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Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#91

Post by sillysaurus3 »

paublyrne wrote: post #28

I would ask if you think uploading videos to youtube that you feel obliged to produce for the sake of being 'productive', is really contributing to society. We have a glut of online content. For every tweet that illuminates, there are 9 that constitute meaningless chatter, background noise that serves only to obfuscate the good stuff. The freedom that the internet has given people to communicate is a wonderful and em…

The freedom that the internet has given people to communicate is a wonderful and empowering thing, but the idea that we must 'produce' something to be contributing to our world is just wrong, in my opinion.

Isn't that the definition of contributing?

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#92

Post by eeZah7Ux »

ahmedk92 wrote: post #49
marvin wrote: post #27

I'm going to say something that might be wildly unpopular among ambitious people: If you have a full-time job, you are by far not a passive consumer. You presumably contribute >40 hours every week of creatively demanding, high-quality labor to society. For most people, the premise of this question is wrong. Procrastination, when you don't obviously have a lot of available time and effort, is a symptom that most of yo…

+1 I notice a hive-mind of looking-down on "ordinary work" even if it's not really challenging, and is actually isn't less purposeful than open source projects that get to the HN front-page. 'Coolness' is an unmeasured and a dangerous motivation.

Writing just another automation tool, application, website is hardly helping the planet. Making some billionaire company owner more wealthy even less.

Let's be honest: less than 10% of software jobs are producing something meaningful.

Meaningful | interesting | paid.

Pick one. Pick two if you are both very talented and lucky. Pick three if you are Torvalds.

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#93

Post by stvrbbns »

It sounds like part of the problem is not wanting to commit to just one of those tasks (assuming that releasing YouTube videos weekly would make it hard or impossible to also contribute to open source software, and write for a blog, etc.). If that is it, then I'd simply say "don't worry about it". A YouTube channel with 2 useful videos isn't a failed channel, it is 2 more useful videos on YouTube. Most visitors won't care whether or not you have 0 more or 100 more videos, or blog articles, so long as you can solve their current problem (whether that is entertainment, or instruction, or whatever).

Make sure to find something you enjoy doing so it's not just more work.

Don't confuse "being productive" with "seeking numeric social validation". For example, why would you make more videos? Is there content which you once wished were freely out there and can now provide yourself, or would you just feel better getting 100 views and 10 likes on a video you made instead of reading a book?

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#95

Post by Bakary »

abuani wrote: post #46

I've gone through this recently, and it's very difficult to overcome. I've read close to 50 books on topics like this, and some of the best advice I have gotten are from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Turn that ship around, Talent is Overrated, Flow, and The power of habit. These books provide mental models and frameworks that you can start using immediately to overcome this issue. What I've found is most peopl…

Isn't basing your values on the eulogy mind experiment you've described also a form of acting out of need for validation?

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#96

Post by Bakary »

hk__2 wrote: post #37
Profragile wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did that last year to avoid bullshit generated and perpetuated by people I know. This year, I decided to delete the reddit app to get away from bullshit generated and perpetuated by people I don't know. I still consume some bullshit, but I'm getting there.

reddit is an awesome source of information if you subscribe to the good subreddits (i.e. not crowded ones like /r/pics or /r/worldnews). I’ve learnt a lot from /r/photography and got very good feedback when I posted some projects on /r/python or /r/clojure.

If you can compartmentalize, then it's great, however I feel the danger lies in that for every useful tidbit you don't notice the rest of the time it sucks away from you.

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#97

Post by jv0010 »

marvin wrote: post #27

I'm going to say something that might be wildly unpopular among ambitious people: If you have a full-time job, you are by far not a passive consumer. You presumably contribute >40 hours every week of creatively demanding, high-quality labor to society. For most people, the premise of this question is wrong. Procrastination, when you don't obviously have a lot of available time and effort, is a symptom that most of yo…

Wow this is really good advice thanks :)

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#98

Post by cocktailpeanuts »

UnpossibleJim wrote: post #85
cocktailpeanuts wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy wants advice on "how", not some words to make him feel better about not doing stuff, so let's give him that. > for most people this is an exercise that will in the long run lead to burnout. Your mind is already subconsciously telling you this. I want to point out that this is one of the reasons why people never start things. Let me share my experience as someone who has started, AND burned out, multiple times…

I will counter with one (older person's, I guess) observation of a bunch of my friends who are now in their early to mid fourties and late thirties. The one's who focus on making a career and accomplishments, be they for social value or greater equality for all or the justice in society being more balanced, etc. etc...... anyway, they end up at my age, when naturally, the larger group starts to drift apart a bit, loo…

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with a lot of what you say.

That said, OP is looking for advice on how to do things, not a pat on the back for living a stress-free life, which is why I provided one.

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#99

Post by ThrowawayP »

cocktailpeanuts wrote: post #75
marvin wrote: post #27

I'm going to say something that might be wildly unpopular among ambitious people: If you have a full-time job, you are by far not a passive consumer. You presumably contribute >40 hours every week of creatively demanding, high-quality labor to society. For most people, the premise of this question is wrong. Procrastination, when you don't obviously have a lot of available time and effort, is a symptom that most of yo…

The guy wants advice on "how", not some words to make him feel better about not doing stuff, so let's give him that. > for most people this is an exercise that will in the long run lead to burnout. Your mind is already subconsciously telling you this. I want to point out that this is one of the reasons why people never start things. Let me share my experience as someone who has started, AND burned out, multiple times…

> Another mistake people make is thinking that burning out is like dying, and you can't recover.

Speak for yourself, buddy. I'm still trying to overcome medical issues from my last bout with burnout, including sleep disturbances and stress-related gastritis, and so far the medical profession hasn't had much luck in dealing with any of them.

Burnout and the stress that goes along with it can absolutely do lasting damage to your body.

Re: Ask HN: How do I switch from being a passive consumer to an active producer?

#100

Post by SFJulie »

I code, do ham, wine, gardening cider, bread, pastry, cooking, music, bike fixing, knitting, sometimes write and compose. The secret: being ruined and not having money for buying any of these goods.

Let me tell you, you sometimes you would like to stop having to be an active producer.

It is a rich person problem to not be able to produce in whatever field (intellectual or physical).

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