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

Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 277 posts

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#111

Post by RangerScience »

bob1029 wrote: post #104
kpmcc wrote: post #94

Cooking cooking cooking. You’ll eat probably until the day you die. Might as well figure out how to feed yourself in a way that sustains you and brings some joy to you and possibly to others.

This is by far the most important thing I can think of, followed shortly by being able to maintain a regular, high-quality exercise regimen. Meal prep is the key to keeping the discipline in terms of cooking cheap, high-quality meals for yourself. If you understand some fundamentals about how to store food and scaling recipes up, you can leverage your time very well. In a given week, I spend ~2 hours in the kitchen t…

I've been doing Blue Apron and then Sun Basket for years now. Definitely very different than bob1029's plan - I spend 3-4 hours per week cooking, and something like 4x the price. (My main reason is choice / planning fatigue).

In the beginning, 2 serving meals would take me ~hour. Now, 4 serving meals take me ~30m, and I usually end with a clean kitchen.

As bob says, key to that is "very few tools". Generally, cutting board, knife, pan, metal spatula (love it), sometimes mixing bowls.

Another key: Plate (or store) everything immediately, and then rinse it all. Bonus points if the pan's still hot enough that it cleans itself when you rinse. Basically no mess this way, it's amazing.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#112

Post by dorkwood »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #84
sys_64738 wrote: post #80

Have a viable exit plan from working life. You don't always get to choose when you can no longer work.

Eerily timely advice for me. I've developed a persistent pain in my right wrist over this weekend. I guess RSI is finally getting me :/.

I thought the same thing about a month ago, but then it went away.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#113

Post by HenryBemis »

Retric wrote: post #30

Probably the most important skill people are skipping is etiquette. Which I think says a lot about HN. Communication (texting, listening, etc), maintaining and creating relationships, avoiding injury, relaxation, exercise, cooking, healthy eating, self defense, first aid, swimming, types of reading (fun, searching, learning), searching, separating truth from fiction, knowing when to seek help, a hobby, cleaning, main…

Listening.

Spending 70% of what you make(either make more or spend less). Save 30% of what you make (make more or spend less)(see the pattern?)

Read books. Minimum 6 per year. Aim for 1 per month and see how it works out.

Pick your news sources carefully. Don't read ALL the news. Reading about the imports of Beetroots in Slovenia has zero impact to your life (unless you are in the beetroot business in Ljubljana).

Chose what to click/read. Everyone and everything wants your attention/time/money. Give it to the things that YOU will benefit from (to avoid misunderstandings: volunteering for -unpaid- charity work is good for YOU/your soul).

Edit - News: I scroll in the "front page" of 5-6 websites, read just the titles. I only read the analyses that seem intelligent, opinion articles that will challenge me. Just the facts, without aby analysis and or historical references can be misleading.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#115

Post by paweladamczuk »

bob1029 wrote: post #104
kpmcc wrote: post #94

Cooking cooking cooking. You’ll eat probably until the day you die. Might as well figure out how to feed yourself in a way that sustains you and brings some joy to you and possibly to others.

This is by far the most important thing I can think of, followed shortly by being able to maintain a regular, high-quality exercise regimen. Meal prep is the key to keeping the discipline in terms of cooking cheap, high-quality meals for yourself. If you understand some fundamentals about how to store food and scaling recipes up, you can leverage your time very well. In a given week, I spend ~2 hours in the kitchen t…

Do you have details of your process and recipes put online? Maybe some other useful links?

I didn't know spending this little time on cooking was possible, would love to learn it myself.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#117

Post by bob1029 »

dprophecyguy wrote: post #107
bob1029 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is by far the most important thing I can think of, followed shortly by being able to maintain a regular, high-quality exercise regimen. Meal prep is the key to keeping the discipline in terms of cooking cheap, high-quality meals for yourself. If you understand some fundamentals about how to store food and scaling recipes up, you can leverage your time very well. In a given week, I spend ~2 hours in the kitchen t…

Do you have this process documented anywhere ? Would like to learn it.

I don't have it written down, but I have been applying things like lean manufacturing principles to the kitchen. I.e. looking at and optimizing various subtasks and figuring out why they take so long or why the cleanup is such a PITA afterwards.

I would say that my process is probably incompatible with the preferences and physical kitchen layout of others, so you need to find something that works for you specifically. If you are having trouble figuring it out, start asking the following:

> What do I like to eat?

> Am I willing to cook it for myself on a weekly basis?

> (presumption) Why not?

> Here is where you start getting recursive with why-why-why.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#118

Post by nazgulnarsil »

Judging experts because you won't be doing most things on the basis of your own original reasoning. Prioritization otherwise you get attention hijacked too much to accomplish your goals. Emotional stability or you get jerked around by current events. Communication or you don't get any buy in on your positive visions.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#119

Post by adamredwoods »

bob1029 wrote: post #104
kpmcc wrote: post #94

Cooking cooking cooking. You’ll eat probably until the day you die. Might as well figure out how to feed yourself in a way that sustains you and brings some joy to you and possibly to others.

This is by far the most important thing I can think of, followed shortly by being able to maintain a regular, high-quality exercise regimen. Meal prep is the key to keeping the discipline in terms of cooking cheap, high-quality meals for yourself. If you understand some fundamentals about how to store food and scaling recipes up, you can leverage your time very well. In a given week, I spend ~2 hours in the kitchen t…

Now scale this for a family, 3x per day for different tastes. Can be done, but this is where the true skill of cooking and planning shines.

Re: Ask HN: What are good life skills for people to learn?

#120

Post by timwaagh »

What I have trouble with but for a time i managed it. I think is one of, if not the most essential life skill is learning to initiate a lot of conversations with total strangers. I do want to emphasize the 'a lot' part, because this is not about being good at conversation (some people are, some aren't), but doing this a lot. Using this, you can make friends, but you can also get professional opportunities or dates or you can find your way about a foreign place. It takes a lot to get over the inner awkwardness but if you manage to do it consistently the rewards are just as consistent.
Post reply on HN