I recommend starting with the book "I'm OK, you're OK". It teaches you transactional analysis, which is a useful toolset to both understand oneself and others.
My HTPC/couch driver is a Windows VM living inside of Unraid. Has been since 2019. Really happy with it. Close to bare-metal performance. Using it for gaming, movies and browsing.
The VM has four cpu cores with a passed through graphics card, sound card and its own SSD. Just to be able to watch 4K HDR content in Kodi.
- BIFL quality items, like clothing from brands that will happily repair stuff if it breaks or send you replacement items if you can fix it yourself.
- Skilled laborers/consultants of any kind. Plumbers, electricians, financial advisors, lawyers or specialized health personnel like manual therapists.
I will happily spend hours just to do that initial research, to find a brand that is less likely to disappoint or fall short of my expectations.
If I can maintain and service it myself I will gladly pay a premium price. Examples could be a leather belt or shoes, hardwood flooring or anything that can be repaired and serviced like tools and knives.
https://www.rawpixel.com/search/ernst%20haeckel?page=1&sort=...
I've got several of these on my walls :)