I'm a recent PhD graduate (USA) in biomedical sciences (M&I) and had a very poor PhD experience in terms of mentorship. I was under a micromanaging PI who had limited to no funding my last two years, who would belittle and berate me in front of collaborators and committee members (to the point where they would step in to defend my work ethic), and compare me to her former students. Despite the toxic environment, I had several publications and honors. I was very isolated (due to location) during my PhD as the only student/full time personnel in the lab. My PI prioritized her agenda as far as projects and lab work, delayed my defense for about a year, and prevented me from attending networking events and other opportunities. For example: I would request time away from lab for networking events or seminars hosted on our main campus and she would deliberately schedule our one-to-one meetings during those times or consider those events not useful for my research etc. Our program gives us until the end of month after commencement to "wrap up" any ongoing projects, back up data, etc. before we are dismissed and our stipend ends. I am hoping to find a career beyond the bench as I am burnt out from lab work. My PI actively hinders my ability to schdule interviews or attend events during lab/business hours. As far as I am aware, due to her funding crisis, she has no one to manage her lab and has repeatedly mentioned my obligation to work until the end of my stipend period, which is funded by my department not my PI. Honestly, she's trying to get as much free labor out of me as she can, since she'll probably shut down until she can secure funding to hire someone. Currently, she's hoping to find another student who I could train before I leave. Due to her lack of planning and funding, many of the candidates she is considering are individuals with limited or no prior lab experience and would require my full time attention to train. Technically, I have completed all thesis related work (submitted/defended/graduate requirements met) but my PI is hoping to use one of my chapters for a publication and requested that I do a few more experiments during my remaining time (~2weeks) and train whomever she can find while I am actively interviewing for jobs. Unfortunately, I don't have the financinal freedom to take time off and apply, and given that the jobs I'm interested in are immediate/2-week start and not delayed/extended, I've lost a lot of opportunities when she continuely set and delayed my defense. Despite her hinderance, I've been able to schedule interviews now, but I would really like to take a breath away from lab and focus on job applications and interviews (something other PhD students in my program are given the privilege of by their PIs during the last month post defense/commencement). I don't expect nor have I requested a reference from her during my job hunting process. My program directors and committee members have been more than encouraging and willing to support my applications. Given that there is only 2 weeks left, would it be so bad to burn this bridge and "ghost" her while I focus on my next steps?

Hello everybody. I am Elaheh Ezami, a second-year Ph.D. student at the Sam Walton College of Business. I am conducting a series of interviews as a part of a research project. In this project, I am trying to understand individuals’ experiences with knowledge sharing in professional as well as socialization-oriented social media. The findings of this research will be helpful to designers of Q & A platforms and organizations offering their services on social networks and will help identify better ways to manage knowledge flow on such platforms. This interview will take about an hour. If you are interested in participating, please let me know.

Hello everybody. I am Elaheh Ezami, a second-year Ph.D. student at the Sam Walton College of Business. I am conducting a series of interviews as a part of a research project. In this project, I am trying to understand individuals’ experiences with knowledge sharing in professional as well as socialization-oriented social media. The findings of this research will be helpful to designers of Q & A platforms and organizations offering their services on social networks and will help identify better ways to manage knowledge flow on such platforms. This interview will take about an hour. If you are interested in participating, please let me know.

Hello everybody. I am Elaheh Ezami, a second-year Ph.D. student at the Sam Walton College of Business. I am conducting a series of interviews as a part of a research project. In this project, I am trying to understand individuals’ experiences with knowledge sharing in professional as well as socialization-oriented social media. The findings of this research will be helpful to designers of Q & A platforms and organizations offering their services on social networks and will help identify better ways to manage knowledge flow on such platforms. This interview will take about an hour. If you are interested in participating, please let me know.

Hello!
My name is Jieun Lee, and along with my co-author, Hannah Grubbs, we are inviting female scientists (working in the US) to participate in a research study. I am a postdoctoral scholar studying Business Management at the University of Missouri, and Hannah is a third-year PhD student at the University of Oregon. We are interested in learning about how scientists develop collaborative networks for their ultimate success in developing new technology.

We would like to invite you or someone else in innovation to take part in a voluntary 30 to 40 minute video chat about your perspectives regarding your experiences as a female scientist. Participation is both voluntary and confidential. Furthermore, we will not share anyone’s contact information and any information obtained through a conference call will be de-identified and held in strictest confidence.

If you have questions, please reach out directly to us: [jieun.lee@mail.missouri.edu](mailto:jieun.lee@mail.missouri.edu) or [hgrubbs@uoregon.edu](mailto:hgrubbs@uoregon.edu)

If you—or someone at your company—are interested in participating in our study, please contact us to schedule a meeting. At the meeting time you select, please use the Zoom number provided in the confirmation email to join us for the conference call. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the University of Missouri Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 573-882-3181 or muresearchirb@missouri.edu. The IRB is a group of people who review research studies to make sure the rights and welfare of participants are protected.

Thank you!
Jieun Lee, PhD & Hannah Grubbs, PhD Candidate

Hello!
My name is Jieun Lee, and along with my co-author, Hannah Grubbs, we are inviting female scientists (working in the US) to participate in a research study. I am a postdoctoral scholar studying Business Management at the University of Missouri, and Hannah is a third-year PhD student at the University of Oregon. We are interested in learning about how scientists develop collaborative networks for their ultimate success in developing new technology.

We would like to invite you or someone else in innovation to take part in a voluntary 30 to 40 minute video chat about your perspectives regarding your experiences as a female scientist. Participation is both voluntary and confidential. Furthermore, we will not share anyone’s contact information and any information obtained through a conference call will be de-identified and held in strictest confidence.

If you have questions, please reach out directly to us: [jieun.lee@mail.missouri.edu](mailto:jieun.lee@mail.missouri.edu) or [hgrubbs@uoregon.edu](mailto:hgrubbs@uoregon.edu)

If you—or someone at your company—are interested in participating in our study, please contact us to schedule a meeting. At the meeting time you select, please use the Zoom number provided in the confirmation email to join us for the conference call. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please contact the University of Missouri Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 573-882-3181 or [muresearchirb@missouri.edu](mailto:muresearchirb@missouri.edu). The IRB is a group of people who review research studies to make sure the rights and welfare of participants are protected.

Thank you!
Jieun Lee, PhD & Hannah Grubbs, PhD Candidate

XIM University
XIM University in Bhubaneswar, known for its excellence in education, offers a variety of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. In this guide, we'll take a closer look at the admission process, eligibility criteria, and the programs offered at XIM University to help you navigate the application process successfully.

Why to choose XIM University Bhubaneswar:

XIM University in Bhubaneswar stands out as an exceptional choice for students seeking a quality education with a wide range of programs. Known for its academic excellence, the university offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees across various disciplines such as business, engineering, law, humanities, and more. It boasts a strong industry network, providing students with internship and placement opportunities, and promotes a holistic learning environment with modern infrastructure and facilities. The university's focus on social responsibility, supportive faculty, and active alumni network further enhance the student experience. If you're looking for a university that combines academic rigor with a vibrant campus life, XIM University Bhubaneswar is an ideal option.

Understanding the Programs Offered

Undergraduate Programs
XIM University offers a diverse range of undergraduate programs. These include:

• B.Com. (Hons.)
• BBM (Hons.)
• B.A. - LLB (Hons.)
• BBA - LLB (Hons.)
• B.Sc. - Mass Communication (Hons.)
• B.Sc. - Environmental Science (Hons.)
• B.Sc. - Sustainable Development (Hons.)
• B.Tech. - Computer Science & Engineering (Hons.)
• B.Sc. - Economics (Hons.)
• B.A.-Public Administration and Governance (Hons.)
• B.Sc. – Psychology (Hons.)
• B.A.- English (Hons.)
• B.Plan

These programs are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills required for success in their chosen fields.
Postgraduate Programs
For those seeking advanced studies, XIM University offers a variety of postgraduate programs:

• MBA - Business Management
• EMBA - Business Management
• MBA - Human Resource Management
• MBA - Rural Management
• MBA - Sustainability Management
• MBA - Urban Management & Governance
• Master of Management Studies (Business Finance)
• MA - Mass Communication
• M.Tech-Computer Science & Engineering
• Master in Urban & Regional Planning
• Master in Public Policy and Governance
• MSc - Economics

These programs are designed for graduates who wish to specialize in specific areas or gain further expertise.
Doctoral Programs
XIM University also offers doctoral programs in various fields, allowing scholars to engage in in-depth research. These include:

• Ph.D (Full-Time)
• Ph.D (Part-Time)

The doctoral programs aim to foster academic excellence and contribute to the body of knowledge in different disciplines.
Admission Process
For undergraduate programs, the XIM University course admissions process typically involves:

• Meeting the academic eligibility criteria, including specific marks in 10+2 or equivalent.
• Filling out the online application form on the XIM University website.
• Providing necessary documents, such as academic transcripts, certificates, and ID proof.
• Paying the application fee.
• Appearing for the entrance exam, if required.
• Attending the interview or counseling process, if applicable.

Postgraduate and Doctoral Admissions
For postgraduate and doctoral programs, the process may include:

• Meeting the academic requirements for the specific program.
• Filling out the online application form.
• Submitting relevant documents and transcripts.
• Providing work experience details, if required.
• Appearing for an entrance test or personal interview.

