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

Post by rjmunro » Tue, Jan 31, 2023, 9:23 AM UTC

e10jc wrote: post #811

jimt1234 wrote: post #798

Managing my money. For much of my career, or just my adult life, I never did anything related to money management. I just worked and saved. That's it. A little context: Growing up, no one ever talked about managing their money. No one had any money to manage. Everyone in my circle lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Any talk about money management was for rich folk, and that wasn't us. So basically, I never learned any of th…

I feel you on this! As a follow up: what are some of the top tips you would recommend?

Post by petemir » Tue, Jan 31, 2023, 9:25 AM UTC

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…

Post by monospaced » Tue, Jan 31, 2023, 9:40 AM UTC

mixmastamyk wrote: post #917

f3b5 wrote: post #725

Not waking up earlier to the fact that the meat section in the supermarket is a product of systemic, gruesome torture of intelligent beings. Like probably many of you who read this, I usually felt a bit guilty when I was confronted with the ugly facts we are all vaguely familiar with. I justified my meat consumption with specieist arguments (humans are so much better than pigs, cows, etc). My wife challenged me to wa…

Age-restricted login required. That's a shame.

Post by Doxin » Tue, Jan 31, 2023, 10:04 AM UTC

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…

Post by oneoff786 » Tue, Jan 31, 2023, 11:35 AM UTC

Frost1x wrote: post #132

yamtaddle wrote: post #79

Not using an electric toothbrush. First time I used one it felt like I'd had a proper dental cleaning. An extremely half-assed effort with that kind of brush beats a thorough one with a manual brush. I thought they were a gimmick, but no, they're amazing.

On a similar dental hygiene note, I was told I should brush before having breakfast, coffee etc. It always stood to reason to me that it makes more sense to just eat my first meal and drink, then brush, to keep a cleaner state of my teeth for longer but supposedly according to a few dentists I spoke with, the protection you get from the first brush is more significant than removing those first food particles. Chances…