[BarryLyndon]

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oh, and albeit preemptive, henry17, if you have any criticisms of my post, please keep them to yourself; I'm not particularly interested in defending anything I have said. Thanks.

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If that's the case, you are on the wrong site. This site is all about arguing and defending your positions. That's how we come up with the most well rounded ideas.

Secondly, I disagree with Henry17's point - investing some time into helping others can be extremely cathartic. Basically, you have all of these issues where you are at the center. Will "you" have a girlfriend? Will "you" get laid? Will "you" make money as a poker player? That's just a ton of pressure whereas the first two concerns are natural and the third, well, is one where self-obsession tends to take over. You are also placing a pretty intense existential burden on yourself.

Have you tried tutoring at a learning center? Doing public service? Helping a friend / family member with a project where you can be of service? Having a concern toward something that involves concrete responsbilities outside of thinking about your difficult situations / whether 77 can hold against your opponent's range will probably open up some doors of thought inside your head, thereby relieving some of the pressure focused on your (legitimately) self involved issues right now.

Barry