Conclusion
Navigating the XIM University course admissions process requires careful attention to deadlines and understanding the program requirements. Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and submit all required documents on time to improve your chances of success.
For more insights into admission processes and student experiences, check out Pagalguy.com, a platform where you can find valuable information from current students and alumni.

Hi everyone! I'm currently an undergrad student (graduating fall 2024) majoring in psychology and double minoring in business and hci. I'm interested in UX design and research, and I was planning on applying to a couple of hci and/or human factors programs for Fall 2025.
My stats are: 3.7 gpa, 1 yr research assistant position at human factors lab on campus, involved in 4 extracurricular clubs on campus (one is ux club) and one officer position, 2 on-campus jobs (unrelated to ux but one was somewhat design focused bc i used adobe platforms for it), a couple of case studies that I did bc I completed the google ux design certificate. I'm just rlly stressed about the process because I don't have actual work experience/internships in UX so I had a few questions:
(1) I couldn't find a position, so I'm spending this whole summer working on grad school apps instead (i.e, figuring out where to apply/best fit programs, studying for gre, creating my portfolio, my SOP, and learning other skills such as coding, design applications, etc). Given my stats, what should I focus on this summer to be a more well-rounded candidate?
(2) What are the best platforms for portfolio creation?
(3) I'm mostly interested in software interfaces, rather than physical ergonomics of products, so would HCI be a better fit for me than human factors?
(4) What HCI/Human Factors program has the best job prospects?
Ik this is long, but I just really need some guidance. I'm just trying to get a frame of reference for where I'm at in terms of stats. Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated!!!!

I’m a BME undergraduate sophomore on the med device track attending a good engineering university 40 minutes out from Boston. I have been told repeatedly that a BME degree may not have been the best choice for my career by engineering faculty and despite being near Boston, the Biotech companies that attend career fairs are far and few and tend to be looking for mechies. I do not want to repeat the same mistake I made when choosing my major for undergrad and dig myself further into an industry not well suited for my career goals or the salary I am working to attain.
For context, I chose BME because of how interdisciplinary it is and because I ultimately want to go corporate and enter higher management. I was under the impression that being a jack of all trades was an advantageous move when entering STEM and the tech industry. But it’s becoming increasingly apparent to me that I was mistaken and BME is more of a specialization. I now know, because of this thread, that there are not many biomedical engineering positions out there and I am competing not only with other BMEs but other bio-related majors as well as engineers from other disciplines looking to specialize in biomedical technology for entry-level positions.
I see friends that are recent BME grads walk across the stage without any clue on when they’ll land their first job, despite being in the Boston area. Because of this I am trying to get as much industry experience as I can. This summer will make 2 years of conducting NIH/NSF funded biomechanics research with a renowned biomedical engineer at an NIH facility in DC, this coming semester I plan on doing NSF funded cell and tissue research, and my senior year I will be doing med device research with my academic advisomentor who is the head of my university’s BME department and former head of Harvard’s BME department. I have networked and managed to secure an internship with one of the top medtech companies in Boston for next summer. On top of this, I am a published second author in an IEEE publication, have won awards for my research, have won first place in two university wide engineering prototyping competitions and patented one of the devices, and am/was a student leader in my university’s NSBE and BMES chapters.
I do my homework so I have been spectating this thread for a while now hoping to glean helpful advice on the step after graduation. Unfortunately, each post confirms my fear that BME in prematurely may not yield the job opportunities I had hoped for. I have my extracurriculars for my remaining years of undergrad planned but I am aiming to have an established job and career plan before graduation. I have received a fellowship offer from a mentor directing a biomechanics masters program, where I would get a LOT of federal/public BME experience and earn a mechanical engineering masters degree and possible PhD. I like the idea of exploring academia because I can use it to pivot out of BME and the two different engineering degrees would broaden my med device knowledge and specialization. However, the university isn’t well known despite how great the program is and it would take me out of the Boston area.
Alternately, a different mentor works on the legal team at the HQ of the biggest biotech company and is insisting that I stay in Mass, work, and get a masters in BME or an MBA or do a dual degree and master in both. I am now less keen on this path despite receiving advice from someone successful in biotech higher management and am feeling less passionate about that career path since I am beginning to have an idea of what industry is like.
I feel like I’m at a crossroad and I know that I have time but I also know that law school is an option, med school is an option, a masters in BME or Business Administration or PhD in Biomechanics are options as well as jumping right in and taking a quality engineering role and seeing where I go from there. I’ve also been thinking of just scraping my current plan and pivoting into something IT/cybersecurity or software dev related by using my engineering background and CompTIA certifications to validate pursuing a career in a different part of the tech industry.
Ultimately, I want to position myself for a successful career. My dream is to become a biotech executive and I know alumni that have done just that and are currently building the BME industry in Boston. I just want to figure out the path of least resistance to a similar position where I am well-compensated and am not dealing with so much competition for few jobs. What would the career path look like if I pursued my dream? Any advice?

I pursued my undergraduate studies in Engineering at a prestigious institution in the UK, ranking within the Top 5. Graduating in 2007—yes, it feels like ancient history now—I initially ventured into Investment Banking, joining one of the world's largest firms at the time. However, within a year of entering the field, I came to the realization that this career path wasn't aligned with my aspirations. The tumultuous period of 2007-2008, famously dubbed the wild west of investment banking, only solidified my decision to pivot.
Transitioning to corporate communications, branding, and public relations seemed a natural fit. Shortly after my departure, the firm I previously worked for underwent a dramatic collapse that reverberated in international headlines. Rest assured, my departure preceded this unfortunate event.
Over the subsequent decade, I dedicated myself to business development within one of the largest engineering firms. Later, I delved into branding, public relations, and process outsourcing for leading luxury lifestyle and travel brands in the UK, spearheading their global expansion efforts.
As the late 2010s approached, several peers and I embarked on a groundbreaking venture, establishing the first luxury travel network in the Indian Ocean region. Leveraging our collective expertise, we redefined the perception of these destinations while pioneering innovative technologies in PR and communications. Notably, we served as launch partners for the world's leading AVR firm, pioneering AVR-based campaigns in the hospitality industry.
In parallel, I co-own and operate an organization specializing in recruiting tech talent for Silicon Valley startups and larger tech companies, a venture especially pertinent given the current economic landscape.
However, after fifteen years immersed in the corporate world, the toll became palpable. Fortunately, my wife—who also held a C-level position at a major advertising company—and I seized the opportunity to pursue a PhD program, escaping the relentless pace of the rat race.
In any capacity—be it teaching, advisory roles, or informal discussions—I bring a wealth of real-world business expertise to the table. Crucially, I offer insights into graduate and MBA programs from the perspective of a seasoned recruiter.
Educational Background

• MEng Engineering (UK)
• MSc Strategic Marketing (UK)
• CIMA – ACMA(UK)
• CIM – ACIM (UK)
• PhD – Communications (US)

Employment Background

• Investment Banking (UK)
• Corporate Communication, Branding and PR (UK/US)
• Co-Owner of Luxury Travel Network (UK/US/LK/MV/SY/TZ/MR)
• Co- Owner of Tech Recruitment and Talent Placement Firm (US/UK)

What is my current study on?
To offer you a high-level overview of my research, it focuses on the use of AVR technology in communication campaigns. I'm now pursuing my PhD in Communications and PR at a top-tier research university in the Eastern US (top 2 in communications).
What was my GMAT journey?
My original GMAT score was in the 500s 😅, and I spent over $150 per hour lesson with so-called tutors, but I never improved above mid 600s. Realising it was not for me, I concentrated on answering the questions and talking to people who could assist me with the answers and strategies for acquiring the answers quickly. This assisted me in reaching 740; eventually, my college opted not to need the GMAT.
I have also noticed that more and more institutions don't care about the GMAT; just the admission office does, unless it's for the MBA program.
I got only a 740 and I claim to be an expert tutor?
Same reason why your high school physics teacher is not an Astrophysicist at NASA. Just because you are a great test taker doesn't mean you can teach someone else how to be one. My students are now achieving scores of 735/745, and they're really enjoying their progress. You can check out the reviews to learn more (REVIEW)
Why did I never get an MBA?
I never found a compelling reason to pursue an MBA. Despite not having one, I managed to advance in my career. However, as a recruiter, I've observed that the landscape has evolved, and MBAs now often unlock opportunities that might otherwise remain inaccessible.

The Short Version can be found here.

Part 1 can be found here.

Example 5 - There's more to a BBC YouTube title

Returning to this dastardly subreddit, for my next example, points 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are relevant. OP provided a screenshot of a BBC YouTube title, stating: "Israeli hit squad dressed as doctors kill Palestinians in hospital." Per point 2, by failing to immediately link to the video, or immediately mention what the video contains, folk could come away with the conclusion that the BBC never reports that these were militants. In other words, some might believe that the misreporting here extends past the video title, when it does not, and this could be avoided by providing salient details sooner rather than later. This submission was made during the temporary ban, and I thought it was interesting enough as a case study to come back to.

