micro-panics (a few accidents with tourists on shrooms), indecisiveness and fear.
That was weirdly and unexpectedly vulnerable, which is nice I suppose.
Would've been even nicer without glorifying substance abuse, but, well.
I thought it was relatively balanced. "It happened to work for me this time but it could have gone horribly wrong." That's the truth of psychedelics as a theraputic tool.
It is true that the text comes with disclaimers, but I read them more like the result of a 25 year career in corporate, rather than a genuinely balanced view on the matter.
Substance abuse is a poor description for taking magic mushrooms
How is it abuse?
They're being used as a crutch to fast-track achieve the illusion of a goal.
That is textbook abuse, because you're deluding yourself into believing that you're achieving something, when in reality, the only thing you do achieve is addiction. Or so the worst-case outcome anyway.
Abuse of course sounds like you're hurting someone else, but in this case, you're just hurting yourself. But you do that quite hard.
__
Ego death is hard, but achievable without cheating like that. And - not to be snarky - when laid off, you have a lot of time for the introspection to pull that off without such crutches.
The author decided otherwise - and it's their right to do that - but it's still textbook substance abuse, which is objectively bad.
Hence my comment to correct that.
It shall be read as directed as the reader getting wrong ideas. Not at the guy clearly struggling and just finding something that works for them.
If you take a look at the rest of the comment section, you will see why this is ethically necessary.
FWIW, it's not the author's fault that this ended up in this place, but it still ended up in this place, and with that, it is harmful, because HN does not comprehend the idea of context.
Sorry, mushrooms and addiction? Of all the things to worry about with mushrooms, that’s the least likely.
I love psychedelics! I use LSD recreationally every few weeks or so. I believe it's related to psilocybin (from magic mushrooms) by also being a tryptamine. Always love hearing about good experiences.
That sort of explains your system (see user profile)
> And of course the exclusion. Inside a group, then outside it. People I ate lunch with went quiet. The chats went quiet. I became a story other people told carefully.
This is why I don't rely on workplace being the place where friendships happen. Whenever I feel like there's friendship growing, I add that person on some app, and then we meet outside of work. In that way even if we part ways professionally, we can still be friends privately. I spam people with game screenshots, pics of food, and racist rants. I invite them to gatherings and outings.
its a power thing isn't it...organised collectives have way bigger influence than individuals...and the most successful organised collective is the business company... nowadays some of them more powerful than nation states... individuals subject to company objectives and other individuals empowered by their position in a company...a vote is no longer the expression of liberty...we are under the whims of corporations... companies are the true sovereign, go, incorporate, pay Irish taxes, and give the middle finger to ur government
The Netherlands isn't that flat. Its highest point is Mt.Scenery at 870m.
Fortunately, the article is neither about the Netherlands nor about its highest point. The title is a joke about hallucinogens.
The article also literally contains "The Netherlands is very flat."
Why does every HN thread have to start with someone telling someone else they’re wrong about something?
It’s a joke. Mt. Scenery is in the Caribbean, part of the Netherlands but not in the flat mainland.
TIL!
It doesn't always start like that! Sometimes you get corrected in the middle of a thread.
Well since you ask: GP is inaccurate because Mt. Scenery is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but not the Netherlands.
Edit: I was wrong, see skylurk’s comment.
Saba joined the Netherlands in 2010
Nice, I stand corrected. A “special municipality”, TIL!
Mt. Scenery... never heard of it as a Dutchy. I found out that's in the Caribbean.
You just asked your AI God of choice about this, perhaps?
It is correct though, since 2010 Saba is a "speciale gemeente" of the Netherlands, and its mountain is thus our highest point. Before that it was organised as a separate country "Nederlandse Antillen" with the other Caribbean islands.
The Netherlands highest point is in the Caribbean though
https://youtu.be/UJkVHgFsF60
Indeed, The Netherlands is this make-believe place where Peter Pan and Tinker Bell come from
That’s considered flat where I’m from :)
Don't knock it til you've tried it
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_(Saba)
I guess we can't call it the nether-lands anymore.
Higher than Belgium!
I've recently hiked to the highest point of Belgium, it's 693 meters but because humans have some ego thing attached to round numbers they built a 7 meter tall stone tower you can ascend to hit 700m.
Don't ever use that word outside of a Serious Screenplay.
Tell me you're from the US without etc.
It's a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Which, funnily enough, is of British origin instead of American.