All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it • Hacker News Board

Re: All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it

#201

Post by DerArzt » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 3:47 PM UTC

Aeolun wrote: post #176

DerArzt wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least in the USA, due to the lack of social safety nets I have to disagree. It's very much work or starve. Yeah you can try to change your perspective, but unless your in a privileged situation where you have a safety net (i.e. a wealthy family to support you if things go wrong) then it's difficult to stop thinking about it.

Yes, it is work or starve. But you are going to work anyway. Thinking about the starve component doesn't help you enjoy it at all.

I wish that "just stop having x thoughts" was a thing I could control.

Re: All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it

#202

Post by zingababba » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 3:48 PM UTC

HenrikPontoppid wrote: post #8

I remember reading once about how Astrid Lindgren's children's books were supreme exactly because she - contrary to many others - remembers what it is like to be a child. Not just what you did or thought when you were a child - how it felt. The endless curiosity and appreciation for what in an adult's eyes is trivial is really a special thing I hope most people carry throughout their lives. On the other hand, childre…

Speaking of Dostoevsky Prince Myshkin in 'The Idiot' is a fine portrayal of this archetype. In fact I believe at one point it is mentioned that most adults dislike him while children are drawn to him or something to that effect.

Re: All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it

#203

Post by sublinear » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 3:48 PM UTC

baliex wrote: post #36

sublinear wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everyone remembers, but ADHD is overrepresented in the high-level positions of leadership.

I can’t tell if you’re implying that those with ADHD are more likely or less likely to think and act in a childlike way. Or whether doing so or not is what causes the over representation in high level positions. Could you please elaborate? My understanding is that ADHD would make you more likely to behave in childlike ways as an adult, but not that that would necessarily lead to holding leadership positions. I’m genu…

I'm not going to argue splitting hairs about what ADHD is. Many of the most famous CEOs and startup founders have properly diagnosed ADHD and have been very vocal about it. This is also often true of any business owner you've met in real life. I didn't think this statement would get any pushback since not too long ago the front page of HN was touting this as a "superpower".

The high-functioning expression of impulsivity is impatience with processes and insistence on maximum efficiency. I guess lately this is seen as negative because of the zeitgeist around AI?

Tao is talking about this impatience.

> Prematurely putting such games to an end by immediately providing the nominal goal --- for instance, providing these children with a brief lecture on infinity and the unbounded nature of the natural numbers --- defeats the entire "purpose" of such curiosity-driven play

It's not that they don't remember playing as children, but that they resent the time spent on it as "wasteful". They do mean well by trying to squash play time, but yes of course that's harmful and naive.

Re: All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it

#204

Post by 9x39 » Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 4:35 PM UTC

skinfaxi wrote: post #191

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's gambling. I think pretty much all carnival games work like that.

Fundamentally, doesn't gambling require a potential payout that is more valuable than the initial input? If you can only ever get less than you put in that's not really a gamble is it?

One well-known definition of gambling is whether it has 3 components: a prize, runs on chance, and requires consideration (payment).

That consideration > prize isn't part of this common definition.