Example 6 - Oxfam's full position

For this submission/meme, points 1, 2, and 6 are relevant. I saw that we weren’t going to get good-faith engagement with the entirety of Oxfam’s position here on why they initially opposed airdrops, and I attempted to outline the full extent of their views so that it can be critiqued appropriately. This meme is not too dissimilar from some Twitter leftist fixating on one short clip of Destiny during one of his heated gamer moments; his actual positions aren’t being engaged with, and it’s intellectually dull. There’s more to Destiny’s positions than a twenty-second clip; there’s more to Oxfam’s position than the one tweet. The fact of the matter is that there’s a long series of tweets here, and while the tweet OP chose to highlight is risible, is dumb, and is insufferable, we are more than capable on this subreddit in being more nuanced and fair when it comes to our criticism.
As I highlight, there were some concerns here that were not entirely unreasonable. At the time of my comment, there weren’t yet any reports on injuries due to airdrops. These reports appeared in the following days and weeks, where Gazans were killed when a parachute in an airdrop failed to deploy, and some drowned in their attempts to retrieve parcels that landed in the sea. Retrospectively, I wouldn't say that aid should not have been airdropped merely because it would result in these deaths, but a fair assessment of Oxfam here at the time should have taken these concerns into account.
Oxfam’s associate director also endorses a Twitter thread where some prescriptions are given on how ought this aid delivery be facilitated. He recommends that the Gaza port be reopened, and to open more crossings. The Biden administration recognized that airdrops would not sufficiently alleviate the problem of being unable to get sufficient quantities of aid distributed, and while the port was not reopened, Biden did announce that a temporary port would be built. Further, Israel approved the reopening of the Erez crossing.
The misinformation in OP’s post stems from the fact that folk will be disinterested in reading the twitter thread or any additional threads where they might have elaborated on views. Out of the thousands that interact with the post, a significant chunk will come away with the incorrect belief that Oxfam’s opposition to airdrops was merely due to what was stated in the meme. That is misinformation being propagated — not the most egregious, Hamas-esqe level of misinformation in the world, but misinformation nonetheless.

Example 7 - NYT: Bananas, or Cool as a Cucumber?

For our final example points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are relevant; it’s the whole shebang. To give a quick recounting here, Hobbitfollower isn’t the only masochist that might, occasionally, choose to exclusively sort by new. When I saw the submission, I read the article, and I was a bit annoyed that the Jerusalem Post article doesn’t even link to the mission report that I was interested in reading. I searched for it, posted a link to the report in the very first comment of the thread as surely my fellow dggas would also like to read the report, and then I, well, read the report.
When I returned back to the thread, I quoted favourably from the mission report to support another individual's comment. (I would again quote from it in another thread the next day to highlight why Israel struggled to acquire forensic evidence.)
But as I scrolled down the thread I came across the subject of our example; 50 upvotes, no article linked, and clearly a charged comment. Consider the steps involved to truly engage with this comment; one would need to:

• Click and read the article.
• Search for the mission report.
• Read the mission report (as some folk probably won’t wanna read 20 pages right off the bat).
• Search for the NYT article; bypass the paywall (which is trivially easy nowadays but is still a barrier, and people are lazy); and read the article.

This is a very charged thread: there are going to be a large group of pro-Israel folk browsing this thread, frustrated and irate as bad memories are invoked of all the times they’ve had to deal with or seen pro-Hamas folk engaging in rape denialism. In much the same way a leftist sub is not going to be interested in a dispassionate analysis of an Israeli strike with high civilian collateral damage, this sub — at times — will struggle to calmly assess the subject matter. An expected behaviour isn’t necessarily the correct behaviour — the actions we believe one ought to take.
When a misleading tweet goes viral, the damage has already been done, as a considerable amount of people won’t see the subsequent Community Notes that might be slapped on it. Likewise, some of the thousands who see OP’s highly upvoted comment will think, “Oh, this has a lot of upvotes, I guess it must be true. How horrible of the NYT to frame this as a both sides issue”, and thus misinformation has spread. This incorrect belief will mold their perceptions of the NYT. When they encounter more reporting by the NYT on I-P in the future, they might even think back to this moment: “Ah, I remember when these bozos tried to say that the Israeli accusations were the same as the Palestinian accusations.”
I also referred to OP’s comment as disinformation. In every example discussed so far, I don't assume malicious intent. I just begin with the foundation that a mistake was made, and I don’t enmesh myself by throwing out accusations of lying. In this case, however, OP has indirectly acknowledged that I was correct, but they still haven’t bothered to edit their original comment. Once again, this comment is a really good example of point 1. I obviously also disagree with their conclusion, and the process by which they’re arriving at their conclusion is still very flawed — and other people are simply going to adopt their conclusion while not even attempting to reach there by their own independent assessment. If you see someone quote from an article, and they don’t even link it, and the comment is very charged, I would encourage y’all to seek out the article yourself; you may come away with a different interpretation.
I'm sure you've seen this meme before: "I'm just waiting for Destiny to comment on this so that I know what to think 😎." We meme about it, but there is, of course, an undercurrent of truth here, as we have confidence in Destiny's ability to research, and thus we feel comfortable adopting his beliefs and opinions. It's nice not having to do the research ourselves. Lazy fucks.
This applies to Reddit comments you see as well. Don't just adopt the conclusion of someone else because their beliefs align with yours and they're speaking with authority. Do the legwork yourself; be mindful of The Six Points; and you might find that someone on your own side is actually spreading misinformation, or is espousing an opinion that you disagree with.

Purgatory

I was perma-banned some time after my previous comment for a comment I made in a different thread. Before I get to that in the next fuck-me-who-knows-how-I'm-gonna-write-that-I'm-so-fucked section, I did want to bring up two final examples.

Example A - Haaretz and Amputations

For Example A, points 1, 3, 4, and 5 are relevant. Obviously, I can’t attempt point 6 because I was banned. Now, I actually agree with OP as I share their skepticism towards the notion that these amputations are “routine”, but referring to the article as a "fake story" is too strong, and, as always, their process here is flawed. The claims they make here about the Haaretz article and CNN article are misleading, but it is immediately upvoted because it feels right, particularly because the first reply just poisons the well. Haaretz did not speak to an anonymous person, they are reporting on a letter they have seen written by a doctor and sent to senior Israeli officials; the doctor did not justify the claim that the event is routine based on having seen only two amputations, that's merely the amputations they saw in the week they wrote the letter (but the phrasing here is ambiguous, as the doctor could be referring to the handcuff injuries as being the "routine" event); and the IDF did not confirm or deny all the claims, but gave a fairly standard, boilerplate response instead. The misleading claims in this comment was eventually addressed — and, as I’m sure you’re irritated by the repetition by now, the goal of this post is to turn this “eventually” into an “immediately.”

Example B - Wikipedia and Devious Editing

For Example B, points 1 and 5 are relevant. I want to be very careful with this one as I don't want to be misconstrued. Similar to the previous example, I mostly agree with their conclusion that these Wikipedia pages can be very flawed, and partisan editors can tarnish the objectivity that we wish could be maintained across all articles. However, you know the drill by now, point 1. There’s much to be said about the infamous “24-hour window” debacle, and I made a submission a while ago on this. I think there are parts of this story that both the pro-Palestine and pro-Israel crowd get wrong — but the latter is generally more correct, and I would agree with OP here that the information here is, at the very least, incomplete.
However, per point 5, the articles they are critiquing are not linked. How many people here actually sought out the two articles referenced here? As I’ve already demonstrated, we know how many misleading or false claims you can get away with before they’re finally addressed. A user in that thread made some edits to the contentious lines in question in the Wikipedia article. This was the Wikipedia article at the time OP’s comment was made. OP quotes this section:

Prior to the raids, Israel had called for the more than a million people living in the north half of the Gaza Strip to evacuate during a 24-hour window, while Hamas instructed those residents to stay put.

The two citations here are a Reuters article and a Politico article. The Politico article is arguably redundant, but it’s not being cited because it’s supposed to make a statement about a 24-hour window; it’s being cited to support the statement about Hamas:

Hamas is complicating the situation, urging residents to stay in their homes.

The Reuters article also mentions this:

“We tell the people of northern Gaza and from Gaza City, stay put in your homes, and your places," Eyad Al-Bozom, spokesman for the Hamas Interior Ministry, told a news conference.

Contrary to what OP said, both articles use the word “evacuation” at some point. The first part of the quote from the Wikipedia page is supported by this statement in the Reuters article:

On Friday Israel gave more than a million residents of the northern half of Gaza 24 hours to flee to the south to avoid an onslaught.

In a follow-up comment OP claims that the archived link, which pulled the earliest version of the Reuters article available, does not support the line. This seems to have been an error on the part of whoever chose this hyperlink. When the Wikipedia article first mentions calls for evacuation, this was how the Reuters article cited looked like at the time; regardless of the veracity of the claim, the article did support what the Wikipedia page mentions.
To reiterate, OP is completely correct about this pernicious problem with Wikipedia. It’s just that in this example, I don’t think it qualifies as a case of those darn pro-Palestine editors back at it again. The nuanced position here is pretty difficult to get to, and I don’t think the editors wrote this line in the interest of distorting the truth to serve their own side.

