Comments on: Dear Silent Majority, I Need Your Feedback…

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:02:55 +0000

Greetings from Sweden! I came over here just some day ago from Study Hacks and immediately subscribed. The blog is a good fit for me. For many years now I always seem to make choices different than the majority around me. Ever since High School I customized my education, negotiating to be able swap courses while I also taught myself about whatever interested me outside of school. Now I’m 21 and an undergrad who’s also doing things differently, like getting myself a customized degree. I have a lot more nonconformist ideas for the upcoming years. They seem to be getting more “out there”. I think that’s a good thing.

A year ago I joined the world’s largest international student organization, which has as goals to promote cultural exchange and create change agents. Doing things like traveling to Ukraine for an international conference where people from 20 countries met really made me interested in the world. (There are some alumni who do interesting things to make a positive impact in the world by the way. I can definitely help you out finding some of those if you want.)

I must have read more on personal development than most. Recently I’ve been thinking that perhaps it made me too self-focused. Your blog avoids this. You also come with new perspectives and the trio personal development, entrepreneurship and travel couldn’t fit me better.

And thanks for the invitation to comment. I have seldom commented on blogs before, but you make me feel like continuing doing so here.

By: Slinky

Slinky — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:25:30 +0000

Hello! I’ve been reading your blog for a couple of months and just commented on your post about mediocrity. A couple of things about me: People really do call me Slinky, and that’s how I think of myself in my head. I hate umbrellas, wearing shoes, and bridal showers. I live in Southeast Wisconsin and have just graduated college with a degree in Computer Science. I now work for a company that creates online travel software. I enjoy your posts on both travel and what someone above termed personal development, like the mediocrity post. I’m more likely to post in response to something I’m either knowledgeable or passionate about.

I have a couple of travel related questions for you: How do you manage (financially) to travel so often and extensively, and I’m a RSS subscriber who has no idea if or what you do for work, so how do you manage that aspect (time off of work, or income if you don’t have a ‘traditional’ job)?

Thanks for posting great articles and refusing to ‘water down’ the content for the masses. I believe that if people stopped catering to the average or below, there would be a lot less mediocrity.

By: Saravanan

Saravanan — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:28:59 +0000

Hi, I am from India, I was Googling for some travel blogs and found yours. It is nice and I also have started blogging and it is just two months. I also volunteer for a group called Simple Thoughts. We a bunch of young engineers want to change my India. It is a wild goose chase and we have started it. I am interested in finances and money stuff. I write about it.

What I like about blog is you have been to places and describe it, I feel after reading I was just witnessing it. It is so damn neat. I am not that good in English, but for me your writing is really good. I was so happy when you wrote about Mumbai, Kolkatta. I wish you had come to Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. I am sure you would have heard of these places. Hope to see you around some time.

Keep up the good work,

Saravanan

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:20:22 +0000

@ Robin –

Nice to hear from you. I have spent a lot of time in the Netherlands– Rotterdam mostly, but also Scheveningen, Amsterdam, Leiden, and Utrecht. I have really good memories of those visits.

@Andrew –

Well, I agree that having a “top x” list just for the sake of itself isn’t helpful, but if I think it categorizes the information better I will still do it. I have noticed that numbered lists tend to get more response from the readers than when the information is just listed in bulleted form.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Mon, 26 May 2008 05:52:48 +0000

PLEASE no more “top x” lists! The web is full of them and they are so annoying.

By: Robin

Robin — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:17:16 +0000

Chris,

Hi from the Netherlands – I just stumbled upon your site and read some of your pieces – I really enjoy your way of looking at things and I’ll be back for more.

Keep up the good work.

Robin

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 23 May 2008 18:01:02 +0000

Hello all –

Wow, so many comments. I am truly humbled.

Yes, I have a guest post up on ProBlogger. I’ll be writing more about it next week, but to those who are interested now, here is the link:

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/05/24/blogging-and-insecurity-conquering-the-fear-of-presenting-your-big-ideas

If that link is cut off, just go to http://problogger.net/blog

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:19:46 +0000

Great website. I just stumbled upon it from problogger. I normally don’t comment, but I’ve just read the two most recent articles (not including this one) and wow. Great writing and very thought provoking!

I look forward to more of your writing!

By: Mark Hayward

Mark Hayward — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:58:16 +0000

Hey Chris – Nice work with the ProBlogger post! I have been reading your site for a while and have also been a non-conformist for a LONG time (e.g. Peace Corps, living overseas, extended travel…)

Keep up the GREAT work! Also, I just signed up for your feed and if you would like to subscribe to mine you can do so on my site.

All the best,
MH

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 23 May 2008 12:56:44 +0000

More of a lurker than a commenter… but it’s fantastic reading your articles about taking your ideas into reality. Very inspiring, fascinating stuff. Much thanks. Living in Japan right now, so the idea of continuing around the world, one way or another, is an interesting idea… Looking forward to your world domination post. Question? Um… Not really. Keep up the great work.