551–560 of 570 posts
Instead of wasting all my money in my 20s it would've been much smarter to save it as I would be a lot more well of today than I am currently.
How did you waste it?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's not just HN, stoics hit a "rational coder" approach to life chord with those who fight computers all day.
I think it might be more that a lot of people in tech have poor work-life balances and bad interpersonal dynamics, and this causes high stress and receptivity to coping mechanisms.
Much of what modern Stoics put forth appears to be an excuse to dissociate from emotional pain, not cope with unchangeable fate or hardship.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Jobs was good at echoing the wisdom of people smarter than him, but not so great at using those principles to fix his own life. This applies to most people.
Yep, my favorite philosopher, Alan Watts basically died from alcoholism. Though, I am not sure whether his teachings would condone that or not for I have seen a few people argue either way.
The thing with alcohol (and most psychoactive drugs) is it literally changes the brain - and by that the person. The young person that says: "I would never let it get this far!" is basically right when it says that. But prolonged use of the drug changes that person. And that new person definitely will let it get this far, because it sees new justifications for doing so.
I know from experience unfortunately.
I don't think sober Alan Watts would approve of severe alcoholism as something 'no better or worse' than any other activity to spend your day. But I can clearly see a drinking Alan Watts run circles around anybody arguing the same thing.
Focused too much on making a living in my teens and 20s instead of college and social life. Never pursued artistic interests seriously because I was just too tired from working and stressing out about bills. Now I’m in my 30s with next to no social life and the realization that I’ve wasted away my time and whatever little talent I have. There’s a “regret” folder sitting in my Google Drive with two half-finished books…
When Günter Grass (famous German author) was asked for advice to young writers he said something like: "Don't try to become a writer just because you want to be one. And if you absolutely must do it, don't study languages. Pick a career that forces you into contact with lots of people. A waiter in a restaurant or something. If young people start to write without knowing the world, they risk writing about their own belly button too soon." (Writing about your belly button being an expression for writing about your own selfish viewpoints and insecurities)
I'm in my mid thirties and published my first short stories last year. I'm very pleased with the result and I'm glad I didn't publish my earlier stuff. I was terribly opinionated while trying to sound enlightened and only out to prove something to myself and the world. Now I have the maturity to be more expressive and it shows in the feedback I get. (Always express, never impress they say.)
Now I'm putting off my first novel to learn about computers, because I feel like having a good job is a more pressing issue right now than artistic expression.
And I'm absolutely positive that it won't be too late for my novel when I'm 40.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it might be more that a lot of people in tech have poor work-life balances and bad interpersonal dynamics, and this causes high stress and receptivity to coping mechanisms.
That's exactly what I think. Much of what modern Stoics put forth appears to be an excuse to dissociate from emotional pain, not cope with unchangeable fate or hardship.
I think I need to add that I don't mean to judge for this. I've been in similar places too. It can be a fine line with many shades of gray between "dissocation" and "coping". Some of it may be useful to somebody. Falling into it as a trap is very human.
I don't really "believe" in regret. At each and every point in my life, I was working with the information I had at my disposal, each information having its own "weight" in my mind. Every mistake I've made has brought some information in my mind that wouldn't have been brought otherwise. Fantasies of "changing the past" are seductive, but ultimately pointless. The only way I could justify having regrets, is reminding…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m quite familiar with Ireland (I’ve lived there), and the Irish government’s process for citizen applications. Hard no from me for various reasons. It’s why I said “other than Ireland”. I have other options though and I’m actively exploring them. But unsurprisingly none are “easy” :-)
Care to spill the beans on why "Hard no?". I have to say that seeing the way the UK is going, (or should I say England since the rest of the UK probably will break off before long, Scotland for sure) , Ireland looks tempting to me. I'd worry about anti-English sentiment there. People bitch about the Irish health service but NHS probably no better now it seems to me.
Your concerns about anti English sentiment are valid. I got tired of the “we’re just joking” excuse.
The housing crisis is extreme. Foreigners often think it can’t be that bad. It’s 10x worse than you think.
Car centric society (understandable - it’s been built that way).
Similar issues to the UK when it comes to landlord politicians, housing policies, healthcare, transport, prices etc.
Hard to make true friends. That’s from my friends who have lived there over 10 years and are very sociable people.
I could go on but it’ll be opinion and not direct experience and I don’t want to offend any Irish people reading this.
I regret hearing the lies spoken during sex education when I was in fifth grade in 1987. The public school I was forced to attend brought in a sociologist to do the damage. She told us that we had to release our libido energy regularly - either by having sexual relations with another person or by masturbation, and that this was okay and healthy. Self control and abstinence were presented as being unrealistic. This pr…
The first time I saw a movie where the protagonist was a "sex addict" and was going to group therapy, akin to AA, I couldn't believe it. At that point I was abroad, working for a US company. I eventually moved to the US a few years later.
At some point I realized that my bias towards this came from my cultural background, and it was actually hard to explain it to co-workers, or other Americans in general.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Care to spill the beans on why "Hard no?". I have to say that seeing the way the UK is going, (or should I say England since the rest of the UK probably will break off before long, Scotland for sure) , Ireland looks tempting to me. I'd worry about anti-English sentiment there. People bitch about the Irish health service but NHS probably no better now it seems to me.
I regularly suffer homophobia. (I still visit regularly). I’ve been spat at, intimidated on public transport, stared at, pointed at, ignored in cafes etc. Never experienced that anywhere in the UK…or anywhere else I’ve traveled and lived. Your concerns about anti English sentiment are valid. I got tired of the “we’re just joking” excuse. The housing crisis is extreme. Foreigners often think it can’t be that bad. It’s…
I dabbed into programming when I was 25 and thought I was late. I also killed my business pre-maturely going the safe route when first hardship occurred. I suppose fear got better of me.
I am incredibly grateful for where I am, but the monkey brain always wants more and asks what if...