Legally, I've been an "adult" for over a decade. I file my taxes each year, respond to important emails, and own a vacuum machine and paper shredder. Even if it took some time to adjust, by the age of 24 I thought that I had finally reached the level of emotional maturity adulthood demanded of me. It felt like my aunts and uncles and grandparents were right – I will, as they say, figure it out as I get older.

March '23 update: There's been some exciting recent development in this area, namely Telperion's nine-or-null unbiasing utility and some positive discussion of practicality in the ITC server. I've trimmed & edited this document to reflect recent developments like ITGMania and the unbiasing tool.

The inward-facing component of my mission statement: > Practice holistic self-care so that I can fulfill the above goals indefinitely.

The self-improvement component of my mission statement: > Be a high-quality friend, uplifting others & sharing knowledge.

This is a name I made up for a pattern I noticed in my life: allowing minor inconveniences with obvious solutions to persist. The root cause is small enough to be disregarded, but the consequences can range anywhere from equally small to lifestyle-altering. These problems only take a brief moment of thought to identify, but I've learned it's surprisingly easy to let them pile up for no reason!

The primary export of my mission statement: > Build community infrastructure using my creative & technical skillsets.

You've heard of Dunbar's number, right? It's 150, and it's the number of social links you can maintain in your head (Dunbar said so). This has a wide array of important consequences – for example, any attempt to befriend every 1st-gen Pokémon is mathematically doomed – but not all hope is lost! First, simply acknowledge the limitations of your monkey brain. Next, use said brain to think about ways you can operate within those limitations while still pursuing a fulfilling social life. Finally, gradually adapt your behavior to align with those principles. That's it! Three easy steps and you're well on your way to living a Dunbar-approved life.

It's true: you're free to do anything you want. Spend your time as you see fit; wear what you want to wear; participate in whatever communities feel like home to you. If what you're doing doesn't make you happy, try doing something else!