I can completely relate to this, and was in a similar place not too long ago. My personal recommendation would be to check out Vipassana (dhamma.org) - it was a life-changing experience, and the first to actually address some of the mental issues I was facing.
Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
51–60 of 288 posts
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#52Without turning this post into a book, I think what you are feeling is very normal, and perhaps even a healthy moment of reflection. If you consider time to be the single most precious resource, then perhaps you can figure out how you want to use it. If that's in bacchanalian and hedonistic pursuits, then great. If that's in self-discovery, great. Maybe on your path you'll find therapy or diet or exercise or hobbies or meds will bring renewal. My guess would be at some point you will find something that sparks renewed interest and you'll find the balance.
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#53> But not only has my professional life become monotonous and unchallenging
In my 20 years as a developer, I think I can count actually fulfilling moments on one hand. Maybe I'm just really unlucky, but I suspect that professional development isn't very efficient or worthwhile. So many projects get canned, delayed, reworked, death marched, or are just, well, asinine.
Personally, my growth had stunted, especially ever since Covid hit. I was just kind of "existing" and not really doing anything. But lately I've taken on something completely new to me, and wow I'm pretty bad at it. I'm learning so much, and it's fun to see the improvement and "ohhhhhhhhh" moments. So maybe just try something totally different for a while.
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#54Wow, I just wanted to say thanks a lot for posting this. I'm in a very similar boat. I was always very focused and goal-oriented in my younger days - a bit of a workaholic but generally enjoyed working hard. A number of changes since the pandemic have left me feeling very similar to you: 1. Like tons of other people, I re-evaluated my relationship with work during the pandemic. To be honest, it wasn't easy. I think a…
> I started my career during the dot com boom, and there was so much optimism about the beneficial societal changes that tech and the Internet would bring. I don't feel like all tech is "evil" these days...
Wow that's so true... we totally didn't see the social media dystopia we're living in today coming. We imagined a world where everyone has all the world knowledge available at their fingertips would be wonderful. How wrong were we.
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#55Here. I'm just lazy. An excuse I tell myself is ehh that probably has no monetary future so I just don't do it, but its probably just laziness.
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#56I found in my mid thirties that my perspective on what was important and desirable shifted significantly. Which led me to become disengaged from my desire to build side projects and learn new programming languages. It was a time were ecclesiastes from the Bible resonated a lot. After a while I just found out that I wasn’t interested in nothing but I had to rediscover what was important to me and what I valued spendin…
One of the massive things which caused a shift was knowing a decent sized group of people that became incredibly financially successful as the result of acquisitions and what this actually did to their personal lives. It really wasn't the all happy fun situation that it is so often portrayed as being. Then there is the whole have kids not have kids axis, and where people fall on that will dramatically influence their…
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Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#57I’m not in the same place, but I do find it still surprising at age 40 you can flail around randomly in a city and discover entirely new areas of life that fully captivate your interest. The other day someone invited me to join a math club and now it’s my favorite part of my week. I hadn’t thought about math since I was 15. but that’s example one of dozens. not that anyone’s asking, but I think if anyone isn’t feeling satisfied they can easily try very random things and find some satisfaction and that’s what I would recommend
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a step in the right direction but it is still wrong. Yes, whatever praise or accolades you earn from work will be things you can never take with you when you pass. But the same also goes for whatever enjoyment you get from hobbies, interests or activities. You've just swapped one temporary source of happiness for another. Even if the latter is more meaningful, it is still temporary. It is easy to suggest focu…
> when you pass Nihilism is not the belief that there is no God and life is ultimately meaningless. Nihilism is recognizing that there is no God and life is ultimately meaningless, while continuing to sacrifice at a grinding job you hate, continuing to submit to the phony morality of those higher than you in the social hierarchy, conforming to social rituals and customs you privately think are bullshit, continuing to…
> Nihilism is behaving as if there is a God who gives life meaning, even when you don't actually believe that, instead of assuming responsibility for making your own meaning during the brief time you're alive.
TIL I am a nihilist.
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#59I find myself in the same hole but not because of lack of opportunities from peers or life, not because I dont have good ideas or dont know how to excecute them.
I have work mostly all my life working as a freelancer and havent been able to find a workplace that I feel really confortable. That and situations that always seem to happen in the worst possible moment, I found myself in the necesity to make my own company, what do we do? what do we make? software and hardware. anything specific? no im working towards that.
Thank you for your post, feels good to vent a little bit
Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?
#60I have a six month old and have dealt with two people dying in the past three years including handling their estates. I’m lucky I have time to learn anything at work.
Hope you are doing okay, stay strong.