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Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

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Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#891

Post by wruza »

hbn wrote: post #22

Not really "wrong" but at some point in the last couple years I was using my microwave, putting something in for a minute, and for that I've always input 1:00 but suddenly I realized how obvious it was that I can just be inputting 60. As long as you can easily modulo the time, this works for the range 1 minute (60) to 1 minute 39 seconds (99). Technically you could also do this for times like 2:65 instead of 3:05 but…

You all won’t believe me, but I just turn the knob to 1 minute, turn the power setting and close the door (in any order). No “input” required.

It’s amazing how they manage to sell that touch nonsense for $$$$.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#893

Post by d13 »

tashoecraft wrote: post #163

Wearing modern shoes. As a society, we have somehow led everyone down the path that feet must be wrapped in socks that constrict the feet, then placed in shoes that are designed for looks and not anatomy. It's led to generations of people that have weak feet, and unnecessary pain all throughout their body because the base of what they stand on has been weakened. Wearing toe socks and minimalist shoes, combined with g…

I suggest flip flops for almost everything. I hiked to Annapurna Bass Camp in a pair and was the only one in my trekking part not suffering from chronic foot pain.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#894

Post by dghughes »

blahedo wrote: post #351
mtlynch wrote: post #33

Staying warm. In the winter, I used to stay warm by turning up the thermostat. Then I discovered (via HN) the Low-Tech Magazine article, "Insulation: first the body, then the home." [0] The article argued that it's much more efficient to focus on heating yourself rather than your whole living space. I invested in high-quality wool clothes that I wear in layers and warm slippers. Now, I keep my home about 5 degrees F…

I've known this one for years and years but it always surprises a few of my students (who come from warmer climates) when I mention it: The scarf goes on the inside of the coat. If you put the scarf on the outside, like you think you've seen in TV and movies, it's just decoration. Put it on the inside and it's an insulation layer and it blocks the cold air from blowing down your front. Absolutely game-changing. (Also…

As a Canadian my tips are:

At my local college there are a lot of people from the Bahamas. They often wear hoodies and sandals with socks in the winter! It can get to -20C here and hoodies just won't cut it and sandals with socks could very quickly mean frost bite.

Yes scarfs are great since necks are a prime spot to loose heat during winter. A scarf or even a hood both together are even better. Long coats too none of these waits level ones get a coat at least past your waist preferably past your butt.

Layers are important more for temperature control. Even a hoodies and some sweaters can be warm if you have enough and one outside with wind protection.

Boots not sneakers to keep warm and the grip. So many people wear sneakers all winter now it blows me away. They're slippery, cold, and they probably cost more than winter boots these days.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#895

Post by xp84 »

everyone wrote: post #456
rjmill wrote: post #152

When my then-gf/now-wife and I first moved in together, I got really mad at her because she kept "hiding" my stuff when I left it out for more than a day. I couldn't find anything! At some point, I yelled, "It's like you don't even want to see any of my things when I'm not using them!" Then I stopped for a second. For the first time in my life, it made sense. The whole point of putting things away is to hide them! No…

I totally disagree. If you use something fairly regularly then leave it out in the spot where it is used all the time.. What harm does something merely being visible do? .. Hiding it away does harm as 1. You will waste time putting it away and retrieving it every time you use it 2. there's the extra mental load of remembering where it goes 3. you may forget where it is. This reminds me of the difference between 'tidy…

> Hiding it away does harm as 1. You will waste time putting it away and retrieving it every time you use it

Trust me, I suck at tidying and have a cluttered mess, so I'm not being Marie Kondo here.

Your logic works but only so far. If you put nothing "away" all your "working surfaces" will eventually be covered with crap -- except of course it's not crap, it's your things that you intended to keep easily at hand. It'll make it so that it's a chore to find things and also a chore to have a useful space to actually DO anything. Sure, leave out a set of favorite often-used stuff, like say, bread on the counter instead of away in a pantry, your most-worn shoes on the floor by the door, whatever. But curating that set of stuff that is important enough to be "just left out" is important, and it's a REAL challenge for me!!

