What are the main reasons someone wouldn't take you seriously?

Could someone explain what “The Default Face” means. I am not a native English speaker.

Petter Brenna Rian, Aspiring Renaissance ManWritten Jul 1, 2016

People don’t take me seriously because…

1. 86% of everything I say is either sarcasm, jokes, or general nonsense;
2. My default face is void of any emotions;
3. And I never laugh at my own jokes;
4. Which means it’s hard to distinguish the 86% BS with the 14% non-BS;
5. I wear Crocs.

What is your typical response when someone says "Thank you"?

You're welcome? No problem? I'm fond of “of course!”

Kittie Eubank, I know people. I've been several.Written Aug 21

After too many years at Nordstrom, my default response became, “My pleasure!”

This got me some strange looks when I got back into the corporate world. I have consciously shifted to thinking about my response and using one that fits the situation. It’s hard, and sometimes I still slip back into habit.

“Of course!” is one of my favorites, especially when it’s a boss thanking me for doing something well or going above and beyond.

“You're welcome” has always been hard for me to say for some reason. I’ve wondered why many times, when I found myself giving an awkward head bob and no verbal response to thanks.

The best I’ve come up with is that “You’re welcome” seems to be somehow self-satisfied, like the person owed you their thanks and you’re acknowledging that they have fulfilled that obligation. This makes absolutely no sense.

In fact, the phrase itself makes no logical sense to me. “You are welcome to thank me for what I did for you”? “You are welcome to the service I just provided to you”? What does this even mean?

And I’m definitely not a fan of “No problem” - I only use it when it was, indeed, a problem, as that’s what it seems to me to imply.

When was the first time you realized that a teacher cannot always be right?Robert Iodice, Worked in Higher Education for decadesWritten Jun 25, 2016

In first grade:
Our teacher asked, "Who has a birthday in January?" and I raised my hand. 
She said, "Is your birthday in January, Robert?"
I responded, "No, but my father's is!"
With a stern tone she scolded, "I meant 'Who in this class has a birthday in January?'"
A little annoyed I replied, "Well, then, maybe you should have said that?" at which point she promptly ordered me out of the classroom! 
Apparently this teacher had real problems expressing what she really meant. By ordering me out of her classroom she actually wanted me to wait for her in the hallway so that she could lecture me - BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE SAID! 
As a result I left and walked home, upset to think that I had barely started school and now I was thrown out, so what was I going to do with the rest of my life now that school was off the table! 
After I got home my mother explained how the teacher was wrong. (The school had already called her, the police had been notified to "be on the look-out" for me, and the entire eighth grade had been let out early to canvas our town.) 
It was, to say the least, a real eye-opener and a cautionary tale that I remembered from then on - Sometimes the people who are supposed to 'know', DON'T!

Why do people with depression push others away?Darlene Young, Self-educated and personally fascinated by human behaviorWritten Sep 10

I can tell you the reasons that I push people away. One, people who aren’t depressed cannot and do not understand it. As a result, they say well-meaning things like “Cheer up”, “Things will get better”, “There are a lot of people worse off than you so you should be thankful”, “Snap out of it” (or “Just get over it, will you?”), “Stop whining”, “You should volunteer or do something for others so you can see how lucky you are.” or “Oh well, s&$t happens to all of us”. Yes, I have heard all these comments at one time or another. The problem is when you are depressed, you do not think logically and therefore, any platitudes or “logical” statements will feel ignorant, unkind or unhelpful and will usually make you feel frustrated, weird, selfish or guilty, which results in feeling even more depressed. In order to avoid hearing these well-meaning comments, a depressed person will usually prefer to not interact with anyone.

Two, misery does not love company. Depressed people know they are a downer and feel guilty about it. They feel like a loser and they know that no one wants to be around a downer or a loser so they distance themselves until such time as they are happier. Oftentimes, though, they won’t have to distance themselves as their “friends” or family members do it for them.

Three, a person who has been depressed for a long time, especially if they have co-morbid issues like ADHD, Asperger’s, OCD, etc., has had to endure betrayals, scorn, harsh criticisms, teasing, bullying and unkind comments for a long, long time. Because of this, the person has learned that most people are not nice, kind or good and thus, it is better to avoid and not trust most people.

If you have someone close to you that is depressed and pushing you away, you should let them know you are there to listen (but not judge) and help support them in any way you can. You shouldn’t try to make them “feel better” (because you probably can’t). You should call them to ask how they are doing but don’t push them to talk if they don’t want to. You can invite them to hang out (but not with too many other people, especially strangers) but don’t be hurt or insulted if they refuse. If you are concerned they will harm themselves, you may need to talk to their parents, siblings, therapist, etc., if possible.

Being depressed sucks for everyone…the depressed person and the people around them. Just because a depressed person pushes you away doesn’t mean they don’t love you or value your friendship and care. They just loathe themselves and don’t want to be a burden on you or anyone else. They are ill and need compassion not platitudes, tough love or exasperated comments.

