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Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

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Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#281

Post by quickthrower2 »

teekert wrote: post #220
starpilot wrote: post #169

I found a tolerable job with friendly people in a city that I like. My manager at said tolerable job gives me tasks to complete. In exchange, I get paid money which I use to live.

But don't you feel like there are things out there, things you truly enjoy so much that you will do them more than others and you will naturally start to excel at them and someone might even pay you for it? Maybe not now or tomorrow or next year, but there must be parts of your job that are not only tolerable but actually nice... would it hurt you to try to get more if the nice and less of the tolerable, year over ye…

I agree with you. There are a lot of "zen" comments flying around, which is good. But I think why be stuck in a groove that you decided on probably about age 14 (when you choose which subjects to study, whether to go to uni and then what job to do). Based on what you know now it is good to make a change.

On the other hand "chop wood" to me means don't get too caught up in the results. Don't beat up yourself because you are next the next Elon.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#282

Post by swagasaurus-rex »

Kkoala wrote: post #230
capocannoniere wrote: post #217

Paul Graham wrote an essay on this topic, aimed towards high-school students. His advice: stay upwind http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html > Instead of working back from a goal, work forward from promising situations. This is what most successful people actually do anyway. > Suppose you're a college freshman deciding whether to major in math or economics. Well, math will give you more options: you can go into almost any…

I did pretty much like he advised, though I haven't seen this article before now. I got bored at high school and life in general. I discovered programming and thought that it's fascinating. So I decided to learn programming. I self-learned and started building my own projects, big and small. But now a couple years after my biggest regret is exactly the same, why did I waste so much time at high school and why didn't…

There is plenty of time to learn the things we want to learn.

How long does it take to get a bachelors in college? 4 years? How many years do we have in a lifetime? Not including our youth? 60? 70?

All it takes is dedication and persistence to learn the things we want to learn.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#283

Post by siliconc0w »

These aren't immutable choices. Go talk to people in those industries. Send emails, setup lunches/coffees, take online courses, volunteer/itern and try to get some experience.

You can be equally successful, productive, happy, or miserable no matter the direction.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#284

Post by fphhotchips »

teekert wrote: post #240
Zelmor wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You suggest making my hobby my work. Think about that for a second.

I thought about it a lot, It's what I strive for, I'm liking it. It's more like: I'm suggesting you get paid for doing your hobby.

This is one way to do it, but as others point out, that's potentially going to lead to you being burned out on your work and your hobby, and where does that leave you?

My way is very simple - I have a job that gives me moments I enjoy (adrenaline rush and connection with broad and interesting groups of people), but I would never do it on the weekend - I find it far too mentally draining. On the weekend I do things that are completely different. Whether they be sports, video games, social events or whatever, by being diverse in my work-hobby mix, I make sure that I don't burn out on just one thing.

This does not make me one of the cool kids at programming conferences, does not land me a spot on the olympic team, does not get me 10,000 viewers on Twitch and does not make me a member of the social elite, but it does make me happy, so I guess it's working out.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#285

Post by yesenadam »

I want to be careful with this decision, to avoid any future regrets

Don't forget to consider that you may regret whatever you do - by human nature, the grass is proverbially always greener on the other side. People who have kids may wish they hadn't, but if they hadn't, they may have regretted that - in both cases thinking they'd made the wrong choice. Socrates and Kierkegaard, among others, discussed this as a basic feature of life - how regret seems 'objective', but it's far from it.

"Marry or do not marry, you will regret it either way. ...Laugh at the stupidities of the world or weep over them, you will regret it either way. ...Trust a girl or do not trust her, you will regret it either way. ...Hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret it either way. ...This, gentlemen, is the quintessence of all the wisdom of life." - Kierkegaard, Either/Or

(The Preface of Either/Or even says about the book's chapters "Read them or do not read them, you will regret it either way."!)

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#286

Post by mirimir »

flixic wrote: post #184
starpilot wrote: post #169

I found a tolerable job with friendly people in a city that I like. My manager at said tolerable job gives me tasks to complete. In exchange, I get paid money which I use to live.

Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

Well, sure.

But it does seem that many people who say that to you aren't doing much chopping and carrying. Because, you know, you are.

But they still need to maintain themselves. Eating, washing, etc, etc, etc. I could come up with a hardcore basic riff on that saying, but it'd be gross. So I'll let you imagine it.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#287

Post by rout39574 »

hopler wrote: post #227
capocannoniere wrote: post #217

Paul Graham wrote an essay on this topic, aimed towards high-school students. His advice: stay upwind http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html > Instead of working back from a goal, work forward from promising situations. This is what most successful people actually do anyway. > Suppose you're a college freshman deciding whether to major in math or economics. Well, math will give you more options: you can go into almost any…

That sounds like "life your life in analysis paralysis, and never decide to actually do anything"

Try instead, "Get a minimum viable product out there, and iterate like mad".

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#288

Post by jarofgreen »

cs02rm0 wrote: post #179
nnd wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My biggest issue with 80,000 hours is that it's a rational, but radically uninspiring advice in the end. It is a framework for those who buy into "don't follow your passion advice", and try to maximize their utility function instead.

I've only had a quick look. I really like the idea of the site, almost desperately so. But the lists of top things to work on that I found seemed a bit disappointing. AI safety policy made the top of one list. My undergrad AI lecturer told us that it was widely "known" AI was soon going to be generally smarter than humans when he was an undergrad. He wasn't convinced evolutionary changes were going to get us there. I…

Is that not talking about general A.I. tho? And sure, many people argue that might never happen ... But we already have many specific A.I.s, and those specific A.I.s are already making lots of big decisions that affect people's lifes. Sounds like some safety policy there could be worth thinking about.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#289

Post by jv22222 »

The answer for me has been “work on what I want to work on” and it has gradually shifted to be something that helps other people.

So, for me, I think you’re better off starting doing something you want and seeing where that takes you.

Also, this: https://sivers.org/hellyeah

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#290

Post by baddash »

starpilot wrote: post #169

I found a tolerable job with friendly people in a city that I like. My manager at said tolerable job gives me tasks to complete. In exchange, I get paid money which I use to live.

In what way do you choose to live with said money?
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