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#896

Post by gompertz »

mtlynch wrote: post #33

Staying warm. In the winter, I used to stay warm by turning up the thermostat. Then I discovered (via HN) the Low-Tech Magazine article, "Insulation: first the body, then the home." [0] The article argued that it's much more efficient to focus on heating yourself rather than your whole living space. I invested in high-quality wool clothes that I wear in layers and warm slippers. Now, I keep my home about 5 degrees F…

I would love to do this except it's usually my hands that are coldest, and I need them out to type on keyboard majority of time. Thus I have a space heater in my office.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#897

Post by OkayPhysicist »

tremon wrote: post #855
charlie0 wrote: post #429

Buying fewer more expensive items of clothing > buying more items at a much cheaper price point. I've noticed this the most with outdoorsy equipment, like my pair of wool socks (Darn Tough). They are 3x more expensive that cotton, but they keep my feet warm without overheating them, are thicker so I can comfortably walk around the house with no other footwear, they don't hardly get smelly, they also dry really fast.…

This only applies when you can accurately judge the quality of the clothes. I've stopped buying mid-market clothing a few years ago because they didn't last longer than the cheap stuff.

Mid-market for most things is a scam. The honest price points for most goods are "As cheap as they can be manufactured" and "As expensive as the majority of people who really care about a quality product will pay". Between those two, a middle range of products pop up, targeting people who are hesitant to buy cheap stuff, but aren't willing to shell out for premium goods, and thus ending up paying extra for cheap crap, and above the premium range you get into luxury items where the exorbitant cost is the selling point.

Clothing has a lot of this. For good clothes, you gotta shop on material and craftsmanship, and then get everything but your workout cloths and PJs tailored. Trying to buy clothes that fit right off the rack, or trying to figure out quality based on price range is just a losing game.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#898

Post by therealdrag0 »

mabbo wrote: post #38
mtlynch wrote: post #33

Staying warm. In the winter, I used to stay warm by turning up the thermostat. Then I discovered (via HN) the Low-Tech Magazine article, "Insulation: first the body, then the home." [0] The article argued that it's much more efficient to focus on heating yourself rather than your whole living space. I invested in high-quality wool clothes that I wear in layers and warm slippers. Now, I keep my home about 5 degrees F…

I don't like wearing big layers of clothing. I like being in a very light t-shirt. I'm happy to pay the extra cost to heat the room I'm in with a space heater in the winter time.

For me the game changer was flannel. I never knew it was different than plaid until this year. Turns out it’s sufficiently warm and way more comfortable than heavier layers like hoodies because of how light it is.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#899

Post by therealdrag0 »

nbaugh1 wrote: post #664
jethkl wrote: post #8

I thought colorblindness tests were designed to be tricky and subtle, so I always passed them through very close inspection. I'm just colorblind.

Had a friend who was absolutely convinced we were all pranking him when doing a colorblindness test. We were all doing the test because about 15 minutes prior, someone had asked him to grab a pink object off of a shelf and he came back with a green one in total seriousness

What cracked me up is when tons of color blind people on Reddit discovered peanut butter is not green.

Re: Ask HN: Something you’ve done your whole life that you realized is wrong?

#900

Post by NoPicklez »

w_for_wumbo wrote: post #764

Thinking other people's emotions were my responsibility (or likewise that other people were responsible for my emotions). I can control my actions and that is all. If someone reacts negatively, it's not my fault, and it's not my responsibility. I may choose to help them through it, but at the end of the day, I can't, nor should I want to control other people's emotions.

I think you have a responsibility to understand how your words and/or actions may impact someone else's emotions. It is then your decision to act in a suitable way to you.

But if something needs to be said, you shouldn't shy away from saying it, if you're worried about how they might react.

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