How my genius roommate changed my perspective • Hacker News Board

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#181

Post by rurp » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 5:46 PM UTC

cossatot wrote: post #162

doctoboggan wrote: post #58

There is something very fulfilling (at least to me) about working this way. Not solving the problem in the best way, but solving it in the way you can _right now_. When I was younger this was how I solved most problems, but in my professional life I can't really do that (and for mostly good reasons). I follow someone on YouTube who moved to a small island in Panama, built his house, many boats, and lots of other item…

When I worked as a bike mechanic in my late teens, we referred to this approach as 'shade tree mechanic work'. I loved it, because of the creativity involved. However, I grew to have a great respect for the work of other mechanics, who were more interested in taking more pains, ordering the right tool or part if it wasn't around, and typically having a somewhat better outcome. I think there is room for both. Definite…

I hadn't really thought about it in these terms before, but your comment made me realize this mindset is probably a big part of why I like spending time in wilderness areas. Being without cell service miles from another group of people very much forces a "figure it out" attitude. Solving a tricky situation, with some consequence at stake and using a hodgepodge of resources, is deeply satisfying for me.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#182

Post by baby » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 5:53 PM UTC

icu wrote: post #32

This reminds me of an 80s tv show called MacGyver which impressed on me as a kid that you can use what you got to get out of tricky situations. I've done loads of different things as a result of this attitude. The only time I stopped to think about the show's wider influence was when I was at University (some time ago) in the Engineering building with my best friend (an Engineering student) and a phone went off with…

Lots of my friends were watching myth busters, which I think would qualify for this.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#183

Post by bengy5959 » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 5:55 PM UTC

Dumblydorr wrote: post #173

jbluepolarbear wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where does this value of only a few can be genius’ come from? Anyone with an exceptional gift, be it intelligence or creativity, is a genius. Using your genius to make a great lasting impact is something only a few will accomplish, but it doesn’t cheapen their accomplishments to call others genius.

It's the word's definition, it's language that matters here. If I say every musician is a virtuoso, it cheapens the playing of Hiromi, Chick Corea, and Coltrane. If I say every athlete is a superstar, it cheapens the label for Lebron and Giannis. If we say someone who repurposes wooden furniture is a genius, it cheapens the monumental feat of Einstein publishing multiple Nobel-worthy articles while writing in evening…

I've checked multiple sources and I can't find a single definition of genius that requires the person be notable or "who greatly improved human society through their intellect." Only that they be exceptionally intelligent or gifted in a certain field.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#184

Post by twobitshifter » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 5:59 PM UTC

VoodooJuJu wrote: post #71

Wouldn't call it genius, but certainly resourceful. In many cultures, this resourcefulness is not uncommon. Interesting how it is such a novel concept to the author, but second-nature to others.

My wife is also from South Asia and I think she has the same resourcefulness. I have seen her rearrange various couch cushions, oddball pillows, and blankets to form a perfect bed to watch TV on. I had to document the step by step process on my phone in photos so that I’d know how she got there. It seems like genius to me but she says anyone would know how.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#185

Post by jareklupinski » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:01 PM UTC

spywaregorilla wrote: post #174

jareklupinski wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i have a feeling something got lost in translation; i got the same impression i think we're just used to these 'fables' having some sort of downside for the person who accepted the quick buck, like the gold turned out to be worthless because the person that bought the formula became poor from mis-using it or whatever maybe the lesson is "sometimes payday does come" ;)

haha yeah. It's definitely the quote. The guy exclaims how he is going to get rich quick and how great it is... and then that's the last we hear of him, so I guess it all worked out

personally i would love to hear more stories like that haha

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#186

Post by honkycat » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:04 PM UTC

I love stories like these. In college, I slept on a futon in a filthy studio apartment.

My desk was a piece of wood I put on the arms of a chair, while sitting on the edge of my futon.

It worked OK.

I don't lionize this state of being. My more comfortable peers had better grades and had more fun.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#187

Post by wibblewobble123 » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:09 PM UTC

jbluepolarbear wrote: post #169

Dumblydorr wrote: post #165

I think the word genius is a bit click-baity in this title. Genius is Einstein's year 1905, it's Beethoven writing profoundly inspirational, timeless works while fully deaf. If we cheapen the term genius down to creative maker, or PhD level mathematics, or moving some planks of wood around, I feel we cheapen the greatest insights of historys bonafide geniuses.

