Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#51

Post by tduberne » Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 11:07 PM UTC

This might sound silly, but the following, cited in Getting Things Done, helped me a lot:

"The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster"

Whenever I have setbacks, delays, whatever, this sentence can help me put things into perspective and keep at work rather than panicking. (Although of course, sometimes, things look like a disaster because that's what they are...)

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#52

Post by matt_the_bass » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 12:15 AM UTC

- If you think you should ask the question, then you probably Already know the answer (questions that start with “should”, “do you think”, etc.

- when in doubt, keep it out (tru for most things from cooking to sex to commentary)

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#53

Post by rawgabbit » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 12:29 AM UTC

Making work complex is easy; keeping things simple is hard.

Success has a thousand fathers; failure has none.

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#54

Post by sethammons » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 1:46 AM UTC

If you can’t do something about it, don’t worry. If you can, then do, and don’t worry.

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#55

Post by sethammons » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 2:37 AM UTC

No single raindrop thinks it is to be blamed for the flood.

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#56

Post by motiw » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 4:49 AM UTC

When in doubts, do the right thing.

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#57

Post by boxed » Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 6:30 PM UTC

bitminer wrote: post #35

boxed wrote: post #16

Never attribute to intelligence what can be sufficiently explained by stupidity.

s/intelligence/malevolence/ Stupidity is more likely than bad actors. Usually.

The original expression is "malice" yes. But it becomes much more generally applicable with "intelligence" imo.

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#58

Post by maxwellwhite » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 2:53 AM UTC

theandrewbailey wrote: post #20

Not tech related: Don't complain about being bored. Bored/boring means that people around you (e.g. family) aren't dying.

Or maybe more simply, “the bored are boring”

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#59

Post by tawayfree » Sat, Aug 22, 2020, 7:39 PM UTC

“You can work from anywhere” is just a big lie!

Re: Ask HN: What's some “one sentence” wisdom you've learned or created?

#60

Post by probinso » Tue, Aug 25, 2020, 10:07 PM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #12

"Measure twice, cut once"

Good for carpentry and brists