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Ask HN: Name one idea that changed your life

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

#781

Post by ncfausti »

tomp wrote: post #654
ncfausti wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The title states "Name one idea that changed your life." I haven't considered the research, I'm just talking about the positive changes I've seen in my life as a result of changing my mindset from "I can't do this because I'm not smart enough" to "this is hard, but I will learn it." In the case of the former I was a non-starter. With the latter, everything becomes much more accessible.

Absolutely, and as I said, I support the mindset. I just object to this line in your comment: To briefly sum up the findings

Ah, I see! I agree. That paragraph is an excerpt from the website (as I was on my phone and didn't feel like summarizing the full theory).

On a macro level i.e. comparing people with vastly different circumstances/experiences/variables it does seem questionable, but on an individual level the change can be quite profound, going from a self-defeating to a more open/growth oriented mindset.

Also reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, by Henry Ford:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”

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

#782

Post by oxfeed65261 »

lonelappde wrote: post #713
freepor wrote: post #416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with the question is that it reduces an infinite dimensional space (all the things you could have thought about the movie) into a single scalar value. Your mind is likely to be preoccupied with performing that projection which is fundamentally uninteresting. It’s like asking “Is the pharmaceutical industry good or bad?” vs. “How should the pharmaceutical industry participate in society over the next 20 ye…

It's ok to ask follow-up Why questions.

What do you think about follow-up questions?

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

#784

Post by kgin »

sdegutis wrote: post #765
kgin wrote: post #751

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Anyone who does enough research on this topic and has a good and honest heart will eventually become Catholic This is a big claim. You're saying that anyone who isn't catholic either hasn't done enough research or doesn't have a good and honest heart?

There's a third option: that enough time hasn't passed. I said they will eventually become Catholic. A person generally can't understand multiplication until they understand addition.

I guess my question is why. What makes it inevitable?

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

#785

Post by kgin »

fredsir wrote: post #768
kgin wrote: post #747

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most great chefs would be nothing without access to a grocery store, but that doesn't mean I can't learn more from that great chef than the 99% of the other people going to that grocery store who never learn to make amazing things.

I'm not saying everyone is the same as Elon, except for the money. I'm saying his inherited wealth, and being at the right place at the right time, and so on, has probably more to do with Elons success than anything else, so let's stop worshipping the guy, and everyone else like him. Our society favours the few, and that's not something we should celebrate. > "I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolut…

I guess it's depends on the goal. If you're looking for people to celebrate, I agree with you.

If you're looking for people to learn from, then I think there's a case to look at people who achieved more than others who started with similar circumstances.

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

#786

Post by ryansmccoy »

aazaa wrote: post #193

Favor interrogative-led questions over leading questions. A leading question attempts to get the listener to agree or disagree with a premise you feed to them. An interrogative-led question often begins with the words: who; where; what; when; why. Imagine the responses to these two questions: - "Did you like the movie?" (Leading) - "What did you think about the movie?" (Interrogative-led) How do each of these questio…

Learning Columbo Technique was great advice I got.

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

#787

Post by sdegutis »

kgin wrote: post #784
sdegutis wrote: post #765

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a third option: that enough time hasn't passed. I said they will eventually become Catholic. A person generally can't understand multiplication until they understand addition.

I guess my question is why. What makes it inevitable?

Because it’s based around facts, hence an honest heart, and benevolence, hence a good heart. If a person looks into the Resurrection and whether it happened, they will inevitably become a Bible believing Christian, and when they ask where the Bible came from and who has the right interpretation of it, they will become Catholic.

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

#788

Post by wadefletch »

Agentlien wrote: post #586
Waterluvian wrote: post #299

A 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…

I've had a similar experience with a professor. We used to chat about more advanced topics after class and he seemed really happy that I took an interest in his subject. Some years ago I was giving a recruitment talk at the university and I bumped into that teacher. I greeted him like an old friend. He said "Oh, you were in my class?" as he hurried off. It hurt and I felt so silly for it. On the other hand, I've had…

I would imagine the job of an elementary school teacher is primarily to have a relationship with their kids and teach what general skills they can, whereas a university or even high school teacher is pulled in more directions (curriculum, standards, research, admin, etc.).

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

#789

Post by 3131s »

Smaug123 wrote: post #650
3131s wrote: post #413

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"A beginner practices until they get it right, a master practices until they can't get it wrong."

Although there is a sort of dual "… until they can make their errors beautiful" or something. If you're good enough, it doesn't matter if you make mistakes, because you can turn those mistakes into good things just as quickly as you could have constructed the original correctly.

It does depend on the medium though, for example painting is pretty forgiving while glass blowing is not at all.

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

#790

Post by jyounker »

gfodor wrote: post #167
fredsir wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Elon Obviously, it's also a good advice to be born with wealth from the blood of an emerald empire. Hyper-rational, being born wealthy. Great advice! Kidding aside. I'm just sick of people putting people like Elon up on a pedestal. Look at all the rich, successful people out there. How many come from wealth, and how many come from dirt poor conditions and just worked themself up? Working hard is good advice, but it…

Being born into wealth helps, but it also hurts. If you have something to lose, its harder to take risks. Elon put all of his wealth on the line for SpaceX and almost lost it. Anyone, from him down to the person who scrapes together pennies to start a risky business to make a better life for themselves, deserves respect for taking risks to achieve their dreams.

As somebody who grew up poor, but has many friends who did not, being born to wealth hurts far less often than being born poor.
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