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Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

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Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#211

Post by granshaw »

kirso wrote: post #200
granshaw wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One question I’ve set out to answer is: what would I do if I were fired tomorrow? Understood that not everyone is in the position to switch to lower paying careers, start over, etc - but if you have some leash, what WOULD you do if you were fired tomorrow? (And I don’t mean short term like take a vacation then find another tech job - mean longer term like what kind of job will you be looking for next, or business to…

This is such a powerful question (another version of it, what would you do if you wouldn't have to worry about money). Sometime ago I tried to answer it and realised that I don't know. It sparked anxiety, meaning I've been doing something for such a long time 15+ years now without knowing what really my end goal is and why I am doing that. Whatever its called, zombie or auto/robo mode, the unintentional living, its f…

Thanks for sharing. What are you doing for income now? Are you retired?

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#212

Post by fasterik »

ed_mercer wrote: post #173
fasterik wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am frequently reminded of George Carlin's bit about "soft language" and how it obscures facts of life that we're uncomfortable about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67k9eEw9AY His criticism of soft language about aging and death starts around the 5 minute mark

Dying is a fact now, but will it still be 50/100/1000 years from now on with current exponential technological advancements? Sooner or later it will be solved. Dying sucks on all accounts and there’s nothing positive to say about it, so it makes sense to lighten up that language. I definitely don’t want to be reminded all the time of my mortality, which is especially frustrating as it’s a problem that will be solved…

Physically, immortality is impossible due to the second law of thermodynamics. Everything dies, including solar systems, galaxies, and black holes. A biological body can potentially live orders of magnitude longer than we do now, but even then people will die of accidents and natural disasters. I don't see any reason not to speak plainly about it.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#213

Post by npteljes »

After reading your title, I wanted to comment the same as you last paragraph: that I'm working on getting my shit together. I liked to worked on tech, and I didn't like to take care of other things, so if you look around in my life's garden, it's all overgrowth, mold, rot, and walls so that this all doesn't get to me. Adding more tech, or working on yet another something else won't help this situation, but it would need a lot of energy from me, so I don't do it.

What I did in my work so that it supports me on the journey is that I moved from software engineer to lower management. Lots of new types of problems, and lots of new ways to me to connect to people and tech.

Often, I came to think, new is not the answer. Rather it's something that I distracted myself with.

Extra energy also doesn't come by introducing more energy to the system. I also use the max already. The effort is better spent in conserving it, and building a system where it recharges faster.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#214

Post by Sajarin »

reactordev wrote: post #202
Sajarin wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean this doesn’t really mean anything. There is a right view and a wrong view, and of course you can make incremental steps towards right views. Don’t get so attached to your own opinions, that’s a form of clinging.

“There is a right view and a wrong view” there you go again. No, there is your own right way and wrong way. Those ways are not the same as mine per se. Stop trying to conform my world view to yours. I would highly recommend you read “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

The terms right view and wrong view are from buddhism. There is a right view as taught by the Buddha found in his teachings. Clinging to right view is better than clinging to wrong view, even if it’s still clinging.

But following your own logic, why the resistance to my comments if my statements are neither right or wrong and is just as valid as yours? I’m not intentionally doing the things you’re accusing me of doing.

At the end of the day, may you understand the causes of your own suffering and find peace.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#215

Post by Sajarin »

pauby wrote: post #199
Sajarin wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean this doesn’t really mean anything. There is a right view and a wrong view, and of course you can make incremental steps towards right views. Don’t get so attached to your own opinions, that’s a form of clinging.

> Don’t get so attached to your own opinions, that’s a form of clinging. Ironically, this is precisely what you're doing.

lol this comment is ironic on many levels, thanks

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#216

Post by Sajarin »

brainless wrote: post #186
Sajarin wrote: post #35

Earlier 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…

I am not the OP, but I disagree here. Happiness that we find in our social life, our friendships, family and relationships is not the same or swap-able with our career. This is something I learned the hard way, being drunk on startup cool-aid in the early life till it wore me down. Friendships or other things I mentioned: not that everything is smooth, but there is a sense of comfort, pleasure, joy that just does not…

The point of disagreement here is probably with regards to our definitions of happiness. What you define as happiness, I see as just forms of temporary satisfaction or pleasure.

In my opinion, I think happiness isn’t the goal since it’s temporary. Instead we should aim for equanimity which arises from the complete cessation of stress and doubt and is much harder to obtain but is longer lasting.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#217

Post by fasterik »

gifvenut wrote: post #198
fasterik wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem isn't work per se, it's our attitudes toward work and the projects that we choose to work on. "Do what makes you happy" is a cliche that we all accept, but if you think about it, it's actually a very self-centered and egoistic way of deciding what to do. If we used different heuristics, like do what's best for your family/community/world, it might lead to very different answers than doing what makes you h…

It’s just semantics. Helping others makes me happy.

That might be true in your case. What makes someone else happy might be to engage in rent-seeking behavior to profit as much personally off of other people as possible. Even if maximizing personal happiness works as an ethical norm for some people, that doesn't mean that it's the best advice to give universally.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#219

Post by mlrtime »

Sajarin wrote: post #216
brainless wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not the OP, but I disagree here. Happiness that we find in our social life, our friendships, family and relationships is not the same or swap-able with our career. This is something I learned the hard way, being drunk on startup cool-aid in the early life till it wore me down. Friendships or other things I mentioned: not that everything is smooth, but there is a sense of comfort, pleasure, joy that just does not…

The point of disagreement here is probably with regards to our definitions of happiness. What you define as happiness, I see as just forms of temporary satisfaction or pleasure. In my opinion, I think happiness isn’t the goal since it’s temporary. Instead we should aim for equanimity which arises from the complete cessation of stress and doubt and is much harder to obtain but is longer lasting.

It might be important to take a step back. If you are a practicing Buddhist and read OPs comment, you may be right. Most are not, and they can't be shoved into the deep end of this philosophy.

Having said that, taking small steps is important. I feel OPs point is valid, in the sense that happiness comes from within, not external validation.

Re: Ask HN: Who else is working on nothing?

#220

Post by washadjeffmad »

Well, this all resonates. I'm in the middle of a big life transition, and while re-evaluating how I got where I am and why I took on certain roles, I found I'm not as beholden to my trajectory as I felt.

I'm ready to bundle up everything I've spent the past twenty odd years doing and turn it into just a other stepping stone of a long and interesting journey.

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