People Connectors.

_LS_ · July 20, 2015 at 10:39 AM Official Post

So, I'll make no bones about this: I'm an unrepentant, rabid Dan Harmon fan. If he has something to say I want to listen to it.

But his 2012 talk at the XOXO festival is of particular interest:

I found it again just now while going through some of my youtube favorites. I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts, but mostly I just think it's something that we could all benefit from thinking about.

**Kaynil** · July 25, 2015 at 7:32 AM Official Post

I like it. I enjoyed that awkward humour. Then you have the real message.
I don't know Dan, but I can see why you're a big fan of him. He is very intelligent.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. it is easy to forget that even though there is people interacting, the tool is still just a tool and it is easy to lose the focus on what really matters.

_LS_ · July 25, 2015 at 2:10 PM Official Post

Harmon is a funny guy, but the biggest impression he's made on me is his aggressive, unrepentant honesty. He's turned honesty into a philosophy of life, and it's something I want to cultivate in myself.

The whole thesis of the talk, that The Internet is not important except in the way it connects us to other people is something I'd like to do better at. I for sure take the internet too seriously sometimes.

**Kaynil** · July 25, 2015 at 10:47 PM Official Post

I think we all do. It is hard not to. it connects us so well sometimes you forget it and treat it as if it was the same as being in person.

Quote from LinkSkywalker

the biggest impression he's made on me is his aggressive, unrepentant honesty. He's turned honesty into a philosophy of life, and it's something I want to cultivate in myself.

Honesty is a great trait. I used to thinK I was pretty honest but the truth is that I rather omit opinions and accept to do something I don't want to avoid hurting feelings or having an unnecessary argument. Now I realise that is also dishonest with yourself and others. yourself because if you don't align what you feel and think with your actions you won't feel pleased with yourself. And with the others because you're underestimating them. they can take a No. You're disrespecting if you don't give them enough credit. I guess as we grow up we learn to appreciate the raw honesty better than the layers of well intentioned lies that won't help you become a better person and know what isn't working.

_LS_ · July 26, 2015 at 12:55 AM Official Post

This is very true! You don't have to be a liar to be a dishonest person. When you really start to examine yourself, you find a lot of dishonesty you never even realized existed.

How many times do you just smile and nod when you don't understand what's happening? How often do you keep quiet about an opinion because you're scared of being forced to talk about it? How often do you downplay the parts of yourself that are embarassing? The stories that are the most human part of you? If you listen to the talk, Dan talks about a point in his life where he used a T-shirt as toilet paper. If that had happened to any one of us, we'd be humiliated. We'd thank goodness that no one ever saw it, because it meant no one ever needs to know. But Dan tells those stories about himself because they matter. It's a quality he and his wife both share, and I fucking love them both for it.

And yes, being constantly, aggressively honest may cause you to be less palatable to the people around you. But that's a good thing. Because it will repel the people who don't like the true you, and it will attract the people who DO like the true you.