Example B.5: A better yet slightly flawed post on Wikipedia and Euro-Med Monitor

This post about how Hamas supporters are influencing Wikipedia does better in terms of substantiating their claims — but there are issues here that I would have loved to address, and there is a good critique on OP’s prescriptions that was buried at the bottom. Unfortunately, OP has been suspended from Reddit. If you’re reading this mate, call me 🥺.
There are a lot of hyperlinks in OP’s post (lol, sez fucking me), and it’s completely reasonable that someone won’t feel inclined to click every single one; that’s not an expectation I would ever demand. From going through the post, there are several small critiques I would have made (e.g., while I don’t believe the Mondo article should have been cited, OP claims that in the article, “The only people criticizing Wiesel here is the author of the opinion piece.” FWIW, the article does reference and cite a Haaretz article, and a Foreign policy article, both of which levy criticism against Wiesel), but I’m just going to focus on this line:

In fact, it is owned by a man named Ramy Abdu, who is a literal Hamas lobbyist.

If you’re going to call someone a literal Hamas lobbyist, that is definitely a link I’m clicking. What I know about Abdu is simply what I can assume about his beliefs from various tweets I’ve seen by him over the past several months; but I’ve never looked into their background other than being aware of their position at EMM. Upon opening the link I see… a 2013 article about Clare Short. From reading the article, it looks like OP missed some steps in outlining how they arrived at their conclusion, and I saw only a few people inquiring about this. To fill in the steps on what I presume OP wanted to say, from the article they linked:

Moshe Ya’alon, former IDF chief of staff, outlawed the Council for European Palestinian Relations (CEPR) – a Belgian non-profit organisation that lobbies on behalf of the Hamas-led Gaza Government – using emergency defence regulations.

I haven’t looked into CEPR, and they obviously disputed the lobbying charge; I’m just going to take the claim at face-value. In 2011, Abdu was assistant director of the CEPR, and still held a position there for several years. They've since left the organization, but per point 1, if this is how OP arrived at the conclusion that Abdu is a “literal Hamas lobbyist”, I think it could use a bit more work, with additional clarification on what they mean by lobbyist here. I’m sure they can do it, it just happened to not be in this post.
I'm not going to harp on about point 5 here as I only apply that to incidents where a claim is made; one or two articles are linked; and then no one reads them, assuming the claim must be true as long as articles are provided. I would literally never make the prescription that if someone writes an effort-post, we must click every hyperlink to fact-check. I mean, it's not like I would have any other motivation for saying that... sweats profusely 🙄
Just to make one final point on EMM, it is a rubbish outlet, and any time I encounter one of their articles, I roll my eyes knowing I’m going to get some outlandish claim where I can find fuck-all for corroboration from other outlets. However, sometimes there is corroboration, where EMM was the first to notice that the IDF labelled a bicycle as an RPG in the drone footage they published, and then the NYT confirmed the finding (except for the other stupid claim made in the tweet.) But anyways, these moments are astronomically rare.

Example C - A Mysterious Royal Website (What a weaselly little --)

Okay, I lied, one final example as it’s interesting to see how people here parse articles and headlines, but before I address the example, let me talk about Reuters headlines.

Reuters headlines

They’re not always consistent on this front, but I generally like how Reuters writes their headlines. A Reuters headline will often contain the phrase “US says”. [30] [31] [32] What I’m expecting in the article when I see a headline containing this phrase is some official representing the Biden administration outlining what their particular policy, position, belief, etc., is on whatever the subject matter may be, or some action they took which makes it clear what their position is. In the given examples, we have statements from Biden, Blinken, the US military, and so on. Sometimes the US officials remain anonymous, sharing information in private briefings.
If there isn’t an official statement by the US available on a matter, the headline might use the phrase “source says” to talk about ongoing developments. [33] [34] “Reuters will use unnamed sources where necessary when they provide information of market or public interest that is not available on the record. We alone are responsible for the accuracy of such information.” [35]
Relevant to Example C, Reuters uses the same guidelines for “Saudi Arabia says” [36] [37] and “sources say” for information relevant to Saudi Arabia. [38]

Israeli outlets, A royal family website, and Saudi sources: An amusing chain of events

Keeping the previous section in mind, when I came across this version of a Jerusalem Post article posted to this subreddit, you can imagine what I’m expecting here — particularly because this would be momentous news to see Saudi Arabia make a public statement that they helped defend Israel. Instead, we get reporting on what Saudi Arabia’s royal family said on their website, and what a source connected to the Saudi royal family told KAN, another Israeli outlet — and we don’t get links to either of them. If there was no statement on the royal family’s website, this would have been a bad headline to write based on what this source said. Unfortunately for the JP, there is no official website for Saudi Arabia’s royal family. You’ll see in the current version, they remove the reference to that website, and also add the following line:

The Al Arabiya news site said sources had informed it that Saudi Arabia had not participated in the interception of Iranian drones and missiles.

Here’s the article by the Saudi state-owned outlet, which is essentially their mouthpiece to deny the ongoing report. I24news, however, didn’t get the memo:

Saudi Arabia publicly acknowledges role in defending Israel against Iranian attack
While Jordan had openly disclosed its role in the defensive maneuver, Saudi Arabia's acknowledgment came in the form of a summary on its official website

When I first saw the JP submission on this subreddit, I bookmarked it for later to come back to and find the sources, as it’s not the first time I’ve seen dubious reporting from KAN news. I was also curious if anyone in the thread was going to highlight some of the discrepancies in the article, and, well, shoutout to this keen reader! Fact-checking the JP article slipped my mind, but thanks to a comment I saw on another subreddit, they correctly pointed out that the website referenced was not affiliated with the Saudi royal family, and thus the article the JP and other Israeli outlets had presumably read should not have been taken as an official statement. Christ, this is obvious from the very first line:

A source from the Saudi royal family, who prefers anonymity, converses with the Kan public broadcaster. The individual subtly acknowledges Saudi Arabia’s supposed involvement in thwarting Iranian attack drones bound for Israel the previous evening, citing that Saudi Arabian airspace automatically intercepts “any suspicious entity”.
The same figure takes a swing at Iran, accusing them of instigating a conflict in Gaza. This, they suggest, is a deliberate attempt to unravel the progress established towards normalizing relations with Israel, as per Kan’s report.
In the words of the official, as put forth by Kan, “Iran is a nation that endorses terrorism, and the world should have curtailed it much earlier.”

Why would the official Saudi royal website use an anonymous source within the royal family to make their public announcement, and why would they quote what the official said to an Israeli outlet?!
It’s fascinating to see this play out: the supposed source spoke to Kan News; Houseofsaud presumably sees this and makes an article on the Kan segment; the JP sees this article and the segment, poorly reads it, and then cites it and the original Kan segment; outlets like the Daily Wire pick up on the story from the JP; and then on it goes, spreading like wildefire, before the Saudis take note (“oh fuck, oh fuck, where are these reports coming from?”) and disseminate a message denying that any “official” website publicly confirmed their involvement. The Saudis are involved, and they’re keeping tight-lipped about the extent of their involvement.
Just to quote one more line from the i24news article because it’s shockingly poor:

The post subtly hinted at Saudi Arabia's involvement in intercepting suspicious entities in its airspace, highlighting the kingdom's proactive stance in safeguarding regional stability.

This is written based on this line from the HouseofSaud article:

A source from the Saudi royal family, who prefers anonymity, converses with the Kan public broadcaster. The individual subtly acknowledges Saudi Arabia’s supposed involvement in thwarting Iranian attack drones bound for Israel the previous evening, citing that Saudi Arabian airspace automatically intercepts “any suspicious entity”.

It’s the individual/source who is being subtle, not the post itself as i24 news mentions.
Anyways, this is not a case of misinformation by the subreddit. There's nothing wrong with posting a JP article, and this is easily the least offensive Example, but point 5 is nicely relevant here. I thought y'all might find this to be interesting, particularly because some people probably still believe that Saudi Arabia has publicly acknowledged their involvement, and maybe that could be someone reading this section. It's also another example where, because I’m banned, I can’t offer a bit of nuance. stares intently at 4THOT
It’s a shame Destiny didn’t finish reading the article, I’m curious what he would have said. He speculates that the report was from intelligence or monitoring, but moves on before finishing the article; it’s also the updated version of the article, without the tidbit about the Saudi royal family website.

Finito

I'm going to close out this section here. There's always more to include, more examples that demonstrate the aforementioned points, but I'd rather focus on my own comments instead of threads where I was unable to contribute my thoughts. There's been a plethora of discourse here surrounding the campus protests, and maybe those are still ongoing if I manage to post this at a sooner date. For completely legitimate and fair justifications, all of these threads are going to be very charged; and maybe upon reading this post some of y'all might feel more inclined to analyze these situations dispassionately, mindful of cases where the reporting might not be the greatest.

Example D - A Late Fact-check (Still lying, dude!)