How long does it take to realize that you are in the wrong job?Dan Holliday, I read.Written Aug 25

I was making $35,000 as an assistant manager at Walmart in 2004. I interviewed with Costco thinking I’d never get the job so I shot for the stars and requested $60,000. The interview went well but I was sure they were going to hire someone else. I’d only been drug-free for like three years and I had this lingering feeling that I’d be a loser for the rest of my life.† To my pleasant surprise, I nearly doubled my salary and got the job.

I thought I’d made it. I was still living with my parents, paying them $400 a month rent (because, well, this is the US and parents charge adult children for rent and even if they didn’t, I wouldn’t live with them without paying something) and suddenly I had all this money. I was so excited. I really believed that I’d turned a corner in my life.

I walked into my job and by the time I left that day, I knew something was wrong. By the end of the first week, I knew I’d made a horrible mistake. I couldn’t believe I’d left a job as a manager at Walmart —which I loved, believe it or not— for a job that I knew within one day that I’d hated. (Note: Costco is an amazing company, one of the very best; this particular issue was with my warehouse manager and the specific job I was tasked with)

And man did I hate it. I stuck it out for four months then began frantically applying around. I ended up landing the job that I’d stay at for six years (Kohls) that started out great, but ended up sucking the life out of me (no knock to Kohls, who is one of the few companies that treats managers with grace and dignity).

It takes a while for me to know I love a job. It takes me a few hours to know that I’m gonna hate it. My instinct has never been wrong so far.

†When you get defeated like that, you spend a lot of time imagining what success would be. I ended my senior HR role at over 100k and I hated my life. I took a huge pay cut to do something I liked. I’ve worked my way up to a great salary, but through all of these years, I didn’t realize that the paycheck didn’t make the success (but it doesn’t hurt). If you’re miserable and you hate the job, no amount of money makes it worth it.

What are some great questions to ask someone you're meeting for the first time? Auren Hoffman, SafeGraph CEO. fmr LiveRamp CEO. Started & sold 5 companiesWritten Dec 2

Too many people ask questions they already know the answer to. There is no sense doing that. The main goal of asking questions is to expand your knowledge and (in the process) giving the person you are asking the question a chance to shine (by sharing valuable knowledge).

Also — no need asking questions you do not care a great deal to know the answer to. Asking questions like “how is your day?”, while polite, usually doesn’t gain you knowledge and is not interesting for the person you are asking. Same goes with “how is the weather” or “did you see the ball game last week?”

Those types of questions just invoke small talk. It is generally the reasons why cocktail parties can be so dull and uninteresting. Your job is to try to make your experiences valuable and interesting.

If you meet someone from Brazil, don’t ask them about the weather in Rio (you likely already know that it is gorgeous). Ask them about their analysis on the recently charges of political corruption. Or ask them about how the bidding process for drilling the sweet oil is designed. Or ask them about how immigration to Brazil works.

When you meet someone you do not know (or see someone you have known for 20 years) ask them something that (1) you do not know; (2) you want to know; and (3) the person likely has a good answer to.

Does practicing math make us more intelligent in other areas as well?I'm sure it does, but curious if there are good studies or information on it? 
And which strengthens or builds our minds better: the practicing of math we already know, or the learning?Kevin Lin, PhD in Math (algebraic geometry)Updated Sep 27, 2013 · Upvoted by David Joyce, Professor of Mathematics at Clark University and Daniel McLaury, Ph.D. Student in Mathematics at University of Illinois at ChicagoCharles Darwin wrote the following in his autobiography:

During the three years which I spent at Cambridge my time was wasted, as far as academical studies were concerned ... I attempted mathematics, and even went during the summer of 1828 with a private tutor ... but I got on very slowly. The work was repugnant to me, chiefly from my not being able to see any meaning in the early steps in algebra. This impatience was very foolish, and in after years I have deeply regretted that I did not proceed far enough at least to understand something of the great leading principles of mathematics, for men thus endowed seem to have an extra sense.
Here's another Quora answer that gives some indication as to the "extra sense" that math can give you: Anonymous' answer to What is it like to understand advanced mathematics?

Contrary to popular belief, math is not really about numbers, and being good at math has not very much to do with being good at arithmetic. Math is really about creative problem solving and theory building — to be sure, these are very useful general skills for anyone to have. However, no skills can be gained without work and practice. One piece of good news is that math isn't necessarily the only place to gain these skills — for example, computer programming and software engineering are good places, too. (I recommend the book Programming Pearls.)

But math can be a much cheaper, easier, and more accessible place to gain these skills than anywhere else. You don't need a computer or any other sort of fancy equipment to do math — just a writing implement and a good teacher or book. As Vladimir Arnold once said, "Mathematics is the part of physics where experiments are cheap."