Where does this value of only a few can be genius’ come from? Anyone with an exceptional gift, be it intelligence or creativity, is a genius. Using your genius to make a great lasting impact is something only a few will accomplish, but it doesn’t cheapen their accomplishments to call others genius.

“Genius” comes from genus meaning source/give birth/produce, a genius is a prolific source of original work. If you are only prolific, or only original, or neither, you may be a clever person or highly skilled, but a genius you are not.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#188

Post by GhettoComputers » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:24 PM UTC

ctchocula wrote: post #48

brobdingnagians wrote: post #41

Reminds me of the story of Zhuangzi, the Chinese philosopher, on how one thing can be used in very different ways: There was once a man from Song who was skilled at making ointment for chapped hands. For generations, his family had made their living by washing raw silk. A traveler happened to hear of it and offered to purchase the formula for a hundred catties of gold. The man called his family into conference and sa…

I may be a bit slow today, but how did the traveler use a formula for chapped hands ointment to persuade the king of Wu to use it in dealing with troublesome neighbor state of Yue?

Yue was a naval power. It’s logistics like prevention of seasickness or tropical diseases. Here’s an example. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Red_Cliffs >Cao Cao had chained his ships from stem to stern, possibly with the aim of reducing seasickness in his navy, which was composed mostly of northerners who were not used to living on ships. Observing that, the divisional commander Huang Gai sent Cao Cao a letter feigning surrender and prepared a squadron of capital ships described as mengchong doujian (蒙衝鬥艦). The ships had been converted into fire ships by filling them with bundles of kindling, dry reeds, and fatty oil. As Huang Gai's "defecting" squadron approached the midpoint of the river, the sailors applied fire to the ships before they took to small boats. The unmanned fire ships, carried by the southeastern wind, sped towards Cao Cao's fleet and set it ablaze. Many men and horses either burned to death or drowned.

Mongolians did not like the weather of the south in China as well so their forces an DNA are much less common in the south.

The use of optics in Europe also allowed them to see and prepare for ambushes, invasion and spying from far distances. The best modern example is keyhole: a Hubble space telescope designed for high resolution worldwide orbital scanning.

Africa was also not colonized without the aid of vaccines that killed Europeans and genetic mutations like sickle cell prevented the local populations from malaria.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#189

Post by GhettoComputers » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:29 PM UTC

FarhadG wrote: post #114

brobdingnagians wrote: post #41

Reminds me of the story of Zhuangzi, the Chinese philosopher, on how one thing can be used in very different ways: There was once a man from Song who was skilled at making ointment for chapped hands. For generations, his family had made their living by washing raw silk. A traveler happened to hear of it and offered to purchase the formula for a hundred catties of gold. The man called his family into conference and sa…

(Author Here) Thank you for sharing. Very strange that I've heard of Zhuangzi from various interesting folks but have rarely found much info on him.

His philosophical fingerprints are everywhere. He is the originator of the ideas thought to be modern such as the matrix. https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/enquiries/view/the-but...

> Chuang Tzu was a philosopher in ancient China, who, one night went to sleep and dreamed that he was a butterfly. He dreamt that he was flying around from flower to flower and while he was dreaming he felt free, blown about by the breeze hither and thither. He was quite sure that he was a butterfly. But when he awoke he realised that he had just been dreaming, and that he was really Chuang Tzu dreaming he was a butterfly. But then Chuang Tzu asked himself the following question: "was I Chuang Tzu dreaming I was a butterfly or am I now really a butterfly dreaming that I am Chuang Tzu?"

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#190

Post by ghostbrainalpha » Thu, Nov 11, 2021, 6:33 PM UTC

johnorourke wrote: post #8

geocrasher wrote: post #4

s/genius/resourceful and creative/g That's not a slight. But being resourceful (and creative, of course) is what was displayed. There was no evidence of genius. Being resourceful and creative means using what you have on hand to achieve a goal. For example, I wanted to make a gift for a friend who loves dinosaurs. I used old bicycle parts and various bits of metal I had left over from other projects and made her a 3…

I think 'genius' is a relative term.

Indeed, relativity is paramount.

In my house I was considered a 'genius' for putting Cheetos inside a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich.