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

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

#211

Post by tifkap »

Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive anyway.

In other words: relax, experiment, take a change on new or weird things, and don;t believe that the thing you're working on right now is super-duper important in the big scheme of things. Consider the size of the Universe (Douglas Adam's style), and remember that any change you make (even if traveling at the speed of light), will still be insignificant for the universe. Use this information not to paralyse you, but gain a sense of unlimited freedom.

You are free.

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

#212

Post by juve1996 »

Our_Benefactors wrote: post #152
glenngillen wrote: post #48

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…

realistically this just ends up wasting tons of time on both sides of hiring. Interviewing is unpaid labor, do it as little as possible.

This is why you interview...to waste time on a 1 hour call instead of years of a bad job/candidate.

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

#213

Post by Our_Benefactors »

paulcole wrote: post #208
Our_Benefactors wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

realistically this just ends up wasting tons of time on both sides of hiring. Interviewing is unpaid labor, do it as little as possible.

As someone who does a ton of interviews, I hope people are wasting tons of my time! I love the opportunity to talk to people about working where I work and if a great person wants to waste my time, I’ll take the chance to sell them on where I work.

As someone else who does a lot of interviews - please god no. There is negative value in every failed interview where I could have instead been contributing to the company’s mission.

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

#214

Post by Our_Benefactors »

paulcole wrote: post #207
Our_Benefactors wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly it’s not. I would basically be reducing my hourly rate if I _never_ stopped interviewing, because most of those are dreck that can’t meet my current comp in the first place.

Why would you apply to dreck that can’t meet your comp in the first place? The advice wasn’t apply to jobs. The advice was to take the interview.

I don’t apply. It’s what shows up in my email or LinkedIn inbox. I don’t take the interviews when they are obviously misaligned with my level/skillset/interests because they are a waste of time.

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

#215

Post by tifkap »

darttree wrote: post #150
thunderbong wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a very cynical way to live a life, isn't it?

I was taken advantage of by people before so this fixed my peasing/trusting people bug in me.

"Trust, but verify"

Used mostly in bookkeeping and nucleair monitoring, but very usefull outside it as well.

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

#216

Post by tifkap »

ravagat wrote: post #81

If you're so smart, why aren't rich yet?* * change out rich for wealth or whatever major thing you are currently focused on.

I always disliked that saying, because i'm never in it for the money. Money often follows, through paths I could not imagine when starting the adventure, but it was never the goal.

Following your interests and going on weird adventures/side-tracks outside your comfort-zone won't make you very rich, but you'll always have enough, and a life that is fun.

It helps if you don't care to much about collecting useless stuff: Travel light!

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

#217

Post by paulcole »

Our_Benefactors wrote: post #213
paulcole wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who does a ton of interviews, I hope people are wasting tons of my time! I love the opportunity to talk to people about working where I work and if a great person wants to waste my time, I’ll take the chance to sell them on where I work.

As someone else who does a lot of interviews - please god no. There is negative value in every failed interview where I could have instead been contributing to the company’s mission.

I mean I do put a lot of work into getting bad fit candidates out of the pipeline as early as possible (ideally before they speak to me or anyone else).

But the most important thing I can be doing is getting good fit candidates hired — that is how I contribute to the company mission. And I accept that means talking to some number of people who aren’t seriously considering my offer. I take it as an opportunity to change their mind or failing that to experiment with the questions I ask. Over time I become a better interviewer because of those opportunities.

Every interview has the chance to end with me hiring the best person we’ve ever hired. The upside is so high that the downside is worth it.

I can’t get upset at people who interview when they’re not serious about changing jobs. I do it all the time myself and encourage everyone I work with to do it. Can’t hold it against anyone who does the same.

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

#218

Post by urthor »

iLoveOncall wrote: post #13
urthor wrote: post #3

Some piece of psychology research said having others depend on you is a deep source of happiness. You were contributing to the hunter gatherer tribe or whatnot. Another piece of psychological research. When you did something for a gold star reward, and they took the reward away, people stopped enjoying the activity. Aka, just do kind deeds for others. Everything will be alright. Also, do stuff for others, for free, u…

> Some piece of psychology research said having others depend on you is a deep source of happiness. I find it to be the absolute opposite. It's absolutely draining. You can quickly become exhausted and apathic when constantly having people rely on you.

Often, what people truly need from you is a kick up the backside.

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

#219

Post by urthor »

tcbawo wrote: post #78
urthor wrote: post #3

Some piece of psychology research said having others depend on you is a deep source of happiness. You were contributing to the hunter gatherer tribe or whatnot. Another piece of psychological research. When you did something for a gold star reward, and they took the reward away, people stopped enjoying the activity. Aka, just do kind deeds for others. Everything will be alright. Also, do stuff for others, for free, u…

I can think of a person in my family that needs to be needed in this way. Since I am somewhat independent, she is put off, probably subconsciously. Trying to find ways to be needed feels artificial. It’s hard to reconcile this. Maybe therapy.

Explain, clearly, the fact you're perfectly alright.

And, lay out for them another important job to get on with.

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

#220

Post by dilyevsky »

Our_Benefactors wrote: post #214
paulcole wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you apply to dreck that can’t meet your comp in the first place? The advice wasn’t apply to jobs. The advice was to take the interview.

I don’t apply. It’s what shows up in my email or LinkedIn inbox. I don’t take the interviews when they are obviously misaligned with my level/skillset/interests because they are a waste of time.

Just take the intro call and tell them your expectations (while being as vague as possible). If they dont bite then you didn’t lose much
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