I fucking lied again, there’s more. Literally the day after I finished writing the above paragraph, a new example popped up that I can’t resist the temptation to include. Stop giving me material! As I spoke of above, the campus protests have resulted in a charged atmosphere on the subreddit, which means that this post stating that a “Jewish-Israeli family’s restaurant was targeted in a hate crime” is immediately catapulted to the front page. The biggest problem here is that, per point 2, the presentation of the post led folk to believe that this was a recent event because OP had omitted the date this took place, and this led to one user to thoughtfully suggest that it might be worth setting up a GoFundMe to help the owners with the repairs.
To reemphasize the point I’ve made throughout this post, I’m looking to incentivise better behaviour to occur sooner. It took nearly 10 hours before one jolly chap came along to do the fact-check. Naturally, had I seen this post while browsing arnew, I would have done the same, and so would a couple other users here as well who are good for this sort of thing — and that's unfortunate that I’m saying a “couple” instead of “many.” There is no curiosity amongst everyone who interacted with this post to inquire into the event; not even something simple as requesting OP for an article. So folks, always ask for a source if OP doesn’t provide one just so you have a bit more context. (Also, I am fascinated with the anecdote OP attached to this post. Did they just make up their credentials?)

Example E - Hebrew Sources and False Confidence

This is a wonderful example to close out this section because it exemplifies so many of the problematic behaviours that I have demonstrated in this post. I was only made aware of this thread because a user here DM'd me a link to the thread. I will refer to the individual posting misinformation in the comments as "OP", and I'll refer to the submitter of the post by their username, Sylmd. The rebuttals to OP are excellent, and I will focus more on the behaviour here.
Sylmd posted a submission doing a quick lil' fact-check on a Destiny tweet, noting the fact that he seemed to have misread or misremembered a particular report. I say "seemed" here in case Destiny was referring to some other report or article he had read, but that seems unlikely as he has referenced this report in several of his debates, and the report was the subject of his previous tweets. Regardless, it was a small mistake, and apart from failing to immediately link the tweet and the report (link your sources you silly goose), Sylmd's post is civil, calm, and makes no accusations of malicious intent.
According to OP, Destiny was actually right, and 300+ IDF soldiers were in fact injured. Now, there's so much that is astonishingly problematic with OP's comment, and I gotta... mention it all! Sorry!
Naturally, they don't ever quote from their sources, which means it's on us to try and find the relevant sections. OP claims that the articles linked will demonstrate that 380 Israelis were injured -- despite the fact that Sylmd is obviously doing a fact-check on how many Israeli soldiers were injured, and that's literally the subject of Destiny's tweet.
Whatever, I'm sure the articles at least "discusses around 380 injuries"? Fuck no they don't! There's no mention of this figure anywhere, and OP somehow racks up 50 upvotes when they accuse Sylmd of lying after they correctly point this out. Did these people actually read the articles, find this magical 380 figure, and think, "Grrr, Sylmd you mendacious scumbag, I see through your Hamas propaganda." Sylmd was sitting at -31, one hour after the thread was made. (If you refer back to Example 2, you'll see that I felt compelled to make a submission when I saw a user was being downvoted for correctly pointing out that an article did not prove a particular claim.)
It gets worse. Apparently, you have to "click through all the links in these articles buddy." Well, okay, that's pretty elaborate, how silly of us not to realize this. OP wants us to open up nine Hebrew articles, translate them, and then tally up the number of casualties. Problem? Surely we get to the 380 figure if we click through all the hyperlinks in the article? Fuck no we don't! And even if we did, this is the most blisteringly cumbersome way to prove a claim. The sheer condescension in OP's comment is equivalent to that of a Twitter leftist: "It's not my job to educate you honey, you must read the literature."
So where does this mysterious figure come from? Well, as Sylmd correctly pointed out (before OP mentioned it), they are grabbing this figure from Hebrew Wikipedia. Sylmd doesn't provide a link to the article in question, so I will provide it here, and as you can see, the two articles that OP linked came from this Wikipedia page. I'm not convinced OP actually read either of these articles.
That's not all. They then linked a report in Hebrew in their edit. Where did they get this report from? It's not on the Wikipedia page, maybe this is something they have bookmarked? Nope, they got it from another user in the thread! After all is said and done, they still somehow racked up 270 upvotes for this awful rebuttal, and they were, "Proud to take a blast for defending the truth."
Do I even need to mention the points here? It's an authoritative comment; the linked articles give an "aura" of being correct; and there's confidence in all their comments.
To quote from Example 1:

Anyways, since I began this post it looks like the upvotes and downvotes on the original comment have since shifted. Mashallah. It's the behaviour I was describing before: all the low-effort garbage gets upvoted first, and then other people break the circlejerk and try to add nuance. But it would be nice if the nuance was added first and foremost without the need for tedious fact-checks.

That still holds true today.

Consistency and Principles

Do I only address misinformation from the pro-Israel side? Not that it should matter, but no, I will address misinformation from the pro-Palestine on this subreddit if I see it and I feel like addressing it. I was irritated to see muppets like Rob Rousseau spread conspiracies about a "suspicious link" between ISIS and Mossad, and I encountered a user here who was sprouting similar conspiratorial nonsense. You’ll notice that (1) I was blessed to be called a “Reddit pseudo intellectual libtard” (not wrong, not false, this hurts bro); and (2) I apply the exact same methodology here as I do for the examples of misinformation I've addressed elsewhere — which isn’t to say I’m doing anything commendable here. I just read the articles, trying to find the primary sources where relevant, and then see if the “reporting” accurately conveys what was said or written.
However, digging up the original source can be a time-consuming endeavour, and compounded by the fact that I might not speak the relevant language — which means that there was a case where I inadvertently made a comment containing misinformation. A couple months ago someone requested a steelman of the argument that Israel is conducting a genocide against Gazans; I offered one, and to support the case I used a misquote taken from a Bloomberg video which omitted a crucial part of Yoev Gallant’s statement: the reference to Hamas, and thus radically changing the context of the statement. I hold myself to the same principle when it comes to curbing misinformation, and I was more than content to edit my comment to ensure it did not propagate further than it already had.
Some of you eagle-eyed readers might recognize this Gallant quote, as it made a very marked appearance within… South Africa's genocide case against Israel. Here, that salient reference to Hamas is also omitted, and the accompanying footnote cites the same Bloomberg video that I did. As I wished in another reply, Bloomberg did indeed take the video down eventually. Now, I can be excused for my mistake as I’m not making the positive case outside of my steelman. For South Africa, this is unbelievably shoddy work when you're officially bringing a genocide case against another state.
Anyways, I've gone through many examples in this schizo-post, and it's entirely possible that I've made an error at some point; the irony is not lost on me. Feel free to point these errors out. I might not agree with your assessment, but I'm always willing to hear the arguments.

Prescriptions: The Six Points (Déjà vu)

I'm going to end with The Six Points because that's the focus of Part 1 and Part 2. As previously mentioned, this post is not intended to demonstrate that the misinformation the pro-Israel crowd spreads is as egregious as the misinformation the pro-Palestine spreads, whether in general or on this subreddit. While misinformation from the pro-Palestine crowd slips by every now and then on the subreddit, I would make the case that, generally speaking, it is quickly addressed. In my experience, however, I was finding quite a few cases of misinformation from the pro-Israel crowd were taking a concerning amount of time to be addressed; and in the interest of ensuring that it does get addressed in a more timely manner, I believe the following prescriptions would be helpful to keep in mind when browsing the subreddit:

1. Value the process just as much — if not, more — than the conclusion.
2. Be wary of how the presentation of information or the omission of pertinent information can lead to the inadvertent spread of misinformation.
3. Be aware of how “charged” topics/threads lead to poor reasoning that lacks dispassionate analysis.
4. Be aware of how pre-existing beliefs about an individual or organization alongside the usual biases leads to a reluctance to fact-check, where claims are taken at face-value because they feel right.
5. Link the article. Read the article. (Thoroughly.)
6. Redirect criticism to areas where it will be the strongest.

Click here for Part 3. Warning: you might get stung by a bee 🐝

Hi everyone.
I made a poor decision in undergrad and majored in psychology. I had a knack for it and really loved it at the time. I graduated and ended up pursuing a PhD in the same field. I have moderate success so far, have published some papers, things are going okay. Sometimes I DO feel like I have passion for what I do but my issue is that the pace of work is so painfully slow for me that I am constantly anxious and bored and wanting more work to do.
Throughout my life I’ve also been someone who gets things done. For example, my sisters passport was denied a few months ago and she needed it to be renewed URGENTLY and I was on that shit calling every senator and representative to get it expedited, emailing everyone, even messaging the reps on Instagram. I got her passport renewed in just 1.5 days. I was driven to solve the problem as I always am. If you ask me to do something I will get it done as fast as I possibly can.
In my old job when it was my job to recruit preschools, I would call preschools all day and have everything set up for the entire year. My boss said it usually takes lab managers like a month to recruit a single school so she was floored. But to me it was rather simple. When it was my job to find child participants for studies I was in every parenting Facebook group in the country posting flyers and would easily recruit 20 people in a single day. I am driven to get tasks done basically.
In academic research I feel so listless because often I have to rely on other people. Paper out for review? Just wait and wait and wait for it to get sent back. Need to get data collected? Welp the testing site only allows us to come at certain points, so outside of those time slots not much you can do. As a grad student at least there’s more independence but as a PI you end up relying entirely on grad students and undergraduates to get shit done for you.
I want to strike out on my own somehow and be as busy as I can be. I like the idea of planning trips for people, or helping people resolve crises such as missed flights or expired passports. I’ve helped my friends get jobs, they give me their LinkedIn info and I’ll network like crazy for them and write tons of cover letters. I just want to be busy and productive and to have purpose.
What’s your advice for me? What career will suit my personality? Thanks

