I bet a dozen of so developers are reading this, trying to figure out how it can be used in a productivity web app of some kind.
And, in the process, missing the point completely...
If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
11–20 of 48 posts
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#12It seems fit to point out that this is the sort of cheese-paring reframed optimization that is only undertaken by people who don't have access to as a great enough level of happiness, money, or span of life as they would like ... and well know it. To think in terms of "well, at least it was quality time" is to admit that we in fact suffer from a poverty of time. In a world where we had enough time to satiate demand,…
It's unlikely that significant life extension techniques will be developed in our lifetime. In fact all evidence that I've seen is that aging is one of those "classically hard" problems, similar to strong a.i., fluent/human like machine translation, cost-efficient robots with the flexibility of humans, etc. While potentially possible with advanced technology, it's clear that we are not very close at all. It's extreme…
Actually, these aren't "hard" problems in the sense that physics disallows them. We have existence proofs of them. It's is just a search problem. You have to set up robotic systems that search the space. So the problem is really one of collective stupidity ie. most people are dumbasses debating they value of time and spending it family/friends, or whether gays should be married, when instead they should be demanding mass industrialization of scientific discovery, or building they it (surplus labor is instead going to youtube/wikipedia/tv watching/novel reading etc.).
Most people think science is done with eureka moments by geniuses, but actually what is needed is a "systematic" exploration.
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#13You have two ways to value yourself - time and money. I worked in NYC and had a +3 hour rountrip commute. Moving to Boulder, my roundtrip is 10 minutes. I regained 3 hours per day. That's 750 hours per year or 31 days. IMO, nobody sits on their death bed wishing they worked more or made more money - they all wish for more time with their family and friends. Glad I realized that at 26.
Oy, I'm moving to NYC
At least you're moving there, and not moving to NJ and planning to commute 3 hours, eh?
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#14Here is an excellent paper written about a similar premise:
http://dunn.psych.ubc.ca/files/2010/12/If-Money-Doesnt-make-...
HN discussion here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3922794
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#15They discuss how happiness is indeed a consequence of the choices people make.
I completely disagree. Happiness is a consequence of your outlook on life. It has very little to do with choices, and everything to do with how you perceive yourself, and whether you believe that you should be happy.
This TED talk by Brené Brown on the topic is particularly relevant:
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#16Faster, better, more happiness! Must optimize time/happiness ratio. Less wasting time. Time lost in the past must be justified. Time in the future must be planned for. Optimal usage is the goal !! (Have you tried sitting on the grass lately? Maybe take a nap in the sun..)
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#17You have two ways to value yourself - time and money. I worked in NYC and had a +3 hour rountrip commute. Moving to Boulder, my roundtrip is 10 minutes. I regained 3 hours per day. That's 750 hours per year or 31 days. IMO, nobody sits on their death bed wishing they worked more or made more money - they all wish for more time with their family and friends. Glad I realized that at 26.
Here's the thing, what about all those people who sit on their death bed thinking "If only I had devoted more time to the projects I loved. Then maybe I could have been a somebody"
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#18I've always valued my time more than whatever salary I collected. I designed my life so that my financial and social responsibilities have little effect on the type of job I have to take in order to support that lifestyle. I had to make a conscious choice to get this outcome though.
One good way of optimizing for time is increasing one's hourly rate to as much as the clients can bare.
It's what I try to do and it's really awesome because it gives you both plenty of free-ish time and plenty of money to enjoy that free-ish time with.
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#19After I figured out my priorities (took years of challenging myself and introspection) I figured out how to spend my time.
Now I do what's important and don't waste my time with other things. I don't try to "life-hack" or make myself as efficient as possible because if I'm only working on my most important things I know I'm spending my time well.
I cut my working hours down to one or sometimes two days a week, sometimes more when they need me more. I don't need more money than that -- and I live in Manhattan (no kids).
And my life is better than ever.
Nothing special about me. Anyone could do it.
(I recently had an idea I'm passionate about and may put in long hours for it, which will be following my passions. Making your time your own lets you.)
EDIT: to dragons' question of what I do, I work at the company I founded. My compensation is no higher than anyone else's. Working one-fifth time gives me one-fifth pay.
The more valuable question is how low are my expenses. I've found much more freedom in needing less than in having more. Cutting out what doesn't add joy to my life creates freedom and joy. That's what I meant by nothing special about me. Anyone can cut waste. Not many seem to.
Re: If Money Doesn't Make You Happy, Consider Time
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's unlikely that significant life extension techniques will be developed in our lifetime. In fact all evidence that I've seen is that aging is one of those "classically hard" problems, similar to strong a.i., fluent/human like machine translation, cost-efficient robots with the flexibility of humans, etc. While potentially possible with advanced technology, it's clear that we are not very close at all. It's extreme…
Actually, these aren't "hard" problems in the sense that physics disallows them. We have existence proofs of them. It's is just a search problem. You have to set up robotic systems that search the space. So the problem is really one of collective stupidity ie. most people are dumbasses debating they value of time and spending it family/friends, or whether gays should be married, when instead they should be demanding…
>Actually, these aren't "hard" problems in the sense that physics disallows them. We have existence proofs of them. It's is just a search problem. You have to set up robotic systems that search the space. So the problem is really one of collective stupidity ie. most people are dumbasses debating they value of time and spending it family/friends, or whether gays should be married, when instead they should be demanding mass industrialization of scientific discovery, or building they it (surplus labor is instead going to youtube/wikipedia/tv watching/novel reading etc.)
People in the deathbed are worried they didn't demand enough "mass industrialization of scientific discovery"?
Talk about a dumbass idea, especially in an era where 99% of our life is colonized by the industrialization of scientific discoveries.