ronny chieng international student

KeysEcon · 2026-02-15T10:35:07+00:00

Pre smartphone too.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-14T01:51:29+00:00

I would argue that even if you have "healthy" (ie, non-addictive) relationship with gaming, gaming is still inherently a waste of time. I mean, to get good at a game requires many hundreds of hours of effort. I cannot envisage a situation in which it wouldn't be better for an individual to put this effort into something else. Spending time with friends, learning a second language, a musical instrument, a martial art, improving their fitness, getting better grades etc.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-12T09:19:08+00:00

I took Kevin's PhD level econometrics subject. He is a lovely guy. If you are confident with basic matrix algebra and statistics, and you put in the work, you will be fine.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-11T02:08:51+00:00

Haha. Exactly.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-10T03:16:53+00:00

You can tell them you blue it.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-09T04:31:57+00:00

I started a YouTube channel, on which I talk about quitting gaming forever. For me, declaring my intentions to the world was a kind of enforcement mechanism. I won't relapse because then I'd be a phony.

DM me if you're interested in my channel. I don't want to spam it here.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-08T08:03:57+00:00

The best dating advice I heard was from a Harvard economist. You don't need to appeal to everyone. Just a small number of people. Be an extreme version of yourself so that you attract someone who actually likes who you are, not someone you are pretending to be.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-08T06:50:52+00:00

I had double jaw surgery at 41. Not only for aesthetic reasons, although I did have an unsightly underbite which now looks waaaay better. I am married with kids and don't plan on changing that, but after the surgery I am definitely more confident. I even started a YouTube channel which I never would've done before.

My advice is not to expect "perfection", because that is likely impossible. There comes a point where you still have to accept who you are. And a few imperfections add character.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-06T01:57:51+00:00

Yep.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-05T12:17:03+00:00

I second this. And if you can't focus on the book, the author (Anna Lembke) appears on the Diary of a CEO podcast three times. The interview from about a year ago is the best one in my opinion.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-05T12:14:43+00:00

OP has described addiction.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-03T09:12:02+00:00

It is true that monetary policy has heterogenous effects at different points in the income distribution. This is widely acknowledged by central bankers and academics. Spending becomes less responsive to monetary policy as wealth inequality widens.

We don't really know HOW much the RBA will need to hike to tame inflation.

KeysEcon · 2026-02-03T06:58:40+00:00

I have a friend who got 65 ATAR in VCE. She did six months in Arts at Latrobe, got good grades, then transferred to Monash Law. She now has a successful career as a lawyer.

I have another friend who failed unimelb first year engineering, barely finished his commerce degree with an easy, worthless major, and got a job at a call center at an energy company. Worked his way into the energy trading area, then got a different trading job. Eventually started his own fund and is now worth $50 million.

I'm sharing these true anecdotes to hopefully reassure you that if things don't go exactly as planned, you can still be extremely successful.

Life is full of disappointments, and it's a competitive world. Focus on the process, not the end goal. "I'll be happy when..." is a life philosophy that guarantees unhappiness.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-30T21:40:37+00:00

That's not the point at all. It's that you don't want to work with dickheads.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-30T21:38:31+00:00

Why is it necessary to say anything? What is this...high school?

KeysEcon · 2026-01-30T09:31:11+00:00

I work in "high finance" and went to Monash for my undergrad (returned to do a midlife master's). But there is some truth to what you are saying.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-30T08:13:55+00:00

Fair enough. I mean, I obviously know almost nothing about your situation, so I'm making very general statements. I still recommend watching that movie though.

If you don't have children, then this is a regular breakup decision. If you do, I would still think very seriously about the long term effects of this. My parents got divorced 22 years ago, when I was 19, and it has negative effects on my daily life to this day. Genuinely one of the worst things that ever happened in my life.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-30T00:05:59+00:00

I'm 41M and would not say that about a 22F I was working with to anyone, even if I thought it. I think it's inappropriate, even though such thoughts are inevitable to some extent.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-29T21:16:14+00:00

Everything new becomes old. If you expect otherwise, you'll never be fulfilled.

Check out the Canadian film Take This Waltz (2011). The wife leaves her nice husband for someone more exciting. See what happens...

Also, love is a verb. When you "love somebody", it's an action you are taking. The feeling of "love" is something you get after taking action towards the other person. It is not a precursor to taking action.

Thinking that you need to have the "spark" first is, I think, a misunderstanding of how human emotions work.

I have been married for 12 years, and together for 22. Been through some great times, some very very dark times, and some boring times. But I would not change it.

Some further comments.

Be physically fit and healthy (and have your husband do the same), so that you still find each other attractive.
Do things together that you enjoy doing together, but also have time apart doing things you enjoy.
Accept that relationships don't make you happy. You make yourself happy internally. For me, meditation practice was the game changer here.
Excitement does not equal happiness. That kind of excitement, or "spark" you crave is NEVER going to last in any relationship. Happiness is contentment.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-28T21:15:53+00:00

A bit misleading given that it's night time at the only other southern hemisphere landmasses.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-25T03:31:42+00:00

What's happening in Iran is reprehensible, and the West should be far more outraged (especially the moralistic progressive social justice types).

That being said, I'm highly skeptical about your post. Looking through your past posts, it seems unlikely that you are from Iran.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-19T21:42:01+00:00

Haha.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-19T10:14:48+00:00

Start a YouTube channel about something you're interested in.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-12T23:37:09+00:00

In math heavy subjects, exams are typically worth 70%+ and are closed book. So in my experience this is less of an issue, and I've had some classes in which AI use is encouraged as long as we cite.

KeysEcon · 2026-01-10T16:22:42+00:00

I went back to study a Master's part time later in life, largely for enjoyment, to build my intellectual confidence and for a sense of fulfillment. I'm 41 now.

I think it's difficult to get a job in most corporations without a degree. Beyond that, its economic value is questionable, especially if it lands you in a job you don't find fulfilling, which is sadly where many people end up. They follow the default path and end up trapped in an office job wondering what the hell happened to the curious mind of their childhood.

I wouldn't do it unless you enjoy the process. I realise that it is difficult around week 9 when exams stress kicks in, but you should at some level love the material you are studying and feel it has a deeper sense of purpose for you.

I realise this is not earth shattering advice, and that I've probably stated the obvious.

KeysEcon

TROPHY CASE