Ask HN: How can I come to peace with the years I wasted on pointless things?

I also spent most of my early life close to computers but as far as programming I only remember learning actual programming (in C) in my late teen years. It’s really hard for a 10 year old kid to really grok stuff like that. So if you are comparing yourself against people that you think had a head start then at most you are a couple of years “behind”. But also, as a 23 year old your learning pace and ability to focus should be higher, so you can recover lost ground very fast. In summary, the best time to start something was yesterday, the second best is today. Realize you are not much “behind” and get started. But also take the time to enjoy it.

Another thing is comparing yourself to Carmack… c’mon man, you have to cut yourself some slack. He is one of greatest programmers to ever live, he is _not_ a realistic yardstick to measure yourself against. You should only compare today’s you vs. yesterday’s you. That’s the only comparison that matters. For as long as that comparison trends positively you are in the right path.

And finally, you will realize that it takes time to digest things down and progress to mastery. As you grow older and get exposed to more and more fields you will start seeing connections that you can explore. But this takes time, as much as for Carmack as for yourself. This is how you grow and it is inescapable that it will take time. You have to understand it and accept it.

If you're 23, you probably have 47-67 years left.

Don't sweat anything that might have been done differently in the prior 23. Go make the best of the 47 to come, with the extra advantage of the lessons you've already learned.

Your best years are ahead of you. Go get 'em!

That interview has a line where John says you can sleep 8 hours a day and work 100 hours a week if you 'prioritise correctly'. 40ish minutes in.

He also made the point that keeping working past diminishing returns of effectiveness gets more done than stopping at that point.

Making peace with past waste will only make it easier to waste the future. None of that. Focus on getting more done today.

"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

You're very lucky that at the tender age of 23 you know what it is you want to do! At 23 you learn much faster and have much more stamina than a child. You can achieve a lot in this world if you decide to.

Spending time on video games and social media can be a coping mechanism for financial hardships. They are both relatively low cost ways to socialize, world of Warcraft let’s you go to events for around 10 dollars a month.

If you finish your comp sci program you are unlikely to experience financial hardship regardless of your dedication to the field. What you do with the financial freedom is up to you!