Hi everyone.
I made a poor decision in undergrad and majored in psychology. I had a knack for it and really loved it at the time. I graduated and ended up pursuing a PhD in the same field. I have moderate success so far, have published some papers, things are going okay. Sometimes I DO feel like I have passion for what I do but my issue is that the pace of work is so painfully slow for me that I am constantly anxious and bored and wanting more work to do.
Throughout my life I’ve also been someone who gets things done. For example, my sisters passport was denied a few months ago and she needed it to be renewed URGENTLY and I was on that shit calling every senator and representative to get it expedited, emailing everyone, even messaging the reps on Instagram. I got her passport renewed in just 1.5 days. I was driven to solve the problem as I always am. If you ask me to do something I will get it done as fast as I possibly can.
In my old job when it was my job to recruit preschools, I would call preschools all day and have everything set up for the entire year. My boss said it usually takes lab managers like a month to recruit a single school so she was floored. But to me it was rather simple. When it was my job to find child participants for studies I was in every parenting Facebook group in the country posting flyers and would easily recruit 20 people in a single day. I am driven to get tasks done basically.
In academic research I feel so listless because often I have to rely on other people. Paper out for review? Just wait and wait and wait for it to get sent back. Need to get data collected? Welp the testing site only allows us to come at certain points, so outside of those time slots not much you can do. As a grad student at least there’s more independence but as a PI you end up relying entirely on grad students and undergraduates to get shit done for you.
I want to strike out on my own somehow and be as busy as I can be. I like the idea of planning trips for people, or helping people resolve crises such as missed flights or expired passports. I’ve helped my friends get jobs, they give me their LinkedIn info and I’ll network like crazy for them and write tons of cover letters. I just want to be busy and productive and to have purpose.
What’s your advice for me? What career will suit my personality? Thanks

Application Process:
Research and Shortlist Universities:

• Begin by identifying universities that offer graduate programs aligning with your interests and career goals.
• Consider factors like program curriculum, faculty expertise, campus location, and funding opportunities.
• Utilize university websites, educational forums, and alumni networks for research.

Prepare Application Materials:

• Statement of Purpose (SoP): Craft a compelling SoP detailing your academic background, research interests, career goals, and why you're choosing the specific program.
• Letters of Recommendation (LoR): Obtain LoRs from academic or professional references who can vouch for your abilities and potential.
• CV/Resume: Update your CV to highlight relevant academic achievements, research experience, publications, and any professional experience.
• Academic Transcripts: Ensure you have official transcripts from your undergraduate (and, if applicable, graduate) institutions.

Standardized Tests:

• GRE/GMAT: Depending on your field, you may need to take the GRE (most fields) or GMAT (business-related fields). Prepare and schedule these tests well in advance.
• TOEFL/IELTS: For non-native English speakers, these tests assess your English proficiency. Universities often have minimum score requirements.

Submit Applications:

• Complete each application form with accuracy. Ensure you tailor your SoP to each university's program.
• Pay attention to details such as essay requirements, additional questions, and submission formats.
• Pay application fees, if applicable. You can apply for a waiver, either through the formal process that the program provides or by contacting the program coordinator or director directly requesting the fee waiver.

Interviews and Follow-ups:

• Some programs might invite you for interviews, which could be in-person, by phone, or via video call. Prepare by reviewing your application and practicing responses to potential questions.
• After submitting applications, periodically check your email for updates or requests for additional information.

Decision and Acceptance:

• Evaluate admission offers based on factors like program quality, financial aid, location, and personal preferences.
• Notify the chosen university of your acceptance before the deadline. For other offers, send polite declination emails.

Visa Application:

• After accepting an offer, you'll receive an I-20 form from the university. Use this to apply for an F-1 student visa.
• Prepare for the visa interview, ensuring you have all necessary documentation, including proof of financial support and ties to your home country.

Preparation for Relocation:

• Once your visa is approved, start planning for your move. This includes arranging housing, understanding health insurance requirements, and familiarizing yourself with the local area and university resources. Most of these topics are covered in this guide.

I wanted to quickly thank everyone for so much love and support on the last post and I hope my tips helped. That last post was getting really long so I decided to keep it related to health, wellness, and aesthetics. This post will be purely about how I changed my mindset.
As the title says this glow up journey required that I loved myself unconditionally while striving to be the best version of myself. This was something that did not come naturally to me at first. Before I continue I'd like to share all of the books that helped me in order to make this shift:

1. The 12 week year by Brian P. Moran
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
3. The Source Open Your Mind and Change Your Life by Dr. Tara Swart
4. Why we sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD
5. The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb, PhD
6. Pscho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, MD
7. Hormonal (The hidden intelligence of hormones - how they drive desire, shape relationships, influence our choices, and make us wiser) by Martie Haselton, PhD
8. Set Boundaries, Find Peace (a guide to reclaiming yourself) by Nedra Glover Tawwab
9. Welcome Home (A guide to building a home for your soul) by Najwa Zebian
10. Ikigai (The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life) by Hector Gardia
11. The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down (How to be Calm in a Busy World) by Haemin Sunim
12. Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
13. Rumi by Coleman Barks
14. Tao Te Ching
15. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
16. No Mud, No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh
17. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
18. The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
19. The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts
20. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
21. McMindfulness: How Mindfulness Became the New Capitalist Spirituality

If I were to summarize my entire glow up, my journey encompassed two goals:

• Self-love: Accept what will not change
• Self-growth: Change what I will not accept

I cannot change my race, my height, my age, the people I work with, the grief I felt from losing a loved one. I can change my environment, my behaviors, my reactions, the way I look after myself and the people I keep around me in my personal life.
Years ago I was a chronic people pleaser, this did not help my dating life, my career, my relationship with myself, and especially my health. Learning to prioritize my beauty felt foreign, egoic, against everything I learnt religious wise and for all intents and purposes (in my mind) placed the power in society's hands. I had to wake up, follow a routine, workout, prep my meals, I had to do all of these things to be accepted and valued...or did I?
Is looking after your health, your looks, your life really all that bad? Was a question I grappled with. I started reading all these productivity books and they seemed so centered on being a Girl Boss, work hard, but be feminine, be the best, be on top, in looks, in career, and on, and on, and on.
For the longest time this was the narrative. Looking out for others, being there for them, that's selfless, that's fun, that's easy, but looking out for myself was supposed to be this rigid list and I'm supposed to have a timer to track my every movement for time efficiency.
Then my loved one passed. The loved one that took trips on a whim, the one that had every lipgloss shade from her favorite makeup line. The one who went for daily walks to see the sunset, she changed her hair a bah-gillion times just for the heck of it. The one who had this zest for life and was excited to approach everything like it was an opportunity to grow, an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to have fun. Maybe, I could do this because I'm the most important project I'll ever work on. Maybe it's not that I had to wake up, had to follow a routine, had to workout, had to prep my meals, had to do all of these things to be accepted and valued. Maybe, I get to wake up everyday and hear the birds in the neighbors tree, maybe I get to spend some time each day looking after myself and loving myself, maybe I get to make my life easier by preparing food so I don't have to think about that in the evenings, maybe I do all of these things because I do value myself and love myself. This was my aha moment. I'm not doing this because I have to, I do this because I get to.
For me, everything became about appreciating another day and appreciating my journey. Here are the mindset shifts I made in each area of life that allowed me to do so:

Beauty

Mindset
We all know about pretty privilege and thin privilege, it goes even deeper when you think of how this merges off into class privilege and race privilege, so on and so forth. What does it mean to be beautiful? Why do we want to be beautiful?
We all know the answer to this but what if there is another answer? Neuroaesthetics.
🧠 What is Neuroaesthetics?
Neuroaesthetics is a scientific discipline that studies the impact of art, music, and beauty on the human brain. It was first coined by Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at University College London in 2002.
🎨 Art and Your Brain
Studies have shown that viewing art can increase dopamine-related activity in the brain’s frontal cortex, the same area associated with romantic love. This can lead to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction
🎶 Music and Your Mind
Research from Stanford University has revealed that listening to music can affect the brain’s areas linked to mood regulation, attention, and self-awareness.
🪞Beauty and the Brain
A 2011 study by Professor Zeki showed that viewing what one perceives as beautiful can activate the medial orbitofrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with rewarding experiences.
Information from Dr. Tara Swart
Basically, if we are feeling safe (rest and digest state), we would not be engaging in mundane activites such as these. Meaning there would be no reason for the body to feel unsafe (fight, flight, or fawn state).
Are you telling me that by beautifying myself - (treating my makeup and styling myself like an art form), and listening to music while doing so, I'm looking after my health? I'm looking after my nervous system and therefore my gut health, my insulin resistance, my inflammation and my PCOS all by engaging in a little self-care? Tell me more! This was the conversation I had in my head LOL I literally found the purpose to all of this that extended beyond any outside, societal, patriarichal, cultural, reason. I'm looking after myself. Inside and out.
How to Enhance Your Life with Neuroaesthetics
✅ Explore Your Artistic Preferences: Find out what kind of art stirs emotions in you. It could be a classical painting, a contemporary sculpture, a piece of jazz, or a pop song. The goal is to identify what forms of beauty activate your brain’s reward center.
✅ Create a Beauty-Rich Environment: Surround yourself with the art and beauty that you love (flowers, candles, clean environment, etc.)
✅ Engage in Artistic Activities: Participate in activities that stimulate your artistic side, such as painting, playing an instrument, doing your makeup, dressing up or attending exhibitions and concerts.
✅ Mindful Appreciation: Instead of passively consuming art or music, try to engage more deeply. Observe the artwork’s details, listen attentively to the music, notice how they make you feel. This mindful appreciation can make the neuroaesthetic experience even more profound.
✅ Spend time in nature - our tastes in art and music may vary but nature is the palette that we all appreciate because we’ve been in it for millennia 💚
Change vs Acceptance
In saying all of this, take out a piece of paper write down what are your natural born features that you accept or have to learn to accept. On another list include things you'd like to change. Be mindful about this and consider whether you'll be taking away from your charm and charisma, or are you going to enhance yourself. Eg. My nose, I can change it but it adds charm and character to my face. It's distinctive and a clear connection to my ethnic background, it's something I choose to accept. Whereas, my teeth were crooked years ago, I had sooo many gaps. I decided to make a change and get braces to change this.

