Steli means it when he roots for the entrepreneur - first hand experience here. Thanks Steli! :)
My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
21–28 of 28 posts
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#22Good talk. Your method of writing down what the worst case scenario falls in line with what is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is the recommended method of working through mild-to-moderate depressive episodes. In fact, as a physician observing the HN community, I have acquired a folder of bookmarks, "Depression in Entrepreneurs", mainly centered around Andrews and Thomson's analytic-rheumination hypothes…
"Andrews and Thomson's analytic-rheumination hypothesis... the cornerstone of successful coping: identify the problems, the worst possible outcomes, prioritize, and start working through them ... Explicitly enumerate your problems, worst case scenarios, and some branches and sequels..."
This is the exact discovery/scenario process drilled into the planning phase of hikes over long distances and/or difficult terrain.
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I would agree that meditation helps to introspect and obtain perspective, I don't think that aiming for happiness (of itself) is meaningful at all. Yikes, I meant ... you cannot pursue happiness for happiness' sake. It's a byproduct of living. Happiness is an oblique outcome of being - of existing. I like what Robert Oppenheimer wrote to his brother Frank in one of his letters: "Everyone wants rather to be plea…
Interesting point. Though I have to interject that the origin of happiness is so different from person to person that it is sort of silly to make any kind of generalization. In fact, I've read longitudinal studies on happiness that conclude that a person's happiness remains relatively static throughout their life, which provides substantial evidence for happiness being the result of genetics and temperament. Still, a…
Or, it's evidence that the simple idea that happiness can be exercised and controlled, is unbelievable. And evidently some of us find it unbelievable. But what if it is true?
It would imply an introspecting mind that is consciously quantifying his/her state of being, maybe aided by meditation.
Can you really calculate your way to happiness or success? I'm beginning to think that the answer is yes. * Companies are using iDoneThis to quantify their work and maintain motivational fuel. * Developers use commit logs or derived graphics to get a feel for incremental progress. * I look at my test-code output to feel motivated by my battlescars, and see a replay of my program destroying that bug.
Success depends on many factors but two dependencies are motivation and happiness, for which quantification and reflection may help, and it's a skill to be practiced.
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#24I feel you man...great talk!
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I would agree that meditation helps to introspect and obtain perspective, I don't think that aiming for happiness (of itself) is meaningful at all. Yikes, I meant ... you cannot pursue happiness for happiness' sake. It's a byproduct of living. Happiness is an oblique outcome of being - of existing. I like what Robert Oppenheimer wrote to his brother Frank in one of his letters: "Everyone wants rather to be plea…
I have experienced happiness much more as a personal choice than a byproduct of living. Your living creates certain external circumstances that can lead to happiness or depression. Often it really doesn't matter what the external result is produced by your "living" but how you internally decide to respond to it. To share one of my favorite quotes on the topic :) "If you can't be happy with a lollipop - how could you…
Wonderful point. I've become convinced over time that how my life is going (at least, above a certain threshold and beyond short-term effects of recent unusual events) has relatively little effect upon how I'm feeling. It's more about how I choose to see things.
As a result, I've found my way to a great deal of happiness without any truly extraordinary achievements. Nowadays, my friends tell me I'm 'easily amused', which I take as a great compliment.
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#26Really great talk. Thanks! You hear a lot of people talking about how to succeed more, faster, etc. but very few people seem to mention all the little side effects of being a die hard entrepreneur, or how to deal with them.
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#27I think this is a very under talked-about topic in Silicon Valley. I'm on my third startup after two successful exits and still deal with the "roller coaster" of emotions related to work in this field. I don't think it ever really subsides, at least not for certain people. Like others mentioned I found meditation very useful. Also, I watch Stephen Hawking's documentary called something like "A Brief History of Everyt…
so my ex-girlfriend and her new relationship will eventually die out too? That's a relief...
They might, but their undying love will never subside.
Re: My TEDx Talk about Entrepreneurial Depression / Happiness
#28Good talk. Your method of writing down what the worst case scenario falls in line with what is known as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which is the recommended method of working through mild-to-moderate depressive episodes. In fact, as a physician observing the HN community, I have acquired a folder of bookmarks, "Depression in Entrepreneurs", mainly centered around Andrews and Thomson's analytic-rheumination hypothes…
"Andrews and Thomson's analytic-rheumination hypothesis... the cornerstone of successful coping: identify the problems, the worst possible outcomes, prioritize, and start working through them ... Explicitly enumerate your problems, worst case scenarios, and some branches and sequels..." This is the exact discovery/scenario process drilled into the planning phase of hikes over long distances and/or difficult terrain.
Risk analyst at PwC. This also sounds very similar to my role.