[legerdemain]

The author shows a tendency to give colorful, but opaque names like "gutterballing" to things that can themselves be explained in a short phrase ("working on something that is similar to, but not exactly what you actually want, and getting predictably frustrated").

Where does this tendency come from? My first guess is self-help literature. Or maybe this is a personality trait to write this way? Or a kind of marketing, becasue only your writing has these colorful fun terms?

[alexpotato]

Short names for complex topics can be very handy.

I was once watching an old school survivalist talk about Native American/First Peoples legends.

These legends often had a bumbling main character who would usually cause some kind of problem b/c he forgot to do the key thing required for survival. For example, he would pick wet wood that wouldn't work for making a fire etc while his smart friend would pick the dry wood or the wood with lots of oil in it. Let's say bumbling dude is name "Chintatook" (made up name).

Now, when someone is starting to do the wrong thing or not think things through, you can say "Hey, don't be a Chintatook!" and everyone knows what you are talking about.

[TeMPOraL]

Sokath, his eyes uncovered!

[specproc]

The author appears to be an academic in the social sciences, giving things names is pretty much the game there.

I liked it, anyway. Had a few things there that resonated. I doubt it will change my life, but maybe I do need to do my teeth and go to bed.

[jmpavlec]

> That's why having goofy names for them matters so much, because it reminds me not to believe the biggest bog lie of all: that I'm stuck in a situation unlike any I, or anyone else, has ever seen before.

Toward the bottom of the article in case you didn't get that far.

[leephillips]

“unsticking myself always seems to be a matter of finding a name for the thing happening to me”

[lunatuna]

“That's why having goofy names for them matters so much, because it reminds me not to believe the biggest bog lie of all: that I'm stuck in a situation unlike any I, or anyone else, has ever seen before.”