Health

Mindset
This was a little easier to wrap my head around. Health is wealth, I want to feel good, as much, if not more than I look good. Which creates a positive feedback loop because the better I feel is the better I look. More than this though, it's prioritizing well-being over productivity, it's supporting local and sustainable practices, it's advocating for healthcare equity, it's promoting community and social support, and lastly it's valuing time and leisure. Making time for rest, relaxation, and leisure activities fights against the social norms, and racial and gender biases that I should be sacrificing my health for the good of society and my family. Wooh that was a mouthful but I'll give an example, the fact that even while sick my grandmother was expected to serve and cater to her husband. Prioritizing my health is an act of rebellion, it's good trouble if you will ;)
Change vs Acceptance
I cannot get rid of my PCOS this is something I accept. However, I can change my diet and lifestyle to manage my symptoms.

Etiquette

Mindset
The dreaded feminine vs masculine energy conversation. Don't even get me started on all the rules for what lip liner is classy versus trashy (heavy side eye at all the etiquette/femininity coaches that lack cultural nuance). However, was there a way I could reset my mindset around this entire practice. Etiquette at it's core can be about classism and racism, but perhaps in my own life it can be about consideration. Eating with your mouth closed in consideration of the other person. Not wearing perfume that's too loud which may trigger the people around me. Respect for workers and service providers. It can be about social harmony versus individualism. Furthermore, by embodying my womanhood I am embracing my hormones, in the way I work, the way I eat, the way I show up in the world.
Change vs Acceptance
I cannot change my monthly cycle. I accept this. However, I can practice good etiquette by planning my social and work outings based on cycle (energy levels). I can't change my PMDD, I accept this. However, it's also good etiquette for me to hand the reigns over when it comes to my caregiving responsibilities, when I am not emotionally capable of performing them.

Personal Development

Mindset
Skill development and autonomy, or as my grandma says it, if you don't use it you lose it. Working on yourself daily is one of the best ways to keep up with your health, happiness, and self sufficiency.
Change vs Acceptance
I accept that I'm never going to know how to hike, I hate being outdoors like that and I love this about myself. :p lol but I can change a few of my cardio activities to include a walk outside, so I can get in touch with nature in a way that feels comfortable for me.

Dating

Mindset
Someone in the last post asked for my vetting system when it comes to men and because I want to follow the rules (but also because I want to keep this post about self), here is the gist of how to have the right mindset. Be hard to get and easy to be with - with every new person you meet (potential friends, men, everyone). The barriers to entry should be high, you're busy, you can't answer that last minute invite to hangout or to a date, you're working on a new crochet project. Really important stuff, you're watching the new season of Bridgerton. Sorrrrry, can't miss. That's it. Thats the secret. After doing all of this work, you should rightfully be, a selfish gatekeeper - selfish with time, energy, focus, emotions. Ask yourself what is my entry fee? And charge an extremely high price.
Change vs Acceptance
I accept that the potential friends in my area are partiers. I can change my environment by exploring more bookshops and see if I stumble upon a new bestie.

Spirituality

Mindset
Since I touched on some of my societal beliefs I want to tread very lightly here so I respect the rules and everyones beliefs, but essentially compassion, empathy, mindfulness that stands outside the norm (eg. self-care by doing my makeup), inclusivity and diversity, all of these aligned with my values-based living.
Change vs Acceptance
I accept that most spiritual practices are patriarichal. I'm going to change my own internal biases and prejudices, by learning more about feminist spirituality.
In closing, approach your looksmaxxing journey as mindfully as possible. As an act of self-love and self-growth. An act of change and acceptance. In this way you will foster holisitic well-being and mental health. It also challenges the idea we are living for the endless race to meet this ethereal beauty ideal, but rather we are looking after ourselves. Embrace and have fun in your journey. Fall in self 🤍
Really nervous to post this and not sure if it fits in this page but I hope it resonates.

I know this has already been discussed a lot, but since I see comments asking for more opinions in recent comments, I thought I'd share my more recent experience.
I signed up to Factor because my friend happened to be using it and sang its praises and sent me a trial box. It was fine at first, so I subscribed. This was less than half a year ago.
Pros: (personally for me)
a. 24/7 CS chat.
b. Lasts 10 days in the fridge easy. High sodium?
Cons: (also personal)
a. Food has increasingly taken on a horribly greasy/buttery smell that makes me gag. I hate the texture too - so much mushy stuff. It just looks like lazy cooking, with mediocre food drowned in greasy sop. To be fair, maybe I'm more sensitive than most due to my chronic illness, but I couldn't breathe in the house after the food has been heated.
b. No variety. Every week it's almost the same, and not a lot to choose from to begin with. So much cauliflower, zuchinni, cilantro lime. While soppy.
c. the ordering window is VERY short. Like I have two days to do it or else they send me whatever they want.
d. and when they do that, they send me 4 of the same food, and 4 of another same food. So I get two kinds of foods x4. And they're all stuff I hate.
After extensive research and signing up for several others that were recommended by blogs and websites (thistle, fresh n lean, shef, Sunday Meal Prep, Metabolic Meals, BistroMD, several more local indie options), I settled on Cookunity a few weeks ago.
Pros:
a. They win hands down on diversity. Biggest variety of dishes, and this matters to me because I like a lot of ethnic cuisines. A lot of meal prep services look like generic meat and generic veggie topped with some soppy sauce, and they're all usually pretty unappetizing to me. With Cookunity, I can get a Thai dish, a Japanese dish, a Korean dish, and more - and they actually taste like their ethnic roots instead of a weird mish-mash. No more grease-gagging for me!
b. Their ice packs and packaging are less difficult to get rid of - they just pick it up at your porch the following week.
c. You can "favorite" your favorite food, and they choose out of those if you miss the decision window so you won't get stuff you hate.
d. The picking window is longer, and you get notified a week in advance.
Cons:
a. No 24/7 chats like Factor. But they do answer your email relatively fast (1-2 business days) and help you out ime.
b. It will go bad if you let it sit more than 5 days. I was disappointed at first, but then thought maybe this means they actually use more fresh stuff, and less sodium? Which isn't a bad thing.
c. A lot of white rice, so carb content is a bit high
Overall I'm very happy with Cookunity, and am actually excited to pick out my food again. I hope this can help at least one person who's looking for options!

I left my job year to start my own business. Initially, like everyone, I felt it’d not be “that difficult” but boy oh boy!
I had a background of fine arts and Indian fashion history had always amused me. Btw I’m an Indian. I belong from a place where a certain type of hand embroidery is very famous known as Chikankari. The art is slowly dying because of machine work. I thought of doing something to preserve our culture. So with the savings I had during my job ₹ 25000($300) I started working on my dream. I was clueless where to start I had little to zero knowledge about fabrics and some basic understanding of hand embroidery. Two months I did research, how will I start, what will be my GTM strategy. How I’ll post content and so on. All of that crumbled the day I saw the market for the first time. From a white collar corporate employee where everyone is professional (pretending) and the next you see a businessman cussing his employees and fighting for his life for a cent. “How tf I’ll survive this market?!” Was my instant reaction all my “strategies” crumbled. I was back to square one. I somehow managed to overcome my anxiety and taught myself it’s going to be okay. I was also running out of funds and there’s very famous saying “Empty pockets and empty stomach are the best life teachers “ got to experience it first hand. I realised I have to go through this and in order to survive and thrive I need to have the better understanding of product and so I made a false resume and I started searching for a job as a sales person in the shops where they’re dealing in this art apparel and luckily for this I didn’t had to bother much. Now it’s been 2 weeks I’ve better understanding of product. I’ve better understanding of fabrics and the embellishments, I’m directly talking to the consumers and understanding what do they want what all are the pain points. I know what kind of problems they’re facing to scale up what all software tools they’re using and most importantly how to deal with people. It’s all in all a huge unorganised mess. I’m looking forward to work here for next one or two months so I understand all the pain points of the consumer and how to organise your business internally and then will launch my store online.
People who’re planning to start their business the best time to start your business is NOW! and be ready to show the utmost dedication. There’s no SOP for being successful businessman, pave your own path. Talk about your ideas it’ll widen up your perspective and it’ll carve your ideas. Be shameless, remove the idea of “what others will think”. Talk about your business, you’ve to be the biggest promoter of your business. Understand in and out of your business you can’t do everything but you’ve to have the knowledge how your business gonna run. Last but not the least enjoy and trust the process, be more human and emphatic!

