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Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
421–430 of 839 posts
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#422have a secret - peter thiel
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#423Antifragility Or more specifically, just getting the term for it. I spent years trying to articulate in my own mind many of the ideas in Taleb's book, and once I had a word for it I could see it everywhere and actually start to change my life to take advantage of the chaos in the world. Basically: you can't control what happens to you, but you can set your life up so that the natural variability of the world can be u…
Never heard about this. I'm starting to read some things and it seems interesting. Thanks!
And about this: > Or more specifically, just getting the term for it. I spent years trying to articulate in my own mind many of the ideas in Taleb's book, and once I had a word for it I could see it everywhere
It is called Hypocognition, I recently read about it here [1] and here [2], and that blew my mind.
[1]: https://aeon.co/ideas/hypocognition-is-a-censorship-tool-tha... [2]: https://psyarxiv.com/29ryz
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#424bitcoin
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#425A decade of success against steep odds later, I ran into the high school teacher who I idolized and who helped me actually achieve something. Most teachers tolerated me or insulated the rest of the classroom from me. But he put in the effort to get me engaged with something that got me to sit down and try. I was excited to show him what his work had helped me accomplish. He had two things to share with me: 1. He does…
You might feel like some guy, but be someone's brilliant teacher.
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#426I am responsible for what happens to me. (I.e. I am not a victim.) Accepting responsibility is very empowering, as it implies I can do something about it. Being a victim is dis-empowering, as it means you are helpless. (People who read my posts will recognize this as a consistent theme. Being a victim is a choice. I choose not to be.)
See also: Locus of Control[0].
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#427A decade of success against steep odds later, I ran into the high school teacher who I idolized and who helped me actually achieve something. Most teachers tolerated me or insulated the rest of the classroom from me. But he put in the effort to get me engaged with something that got me to sit down and try. I was excited to show him what his work had helped me accomplish. He had two things to share with me: 1. He does…
To me this is completely okay and a heartwarming success story.
Sure there is the alternate history where you stayed in touch and he still remembers you and cherishes the relationship…
But it’s also wonderful that he impacted you so strongly and positively, yet has taught so many students that he doesn’t remember you specifically. If he did this for you he likely did it for other students too and we are lucky that we have him as a teacher in our world.
It also reminds us that though we know ourselves to be human with very human limits, we can still pay forward the kindness and guidance we received to the next generation.
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#428This might be super basic, but... assume positive intent. Your parent is not your enemy. Your teacher is not your enemy. Your boss is not your enemy. The other team at work is not your enemy. The corporation is not your enemy. The other political party is not your enemy. Or, more accurately, YOU are not THEIR enemy. At best, you're an NPC in their game. Many of them probably even want to help you, because you are ano…
> At best, you're an NPC in their game. Many of them probably even want to help you, because you are another person in the world, and that feels good.
Oh man, I learned the opposite lesson that changed my life: Sociopaths and psychopaths will not help you because you are not a person in their world but an object that either helps them achieve their goals and can be discarded when your usefulness is expired, or you are an obstacle that needs to be destroyed. Helping you doesn't make them feel good, and they can sleep just fine at night after destroying your world because they have no semblance of empathy.
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#429"Premature optimization is the root of all evil" More and more, I'm realizing this applies more broadly than just for code. Abstraction is a form of optimization and shouldn't be done before the space has been properly explored to know what abstractions should be built. Standardization is a form of optimization and shouldn't be proposed until there's a body of evidence to support what's being standardized. Failure to…
Consider:
- Programs we wanted to write so badly that we invented computers along the way.
- Programs we realized we could write & benefit from once familiar with computers and their capabilities.
Infrastructure shouldn't be totally clueless about anticipated use cases, but it shouldn't be too subservient to them either.
Re: Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life
#430Money really does buy happiness. To a point, anyways. Vacations, homes in safe neighborhoods, the best schools for your kids, drugs, hookers, technology gadgets, early retirement, just about anything is more accessible if you are wealthy. The day I realized this was a disappointing day.
Having the things you mentioned (or easy access to them) only frees you up to see if you are happy and to figure out what will make you happy if you aren't. They don't, by themselves, make you happy.