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Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

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Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#561

Post by freeone3000 »

Hitton wrote: post #473
dfansteel wrote: post #446

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I cook or eat left overs 6 nights a week at this point. Beyond saving a massive amount of money it's shocking how much better the steak I make myself is than one I can get out. Most cities have kitchen equipment stores (not just Bed Bath) that actually have cooking courses you can take. Now "home made pasta" starts with flour and eggs.

Saving massive amount of money? Judging just from demographic that uses hackernews (mostly tech workers), I think it's actually cheaper to eat out if you measure price of your time by how much money would you earn in that time while working compared to shopping for the ingredients, cooking and doing dishes.

That's not really how salaried positions work. You can't convert free time back into money, it's just gone.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#562

Post by tlapinsk »

alasano wrote: post #125

No matter what you choose to learn, it's good to learn how to learn. You have the free "Learning how to learn" course on coursera : https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn And I'm currently reading a book called "Ultralearning" by a guy called Scott H Young who I imagine is the type of person to be on hacker news and be like "Hey, thanks for recommending my book!" https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/ultrale…

Highly recommend the "Learning How to Learn" Coursera course. I took it late last year and believe it is a must for anyone interested in continual learning. It can be cheesy at times and seem like common sense, but the material is highly applicable to your daily life.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#563

Post by anon73044 »

the_gastropod wrote: post #386
astura wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have friends who eat out every single meal of every single day. I have friends who do too but it's not because they don't know how to cook, it's because they don't like to and don't wanna bother and can afford the luxury of having someone else to do it for them.

I have a suspicion this kind of living, in part, explains why so many people are miserable. I feel like removing every inconvenient thing from your life, and "having someone else do it for you" must make your ability to handle discomfort atrophy to the point where the tiniest unpleasantness feels like a catastrophe. Like muscles, your brain, your immune system, etc., we need a little discomfort / struggle once in a w…

"The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck" goes into this at length.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#564

Post by kerkeslager »

JamesBarney wrote: post #434
kerkeslager wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any athletic pursuit is going to injure you eventually. Not pursuing any athletics is going to kill you and make the late years of your life frustrating a you lose capabilities. And you'll probably get injured as your body deteriorates. You choose.

Sure, but there are ways to start active and keep your core, lower back, and legs strong that have lower injury rates than deadlifts and squats.

Do you have stats to back that up? I'm having trouble finding it, but the only study I've ever seen on the subject showed lifting as being fairly on par with other athletic activities.

However, when it comes to results, squat and deadlift are way ahead in producing muscular and skeletal adaptation.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#566

Post by akeck »

james_impliu wrote: post #155

- First-principles based reading. I fell into the easy trap of just reading business books that cover tactics. Read biographies of people who've accomplished a lot. Read how computers and electronics work at a more fundamental level, not just how to code. Basically, just apply some conscious thought to the kinds of books you read, and don't think of books as an instruction manual for right now. They're part of your g…

I once rowed a "half marathon" on an erg (~21km) on a whim (with a "slow and steady" strategy). It was amazing to me how much of finishing it was mental - especially the last third.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#567

Post by tomatocracy »

jdgiese wrote: post #369
astura wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have friends who eat out every single meal of every single day. I have friends who do too but it's not because they don't know how to cook, it's because they don't like to and don't wanna bother and can afford the luxury of having someone else to do it for them.

I love cooking sometimes, but then again, other-times I would rather spend my time working on a client project. When you add up the time spent: 1. planning meals (may be minimal if you can ad-hoc quickly) 2. walking/driving to the grocery store 3. cooking 4. cleaning It can easily be more expensive for an individual person (or even a couple) to cook than it is to eat out. (I think this makes intuitive sense too, sinc…

I think this is why the usual advice is usually 'learn a few dishes you like', not 'cook something new every day'. Once you have a few recipes nailed, you don't need to spend time planning etc, and you can work out a pattern whereby you know exactly what to buy each time you go to the store (which you'd be doing anyway) without needing to think. And for washing/cleaning up, there are dishwashers.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#568

Post by mywittyname »

quincy_daniels wrote: post #524
the_gastropod wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a suspicion this kind of living, in part, explains why so many people are miserable. I feel like removing every inconvenient thing from your life, and "having someone else do it for you" must make your ability to handle discomfort atrophy to the point where the tiniest unpleasantness feels like a catastrophe. Like muscles, your brain, your immune system, etc., we need a little discomfort / struggle once in a w…

I agree with your general sentiment. However, in my anecdotal sampling of people who frequently cook vs frequently eat out, tolerance for discomfort is greater in those that frequently eat out. Especially in relation to food, where those who frequently cook almost can't tolerate food cooked by others. Further on the food front, people who cook seem to be more heavily affected by fasting, or less willing to tolerate i…

> where those who frequently cook almost can't tolerate food cooked by others.

I suspect this is because people have a small repertoire of food which is largely designed specifically for their palette. I know that I have a very strong preference for the way I cook foods. But I also can't handle certain foods, notably olives, mushrooms, and raw tomatoes.

> Further on the food front, people who cook seem to be more heavily affected by fasting, or less willing to tolerate it.

This has not been my experience, but N=1 because I'm the only person I know who regularly fasts. I'm fine cooking for others while fasting too.

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#569

Post by boring_twenties »

sharadov wrote: post #509
the_gastropod wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a suspicion this kind of living, in part, explains why so many people are miserable. I feel like removing every inconvenient thing from your life, and "having someone else do it for you" must make your ability to handle discomfort atrophy to the point where the tiniest unpleasantness feels like a catastrophe. Like muscles, your brain, your immune system, etc., we need a little discomfort / struggle once in a w…

We are becoming one trick ponies, only defined by the work that we do. There is something about cooking, doing things with your hands that is fundamental to the human experience. I cook, but I also like to order in, sometimes I just microwave stuff. It depends on your mood.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

Re: Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

#570

Post by sq1020 »

stakkur wrote: post #491

Marcus Aurelius' Stoic idea of winning the morning. This means doing your best to make the most of the first part of the day: arise early and jump into doing the most important tasks of the day. Practice good habits. Then, as the day expands and becomes less in your control, you've 'won' the morning. I use 'win the morning!' almost as a mantra, and just that single, simple idea been life-changing.

Great advice. Waking up early at the same time every day even the weekend does wonders.
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