[Crosspost from Real Estate Investing]
Hello, I am in the process of potentially purchasing a mixed-use property that I have been renting (business unit) for a long time. Long story short, I had given the owner an offer to purchase the property and was told that the offer was very good (accurate) for current rental rates however their family realtor told them that the current rents are too low and should be much higher.
The property is currently generating around $5400 per month in gross rental income. They countered with a much higher 37.5%~ price on the potential listing based on a PROJECTED gross rental income of $7100 ~ per month.
My main questions are as follows:

1. Is it SOP to list a property based on potential rental income or only current rental income? If it is not SOP, then is there anyway I can use this information to counter offer?
   
2. As the property is a mixed use (business + 2 residential units above) how would you go about valuing the property? Is it comp based or income based?
   
3. The property would most likely need some renovations to bring it up to current market rental rates. Would that be a potential way to counter offer?
   

Lastly, my main concern is if the property goes to market rather than privately sold to me that there would/could be a bidding war. I have a first right of refusal baked into the lease but I am afraid that the listing would potentially generate a lot of bidding and be priced out of the purchase. How best to protect my business in the event that I can not purchase the property?
Any additional information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help!

Hi everyone. I (27F) posted here about a month ago about parents disapproving of me not pursuing medicine anymore, and I am back once again. They finally let go about medicine but have been pressuring me to find another terminal degree (sigh...) to pursue instead. Hey, I've been working my ass off to pursue what I want (not that I've not been working hard before). But this is about another issue. It's kind of long, so please bear with me.
The tl;dr is, my parents found out about my boyfriend because of a location-tracking app, and they don't approve of him. They said he'll only be a distraction for me as I figure out my career transition/settlement, along with a whole lot of other stuff like judging his character and job and family (a little). And they said I'm disrespecting them, seeing them as shits, and even killed them a little because I lied about my whereabouts when I was with my boyfriend. If anyone has been through this as well, how did you get through it? Or how are you getting through it?
So first off, my parents kind of new about my boyfriend (30M) but did not know how involved he was in my life until recently. I actually met him when I was in my 1st year of grad school (in 2022), but I did not tell them about him because I knew they were going to say that he is only going to distract me from my studies just like how they blamed my ex when I was in college (and they even blamed my friends for not pushing me to continue pursuing medicine). I lied and told them I met him after I graduated in 2023 because I didn't want to give them any leg room to blame him when I got a not-so-great MCAT score and eventually decided to not pursue medicine. Even when I did tell them about him, they still didn't want me to see him for various reasons. They think he's not ambitious enough in life just because he's a software engineer who only has a Bachelor's, his parents did not/do not work in a field that requires higher education, they even assumed that he won't encourage me to aim to my fullest potential and instead make me adjust to his own life plans just because he's older. Essentially, they just made bad conclusions, and I had no more energy to correct them bc I thought there was no point if they were not going to change their minds.
One rule my parents enforced on me when I moved to a different state was that I have to use Life360 (for those who don't know, it's a location-tracking app). I reluctantly agreed just to get them off my back back then... but I am now realizing that nope, they'll always get on my back no matter what. I put my phone on battery saver mode one day before I went to visit my boyfriend after work. This caused the Life360 app to not show the street name of my location, but I was not aware that the dot of my location still moved around (i know, stupid of me to not check). I told my parents I was at home doing some work, and they believed it at first. But then they called me so many times late into the night, and I asked my boyfriend to just drive me back home. When I finally answered their call, they asked me where I was, to tell them the truth... I decided "fuck all" and told them about him. My mom kept trying to ask me extremely personal questions like if I slept with him, but I told her that that is absolutely none of her business. She then proceeds to tell me that sex is never for a woman's pleasure, that it's only for the men, that I need to recognize the value of my body, etc. Feel free to disagree with me here, but I personally think that's such an outdated concept and honestly pretty offensive because I feel like it implies that I'm only a sex object to my boyfriend and nothing more. All of that made me refuse to confirm nor deny that we were in a relationship, tbh...
My dad told me that yes, I am adult who can manage her life pretty well. But he said that when it comes to big stuff in life like relationships, I absolutely cannot proceed with it unless the parents also approve. Another outdated idea for me, honestly. And then he proceeded to say that if I still do continue to see him despite their disapproval, then that just means I don't respect them at all and I just see them as pieces of shit (yes, he used these exact words). My dad also said that I killed both him and my mom a little the other day when I lied about being home when I was not. I know we use the phrase "you're killing me here" more in a light-hearted context, but when it comes to this kind of context? Maybe some eastern cultures see it has no big deal, but from what I've experienced, the western culture sees that as toxic manipulation. Let me also clarify, I am not proud of the lying. I have reasons for doing so, but I don't condone it. I am working with my therapist to not be so afraid of disappointing my parents as a damn 27-year-old adult and also creating this type of mess. My issue is, my parents refuse to self-evaluate why I felt like I had to do it. It's always about their hurt and how I'm also hurting because of only my actions. I told him that he isn't giving me any say in this and only giving me the choice to just say "no i won't see him anymore" just to satisfy their idea.
They say that since I'm still in the process of figuring out my next steps in my career, I shouldn't date him because he'll only be a distraction. I counter that he isn't a distraction, that he is actually encouraging, but they just say "you're saying that now, but you'll realize it in the future that you could be with someone better". They think that he should've encouraged (or "pushed" in their words) to still pursue medicine or something else that is still high up if not medicine (aka a PhD or JD to them). While I generally would try and counter, sometimes I conclude that it's not worth my time nor energy doing that. Sigh...
I still maintained that I met him after I graduated, but I regret that now because if the truth of how and when we met comes out, hell will break loose again. Plus, my mom still tries to blame him for not pushing me to continue pursuing medicine. I only gave them more room to fucking stalk me with the app. I delete the app, they call me demanding me to put it back on and won't let me go until I do. I restrict its functions, they call or text me again. I wish I can just tell them to fuck off, but it's not easy... my boyfriend sympathizes with me and feels very bad, but he is also sad and frustrated that my parents may never accept him for who he is. And that makes me feel so bad for him because he doesn't deserve any of this.
I'm working on my therapist about all of this. Me at least going "fuck all" and telling them about my boyfriend is progress for me, but everything has been definitely slow overall.
Has anyone gone through something like this? If so, how did you deal with it? Or how are you dealing with it?
Thanks for reading everyone

Hello, I am in the process of potentially purchasing a mixed-use property that I have been renting (business unit) for a long time. Long story short, I had given the owner an offer to purchase the property and was told that the offer was very good (accurate) for current rental rates however their family realtor told them that the current rents are too low and should be much higher.
The property is currently generating around $5400 per month in gross rental income. They countered with a much higher 37.5%~ price on the potential listing based on a PROJECTED gross rental income of $7100 ~ per month.
My main questions are as follows:

1. Is it SOP to list a property based on potential rental income or only current rental income? If it is not SOP, then is there anyway I can use this information to counter offer?
   
2. As the property is a mixed use (business + 2 residential units above) how would you go about valuing the property? Is it comp based or income based?
   
3. The property would most likely need some renovations to bring it up to current market rental rates. Would that be a potential way to counter offer?
   

Lastly, my main concern is if the property goes to market rather than privately sold to me that there would/could be a bidding war. I have a first right of refusal baked into the lease but I am afraid that the listing would potentially generate a lot of bidding and be priced out of the purchase. How best to protect my business in the event that I can not purchase the property?
Any additional information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help!

Heyy everyone,
I'm not originally from Malaysia but I have lived here since 2016 and I believe I've had quite a bit of experience in this lovely country, I came here right after high school, and studied here( foundation, 2 bachelor's degrees one in business and the other in psychology, 2 masters degree, one in data analysis and one in business management , and currently I am a PhD researcher in business development and industrial management.
I must admit however, I am extremely disappointed at the way discrimination against people is very rampant, I honestly do not understand how is it that despite having a labor shortage in the nation there is discrimination for jobs against foreigners but then not only that it's also race based, for example, if you are an Arab or a Caucasian you are more likely to be given a job but even then you would probably get discriminated against.
however if someone who is from Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or anywhere from Africa despite being extremely qualified they are generally turned down unusually pushed far away, I really don't believe this contributes positively to the nation's workforce and Labor shortage,
it only works to exacerbate the already very prevalent and occurring brain drain of local and foreign Talent from the nation reducing the quality of production from local companies.
Therefore I ask how is this justified? How is it so that whenever Malaysia is suffering from something it's always the people who didn't cause it who get to bear the brunt of it?
Malaysia needs to rescue itself from the people who want to harm it if this beloved country wishes to remain prosperous and those people are not from without most often they're from within? What do you think?