Hard Sci-fi.
Holy crap it just overdelivers. In addition to entertainment, a way to take my mind off things, it also delivers context to daily life and keeps me focussed on trying to deliver something truly worthwhile.
Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
131–140 of 253 posts
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#132Hard Sci-fi. Holy crap it just overdelivers. In addition to entertainment, a way to take my mind off things, it also delivers context to daily life and keeps me focussed on trying to deliver something truly worthwhile.
Any recommendations? I’ve read a ton of Arthur C. Clarke in my teens, I’d love to branch out.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#133Parsers / Lexers. I’ve been programming for twenty-ish years and only recently started playing with parsers and even a simple hand written one is quite empowering. I really wish I could have spent more time on this when I was younger and single. I for instance wrote a small not-fully-featured SQL parser [0] recently which helped me overcome a huge obstacle in my job.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#134No amount of telling yourself you're happy will make you happy. You can't just "make yourself happy", it's a side effect of other things you do in your life.
Yup. There was a recent guest on Tim Ferriss podcast - he was talking about depressed people, no amount of "you should be happy" or "there are people who have it much worse than you" is gonna help depressed people. It is only going to annoy them and drive them away. That said, there are people who use affirmations successfully to get out their misery. I dunno what to believe anymore
I run a checklist in my head whenever im feeling really down. I think about things I know make me really happy, basic things. Friends, family, travel, motorbikes etc. And if when thinking about those I still feel down and pessimistic - I understand that it's my brain chemicals at play and Im in a funk.
Doesn't help me feel better in that particular moment, but does let me know that later it will get better and there some context and comfort in that.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#135Learning How To Learn ( https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn ) and Barbara Oakley's book A Mind For Numbers . Completely changed my approach to studying and learning, and my academic efforts after taking it were tremendously better than before. Also related: highly recommend Anki. It feels like magic when the spaced repetition works!
> Barbara Oakley's book A Mind For Numbers
Thank you for the recommendation! I am looking forward to reading the book. It is good know that someone who started off their education assuming they cannot do well in STEM subjects, can actually pick up the skills much later in their carrier, is refreshing. I belong to the camp that I did well in STEM subjects through formal education but then lost touch with math later on. Am looking forward to regaining this skill.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#136Sleep
Get good sleep. At least 8 hours everyday. Get a good mattress.
A good sleep makes a happy life.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#137 Exactly, This is the skillset that you will need for life.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#138Learning how to overcome imposter syndrome.
I didn't come from a top-tier school, didn't work for name companies, and had a zig-zag middle manager career. instead of a meteoric rise through the ranks. Multiple layoffs too. I'll never see my name lauded in a press release.
I've discovered that self-worth is just that - it comes from within.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#139Sleep Get good sleep. At least 8 hours everyday. Get a good mattress. A good sleep makes a happy life.
Also seek consult from a Sleep Laboratory at ypur local major hospital, if you snore people and people sleeping in the same room report you stop breathing during your sleep (even for a few seconds).
This might be signs of treatable pathological conditions that if not treated can (and most likely will be) detrimental to your health, quality of life and productivity.
Re: Ask HN: What things do you wish you discovered earlier?
#140Hard Sci-fi. Holy crap it just overdelivers. In addition to entertainment, a way to take my mind off things, it also delivers context to daily life and keeps me focussed on trying to deliver something truly worthwhile.
Any recommendations? I’ve read a ton of Arthur C. Clarke in my teens, I’d love to branch out.
Larry Niven - Ringworld (+ Ringworld Engineers), The long Arm of Gil Hamilton, Oath of Fealty (Oh man! They had instant messaging wetware! ...And a diving board!).
Robert Heinlein, Joe Haldeman, and Issac Asimov are some other heavy hitters in this space.