Tips for a Better Life • Hacker News Board

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#31

Post by qntty » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:11 PM UTC

neolog wrote: post #29

qntty wrote: post #25

Sorry, but a lot of this advice makes no sense or is pretty bad. 26. Are you on the fence about breaking up or leaving your job? You should probably go ahead and do it. People, on average, end up happier when they take the plunge. Seems illogical. Presumably the reason that people are happier after leaving their job is because, on average, they wait until they are ready. That doesn't mean anyone with the inclination…

If you quote instead of giving numbers then people can follow what you're saying.

Done, thanks.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#32

Post by entangledqubit » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:17 PM UTC

softwaredoug wrote: post #30

> 5. If your work is done on a computer, get a second monitor. Less time navigating between windows means more time for thinking. I really don’t do well with a second monitor, because humans suck at multitasking. Invariably slack or email end up on the second monitor, not real work. Better advice IMO: don’t task switch, stay in the shell as much as possible. Serialize your work to the limitations of human attention

I'd suggest explicitly keeping those apps off the second monitor. I like keeping reference documentation and running notes there.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#33

Post by paulpauper » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:17 PM UTC

NortySpock wrote: post #24

I think the compassion section has the most wisdom in it, especially the reasoning behind the recommendation: 82. Call your parents when you think of them, tell your friends when you love them. 83. Compliment people more. Many people have trouble thinking of themselves as smart, or pretty, or kind, unless told by someone else. You can help them out. 84. If somebody is undergoing group criticism, the tribal part in yo…

91. don't buy XRP

but in seriousness,

I think it is easier to apply these rules to people you know than strangers. Look how often people lose patience with each other online.

>85. Cultivate compassion for those less intelligent than you. Many people, through no fault of their own, can’t handle forms, scammers, or complex situations. Be kind to them because the world is not.

Interestingly, being smart does not protect one from scams. Look at all the smart people who got duped by Madoff. Smart people are just as inclined to believe BS as less intelligent people are , if the BS is dressed up in such a way to appeal to smart people. If anything, being dumb helps, because scams typically require forms and complex schemes, such as investment schemes.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#34

Post by closeparen » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:21 PM UTC

tomcam wrote: post #14

> 78. If you have trouble talking during dates, try saying whatever comes into your head. At worst you’ll ruin some dates (which weren’t going well anyways), at best you’ll have some great conversations. Alcohol can help. Or try listening.

Some people talk enough that just listening/responding will yield a good conversation. Many don't, or will only do so in certain moods, or after they feel very comfortable with you. If you are one of these people, learning to connect with others of the same "type" could expand your world.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#35

Post by tarboreus » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:27 PM UTC

politelemon wrote: post #10

> Steeping minutes: Green at 3 I just leave the bag in. Anything wrong with that?

You might be using weak tea. Buy some good stuff (I recommend Barry's as an excellent black tea, the gold blend is really good) and you will absolutely want to take the bag out. If you're drinking Lipton, well, stop, but if you have to drink it you might as well leave the bag in.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#36

Post by yters » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:28 PM UTC

redleggedfrog wrote: post #16

"8. When buying things, time and money trade-off against each other. If you’re low on money, take more time to find deals. If you’re low on time, stop looking for great deals and just buy things quickly online." I'm finding, as I've gotten older, that almost every time I've chosen money over time I've made a bad decision. And I see this among my family and friends, too. There's a mentality that emerges when exchangin…

I disagree. I spent 20 hours installing a remote start on my wife’s minivan for $150 when it would have cost $400 to have professionals do it in 3 hours. My time was well spent.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#37

Post by lordnacho » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:28 PM UTC

There's some real gems mixed in with some fairly mundane stuff.

I would summarize the good stuff like this:

Try to understand how evolution works, because you are a product of it. What you like to eat, what you like to do, who you want to hang out with, why you feel good or bad when {situations} happens.

But don't be a slave to it. Yes, there is a pressure to be the alpha male. Yes, you will get angry when people cheat you. But you are not a meat machine, you are still a person that can respond to the world with your own agency.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#38

Post by carabiner » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:30 PM UTC

nlh wrote: post #19

These are really great! I imagine one could write a paragraph (or more) on each, and one could setup a whole process of following through with all of them. In fact, this is inspiring: I'm going to put these in a list and review them regularly and try to take a (small) action on each. Anyone wanna try it with me? BTW - only two that I disagree with: > 13. When googling a recipe, precede it with ‘best’. You’ll find bet…

Tip 13 should just be tip 1 applied to recipes. Searching reddit for recipes can yield ones that many people have actually tried and feel like opining on. The downside of Reddit opinions is that it heavily weighs the enthusiasts' point of view, not the once-in-a-while dabbler. You might get a solution that's grander, more expensive, or more complex than your needs. Someone might swear by a vacuum cleaner or pot roast recipe with a million bells and whistles when a basic version would have worked for you just fine.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#39

Post by powersnail » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:32 PM UTC

> 7. Don’t buy CDs for people. They have Spotify. Buy them merch from a band they like instead. It’s more personal and the band gets more money.

I'd generalize that a bit: don't just pick gifts from someone's profession or passion, if you are not familiar with that field.

Even if you buy a merch, they might already have a same one.

Instead, ask the giftee what they wants, or ask another professional, or offer a gift card of a shop frequented by the them.

Re: Tips for a Better Life

#40

Post by closeparen » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 9:34 PM UTC

>77. If you haven’t figured things out sexually, remember that there isn’t a deadline. If somebody is making you feel like there is, consider the possibility that they aren’t your pal.

What do you think this means?