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Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
391–400 of 579 posts
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#392Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Far less chances of getting injuries with bodyweight exercises I found no evidence for this, arguments seems to boil down to an "appeal to nature". Many variations of bodyweight exercices are far from healthy for tendons (single arm push ups or single arm pull ups for example), even basic push ups are harder on the shoulders than dumbbell bench press. If you keep the rep range above 15-20 the risk of injury is pret…
>> Far less chances of getting injuries with bodyweight exercises > I found no evidence for this, From Wikipedia: """ Bodyweight exercises have a far lower risk of injury compared to using free weights and machines due to the absence of an external load that is placing strain on the muscles that they may or may not be able to deal with. However, the lower risk of injury is only provided that the athlete/trainee is pr…
I stand corrected on this, my sentence was too strong and large, I should have been more specific. I still maintain the rest of my points though.
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#393Earlier quoted context omitted.
During my interviews, I notice a profound difference in performance when I drank 2 gallons of water a day before the interview. I got out of those interviews thinking, How did I even come up with that solution? I pocketed a few offers and drinking water definitely played a pretty big role. Now I drink 2 gallons of water every day, it's become a habit and I feel sharp every day.
2 US liquid gallons? 7.5 liters?
Yeah. 2 of those gallon bottles.
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#394Earlier quoted context omitted.
During my interviews, I notice a profound difference in performance when I drank 2 gallons of water a day before the interview. I got out of those interviews thinking, How did I even come up with that solution? I pocketed a few offers and drinking water definitely played a pretty big role. Now I drink 2 gallons of water every day, it's become a habit and I feel sharp every day.
I go to the gym every day, which has had a profound effect on my life. But I also drink a lot more water than I did before. Perhaps a combination of the two have helped me a lot of the last year?
Yeah workout + water is a great combination
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#395Learning to use a modern DSLR camera in fully manual mode. I now intuitively understand the relationship between the control inputs of shutter speed, aperture and ISO and the outputs of image brightness and depth of field (I still mostly use auto-focus). I have sufficient muscle memory for the controls that my big complex camera is truly a point and shoot device and I can have a few pictures in the can while the crow…
I often feel an urge to go for an SLR. For me the biggest draw, to be honest, is the optical viewfinder. What do you think about modifying photos a lot after taking them? What are your views on photographs that are just those moments locked in time forever and otherwise when you try and modify them (esp. in the age of social media).
For most of my work my post-processing is 'darkroom' equivalent - shooting raw and then checking the white balance, and levels/curves (in Photoshop terms). I'll often crop. If I'm trying to flatter a model I might do some minimal retouching. And that's it! I don't usually return to a shot once I've done this basic processing.
For digital art my starting point is usually a 3D render created in something like Daz Studio rather than a real-world photo
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#396Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is no contradiction actually. While talking about the state of Sanskrit in school education, Chamu Krishna Shastry says[1] that schools are factories for producing students who hate Sanskrit. IMO, whatever other reasons there may be, a most compelling reason for learning a language is its poetry (Robert Frost defined poetry as that which gets lost in translation), and here Sanskrit poetry is unlike anything in…
Are you the editor of the essays, "SHREEVATSA R."?
Yes. (Mohan kindly included my name as "edited by", but all it means is that I read his essays and gave some feedback / made minor suggestions, before he posted it.)
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#397Earlier quoted context omitted.
Definitely this. The majority of people I've worked with over the years have used a keyboard as their main interface but simply do not know how to use it. Learning the keyboard does more than just making typing faster. It enables you to banish the rat and achieve far greater overall efficiency.
What is the best way to learn typing well? Any particular app? Also, what is the criteria - speed / accuracy?
It's very easy. One and only rule: Never look at your keyboard. Cover it with carboard if you cant resist looking. First week will be a pain but eventually it will just get faster.
Another good tip is to know what the "home row" is but if you've already developed a fast personal style you don't have to follow it strictly.
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#398Earlier quoted context omitted.
Same experience for me with the guitar. I really don't know why I waited so long. I picked it up in my 50s; I wonder where I might be now if I'd picked it up in my 20s. Until I started learning something as hard as the guitar, everything I'd had to learn in the past had come pretty easily to me, so I didn't need to study hard in school, etc, but that meant that I just passed on the really hard things (like advanced m…
Any issues with finger speed or dexterity?
Well I don't have particularly high expectations of myself so I'm not sure how I'd define 'issues'. :) For me the dexterity is a learned skill just like memorising the chords/notes.
I think very young people might have an advantage in how quickly they gain the required dexterity. However I've usually associated a young person's ability to learn the guitar quickly with the fact that most young people have a lot of free time on their hands and they just spend a lot more time practising than a busy adult.
Unless you've got an explicit ailment (eg arthritis) I don't think age is a barrier. "Working man's hands" might slow you down a bit at the start. I guess I'm lucky to have "programmers hands" :)
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#399> Your most important asset is your ability to produce income. I think that's an incredibly sad way to view yourself and your life, albeit I bet that for many people producing income is the single most important thing. I see that as a consequence and a failure of society.
I think it's just pragmatic. It shouldn't be interpreted as a statement on how things should be, or how we might want them to be. Virtually everything in my life is predicated on me having and earning money. I think it's best to just come to terms with that and try to not spend too much time dwelling on it.
I don't think the statement is much different from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs placing physiological needs at the base.
Re: Ask HN: What things have richly rewarded the time invested in mastering them?
#400Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seconding swimming, just make sure you have good form. Also, if you’re having musculoskeletal issues, maybe pick a couple different activities and do them in rotation. Diversity in workouts is good if your objective is to stay healthy/generally strong as opposed to having a particular physique or because you want to excel at a sport.
This is why I do triathlon + weightlifting. For me, it’s the perfect blend.
Mini trampoline rebounding for cardio + weightlifting.