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Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

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Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#51

Post by WHA8m »

halpert wrote: post #12
mindcrime wrote: post #11

"Always be the smartest (eg, 'most well informed' or 'best educated') person in the room - ON SOMETHING". Or to paraphrase slightly "Have a thing that is your speciality, to the point that you are almost always the most knowledgeable person in the room w/r/t that topic." I think this is a valuable idea to keep in mind, even if it remains forever an aspiration (which it probably will if interpreted in the strictest se…

That’s the opposite of advice I’d give to someone. If you’re the smartest in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.

In understand you point, but what's your entry ticket to that room? Why would people who are so much more knowledgeable than you want to have you around?

If you read closely, the two statements doesn't even contradict. S(he) said that it's good that you are the best AT SOMETHING. You said, it's not good to be THE BEST.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#54

Post by jerrygoyal »

drakonka wrote: post #4

Don't tell people your goals. I heard this in a TED talk years ago[0]. Telling people what you plan to do can evoke the same emotions as actually doing that thing, lowering the drive to do the work to accomplish the goal because you got your emotional reward already. Being a serial starter, I retroactively noticed this pattern in myself when I heard this. Now, when I want to do something new, I shut up about it until…

But telling your goals to the people who care about you is actually a good thing. They'd give you honest feedback, point out (any) mistakes, and support you along the way.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#55

Post by kingkongjaffa »

jerrygoyal wrote: post #54
drakonka wrote: post #4

Don't tell people your goals. I heard this in a TED talk years ago[0]. Telling people what you plan to do can evoke the same emotions as actually doing that thing, lowering the drive to do the work to accomplish the goal because you got your emotional reward already. Being a serial starter, I retroactively noticed this pattern in myself when I heard this. Now, when I want to do something new, I shut up about it until…

But telling your goals to the people who care about you is actually a good thing. They'd give you honest feedback, point out (any) mistakes, and support you along the way.

No post body was provided.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#56

Post by p0d »

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

We all tend to worry too much. I used to make plans to fix the future. Something which we can not fix. I have learned to make plans with broader strokes. I have been fortunate in my working life to pursue my love of technology. I am very grateful for where I have landed. Not where I had planned to land but possibly where my heart wanted me to be. That may sound corny. Let me phrase it as my work is now doing what I once mused upon rather than the business I thought I would be running. As someone else put it, plans are useless but planning is invaluable.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#58

Post by reacharavindh »

Not as advice, but more an inspiration..

Being straightforward with feedback is most often helpful to both parties than beating around the bush to make the person feel okay.

When I started my masters program I was trying to find interesting research projects to work on to eventually write my thesis about. My advisor is a pleasure to work with because he listens and tells me what I _need_ to hear to my face. He once said “You’ve spent too much time on this and the results show they are close to useless or if no value towards your goal. I think you should stop spending your time on this and look at X instead.”. I felt sad and disappointed for two hot minutes, but then I clearly moved on to what eventually became my masters thesis.

Halfway into the program, my advisor quit and I took up another advisor, and he was the opposite wherein I always get soft feedback and spend weeks more effort only to realise that he meant to say it was not worth it.

I took that as a lesson to always be straight with my feedback for people I work with.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#59

Post by kohanz »

brtkdotse wrote: post #5

“Try to never be the person who cares the most” was an offhand remark my dad made to me when I was stressed over a group project in school. It helped me what in hindsight would’ve been very stressful situation many, many times.

This is great advice as an employee (which I try to follow and sometimes succeed), but practically impossible to follow as a founder.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best piece of advice someone has told you?

#60

Post by halpert »

WHA8m wrote: post #51
halpert wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s the opposite of advice I’d give to someone. If you’re the smartest in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.

In understand you point, but what's your entry ticket to that room? Why would people who are so much more knowledgeable than you want to have you around? If you read closely, the two statements doesn't even contradict. S(he) said that it's good that you are the best AT SOMETHING. You said, it's not good to be THE BEST.

Another piece of advice I’d give to a young person is that older people want protégés. Your ticket into the room is simply being smart, young, and impressionable.
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