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

Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

101–110 of 839 posts

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#101

Post by imrish »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #19

Compounding, growth etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O133ppiVnWY Taught me the logical impossibility of the stock market to go up by x% per year, forever. Taught me that getting better today (however small) can give resources to getting better(er?) tomorrow. Taught me that many "experts" just say whatever to get voted in or to get a budget without regards to the absurdity of their own statements, and that many peo…

Man, I saw the whole video. Amazingly informative.

Thanks you so much.

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#102

Post by armandososa »

I don't remember where I got it, but "do the important, not the urgent" help me focus my life.

Also, the central message from (the otherwise mediocre) Coelho‘s The Alchemist novel teach me at 25 that I didn't have to conform to living the life of an unhappy low-grade employee for the rest of my life.

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#104

Post by maerF0x0 »

maest wrote: post #34
maerF0x0 wrote: post #19

Compounding, growth etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O133ppiVnWY Taught me the logical impossibility of the stock market to go up by x% per year, forever. Taught me that getting better today (however small) can give resources to getting better(er?) tomorrow. Taught me that many "experts" just say whatever to get voted in or to get a budget without regards to the absurdity of their own statements, and that many peo…

> Taught me the logical impossibility of the stock market to go up by x% per year, forever. I mean, it's just a number, at ofc it can go up x% every year. For example, consider the case where the currency gets aggressively devalued.

we only care about the real return % which would account for what you're saying. Non-real return is meaningless

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#105

Post by Balgair »

saadalem wrote: post #59

“You live in a mechanical universe. It’s time to start understanding that.” I was disillusioned with myself. I was performing badly in highschool(even dropped out) I couldn’t understand why. I wanted so badly to do something epic. I feared being an average guy and living an ordinary life. I didn’t understand this advice at first. However, I decided that I couldn’t take the life I was living, so I decided to change. I…

I disagree, but I am happy that this has helped you.

For me, it was the opposite, it was that the universe is stochastic. That the random parts happen, and you can't fix that. But you can bet on the 'averaging' of the universe. You can't guess the roll of dice, but you can build systems that will survive bad rolls.

I'm glad you've found something that works for you and I'm glad you shared this with us.

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#106

Post by ver_ture »

lukifer wrote: post #60
sharemywin wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to accept the world doesn't revolve around you. and that's hard for people.

And in the same breath, accepting that it's entirely natural / inevitable that others tend to operate as though the world revolves around them, and forgiving them for it (within reason). Carnegie's "How To Win Friends..." is corny and dated but still relevant.

I'm glad that I can recognize it for the corny and giddy book it is, because a few years ago I worshiped it. Many of its lessons regard selflessness, and fanning others' egos. It's like the fast food of social advice, 'let them eat cake.'

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#107

Post by Balgair »

"You're not co-workers, you're co-owners" and "you are both right, even when you are saying opposite things"

This really helped my relationships with loved ones. It's not about chores and the lack of doing them. Or about who is right in an argument. It's about both of you deciding what to do as equals, accepting differences, and loving each other especially when you don't like each other right then.

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#108

Post by Balgair »

dilandau wrote: post #10

That doing the right thing, even when it seems unfair, even when I shouldn't have to, always works out for the best. Doing the selfish thing, even if I'm justified, even if it makes sense, ultimately never leads to getting what I want.

The fastest way up the corporate ladder is not knifing people in the back, it's complimenting others behind their backs.

Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

#109

Post by Balgair »

splatzone wrote: post #4

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." from Keats' Ode on a Grecian Urn Realising that honesty and candour is the root of all good things has made me a much better musician and, yes, programmer and businessperson! I don't try to appear impressive or sophisticated any more, just tell the truth and speak sincerely, and it makes life much more manageable

Emerson's take on Beauty is also pretty good:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/15437251/Emerson-on-Beauty

Post reply on HN