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Humans-Only Club for Discussion & Debate

A one-of-a-kind oasis of intelligent, in-depth, productive, civil debate.

Topics are uncensored, meaning even extremely controversial viewpoints can be presented and argued for, but our Forum Rules strictly require all posters to stay on-topic and never engage in ad hominems or personal attacks.


Discuss the November 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes.

To post in this forum, you must buy and read the book. After buying the book, please upload a screenshot of your receipt or proof or purchase via OnlineBookClub. Once the moderators approve your purchase at OnlineBookClub, you will then also automatically be given access to post in this forum.
#471238
Ajiferuke Ajibola wrote: December 28th, 2024, 6:47 pm Hi Scott, what prompted you to create the Online Book Club about 15 years ago?
Hi, Ajiferuke Ajibola,

That question was already asked and answered earlier in the Q&A:

What was your motivation for creating OnlineBookClub?


Moving forward, please do make sure to read all the previous Q&As before asking a new question to make sure the question hasn't already been asked and answered.


With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott
Favorite Philosopher: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes Signature Addition: View official OnlineBookClub.org review of In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

View Bookshelves page for In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
#471311
If you haven't already, you can sign up to be personally mentored by Scott "Eckhart Aurelius" Hughes at this link.

Surabhi Rani wrote: December 17th, 2024, 7:28 am Sir,

Thank you for your help.

1. My first issue is I don't see any books at all to review on my Review Team Page at this point. My reviewer score is 63.

Whenever I click on the icons for selecting a book to review via the Review Team Page or the 13 recommended book icons (my Pending Tasks) via You.pw, the Online Book Club page that appears displays the following message: 'According to the database, the offer you are attempting to access is not available to you This error usually happens because you recently changed your preferences, but then clicked a link that was given to you before you had changed your preferences. In other words, this review opportunity no longer matches your Preferences.'

The Review Team Page says, 'It looks like you have no review opportunities available from which to choose. This could happen for several reasons, but we have just now automatically investigated the possible cause.

First, please check your preferences now to see what formats you have selected as being able to read. Due to your current preferences, you are only being shown 7 out of 10 different types of ebook formats. Needless to say, you will not see as many available reviews if you are only willing and able to read certain formats.

There are hundreds of available books to review that are being hidden by your Preferences.'

In this context, let me mention that I picked all the given formats except Kindle Unlimited (according to the instructions on the Preferences page) because I already used my Kindle Unlimited free trial.

What should I do given the case that I reenrolled for the free mentoring program and attempted and submitted 1 review by far on this 15th day of the mentoring program? I need to complete another 2 reviews in the next 85 days. To what address should I send you the relevant screenshots? (This forum or box doesn't accept screenshots.)

2. My second issue is each time I select profane terms in my Post Review Questionnaire while reviewing, it gets rejected. This prevents my work from being thoroughly fun. Do I have a chance to edit my Post Review Questionnaire and submit it again if it gets rejected in the future? Online Book Club did respond to my issue of profanity selection saying they would help. However, I thought it was best to let you know.

Waiting for your response and hoping to get back to you.
Hi, Surabhi Rani,

Thank you for your question! :)

If you are having trouble with anything related to OnlineBookClub, including but not limited to the Review Team system at OnlineBookClub, then you will want to use the official contact form, which will send your message to the 24/7 customer support team at OnlineBookClub.



With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott



In addition to having authored his book, In It Together, Eckhart Aurelius Hughes (a.k.a. Scott) runs a mentoring program, with a free option, that guarantees success. Success is guaranteed for anyone who follows the program.
Favorite Philosopher: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes Signature Addition: View official OnlineBookClub.org review of In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

View Bookshelves page for In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
By Shirley Labzentis
#471332
How do you go about being nice to a person who you know is downright lying to you? In OBC, you receive a blatantly falsified review to edit. It has all of the markings of an AI-generated document. It's very unpersonable, no characters' names are mentioned, there is no synopsis of the story, nothing. All five of the AI detectors that you run it through scream AI. Not only that, but the reviewer did not follow any of the guidelines. You flag the review. The reviewer comes back and wants a recheck because they do not want to be banned. They thought that OBC was a quick way to make some extra cash, and you just spoiled that for them. Sometimes, they inadvertently tattle on themselves and say that they only used AI to enhance their own writing. Sometimes, they still flatly deny it. They are lying to you, and you know it, and they know it. They are just trying to get away with it. You have to be nice to those who are lying to you, but it is very hard sometimes. How do you go about handling the situation when you know that they are just trying to put something over on you? Out in the world, if a friend or acquaintance lies to you, you just cut them off. Here at OBC, you can't just do that. I try to be firm but nice and ask them if they can prove their story. They can't, of course. Then, they will go and report you as being rude to try to get back to you. They cannot prove that you were rude because you weren't, but you now have to defend yourself against a person who is deceitful. Any great tips, Scott?
#471379
Hi Scott,

