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Life is Short

paulgraham.com

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Re: Life is Short

#111

Post by greggman »

jfaucett wrote: post #65
iDemonix wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm trying to achieve currently what it seems you have already achieved. The problem is I cut everything out, but then there will be a moment at work where you're waiting for something (in my job for example, waiting for RHEL to install), and you decide to glance at Facebook. Then you do it a couple of times. Then you get home and decide as it's raining you won't go cycling. It all builds back up and I'm back to squa…

I think the biggest thing is to start very small. Seriously, very very small. I had for years done more or less what you describe. So I finally just decided to start super baby simple and have one tiny little goal and accomplish it. For me it was hard to eliminate looking up my news sites when I had a free minute or two. Eventually, I just deleted my bookmarks and edited my /etc/hosts and that did the trick for me. B…

Does that fact that you're here on HN suggest that it's not quite working?

I ask because HN is my biggest time sync. It's the thing I grab whenever there is a moment of free time and even when their isn't. I type it into my browser without even thinking about it.

I banned it once with /etc/hosts and that lasted about 3 months or maybe it was 6. I'd still read on my phone but that wouldn't happen except out and about or at bathroom breaks.

Then at some point I turned it back on. When it got bad again I blocked it in /etc/hosts. But, it's available in a VM. I'd hoped that would be enough to discourage me but it's not. Instead my habit now is to launch the VM. It is slightly better than unblocked because I still type it into my main browser and the block keeps me off until I eventually use the VM

I'd guess I spent 2-4 hours a day on it. I woke up a 8:30 today. Other than a shower I've been on HN. It's 10:10

Re: Life is Short

#112

Post by noobermin »

alexashka wrote: post #93
ajju wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I often feel much like Vonnegut, and yet, I don't think it contradicts the ideas in the essay. Vonnegut really enjoyed "farting around" and didn't think it was bullshit.

The difference is it sounds like Vonnegut was quite content to go for a stroll and chat up the sales clerk. This is in stark contrast with 'I wish I spent more time with person X'. When you live a simpler life, you have simpler pleasures. When you live a high-brow life, all of a sudden you grasp at experiences because you're not sure when the next one is going to come around the corner. Hence missing people, or feeli…

You can do both.

I love seeing the blue sky and clouds and I love just walking outside even if a bike ride or bus ride would be faster. I also want to not be late for work, and have enough time to finish my errands. I want to have comfort and pay off my student loans and see Europe before I turn 35 (had to move the goal posts, unfortunately). It comes down to balancing things.

Also, chatting with a sales clerk, really, experiencing life is not a "simple pleasure" for some people, me included. If I had all the "important things" but couldn't see a white cloud for the rest of my life, I would consider that a failed life. In the end, we all have what we call "important" and what we call "bullshit", and it does vary from person to person.

Re: Life is Short

#113

Post by joslin01 »

numlocked wrote: post #67

And for a completely different perspective, we have Kurt Vonnegut: [Vonnegut tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope] “Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a…

I really don't think this contradicts PG's point or challenges it in a way to be deserving of the phrasing "entirely different perspective."

For one, from the essay:

> But different things matter to different people, and most have to learn what matters to them

And for two, Kurt is at odds with himself in that quote though his overall sentiment is correct. He says to "fart around" and then creates a straw-man with computers. What he really means to say (I think) is that life is about experiencing it and appreciating those experiences.

This certainly doesn't run contrary to what PG is saying. In fact, he's saying the same exact thing -- life is short, so find what you love and do it & love it.

Re: Life is Short

#114

Post by jv22222 »

erikpukinskis wrote: post #99
numlocked wrote: post #67

And for a completely different perspective, we have Kurt Vonnegut: [Vonnegut tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope] “Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a…

The best computer software is the kind that reminds people to dance and shows them some steps. Vonnegut, like so many people, imagines computers can only suck the life out of things. I suppose we deserve that reputation, since so many of us write software that does.

Softwar swings both ways. Some productivity software saves hours, months or years by maximizing efficiency. On the otherhand games and social media sure do suck up a lot of time.

Re: Life is Short

#115

Post by tootie »

anunumoose wrote: post #3

Mr Graham, I respect you and you've accomplished more that I will in my life, but I sincerely hope that this essay against "bullshit" and "arguing online" isn't you declaring that you'll be "bubbling" yourself after your last essay was met with wide disagreement. It's possible that sometimes, no matter how smart you are, your experiences have been limited in a way and you're missing a part of something everyone else…

It's funny because my kids have shown (really reminded) me of the age old strategy of declaring a game to be stupid as soon as they're losing.

Re: Life is Short

#117

Post by xiaoma »

wfo wrote: post #82
ageek123 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wide disagreement? Sure, the people who disagreed wrote essays, but people who agree are usually invisible (how do you write an essay about agreeing with some other essay? and why would you bother?). I think the reason some people got so riled up was that there was so much uncomfortable truth in those essays. Just as people usually don't bother to post when they agree with something, they usually don't bother to post…

People got riled up because he touched an issue that effects people a lot in real life, is seriously effecting our society and democracy for the worse and got it really, really laughably wrong. And as one of the hyper-rich he has a bully pulpit with which to broadcast his thoughts. Also because most of his essays are very good, so this one was uncharacteristic and surprising.

He doesn't have a "bully pulpit" because he's hyper rich. He's been writing fantastic essays that have been widely shared for much longer than YC has existed (including one responsible for modern spam filters which made email usable again 16 years ago).

Also, I think the last 2 essays pretty much nailed it. If you found them "laughably wrong", it was likely due to the assumptions you brought with you to reading them, not due to any fallacies in the content itself.

Re: Life is Short

#118

Post by [deleted] »

to3m wrote: post #86
treebeard901 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, how long does it really take to build a new PC? Maybe an hour for research and ordering parts... another two hours at most to put it together. Seems like a small investment for something you're going to use a lot.

Well, sure, but if you spend a bit more money it will take no time at all, because somebody else will do it for you while you get on and do something else :) Much easier to find more money than more time.

[deleted]

Re: Life is Short

#119

Post by ajeet_dhaliwal »

I think that the death of a close loved one is a prerequisite to truly understanding how short life is. Having children helps too but I don't think it is enough on it's own. I do absolutely agree that children are the best at focusing us on what is important.

I have known how short life is for a long time but I encounter people on a daily basis, most far older than me who don't seem to realise it or if they do are acting irrationally. When I see them wasting their time on things that are clearly not important it doesn't bother me too much because it is their time to choose what to do with but what does make me angry is if they try to involve me in the 'bullshit' too, to use the term used in the essay. At work this can range from petty disagreements or the colleague that creates busywork. I wonder how many people start startups recognise life is too short compared to those who do not, it would be interesting to find out.

Re: Life is Short

#120

Post by jacalata »

zappo2938 wrote: post #91
numlocked wrote: post #67

And for a completely different perspective, we have Kurt Vonnegut: [Vonnegut tells his wife he’s going out to buy an envelope] “Oh, she says well, you’re not a poor man. You know, why don’t you go online and buy a hundred envelopes and put them in the closet? And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a…

"You are the music while the music lasts." --T. S. Eliot I am looking forward to twenty years from now when I will have time to read all the Kurt Vonnegut, T. S. Eliot, and Charles Bukowski I missed when I was younger. Fortunately, for now, I need to get some work done.

Fortunately? Why on earth do you say that?
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