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Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

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Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#441

Post by RHSeeger »

syncmaster913n wrote: post #380
nsomaru wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, let me clarify. Let's define three realms of experience for the sake of conversation: (physical/material), (emotional), (intellectual). For simplicity let's assume that all human experiences may be categorised thus. Now, what can money buy? Only things on the physical level, that is, _sense experiences_. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches. That's it. Money can't buy love or knowledge. Maybe a library,…

"Now, what can money buy? Only things on the physical level, that is, _sense experiences_. " This is an oversimplification that detracts from the value of money. Your assumption that money can only buy sense experiences is incorrect. In reality, money can have a significant impact on the (emotional) and (intellectual) realms. # Example for (emotional): A couple with two children living together. The couple's emotiona…

As the quote goes... Money can't buy happiness. It can, however, buy many things that can make you happy.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#442

Post by pies_realis »

teekert wrote: post #216

I kind of rolled into every job I had (didn't want to work after bachelors, did a master (old Dutch system), was asked to do PhD, finished it, was unemployed for 10 months got a nice job (but would have taken anything). But I wanted out of the lab (I am/was a molecular biologist), my heart is with computers. So I was not really content, but I got paid ok and had fun mostly. But then I had a career coach (company prov…

Coming from exactly the opposite side, could you weigh in on opportunities to pivot into bioinformatics for a regular software engineer? From what I've seen most biotech companies don't actually have a lot of software engineering in-house, and if they want anyone who can code it's usually R/Python data scientists with PhDs, and I feel like even a senior Python software dev is a poor fit for their requirements.

I find myself increasingly drawn to biology and medicine over the last few years, considering going back to university for a second degree in fact, but the ROI on that doesn't seem great.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#443

Post by Retra »

michalu wrote: post #434
yesenadam wrote: post #285

I want to be careful with this decision, to avoid any future regrets Don't forget to consider that you may regret whatever you do - by human nature, the grass is proverbially always greener on the other side. People who have kids may wish they hadn't, but if they hadn't, they may have regretted that - in both cases thinking they'd made the wrong choice. Socrates and Kierkegaard, among others, discussed this as a basi…

I know very few people who regret having kids, unless they're single parents. Most of my friends in fact say it's the best thing in their life ... on the contrary 100% of people who don't have kids and are over their prime to have any they regret it or give you an unconvincing, hesitant answer along the lines of "maybe it's better" ... Now having children too early that's a different story. This point of you'll regre…

100%? That sounds like a real statistic and not totally something you've made up.

In any case, how you feel on your deathbed is about the least relevant feeling you will ever have in your life.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#444

Post by jadbox »

ransom1538 wrote: post #164
jadbox wrote: post #149

"Do what you love" is a common phrase, but I've found an opposite technique. Find the things that bugs you most (that you talk about, focus on, debate about) and allow yourself to become a solution. I've found that the problems I tended to be naturally be bothered by ended up making great career choice(s) for me.

I printed this comment out and will frame it (once the frame is delivered).

Can't tell if you're joking, but if you do, post a picture! heh

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#445

Post by ClashTheBunny »

diminoten wrote: post #337
throwaway713 wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hang yourself or do not hang yourself, you will regret it either way How does one regret hanging himself?

By failing to do so successfully, or by being saved before the damage is irreversible.

There is no such thing as a successful suicide. Just complete and incomplete.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#446

Post by diminoten »

ClashTheBunny wrote: post #445
diminoten wrote: post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By failing to do so successfully, or by being saved before the damage is irreversible.

There is no such thing as a successful suicide. Just complete and incomplete.

Seems like a semantic argument to me.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#447

Post by yesenadam »

Retra wrote: post #443
michalu wrote: post #434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know very few people who regret having kids, unless they're single parents. Most of my friends in fact say it's the best thing in their life ... on the contrary 100% of people who don't have kids and are over their prime to have any they regret it or give you an unconvincing, hesitant answer along the lines of "maybe it's better" ... Now having children too early that's a different story. This point of you'll regre…

100%? That sounds like a real statistic and not totally something you've made up. In any case, how you feel on your deathbed is about the least relevant feeling you will ever have in your life.

Well, I think the point is that 'deathbed' scenarios can be useful - what one can imagine regretting - in remembering what's important in life. Proverbially, no-one wishes they'd spent more time at the office. It's just hard to imagine wishing that, given most office jobs. Regretting not spending more time with friends, family, loved ones seems not unlikely. ‘My only regret’, Keynes said, ‘is that I have not drunk more champagne in my life.’

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/07/11/more-champagne/

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#448

Post by techslave »

Aeolun wrote: post #439
techslave wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh my sweet summer child, would that it were so easy.

You disagree? If so, why? Persistence is a pretty good quality to have for learning most anything.

as the years go by, one accumulates baggage. if one has lived a life that is. in the form of debt obligations, family obligations, healthcare costs if unlucky, risk aversion and so on.

my own example, i have literally zero free time to pursue any opportunities at all, whatsoever. i work, i come home and take care of family, i sleep for a precious few hours, repeat.

dedication ain’t the issue.

and i’m a highly paid worker. the people that live 2 hours away, the g bus drivers and so on, they do not have opportunities that can be addressed merely be dedication.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#449

Post by pinouchon »

I chose to work on AI (AGI research / probabilistic programming / deep learning). Choosing wasn't hard, but getting to work on it was: How do you make a living if you first need to educate about the topic for a long time? Answer: you don't, research is about endlessly educating yourself.

If you want more details, ping me at pinouchon at gmail com.

Re: Ask HN: How did you decide what problems to solve in your lifetime?

#450

Post by postsantum »

yesenadam wrote: post #447
Retra wrote: post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%? That sounds like a real statistic and not totally something you've made up. In any case, how you feel on your deathbed is about the least relevant feeling you will ever have in your life.

Well, I think the point is that 'deathbed' scenarios can be useful - what one can imagine regretting - in remembering what's important in life. Proverbially, no-one wishes they'd spent more time at the office. It's just hard to imagine wishing that, given most office jobs. Regretting not spending more time with friends, family, loved ones seems not unlikely. ‘My only regret’, Keynes said, ‘is that I have not drunk mo…

Importance is relative and your personality and values tend to change over the course of your life. The version of you that lies on a deathbed has no future, his mental state is probably not in the best condition and his final regrets aren't going to last for long.

Regretting that you haven't done anything significant in your life is as probable as regretting you haven't had enough fun.

Here is a nice article that made me think about this https://medium.com/@rikardhjort/the-deathbed-fallacy-5e54d96...

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