21–30 of 77 posts
We don‘t get how our culture is making us sick, how we try harder and harder to get to the point of happiness and satisfaction, and never realize that this path doesn‘t work.
> Yesterday, I finally realized that this method would never, ever work. I was shocked. But it never, ever has. I’ve been after myself on this score for, what, like ten years? Had it ever worked once in that time, I asked myself. No! I had a similar realisation a few years ago. I used to try to come up with side project ideas by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing down every idea I could think of. Then, I’…
I contribute to OSS for problems/ideas that troubles/benefits me the most. Sometimes it's just a bit tricky thing that requires some time to do the digging (e.g. dig the library and debug issue). Sometimes it's a feature I want on something I am using.
I think much of the coding understanding learned by non-required tasks (OSS contribution included but not all) are from doing these kind of things bit by bit (some by reading, but practicing coding probably makes it much better).
But not to dream about making millions or even pennies for doing what you are interested in. It's expectation management. Money does has certain kind of value, but might not be so aligned with your other interested sectors (e.g. fun, security, control of data)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I used to spend a lot of my spare time on side projects, thinking I'd hit on something successful eventually. Now, I'm in my 40s and I'm like "Done with work; I think I'll go for a walk and then take a nap."
>Now, I'm in my 40s and I'm like "Done with work; I think I'll go for a walk and then take a nap." I'm in my early thirties and never had any side projects. After busting my ass coding like hell for 6 years in university and after 8 hours of coding at work per day, I was always seeking to do non-coding activities in my free time: trying out new hobbies, going for a walk, having drinks with friends and going dancing,…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
First, finances are most of the time just a roundabout way of trying to be happy. So in a way doing things that make you happy directly instead of doing things hoping to gain money for that activity and then spending that money to hope to gain happiness will never work the same (provided you are not starving). Second, many people on this platform, me included, got good at the things they do for a living, because they…
> finances are most of the time just a roundabout way of trying to be happy If you consider not dying a form of happiness, sure. Seems overly reductive to me.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
First, finances are most of the time just a roundabout way of trying to be happy. So in a way doing things that make you happy directly instead of doing things hoping to gain money for that activity and then spending that money to hope to gain happiness will never work the same (provided you are not starving). Second, many people on this platform, me included, got good at the things they do for a living, because they…
> finances are most of the time just a roundabout way of trying to be happy If you consider not dying a form of happiness, sure. Seems overly reductive to me.
Also: I made that caveat and you skipped right past it. Everything is a gradient of course. I am not suggesting you have to never follow some discipline and always go for the fun route.
Two years ago by painting that picture I realized I need a fundamental change if I want to make it happen.
I said, if you're consistent in wasting your time like that, let's see what will happen if you are consistent with not wasting your time.
I identified a couple of priorities for myself. One of them is "income". If I need to do a task that might take me an hour to finish, but a week to start, I say to myself: that's part of your income. You need it, cut the emotions, drop the ego and do it.
Surprisingly, it works for me not that bad.
On the side projects, I recently counted the folders I did in 2023 - more than 40. Nothing live, but I keep on going because the picture I painted for myself is that these projects are the beginning of something great.
I can totally relate to the author. I dropped all routine and started compare how my day evolves according to my fundamental priorities right now: health, income, hobby.
All is about the motivation. People talk about goals and outcomes, but rarely I see someone truly questioning what they really want and more important - what they really don't want. That for me is the driver behind motivation.
that is very ambitious if not pathologically ambitious.
> Yesterday, I finally realized ... But I suggest ...
s/he has been failing up until the previous day and is already giving public advice about how to do it better?
that's not just questionable, it also shows a lack of self-reflection and unhealthy levels of impulsiveness.
if that text wasn't 13 years old i'd suggest to the author an afternoon on /r/adhdmeme to have a good laugh before moving on with the revised plan. but back then this subreddit didn't exist yet and there was much less useful info on adhd available online or offline. so, from that angle this text might even have some historic raison d'etre.
This approach works if the stuff you want to get done also is very enjoyable. Nobody wants to wash the dishes, do maintenance or clean up, but it has to be done. The question is how does this work for things you want to get done, but it's hard. Say I want to make some form of rubber duck app, but with an AI voice. The idea is great, I talk my programming ideas and she'd respond back, giving an illusion of listening.…
Isn’t washing dishes one of the few instantly rewarding actions available in todays’ workspace? The feeling of warm water running over your hands, the immediate change, the purity that you create, the complex pattern of light reflecting in the water drops, the sound of it… To me, this is an immensely pleasant activity. Sure, if I’m in a rush, I just load the dishwasher and jump to other things, but otherwise this is…
> Yesterday, I finally realized that this method would never, ever work. I was shocked. But it never, ever has. I’ve been after myself on this score for, what, like ten years? Had it ever worked once in that time, I asked myself. No! I had a similar realisation a few years ago. I used to try to come up with side project ideas by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing down every idea I could think of. Then, I’…
I'm also, in a strange way, glad that I didn't discover Epicurus earlier. Choosing the more difficult path is also part of my personality - but I have found some incredible friends as a result.