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Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

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121–130 of 281 posts

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#121

Work and career progression: “always take the interview”. I reported direct to the CEO at a startup and I told him our largest customer had headhunted me, and I assumed I wasn’t special and they’re probably targeting many of us. He asked me what the process was like and what the offer was, and when I told him I didn’t take the initial call hand he shook his head. “You always take the interview. Absolute worst case is…

Wow, this one's amazing, and so well argumented that it finally made it click in many respects for me.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#122
post #20

This is a mix of Buddhist, Hindu, and Stoic philosophy: Ask yourself this, why do you do anything? For the sake of Profit? Recognition? Love? Or return of any kind? Any deed done with reward in mind creates an expectation which, if not met, causes suffering. Similarly, you will end up focusing more on the reward than the task itself and will unable to be loyal to the task. The only reason you must do a task is becaus…

Sounds like a good bedtime story for a slave owner to tell his slave.

Sometimes just doing the right thing is its own reward.. some even suggest these decisions determine your sense of morality.

Shopping Cart Theory:

https://i.redd.it/ym8g7jqtw6y41.png

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#124

There are enough assholes out there to make you think everyone is an asshole (in reality, most people are great, and the asshole are e tiny minority)

If you think everyone else is an asshole, you might be the asshole.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#125
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not good advice and it largely goes against steve jobs work. This fundamentally works, for a small subset of people that are predisposed via their personality to extremely high levels of dilligence and conscientiousness who need to be told to stop working. If you are the opposite, this advice basically says "stop sacrificing the short term for the long term, and stop working towards difficult but ultimately w…

It's not a rallying cry for hedonism, short-termism or defeatism. It's a suggestion to correct course; to be self-aware; to get over your fears; to ensure you're pursuing things you find worthwhile and believe in; to accept that even for those things you will have days when you don't love them, but to consider a change if that feeling persists. He goes on to say, “…all external expectations, all pride, all fear of em…

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Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#126

For young, single heterosexual men; cultivate deep platonic friendships with women. Get a hobby, do charity work, find something where you meet and become good friends with multiple women of different ages and backgrounds. Do not ever attempt to date any of these women. Why? Because most men know woefully few women, and your life will be much richer. A lot of men know very little about the experiences, fears, and hop…

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Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#127

For young, single heterosexual men; cultivate deep platonic friendships with women. Get a hobby, do charity work, find something where you meet and become good friends with multiple women of different ages and backgrounds. Do not ever attempt to date any of these women. Why? Because most men know woefully few women, and your life will be much richer. A lot of men know very little about the experiences, fears, and hop…

I'd say do that, but with men. Men of good character, morals, aspirations and goals. Platonic friendship between men and women is a myth. (Exceptions exists, but only confirm the rule)

That's not how confirmation works.

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#129

Work and career progression: “always take the interview”. I reported direct to the CEO at a startup and I told him our largest customer had headhunted me, and I assumed I wasn’t special and they’re probably targeting many of us. He asked me what the process was like and what the offer was, and when I told him I didn’t take the initial call hand he shook his head. “You always take the interview. Absolute worst case is…

Sounds like an amazing CEO

Re: Ask HN: What is the best advice you got on any aspect of life?

#130

Finance: aim to be broke when you die. It changed my view at the personal finance, and made some decisions much easier. If I die at the old age, my kids will be in their 40's-60's. My savings won't make a significant impact on their personal finance (assuming all is well; validated over the multiple inheritance splits within my family). Which means, don't (extensively) save for the retirement, but invest in yourself…

It's true that extra money left over when you die doesn't help you, but if you aim to be broke when you die and miss in the wrong direction, you're going to have a bad time.
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