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Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#11

Post by Jugurtha »

jurgenwerk wrote: post #10
poormystic wrote: post #8

I was a technician doing industrial microcomputer repairs with that v=ir mentality and life got impossible. Somehow I found it in myself to pray for faith and was rewarded with a satori experience. That's more than 30 years ago now. My life changed a lot.

What's v=ir mentality?

v=ri is a simple case of Ohm's law, with an impedance with no reactive component and no funny signals.

Being "v=ri" or having a "v=ri" mentality means not asking too many questions or not bothering with details or nuance. The meaning is contextual and depends on the delivery.

"That guy is v=ri", means a simpleton, without nuance or character depth, rigid, or extremely effective. It can either be a compliment or an insult, depending on the delivery.

"I was hungry and found a sandwich that's a week old. I was like v=ri" (meaning the person ate the sandwich withtout asking too many questions).

It also means not bothering to understand things and blindly following a rule all the time. No questions asked.

In the context of the comment, I believe it is repairing industrial microcomputers with a multimeter and a soldering iron, checking continuity, replacing parts, without digging deeper.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#12

Post by runjake »

uvw wrote: post #7

Not financially, but mentally. I was married to a woman who was and still is incredibly petty, emotional, dishonest and all around an awful person. I developed sleep apnea, depression. I would drive around after work so as to not come home earlier than I needed to. I tried to block her out and focus my energy on my autistic son. Lost all friends as I didn't know how to talk to them about my family problems. Stopped t…

And your kid?

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#14

Post by uvw »

runjake wrote: post #12
uvw wrote: post #7

Not financially, but mentally. I was married to a woman who was and still is incredibly petty, emotional, dishonest and all around an awful person. I developed sleep apnea, depression. I would drive around after work so as to not come home earlier than I needed to. I tried to block her out and focus my energy on my autistic son. Lost all friends as I didn't know how to talk to them about my family problems. Stopped t…

And your kid?

He is with my soon to be ex. During my parenting time I teach him, we cook together, have long conversations, play board games, take him out for fun and hikes. With all her faults, the ex is not a bad mother.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#17

Post by ak39 »

Jugurtha wrote: post #11
jurgenwerk wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's v=ir mentality?

v=ri is a simple case of Ohm's law, with an impedance with no reactive component and no funny signals. Being "v=ri" or having a "v=ri" mentality means not asking too many questions or not bothering with details or nuance. The meaning is contextual and depends on the delivery. "That guy is v=ri", means a simpleton, without nuance or character depth, rigid, or extremely effective. It can either be a compliment or an in…

Thank you for explaining this so clearly. How old is this meme?

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#18

Post by Jugurtha »

ak39 wrote: post #17
Jugurtha wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

v=ri is a simple case of Ohm's law, with an impedance with no reactive component and no funny signals. Being "v=ri" or having a "v=ri" mentality means not asking too many questions or not bothering with details or nuance. The meaning is contextual and depends on the delivery. "That guy is v=ri", means a simpleton, without nuance or character depth, rigid, or extremely effective. It can either be a compliment or an in…

Thank you for explaining this so clearly. How old is this meme?

You're welcome. It has been fifteen years. I was trained as an electronics engineer. We mainly used that expression in EE starting with the first two years of common core (people who plan to do engineering - except CS-, maths, or physics go through two common core years where it's mostly physics/maths/chemistry/alloys/machining/materials strength, etc. and it is in that cohort that this was popular).

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever hit absolute rock bottom?

#19

Post by audiometry »

Based on my own rock-bottom experience ( a very first-world rock-bottom problem ), I'd wouldn't identify them by some kind of 'objective measure of misery' litmus test. Instead I'd identify by saying, "a problem where my existing coping mechanisms no longer enable me to cope."

That's why some of these rock-bottom experiences can be great turns in life -- it forces you to do away with now-unhelpful coping strategies and find better ones.

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