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Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

calnewport.com

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Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#71

Post by BeetleB »

z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

First, the whole blog is about trying to be the best you can be. To a small extent, it is targeting people who want to be high achievers.

Second, how do you think it would sound if an MIT PhD started giving examples using underprivileged folks? I think many would equally dismiss him for being way out of touch.

Third, I see nothing in the advice given that limits it to privileged folks.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#72

Post by tjr225 »

paulpauper wrote: post #46
majormajor wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shit, 85K as a college grad TODAY still puts you solidly into the upper ranges of your demographic. If you think that's "just cover rent and expenses" money, how do you think the people you buy coffee, food, or anything else from live?? The author also doesn't seem to discuss what he did the 8 following years , which seems baffling. > I didn’t know which traits I ultimately wanted in my career, but I appreciated that…

Assuming Seattle living expenses which are higher than national average

A single person in Seattle can comfortably live(not own a home, mind you) on 85k assuming they don't have any massive debt obligations- not to mention we're talking about Seattle in 2004.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#73

Post by closetohome »

jasim wrote: post #63
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

I wanted to cheer to this because I'm plainly jealous of the author. There is nurture, and there is nature. And there is privilege (of many kinds and hues) and luck. Some people get an unreasonable amount of it, some others make the best of what they got, but the majority of the world simply struggles against both externalities and self-imposed limitations. But this is Cal Newport, and he's shared what made him succe…

> generous enough to teach what makes him tick

Or opportunistic enough to cash in on his privilege by both obtaining a fruitful career and then writing aspirational self-help books about it.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#74

Post by z-tech »

BeetleB wrote: post #71
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

First, the whole blog is about trying to be the best you can be. To a small extent, it is targeting people who want to be high achievers. Second, how do you think it would sound if an MIT PhD started giving examples using underprivileged folks? I think many would equally dismiss him for being way out of touch. Third, I see nothing in the advice given that limits it to privileged folks.

My point is that I don't think he's given any advice that isn't painfully common sense. "Choose the path you think will be best for you." I read more intellectually stimulating bullsh*t on the back of a kumbucha bottle at lunch.

But mix in the letters M, I and T and people suddenly think he's tall engineer Confucious. People need to think about who they idolize and what it says about them.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#75

Post by z-tech »

BeetleB wrote: post #71
z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

First, the whole blog is about trying to be the best you can be. To a small extent, it is targeting people who want to be high achievers. Second, how do you think it would sound if an MIT PhD started giving examples using underprivileged folks? I think many would equally dismiss him for being way out of touch. Third, I see nothing in the advice given that limits it to privileged folks.

My point is that I don't think he's given any advice that isn't painfully common sense. "Choose the path you think will be best for you." I read more intellectually stimulating bullsh*t on the back of a kumbucha bottle at lunch.

But mix in the letters M, I and T and people suddenly think he's tall engineer Confucious. We as the tech community need to think really carefully about who we choose to idolize and what that says about us.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#76

Post by rm445 »

z-tech wrote: post #15

What have I gained from reading this other than learn that the author is a high achieving person? I'm a software engineer in my late twenties in America. I would guess this blog is geared toward people like me, yet the author seems comedically unaware that very few, remarkably close to zero people, have opportunities like pursuing a PhD at MIT. So you chose MIT... I think most people would have. This is just a self c…

Cal Newport writes like this. His stories read like, "Joe Bloggs was a loner, a drifter. When he pulled up his beat-up truck, moving back to his parent's swamp ranch in the summer of 2006, he had no idea what to do with his life. Two years later, when he had completed his PhD in automated high-frequency trading at Caltech, he was still wondering what to do with his life."

With that said, it doesn't make him terrible. He's just a somewhat-elitist, academically-focused, motivational writer. He has literally written a book on how to be a straight-A student in college. It's not much help to someone who can't even break into those circles, but his ideas still have a place for those who can.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#78

Post by [deleted] »

majormajor wrote: post #33
paulpauper wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A $28,000 MIT stipend and PHD does not seem that great..it's not that much money. The odds of producing ground-breaking research are slim even for someone brilliant, as the author evidently is. The $85k Microsoft offer would probably be just enough to cover rent and other expenses, although there is room for promotion. Its not like these are huge sums of money. Then again, I am assuming Seattle living expenses.

85K in 2004 would cover more than "just rent and other expenses" or I'd eat my hat. It was a different time, with different costs, and a much less inflated market. The author even calls it "about as much as you could possibly earn right out of college." MIT is obviously about the prestige and academic opportunities more than the money. If you're saying these aren't great options for a college senior in 2004 you need…

[deleted]

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#79

Post by akgerber »

paulpauper wrote: post #47
wuliwong wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Huge sums of money" isn't well defined so I can't comment on that. But the idea that $85K is only enough to cover rent and other expenses is wrong.

I'm assuming Seattle living expenses, which are higher than national average. Also it's not like he keeps all the $85k. Taxes take a chunk of that . I keep reading stories of how hard it is to live in Bay Area on low six figures, so I assume that $85k in 2004 in Seattle would also be somewhat hard.

You can find a decent room in a share for $1500 in any city in the USA, and significantly less than that in most. When you're 22, that's pretty much 100% of your mandatory expenses, beyond maybe $200/mo in food and $100/mo for an unlimited transit pass or $10/mo to own/operate a bike.

Everything on top of that is gravy, especially when you're working at a tech company that pays for your healthcare and a lot of your food and coffee and maybe your commute.

Re: Don’t Know What to Do with Your Life? Seek Bargains (2012)

#80

Post by akgerber »

paulpauper wrote: post #49
EpicEng wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah tell that to my buddy working the night shift at a Chrysler plant, or 99% of working America for that matter.

I'm assuming Seattle living expenses. which are higher than national average

It takes one minute to find that you can live alone in a basic apartment in the hottest part of Seattle for $1150/mo: https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/d/capitol-hill-studio...

You can walk to the Microsoft Shuttle, which covers the cost of your commute, and walk or take transit or a bike or a cab to the rest of Seattle, for maybe $100/mo in transportation expenses.

Eating well can be a couple hundred a month if you know how to cook for yourself, $1000/mo if you're spending $30/day on food.

None of these numbers come close to hitting $85k, especially when you pay $0 state income tax.

Obviously things are different as a sole provider for a family, but most 22 year olds aren't that.

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