Can a process be designed to put daily tasks, e.g. mentoring activities, 3 edits per day, on hold for a period? If one ends up in a place where there is no Internet connectivity, it is impossible to complete the tasks. Everyone goes on holiday and some of us land up in hospital. I don't think the idea was to punish people for circumstances beyond their control.

Thank you
Alida Spies
In It Together review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewt ... p?t=491308
#471388
There's a particular point the book in it together which very interesting and it looks like it referring to me. Please explain further and what can you can you advise from such point:

The ego, flesh, and primitive urges may want to argue about the lies it tells you. So do not argue. You know the truth in your heart of hearts and in your godliest parts. The truth doesn't need your ego to believe in it. Your body's feelings don't need to match reality or match your choices. So let them be.
#471410
This point: Consider these wise welcoming words from Rabbi Tina Sobo: “There's more than one way to think about God. There's more than one way to protect youth. There's more than one way to create a loving family. There's more than one way to feed a baby. There's more than one way to create a baby. There's more than one way to love. There's more than one way to think... Your way may be right for you, but that doesn't mean it is right for everyone else who, you know, isn't you.” Indeed, as already said, there are many paths up the mountain.

I want to ask how will I realized there many aspects and still accomplish those part. I'm into a condition but what I thought wasn't exactly what I received from the condition I'm into. Now at the end of the mountain I received less of what I thought. How can fix it and the opportunity are limited.
#471432
If you haven't already, you can sign up to be personally mentored by Scott "Eckhart Aurelius" Hughes at this link.

Alida Spies wrote: December 17th, 2024, 3:25 pm Do you think people value something they get for free, i.e. something that they would usually pay for? An example of this is a band, not well-known, playing for free at a school or old-age home. The books we get to read for free are not a good example, as there is a price to pay; writing a review or posting on social media, etc.
Hi, Alida Spies,

Thank you for your question! :)

One person's trash is another person's treasure.

Even if the external situation is essentially identical, two different people will respond to it very differently.

Thus, it is always impossible and incorrect to answer a question like: "Do people value X?". Surely the answer would be that some people do and some don't.

In this case, the variation is even more than that. Even if we just talk about the same one human, that human will surely value some free things in some situations and not value other free things in other situations.

Sometimes making something free can cause people to value it more. For example, charging for sex, or even just platonic dates (i.e. a legit non-sexual escort service), cheapens it.

One reason for that is when something is free, a person's way of valuing it tends to be different than when it is not free. Thus, if you charge a price, you limit its value to that price. You might think, "This free favor this person did for me at no charge is so valuable to me, maybe even priceless". But in the same exact circumstance, if they then ask you to pay them $5 for the same exact favor, you will value the favor as only being worth a mere measly $5.

This is why you might insult people by paying them for something they would have done for free. If you ask a friend to help you change your flat tire for free, they might be happy to help. If you then offer to pay them $5 for it because you don't want to take advantage and treat them like an unpaid slave, they would probably be insulted.

If you are going to charge (or pay), it's typically best to lean towards overcharging and overpaying. Otherwise, you will tend to actually cause the person to value your service/product as less than they would if you gave it to them for free, or insult them by valuing their favor/service/product as less than they think it is worth.

In other words, whether switching from a free to a paid model (or vice versa) causes the person to value it less or more simply depends on whether the price you choose is higher or lower than how they would value you if it was free.

Depending on what price point you choose for something, people will then often actually value it less than they would have valued it had you instead priced it at free. In other words, they won't value it as being higher than what you price it at unless you price it at free, in which case their imagination can run wild.

An exception is when you explicitly discount something for someone. For instance, if you own a restaurant and give a 75% friends and family discount (meaning you charge your friends and family only 25% of the regular charge), they will likely still value it at the full regular price that most people pay.



