April, 2009 - Yu-kai Chou

Twitter takes time to adapt to. Most people who first go on Twitter have no idea why anyone would use it, and that Twitter is something for those who have too much time and nothing to do. Not for me.

Then they would hear about Twitter again from a friend or some media source, and decide to try it out again. They create 2 more tweets, and still feel that life is wasting away. Finally, they hear that a good friend or Obama is using Twitter too, and finally gives it another try. That’s when they become glued.

The fact is that Twitter is actually a very useful and fun (we call this very FD) tool. Its not necessarily for people who have too much time, but it actually is for busy people who need a better way of communicating with people.

Just like the In’N’Out menu, where they keep everything as simple as possible with hidden menu items, Twitter keeps everything as simple as possible. Even Twitter Search is hidden at an non-obvious location. Finally, there are over 400 Twitter Apps out there that make Twitter better that could help with your Twitter experience. You should know a few good ones.

For this reason, here’s a guide for the beginner to “get” Twitter and become a Tweeter.

1. Create a Twitter Account with your real name

Registration is simple. If you don’t know how to create a account once you go to twitter.com, you probably shouldn’t be on Twitter. However, I want to remind you that almost in all instances, you should put in your real name. Twitter is about building relationships with real people for who they are, instead of meeting Surferdude24s.

Also, keep your Twitter username short and easy to remember. This is so that people can Retweet you easier without hitting the limit, and people can type in your name without other references.

Continue reading How to Start, Settle in, and Fall in love with Twitter

This is a short clip titled “Validation”. Its about 16 minutes long but I think every minute is worth the watch (I rather you watch it instead of reading this blogpost).

This film touched me because I felt a lot of empathy towards the main character, and it triggered some of my hidden emotional reactions that I didn’t even know was there.

I have always tried to make others in my life happier. When I was in kindergarten, I felt that because people around me (especially my family) were living such sad lives, I had no right to be unhappy and drag them down.

Empathy towards a guy who had no right to be unhappy

I had to be happy, because peoples’ happiness depended on me. When everything is falling apart in life, I at least would be that pillar of happiness that holds everything together. Consequently, whenever I cried during my childhood, I felt ashamed and hid from others.

Today, my friends say that I’m one of the most optimistic people they know. They tell me that talking to me makes them happy, no matter how down is the situation. They also say that I am extremely emotionally stable, and that’s because I do not want to ever be an emotional burden to others.

I needed to be the one who is calm and happy when others are down. If I ever become emotionally unstable and need others to help me feel better, I feel that I not only failed in my responsibilities, I have become a burden to others.

My goal in life is to make others successful, and its like a sharp blade through my heart whenever I know I’m being a burden to people instead.

People who seem happy all the time would still appreciate the right to be upset

But the truth is, sometimes I do become upset.

Sometimes I feel that people take advantage of my constant attempts to put others before me, and I occasionally would express that unhappiness to people.

The sad thing is, whenever I do express such unhappiness, people are not used to it coming from me, and they become very defensive, asking “what in the world is your problem?” When people confirm my sad belief that I have no right to be sad, it depresses me even more.

Why should the child who cries all day get whatever he wants, while the child who also wants to cry but recognizes that her parents already have enough troubles in life for them to worry about her get nothing? And when she finally can’t stand it and starts to cry about something, her parents might not understand her unnoticed pains but just become angry at her for raising more problems (she should know better!), while they appeal to the other child who cries all day.

Continue reading I have not been touched like this for a long time