Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#51

Post by stephengillie » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:24 PM UTC

hooande wrote: post #28

If I could talk to my younger self I would say: "All of the things that you care about are completely meaningless. The school assignments, girls, money for the weekend...none of it matters, not even a little bit. Gather knowledge on how to make things that help people. Start now and never stop." This question leads to another...why don't people tell these things to their kids? "You don't have to wait to grow up to do…

I think most parents don't tell that to their children because it's so demoralizing. How do you feel when someone tells you that everything you care about is meaningless? When I've heard that, it makes my life feel meaningless, like I should just give up now.

The rest is directly countered by teachers and classmates in public school. You're told you can't do things until you're older, and mistakes and differences are punished.

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#52

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:24 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#53

Post by squidsoup » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:28 PM UTC

uhs wrote: post #47

23 now. I'd tell my 15 year old self to just commit suicide already because it doesn't get any better.

Having been this low myself, I can tell you that it can always get better, but fundamentally you have to want it to.

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#54

Post by jtbigwoo » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:31 PM UTC

To my sixteen-year-old self: You're not a jock even though you've got a letter jacket. Be who you are rather than who you look like.

To my eighteen-year-old self: That girl that sits on your lap sometimes before class? She probably likes you. That one that always finds a way to stand next to you? She probably likes you, too. Maybe think about asking one of them out.

To my twenty-two-year-old self: Experience matters. Pay attention to what the successful forty-year-olds in the office do rather than spending all your time with the other recent grads. Watch how the partners handle clients.

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#55

Post by Ralith » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:47 PM UTC

majorlazer wrote: post #17

I am 21 now, but I would tell my 18 year old self to spend less time reading reddit/digg and start building more stuff. And also, finish your projects and focus!

Your future self asked me to tell you to spend less time reading HN and start building more stuff.

And also, finish your projects and focus!

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#56

Post by twfarland » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 9:48 PM UTC

hooande wrote: post #28

If I could talk to my younger self I would say: "All of the things that you care about are completely meaningless. The school assignments, girls, money for the weekend...none of it matters, not even a little bit. Gather knowledge on how to make things that help people. Start now and never stop." This question leads to another...why don't people tell these things to their kids? "You don't have to wait to grow up to do…

Some people do tell these things to their kids. Really.

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#57

Post by BadassFractal » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 10:05 PM UTC

hooande wrote: post #28

If I could talk to my younger self I would say: "All of the things that you care about are completely meaningless. The school assignments, girls, money for the weekend...none of it matters, not even a little bit. Gather knowledge on how to make things that help people. Start now and never stop." This question leads to another...why don't people tell these things to their kids? "You don't have to wait to grow up to do…

This is very relevant to me. As someone who's doing the SV startup thing full time, spending all of my waking hours on learning / doing stuff / meeting people, am I seriously not going to regret taking a dump on my 20s in 10 or 20 years? Am I not going to regret missing out on youth, girls, fun and so on, if I spend all of these years working on achieving my dreams?

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#58

Post by lukethomas » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 10:08 PM UTC

Learning is NOT dependent on school. I am in charge of my education.

Take the initiative and recognize that the stuff worth learning takes tons of work, so stick with it and don't give up!

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#59

Post by yotsuba » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 10:09 PM UTC

Things don't need to have a huge scope to be good, do smaller projects and make them good. Flash isn't so bad, just use whatever is easiest to develop in. It'll make you happy, comp sci isn't for you :)

Re: Ask HN: What one thing would you tell your younger self?

#60

Post by dholowiski » Wed, Jul 18, 2012, 10:10 PM UTC

Don't live near where you are born just because you feel like you should. Do your research and move to a city that fits you. It doesn't matter how far away it is. Don't stay somewhere just because you feel tied to that place.

I wish I had realized that 15 years ago.