With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott



One's trash is another's treasure - new.png
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In addition to having authored his book, In It Together, Eckhart Aurelius Hughes (a.k.a. Scott) runs a mentoring program, with a free option, that guarantees success. Success is guaranteed for anyone who follows the program.
Favorite Philosopher: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes Signature Addition: View official OnlineBookClub.org review of In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

View Bookshelves page for In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
#471443
It depends. I love your response and the points you made.

Only people with no ambition will not value what they get for free. I value the mentoring program so much that I re-enrolled after I was disqualified the first time. I value it so much that I do everything necessary to stay in the program.
#471537
Hi Scott,
Do you have any advice related to parenting, specifically on anger management in kids? I have two daughters who are entering their adolescent stage. Their anger level has increased and they fight a lot nowadays. Can you provide any ideas to deal with anger issues?
In It Together review: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewt ... p?t=595401
User avatar
By Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
#471540
If you haven't already, you can sign up to be personally mentored by Scott "Eckhart Aurelius" Hughes at this link.

Shirley Labzentis wrote: January 1st, 2025, 9:19 pm You have to be nice to those who are lying to you, but it is very hard sometimes. How do you go about handling the situation when you know that they are just trying to put something over on you? Out in the world, if a friend or acquaintance lies to you, you just cut them off. Here at OBC, you can't just do that. I try to be firm but nice [...] Then, they will go and report you as being rude to try to get back to you. They cannot prove that you were rude because you weren't, but you now have to defend yourself against a person who is deceitful.

Hi, Shirley Labzentis,

Thank you for your question. :)

My advice to you is to eliminate all of the following words from your vocabulary:

 - "Try" 

- "Hard" (or "Difficult" / "Not Easy")

 - "Have to" (or "Must" / "Need to")

Do not ever say or write the above words, at least not without quotation marks around them like I have done above.

Do your absolute best to avoid even thinking the above words in the inner monologue in your own head. When your brain does think them, do either or both of the following: (1) politely and happily correct it (e.g. say to it, "No, silly brain, there is nothing I have to do, and nothing is hard.") and/or (2) ignore it since you know it is untrue gibberish. Your brain—like all human brains—will often think (i.e. say verbally in the silent inner monologue going on in your head) false things and misery-inducing gibberish. You can simply look at it like a child in the backseat of your car telling you to drive to Disneyland instead of the dentist, or lying about which way the dentist is to trick you to go to Disneyland instead of the dentist, or throwing an angry temper tantrum or cry fest because you're driving to the dentist instead of Disneyland. In other words, you can just ignore the proverbial kid and his emotional pleas and what he says—the proverbial kid being your own brain and any uncontrollable thoughts it has that are out of your control.

If you "try" to be nice, you will likely get accused of being rude, and probably rightly so. Similarly, if you "try" to not drink alcohol, it likely means you will end up drunk. If you "try" to do your job and "try" to not intentionally break rules at work, you will likely get fired for doing your job incorrectly and intentionally breaking rules. 

"Trying" is always lying, and typically it is just a dishonest way to describe not doing something. When you tell yourself you are "trying", you are lying, namely to yourself.

Do; Don't "try".

I suggest you read the following three advice articles of mine:

1. There is nothing you must do. If it's truly out of your control, it's not something you are doing. If it is in your control, then it's something you are choosing to do.

2. 99% of the time someone says they cannot do something, they are lying to me and/or themselves.
(e.g. you say you can't cut them off, but actually marking that they used AI bans them from the Review Team, meaning it is within your power to fire the person and cut them off not only from you but from OnlineBookClub as a company.)

3. The Six Dangerous Misery-Inducing Words: "Must", "Have to", "Need to", "Should", "Ought", "Try"

If you read those three articles and strictly follow all of their teachings and advice, namely never ever use the words I have advised you to never use (e.g. "try", "should", "must", etc.), then I think this issue and any like it will evaporate, and more importantly, you will be much happier throughout the rest of your life, not only happier on average overall, but happier on a consistent day-in and day-out basis. In other words, assuming you choose to start following that advice right now, then your least happy day after today will still be infinitely happier than your most happy day before today.



With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott



trying-is-lying.png
trying-is-lying.png (1.08 MiB) Viewed 849 times



In addition to having authored his book, In It Together, Eckhart Aurelius Hughes (a.k.a. Scott) runs a mentoring program, with a free option, that guarantees success. Success is guaranteed for anyone who follows the program.
Favorite Philosopher: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes Signature Addition: View official OnlineBookClub.org review of In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

View Bookshelves page for In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
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