I never wanted to have kids, maybe I'm too young for that. By reading this it definitely made me a step closer to be open to have kids in the future. Thank you for that.
Life is Short
301–310 of 452 posts
Re: Life is Short
#302The downside to "don't wait to do the things that matter" is what to do when you empty that bucket list early. I've covered the geeky bucket list stuff. (making video games, blogging, open source contribution, IT jobs, BS in CS, ect.) I've covered the more stereotypical bucket list stuff too. (Skydiving, performing onstage, time with friends, writing the novel, marrying the right girl, ect.) At this point in my life,…
For starters, have you visited every major city in Europe, including historically famous cities, sites of historical battles, capitals of smaller countries? Sampled the local cuisine in each? Tried the local hobbies? Danced in a local club? Walked the Via Appia in Rome, visited the site of the "300 Spartans" battle against the Persians?
For closer to home, assuming you don't want to travel the world or you've already done that, I personally don't think I'd ever get tired of just enjoying life. Going to my favorite places, watching the city below from the top of a large hill, alternating favorite restaurants, continuing to spend time with friends, reading new books, and continuing scientific and intellectual pursuits.
If you want to discuss this further feel free to email me at jmorrow977@gmail.com.
Re: Life is Short
#303[deleted]
Re: Life is Short
#304Earlier quoted context omitted.
The idea is because your time is more valuable. I'm not sure I agree with a Mac having a lower total cost of ownership in either cost or time, but that's the idea. Don't do work Apple pays Chinese laborers to do.
For me, owning a Mac has a much lower cost of ownership in terms of time. I boot up the computer and it's ready to go. I don't need to reinstall the OS or download an uninstaller to remove bloatware. I don't need to install antivirus (yeah, this one isn't required, but the reality is that there is much more malware targeting Windows). I don't need to wait for Windows Update to finish before my computer shuts down or…
> I don't need to reinstall the OS or download an uninstaller to remove bloatware. I don't need to install antivirus (yeah, this one isn't required, but the reality is that there is much more malware targeting Windows). I don't need to wait for Windows Update to finish before my computer shuts down or boots up - these are particularly painful.
While some of your points are valid for *nix setups as well (in terms of hardware, etc.) you've implicitly made the assumption that the only alternative to OS X is Windows, which strikes me as somewhat off base in a place like HN.
Re: Life is Short
#305What if bullshit leads to doing well in things that you care about ? For example, I don't like posturing, building portfolio on Github etc, but if it leads me to getting a better job at a place I can solve complex problems thereby becoming a better engineer, I would like that very much.
Re: Life is Short
#306Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
While at the same time, software that maximizes efficiency (todo apps, etc.) can cause anxiety and increase the risk of mindlessly checking off todo items without considering their value (I've experienced this), and games and social media can provide lasting, valuable experiences and friendships.
The computer is a neutral tool that can make good things better and bad things worse. Because still a relatively new invention, and undergoing constant, rapid change in how it affects culture and individual behavior (pocket computers! VR! etc!), we haven't quite figured out how to distinguish the two.
In some cases this means that we unexpectedly find a wonderful application that improves countless lives, and in some cases it means that we discover ways in which the use of a computer can affect us or society negatively.
Personally, I am generally in favor of change, in the broadest sense, even if sometimes it's bad, while paradoxically I myself don't deal well with changes. The thing I love about computers is that they are one of the biggest instruments of change, and yet in my interactions with computers they are wonderfully boring and predictable, in the end.
I have a theory that this is one aspect of computers that draws so many people like me to them. I have access to a vast world of experience, knowledge and people while using a tool that I control, usually from the comforts of my home. And using that same tool, in the same comfortable setting, I can create things that somehow affect (and ideally benefit) many people, through writing, coding, 'drawing', and most importantly the internet.
That said, of course going out into the world is still an activity that is important for happiness, at least for most people. But the fact that I live in a time where I can create, learn, consume, bond, and so on, with this one tool and an internet connection is something I'm very thankful for.
Re: Life is Short
#307I wrote something about this very topic years ago:
Re: Life is Short
#308Earlier quoted context omitted.
The idea is because your time is more valuable. I'm not sure I agree with a Mac having a lower total cost of ownership in either cost or time, but that's the idea. Don't do work Apple pays Chinese laborers to do.
N.B. I realize this experience is not typical of most users. I had an IBM laptop before I had a Mac. At least one major component had to be replaced every single year for the duration of the four years I had it. Keys broke. the screen was shite. Windows crashed constantly. I lost all my files multiple times. After having it for more than a year it ran as if someone had permanently applied the brakes and it was just g…
Just how long ago was this? IBM laptops all used the same charger for about a decade now, the only difference is that some models require a higher maximum wattage than other. They changed over to a common connector around the same time Apple switched to MagSafe from what I can tell.
Re: Life is Short
#309Earlier quoted context omitted.
Graham’s essay that got dumped on was hardly an “original thought”. The whole “we rich people deserve to have 100x more than the poors because we’re pushing humanity forward” schtick is as old as civilization, and Graham’s version was a particularly lazy and poorly argued one.
I think PG highlighted pretty well the mechanisms which drove away wealth inequality in the last century. I think PG commented only on the upper end on the wealth distribution scale and was of the opinion it is not a problem. He did not comment it's ok for people to be poor. These issues are not completely linked. Economics are not a zero sum game. The wealth distribution curve can hypothetically have any shape. That…
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Re: Life is Short
#310This article resonated a lot with me. It verbalizes what I've been trying to do over the past year or so with my own life. For me a lot of the BS elimination on the first pass was just getting rid of distractions and interruptions, so I cut out the phone/email/chat, etc all during my working hours except for certain times, like 10 minutes after lunch and just before the end of the day. The noise was all driving me in…
What I noticed i was doing was taking shortcuts for the past year so I can work more on my startup. First few years I barely hung out with friends. Big mistake.
Smaller shortcuts, like eating unhealthy to save some time, not showering everyday, shaving, to optimize my working time, was taking a toll on quality of life in the long term. Therefore I said to myself no shortcuts! This drastically increased my quality of life almost instantly as i take my time now to do "normal" things in life without rush. Actually enjoying it.
I also neglected working out and to do things I really like, always thinking I'll get to it once my startups takes off. Since I decided not to work after 6pm, I suddenly have a lot of free time which gave me the possibility to workout without feeling guilty and do other stuff I like.
I think I can further optimize by doing things like you described and will try some of them. Thanks for sharing.