Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 282 posts

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

#181

Post by ashark »

Xcelerate wrote: post #116
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…

> I know some people who have energy levels that allow them to sustainably burn the candle at both ends, but they are a small minority. I am quite envious of this group; they appear to have a big leg up in accomplishing great things, but there appears to be a component of either genetics or upbringing that leaves only a small portion of people with this capability. Why isn't there more research on this? A huge number…

Some days I feel fucking great. Like I can take on the world. Do anything. I'm motivated, want to get things done, and feel like I can do it. There's not a hint of fog in my brain, not a bit of fatigue in my muscles. It's awesome. I leap out of bed, think "damn, I feel great!" and just go.

But... it's also only 5-10 days a year, and seems to hit more-or-less at random (though sunny, long, not-too-humid days seem to make it a lot more likely).

I imagine the people who seem to have an easy time doing lots and lots of productive stuff have a lot more days like this per year than I do. So figure out how to feel that way, say, 50-100 days a year and you're on the right track, I'd say (for a shortcut, see the other post about drugs). Unfortunately, I'd guess there's a strong genetic component to it.

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

#183

Post by ams6110 »

Bakary wrote: post #86
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…

On what basis can we make the assumption that full-time jobs do in fact contribute to society? In this current world it's not an easy question to answer.

If nothing else, they contribute to your paying for your own life, rather than the rest of society having to support you.

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

#184

Post by samirillian »

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…

Uggh, no. What's that saying about how eloquent one can be about a thing if one's salary depends on it?

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

#185

Post by algesten »

manmal wrote: post #169
algesten wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I guarantee you you WILL NOT burn out if your thing goes well. I strongly disagree with this. I'm a compulsive person, I used to say yes to everything, I enjoy everything. I don't think I ever spent effort towards something that wasn't rewarding in some way or other. However. Stress is stress and it can be negative or positive. Stress makes you perform better, adrenaline pumping, your senses sharpen. It can all be…

Are you 100% sure that it was positive stress that got you into the ER? I myself distinguish between stress (=anxiety of not meeting goals in time), and positive motivation (=joy, and not the caffeine one). Sadly, I haven't had much of the second type in recent years, but it's something I'm working on. It sounds as if your HPA axis gets super worked up and your body enters fight or flight mode, causing your heart to…

Quite certain it is positive stress.

It's hard to describe, but I can quite easily get "into the flow". This is where I focus on a single project, time cease to exist and I just become one with the code. I can focus on coding for hours and hours without break. In fact, lunch and toilet breaks are irritating distractions. I can go to sleep at night uneasy about something I'm not exactly sure about and suddenly the solution strikes me when I'm half awake in the shower next morning.

I don't use much caffeine, a bit of coffee in the morning, rarely in the afternoon – however I do know that coffee and alcohol makes my condition worse.

It's totally engulfing and extremely productive. This _is_ the mythical man month that people talk about. Only. For me it takes a toll. It's not about any underlying stress like "I won't make it in time". My work is luckily such that I don't have much pressure. It's being "in the zone" that is the problem.

The "flow state". I love it yet mustn't overdo it.

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

#186

Post by algesten »

cocktailpeanuts wrote: post #102
algesten wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I guarantee you you WILL NOT burn out if your thing goes well. I strongly disagree with this. I'm a compulsive person, I used to say yes to everything, I enjoy everything. I don't think I ever spent effort towards something that wasn't rewarding in some way or other. However. Stress is stress and it can be negative or positive. Stress makes you perform better, adrenaline pumping, your senses sharpen. It can all be…

Well, it's great that you found out your boundaries! Most people never do things that push their comfort zone and never find that out, and live their lives wondering what it would have been like. Sounds like you have a medical condition for dealing with stress, but most people don't have that kind of condition, so obviously if you have that kind of condition you should watch out for yourself, health is everything.

I've been in plenty medical investigation for this. I'm quite sure there isn't anything physically wrong with me.

Also. The fact that I can control it by observing the signs my body gives me...

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

#187

Post by big_spammer »

scriptstar wrote: post #111

It's a combination of several things like 'fear of failure', 'fear of success' and procrastination. 1. Just build something very very tiny thing and sell it for less than 5 quid something like $1.99. 2. Repeat until you see some success and get motivation. 3. While doing this just be in the same tribe who's making things like you. Talk to them and share your experiences with them. Grow with them, together. 4. The mom…

Hi, I would like you to buy my first product for something like $1.99. Where can I send you a link in private?

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

#188

Post by taway_1212 »

ndc33 wrote: post #170
UnpossibleJim wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

im not sure the drifter-bro-waster life of idle leisure is that satisfying. Your telling me people at the top of their careers, yan le cun (deep learning etc) are not having constructive, exiting, shared, social fun? you think hans zimmer has an isolated boring life? stress in any case has more to do with context and attitude than it has to do with the profession you practice.

James Joyce considered himself to be "a rather useless man with alcoholic tendencies". Being at the top of one's craft does not equal happiness.

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

#189

Post by mbrock »

CharlieA wrote: post #6
andai wrote: post #4

No one else can answer these questions for you. If your rationalizations don't make sense, they're covering up for deeper fears you may be reluctant to face. Imagine starting work on these things right now and notice how you feel. Investigate from there. Or, ignore the feeling, and go work on your dreams anyway :) Best wishes Also, an important thing to realize is that everyone is bad at stuff in the beginning. In th…

This reminds me of a quote attributed to Van Gogh. No idea how accurate it is, but the sentiment is great. > "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." (ofc: Replace PAINT with anything you like!)

From one of Vincent's letters to Theo:

“Just slap anything on when you see a blank canvas staring at you like some imbecile. The canvas has an idiotic stare and mesmerises some painters so much that they turn into idiots themselves. […] Life itself, too, is forever turning an infinitely vacant, disheartening, dispiriting blank side towards man on which nothing appears, any more than it does on a blank canvas. But no matter how vacant and vain, how dead life may appear to be, the man of faith, of energy, of warmth, who knows something, will not be put off so easily.”

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

#190

Post by AlexCoventry »

algesten wrote: post #90
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 guarantee you you WILL NOT burn out if your thing goes well. I strongly disagree with this. I'm a compulsive person, I used to say yes to everything, I enjoy everything. I don't think I ever spent effort towards something that wasn't rewarding in some way or other. However. Stress is stress and it can be negative or positive. Stress makes you perform better, adrenaline pumping, your senses sharpen. It can all be…

Have you talked to a therapist? Experiencing everything as positive sounds like a possible form of alexithymia.
Post reply on HN