The problem is that math education seems to be structured in such a way that obfuscates the value of math to most people. Hopefully this can change...

https://www.quora.com/If-early-to-bed-and-early-to-rise-is-a-good-idea-why-is-it-so-hard-to-do-it

What's the point of life?

When depression and the black dog seem to always be there; how can we get back control and find a point to our life and break out of it’s destructive cycles and visions?

 James Altucher, I am aliveWritten Aug 11

I visited a friend of mine in jail. He had been protesting a war and whenever you protest 18 year olds being killed, there’s a chance you can get arrested.

When he was in the county jail, he took off all his clothes and tried to flush them down the toilet. They had forgotten to give him medication for bipolar illness.

He was sentenced to a week or so in jail. I decided to go because I had never been to a jail (knocking on wood).

When I saw him he said, “You’re the only guy who visited me. I’m glad you came.”

I asked, what have you been doing?

Reading, writing. Helping the inmates learn how to read.

What I really wanted to know is if any inmate had *bothered him* in that way. I asked him, “Has anyone sexually harassed you?” I was trying to avoid the word “rape” for some reason.

He was (and is) a very ugly guy. He said, “When you look like me you’re not really at risk”. But, he added, “I stay away from the gym. You don’t want to act like you’re challenging anyone.”

I left and saw him a few weeks later. He hugged me.

One time a psychic told me to throw a coconut in the middle of the road in the middle of the night. I needed good luck.

Later that evening I went searching for a coconut. I had no idea where to get one.

I went to a Thai restaurant. I figured they always had coconut curry so maybe they would have a coconut.

They didn’t have one. But while I was there I heard someone shout, “James!”

I turned around. It was JP. It was Luke. It was Harry. And others. All my friends from the park playing chess. It was winter so this must have been where they hung out during the winter and I didn’t even know.

I went to sit down with them and play. I told them I needed a coconut because a psychic told me and it was going to bring my luck up.

JP had a deep radio voice. He laughed and said, “There must be a woman involved.”

We played chess for two hours. Then I went to a grocery store and found a coconut.

I went outside and my wife and I walked all around until we found an empty corner with no cars coming in any direction. I walked into the middle of the street and smashed the coconut to smithereens.

It was a very long time after that before I had any luck, good or bad.

Sometimes I feel my heart flutter. Like it skips a beat.

I always sort of wonder what it would feel like if I had an actual heart attack. People tell me it hurts a lot. But I wonder what would go through my head. Would I have any regrets?

Right now I have no regrets. Like if I fell to the floor in pain I would think, I would not have done anything differently.

Sometimes I imagine I just got here. Like, I just visited this body this morning. And tomorrow I am leaving it. Leaving behind this James to go into another body.

What would I do differently? I think I would probably walk outside more and look at more faces.

Faces tell stories. The things people do tell stories. Every time you see someone, they have a lifetime full of stories and when they die, they bury those stories with their bodies.

What else would I do?

I think I would find a pool. And I’d go underwater. And I’d float with water all around me. And try to think of nothing. Maybe that’s what it’s like to be in a womb.

Does meaning start in the womb? Does it start when you do something in life? When you make a goal, solve a purpose, create a problem, walk your talk?

Or does it start before the womb?

When a man and a woman, nine months before you were born, kissed each other and loved each other and had no idea of all the things that were about to happen to them that would change their lives forever.

What is the best way to memorize or remember what you study/read?Is there a better way to memorize or remember what you study/read? I tried flash cards and there to many vocabulary. My class goes through one chapter per week and I can't learn that fast. Any ways of memorizing, learning,remembering, or tips?  Please help!!Jamie L Moyer, Author of ImproveMyLifeThisYear.com - A 365-Day Plan for a New YouWritten Aug 30

I earned a 4.0 in undergrad and I am just a regular guy. How did I remember what I learned? Here were my 3 personal memory hacks with a bonus one at the end.

1. Take hand-written, paraphrased notes. Something about physically writing the notes burns the concepts into your brain. Ditto for paraphrasing. The goal is to record the ideas into your brain in as many ways as possible. Listen to the professor. Paraphrase the ideas in your mind. Physically write them down. See the notes on you page. Your memories will be vastly richer than someone who just runs a highlighter across some key words in their book.

2. Don’t study with the smart kids; teach the weaker ones. It sounds counter-intuitive, but your best bet is to pair up with the struggling students in class. Why? You’ll have the chance to teach them, and take it from me, you simply can’t claim to understand a concept until you can explain it to someone else. So find someone who needs help, help them, and you’ll actually be helping yourself most of all.

3. Repetition. I’m so sorry to include this as I know we all hate to review, but seriously, it’s the single best hack out there for memorization. Spaced-repetition is best, which basically means you review frequently at first, and less often after that. You don’t even need a lot of time, just quick reviews daily at first and weekly later will keep it all fresh and ready to be recalled on test day.

(Bonus) Make it fun. We remember things that elicit a strong emotional response. So laugh it up with your friends, make jokes about the materials, and anything else that makes the study process more enjoyable.