Maybe you should learn something • Hacker News Board

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#31

Post by atoav » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:00 AM UTC

armchairhacker wrote: post #28

human305893 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why not both. limit yourself to 1 tutorial/book (i prefer books). then build something. For any creative hobby i think the biggest issue is not having something you want to build.

> For any creative hobby i think the biggest issue is not having something you want to build. For me it is. Even in my domain where I’m an expert and it’s fun, it only is if I’m working on something interesting.

What does wonders for me is to go out into nature, a beach, a lake or a park, or even a longer train ride, with nothing but a pen and notebook, while keeping the phone in my bag. When I return usually I have a few pages of ideas.

Sometimes distraction is the main issue when it comes to having ideas.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#32

Post by raincole » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:02 AM UTC

yetkin wrote: post #27

I cannot deny the value of learning but there is a fact that learning can be a way of procrastination. This happens when the joy of learning overtake and diverge you from a goal. Nothing wrong about it, it is a time well spent. But I think there must be a balance as well

"Sometimes I feel like I'm an athlete who trained all day for years, then before my first professional match, I retired and went off to teach PE."

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#33

Post by ChrisMarshallNY » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:14 AM UTC

As someone who has done “self-directed” learning, for my entire life (high school dropout, with a GED), I can certainly relate.

I like to learn new stuff, every day. I have found LLMs to be a godsend, here. Makes it much easier to just barge into unfamiliar territory.

Whenever I come across essays like this, I like to post The Gap, by Ira Glass[0]; one of the more encouraging short essays out there.

[0] https://vimeo.com/85040589

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#34

Post by bartvk » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:16 AM UTC

Ugvx wrote: post #26

I came to a similar conclusion last weekend. My 20 year old car was having some issues and instead of taking g it to the mechanic to be charged $1,000, thought I would give it a try myself. 3 hours later and the problem was fixed. And I learned a lot in the process.

I had the same with my motorcycle. Every time I brought it to the dealer, they came up enthusiastically with things to spend money on. Your tires are done! Your break pads are gone! With the help of a friend, I got into doing (very) basic maintenance myself. I just replaced the tires. I fixed a problem with the electrical system. And next will be the chain and sprocket.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#35

Post by asp_hornet » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:28 AM UTC

CalRobert wrote: post #6

"have infants ricocheting around your home like screaming DVD logos, then you may want to put this ambition aside for now and deal with that instead" Even older kids... my 6 year old is jumping on the couch as I type this.. I like remote work but when I had to commute it was really nice to have that downtime built in to the day. I learned a lot of Dutch vocabulary on the train.

Don’t be fooled, the first few years you get spoiled with “the first moments” of things. Then suddenly the “last moments” start creeping in, “the last nappy”, “the last car seat”, at first they seem like a god send but then they accumulate like an avalanche.

One day you will pick them up and, and most likely neither of you will know it, but it will be the last time you ever do.

Treasure everything, even the insanity.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#36

Post by n4bz0r » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:38 AM UTC

mordechai9000 wrote: post #15

The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only…

> Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never be tortured by

Right.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#37

Post by Fraterkes » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 9:45 AM UTC

I’ll chime in. I started learning to draw in my early twenties, couple hours a week. What helps a lot is joining a club, I’ve got a group in my town that just goes to a bar one night a week and draws and chats for 3 hours. Great way to ensure that you get at least a few hours of drawing in, even if your week is too busy for “practice”.

It takes about 2-3 years of mild practice to get good enough that you’ll routinely impress yourself, about 5 years to get good enough that you could do paid commissions.

Seems like a long time, but unless you start in your seventies you’ll have decades left of enjoying being an artist afterwards.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#38

Post by abc123abc123 » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC

CalRobert wrote: post #6

"have infants ricocheting around your home like screaming DVD logos, then you may want to put this ambition aside for now and deal with that instead" Even older kids... my 6 year old is jumping on the couch as I type this.. I like remote work but when I had to commute it was really nice to have that downtime built in to the day. I learned a lot of Dutch vocabulary on the train.

Children are not god for peace of mind and a life of liberty. I do not recommend anyone to have children, becaues of how negatively it affects your life, cost of living etc. It is basically just tying yourself down to the wheel of consumption, and in order to jutsify everything, all the struggle, push your hopes and aspirations to the next generation, and then letting them deal with it.

If you are rich, you can get around this by hiring people to take care of the children, so then it could be possible, but it will still be a huge financial burden.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#39

Post by forgotusername6 » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC

There's really a feeling now pushing back against learning in general. The feeling is that it is pointless since technology would just do it for you. When I started learning Chinese a friend just wouldn't stop talking about how the latest airpods will just be able to translate for you. It was really rather demoralising. But there is still something incredibly rewarding about having that knowledge in your own head and not having to go find someone or something to ask. I push on regardless.

Re: Maybe you should learn something

#40

Post by emmelaich » Sat, Jul 04, 2026, 10:41 AM UTC

n4bz0r wrote: post #36

mordechai9000 wrote: post #15

The best thing for being sad," replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only…

> Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never be tortured by Right .

The truth shall set you free.