Category: Misconceptions

Dealing with epilepsy · Misconceptions

How epilepsy changes your relationship with planning

Codrin POLeave a comment

Planning used to be simple.

Now it’s layered.

Not complicated. Just… heavier.

Planning becomes risk management

It’s not just:

  • where
  • when
  • how

It’s also:

  • sleep
  • stress
  • medication timing
  • exit options
  • “what if this goes wrong”

You stop planning events.

You start planning outcomes.

Spontaneity gets expensive

“Let’s just go.”

That works if your body is predictable.

If it’s not, “just go” can turn into “pay later.”

Late nights, missed routines, extra stress — small things stack.

People call it overthinking.

It’s not.

It’s memory.

Continue reading “How epilepsy changes your relationship with planning” →
Misconceptions · Dealing with epilepsy

What people get wrong about “looking fine” with epilepsy

Codrin POLeave a comment

“You look fine.”

That sentence does a lot of work for people.

It closes the topic. It removes discomfort. It skips the part where they might have to think a bit harder.

And if I look fine, then everything is fine.

Convenient.

Looking fine is a performance

Most of what matters isn’t visible. People might see a seizure. They don’t see what comes after.

The confusion.
The fatigue.
The quiet “something’s off” feeling that doesn’t go away just because I can stand up again.

But if I can talk, walk, respond, then the conclusion is obvious:

Back to normal.

Except it’s not.

Continue reading “What people get wrong about “looking fine” with epilepsy” →
Dealing with epilepsy · Misconceptions · Not too personal

Myths debunked #2: epilepsy and a sex life

Codrin PO

There is a common myth that people with epilepsy cannot have a healthy sex life or that engaging in sexual activity can trigger seizures. This misconception is not true and can lead to unnecessary fear and stigma surrounding the topic.

The reality is that epilepsy, in most cases, does not directly affect a person’s ability to have a fulfilling sex life. Epilepsy is primarily a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, and its impact on sexual function varies from person to person.

Continue reading “Myths debunked #2: epilepsy and a sex life” →
Blog · Dealing with epilepsy · Misconceptions

Elon Musk’so first principles applied to epilepsy

Codrin PO

I was reading yesterday about how Elon Musk thinks and why is he so successful. People say that he “works” on first principles. I first heard about first principles when I was around 18 (so 15 years ago) when I was studying philosophy and going to philosophy competitions.

First principles = origins (of anything). Using first principles as a mental model (I’ll talk about this in a future post) is a thing to do. First principles tell you to break down a thing until its raw form that deters fallacies. It’s a weird explanation, but, in my head, it’s the right one.

In one sentence: break down a thing to see its origin and start your thinking process from there.

For persons with epilepsy, the example I am giving is Continue reading “Elon Musk’so first principles applied to epilepsy” →

Blog · Career counseling · Misconceptions · Old blog

Career counseling #16: Dictator or role model

Codrin PO

I saw a few days ago an article on Facebook and, because the subject looked interesting, I clicked. The title said something like “the diabolical questions that CEO`s ask during interviews”.

You know already that there are thousands of articles like this online. But I read it anyway. These were actually questions from CEOs of startups or vice presidents in some multinationals I never heard of. I should have guessed.

But there was a question that was unique: “would you prefer to be God or the devil?”. The author didn’t mention any responses, but it was still intriguing.

In my opinion, during an interview, a question that I would ask would be: “do you to be a dictator or a role model inside the team that you will lead?“. As we all know, most people will try to balance the answer and try not to give a definite answer as they feel it might be a trap. Continue reading “Career counseling #16: Dictator or role model” →