Done in February 2017

• Sat an IQ test. Pride: 1, irrationally *
• Maths assignment #5, Jacobians and Fourier analysis. Pride: 3.
• Started making SymPy uni notes. Pride: 4
• Big idea: an Age of Em visualisation. Pride:
• Wrote about learning but not internalising. Pride: 3.
• Wrote a snarky little bit about the qualitative and quantitative. Pride: 1
• Wrote about Pi and Tau. Pride: 2.
• Wrote again about the maximum wage. Pride: 1
• Fixed the pipeline (not my job) with bash and long hours. Pride: 3.

* I once argued with a gay friend about what I saw as misuse of the concept "pride" in world Pride events. You should only be proud of things you have actually done, not just proud of who you are.** I insisted that the broader concept they're looking for - in conducting an intentional, public valuation to counter ancient and systematic degradation - is "esteem".

In the general population, I argued, this confusion is one cause of the vast and hollow parade of achievement-free self-promotion and celebrity, as evidenced by e.g. Instagram. I opined that there was no reason to think that LGBT people would escape this corrosion if the distinction between earned pride and unearned esteem were not popularly upheld.

I further offered three resolutions to the contradiction of a Pride march:

1. Make it clearer that the pride is due to being out, still a very brave action in most of the world.
   Alternatively, proud of having survived a homophobic upbringing.
2. Reject the very strong evidence of a genetic influence on orientation, and suggest that all instances of nonheterosexuality are chosen.
3. Change it to "Esteem".

She replied, "Nah, we'll just alter the usage of 'pride', cos 'esteem' doesn't sound as good".
And I said, "Och, ok."



** Sigh, yes, except insofar as you actually have invented your present self, which is a non-negligible amount for any functioning adult.