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Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

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211–220 of 360 posts

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I look at it the other way, I find it reassuring that the universe doesn't give a shit about us, I'd find the various Gods posited over the years a lot more frightening if they actually existed. In that sense I'm happier in a universe without a higher power, I also get to appreciate all the beauty there is in the universe for a brief period of time and that to me is enough in and off itself. I think a lot of the reas…

In 1668 Francesco Redi disproved the theory that flies spontaneously generated from rotting meat, a theory originally proposed by Aristotle. Since that time, popular science has just shifted that theory farther and farther away from the common era. When carefully and objectively observed, rotting meat does not emit maggots, but since nobody around to observe meat, matter, molecules or atoms billions of years ago... w…

God isn't scary since he doesn't exist, The things people who believe in God do are scary but then the things people who don't believe in God do are also scary - or to be blunt I fear the People who believe in a God a lot more than the God they believe in since I have evidence for the former.

There is no evidence of God in any of the ways that any of the religious texts describe (and not in any way they don't describe but that's a different subject), that we don't understand the process behind something doesn't mean we just insert "God did it" and stop questioning, your central argument is what is called the "God of the Gaps" argument https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps and it's notable that over the last millenia those gaps get smaller and more distant in both time and space - we are a long way from angry Gods every time it Thunders and Scarab beetles pushing the Sun across the sky in some ways and apparently no further than we ever where in others, now it's possible there might be things we can never know (there is no reason to presuppose that we can learn everything there is to be learned) but that still doesn't mean we can just insert "Because God" or to put it another way, your claim that God created life has exactly as much merit as my contention that a purple stuffed elephant called Terrence did it since after all it's not on Atheists to prove God doesn't exist, it's on the Religious to prove that he does.

Now this entire debate is pointless since your faith in God requires no evidence (if there was evidence it wouldn't be faith) and my refusal to believe in God (or Gods) is because there is no evidence (or to paraphrase one of my heroes - "That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence") so we reach a natural stopping point in this debate...unless you have empirical proof for the existence of God?.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#212
I find the best thing for me is to consume. Consume everything- books, movies, scientific articles, news articles, things you haven't heard of before, obscure channels. When I find myself lost it's really that I am searching, and I need something to stand on- an idea, a book, a character, or an individual that is truly invested in what they are doing.

I fully subscribe to the idea that you have to consume things that make you think to create anything, and the only way you're going to be able to do anything interesting to fuel your own fire is to create. It can be a self-improvement, an actual thing, a societal group, or write a book- but you have to consume enough to know what you even could do.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#213
post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotal counterpoint: I was in a rut much like the OP, and took a half year off to explore psychedelic drugs, music festivals, and local art culture. A couple of good acid trips really reset my expectations on reality and gave me some much needed grounding. With my newfound perspective, I took some professional risks that were extremely advantageous in the long run. I likely would not have seen the options, or have…

Acid is a good bit different from drinking though. You won't get addicted.

Experiences differ on this point.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#215
post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... that is not what slavery is

Employment contracts aside... Let's just ask ourselves, is having a job optional? Of course it is optional, because no one is holding a gun to your head, right? But "everybody knows" that 1. if you don't work, you'll sooner or later (perhaps sooner!) be homeless and 2. homelessness can lead to sudden, violent death. Just because the trigger and the barrel are far apart doesn't mean it isn't a gun.

I, too, hate the endless mouse wheel of employment. However, having a job is a COMPLETELY OPTIONAL choice that one makes; nothing is stopping any of us from living on a deserted island without a job.

Having a job is the cost of living in society. It sucks and needs improvement, but it is not as bad as slavery where you have no choice and not much gain.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#216
post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

... that is not what slavery is

Employment contracts aside... Let's just ask ourselves, is having a job optional? Of course it is optional, because no one is holding a gun to your head, right? But "everybody knows" that 1. if you don't work, you'll sooner or later (perhaps sooner!) be homeless and 2. homelessness can lead to sudden, violent death. Just because the trigger and the barrel are far apart doesn't mean it isn't a gun.

Everything is a gun then.

I ate a banana once. I will die some day. Bananas are guns.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#217

You aren't wrong. Most of us are stuck in conformist, drab and conservative societies, where we're forced to participate in the market economy. This is soul-crushing, and bad for nearly everyone, but especially those in poor countries. I recommend: 1. Don't work hard. Try to reduce your productivity. 2. Don't work long hours. Reduce your working week to the minimum necessary. Most university graduates earn enough to…

This is one of those puzzling comments that I can't tell if tongue-in-cheek or actually serious. I like it! Life's too serious and people need some chaotic ambiguity to spice it up. > Don't work hard. Try to reduce your productivity. Sounds good. Most people aren't as productive as they think they are, imho. I'd rather not buy into their facade and just be as productive as I need to be when I need to be! > Don't work…

> Seek to abolish the existing world order.

Seems like abolishing world orders takes a lot of work. At least more than ten hours per week.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#218

I'm 32 and I've had similar thoughts at least since I was 27. A kind of existential crisis tinged with deep boredom and non-clinical depression. I've found 3 things that have helped me deal with my depression/boredom: 1. Have things to look forward to: Always, always find things to anticipate and look forward to in the short and long term. Whether it is something small, like a treat at the end of the day or something…

> Spirituality I rediscovered being a member of a dojo. Combines some elements of spirituality / higher purpose together with some pretty awesome exercise endorphins. It's like church, but without the god thing.

> It's like church, but without the god thing.

That's like saying it's like an omelette without eggs or soup without water.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#219
post #147

PROJECTS ! You should embark on side projects. They will teach you so much more than school ever will, and they will reward you in a way that nothing else really can. If your projects can make money too, then that's icing on the cake. You will be free. I'm 25 years old with no degree, taught myself to code for the past 2 years and got turned down for thousands of developer jobs. I ended up working in a factory doing…

> So I set up a quick WooCommerce site selling Pokemon Go apparel

Can you give us a rundown on how you set up your site, and then marketed it?

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This comment just irritated the hell out of me. Who are you to pass judgement on people you don't know? Like we all live in a just universe [1], and everything bad that is part of your life is your fault, including bad relationships with people. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_hypothesis

He asked a valid question and passed no judgment. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder.

Maybe "that's an insensitive and provocative phrasing" would be a fair criticism though?
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