Identity theft!!
Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
21–30 of 81 posts
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#22It may be true that youth confers certain physical and mental benefits, but I feel it's generally under-appreciated what a massive amount of value older people can still easily bring to society around them. I grew up as a young 20-ish programmer in a FOSS community that had multiple people in their 60s and 70s act e.g. as module maintainers and similar, and you can be productive and matter and contribute to greater t…
The ham radio community is basically kept alive by senior citizens and the 42 of us under 50.
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#23So it goes.
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#24This piece seriously misrepresents Vonnegut's career just to make a dubious point. Sure, Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's big financial breakthrough, but by that time he was a very well-known writer with several classics, including Player Piano and Harrison Bergeron, and a Guggenheim Fellow, and made a decent living from writing full time. Not glamorous for sure, but in line with most very good writerd. Far from de…
He got the guggenheim fellowship in 1967 when he was 45, only a couple years after he had considered giving up.
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#25This piece seriously misrepresents Vonnegut's career just to make a dubious point. Sure, Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's big financial breakthrough, but by that time he was a very well-known writer with several classics, including Player Piano and Harrison Bergeron, and a Guggenheim Fellow, and made a decent living from writing full time. Not glamorous for sure, but in line with most very good writerd. Far from de…
I think you need some luck to have picked something early in life to be passionate about that will allow you too be great at something later on.
If you were unfortunate enough to be passionate about something physical like a sport or game, not much to look forward to
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#26This piece seriously misrepresents Vonnegut's career just to make a dubious point. Sure, Slaughterhouse Five was Vonnegut's big financial breakthrough, but by that time he was a very well-known writer with several classics, including Player Piano and Harrison Bergeron, and a Guggenheim Fellow, and made a decent living from writing full time. Not glamorous for sure, but in line with most very good writerd. Far from de…
I think you need some luck to have picked something early in life to be passionate about that will allow you too be great at something later on. If you were unfortunate enough to be passionate about something physical like a sport or game, not much to look forward to
> If you were unfortunate enough to be passionate about something physical like a sport or game, not much to look forward to
Coach Little League. Physical passions can be a lot more fullfiling than otherwise
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#27It may be true that youth confers certain physical and mental benefits, but I feel it's generally under-appreciated what a massive amount of value older people can still easily bring to society around them. I grew up as a young 20-ish programmer in a FOSS community that had multiple people in their 60s and 70s act e.g. as module maintainers and similar, and you can be productive and matter and contribute to greater t…
> It may be true that youth confers certain [...] mental benefits
I think it would be better if HN didn't tell impressionable 20yo techbros things like this.
> massive amount of value older people can still easily bring to society around them.
This is generally recognized in many places, outside of techbro echo chambers.
> in a FOSS community that had multiple people in their 60s and 70s act e.g. as module maintainers and similar,
To your 20yo techbro, this sounds like damning with faint praise.
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#28[flagged]
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#29Richard Adams was 52 when he wrote Watership Down and surely there's more examples
JRR Tolkien was 38 when he started writing The Hobbit, which wouldn't get finished and published until he was in his mid 40s.
Re: Remember: Kurt Vonnegut Was 47
#3040 is the new 30s and life really starts after 50. Until then you’re spinning your wheels trying to pay back loans, raise kids, work, save, and not fall victim to vices. Colonel Sanders started KFC in his 40s and didn’t come up with the signature recipe until he was 50. KFC as we know it didn’t exist until he was 65. Truth is, most successful business owners start in their mid 40s or around 40.
i was asking myself what is the point of succeeding if its so late in life. then i wondered what is the point of succeeding young? having a ten year period of not working when you otherwise would be? but business owners and other rich people work harder than most… so the only way to succeed is to not only succeed but make enough to stop working? i just dont understand what im chasing anymore. the only two clear objectives that i can identify are to avoid discomfort unless its deliberate discomfort and to become rich just to prove to myself that i can