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Jiro's Dream

karrisaarinen.com

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Re: Jiro's Dream

#11

Post by petercooper »

arkitaip wrote: post #8
skibrah wrote: post #6

I agree with the OP, but the most important part of Jiro's philosophy is his believe that one must choose a craft and dedicate one's life to perfecting it. If this is the mindset that you take towards your work, you will naturally seek out the best in your field and learn what they do best to incorporate it into your own approach.

Is there such a thing as craft in programming? Our industry changes so fast that it's difficult to imagine anyone becoming a master craftsman.

Yes. At least, a lot of people claim there is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_craftsmanship

I'm not particularly a fan of the "software craftsman" moniker/movement but I think there can be craft to it. Technologies come and go but programming language paradigms, core algorithms, and fundamental ways of working with code tend to remain similar across the decades.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#13

Post by joezydeco »

I watched this movie on a flight home recently and loved it. Loved the man, loved that he found a calling and stuck to it, loved that he never changed a thing and won worldwide acclaim because of it.

Then I got home and read Ebert's review. This paragraph hit me like a punch to the stomach and put it all in perspective:

"Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But to what end? The existence of his sons are an indication that he has a wife, although we never see her. He must have a home, although we never visit it. There must be hours when he cannot be at work, but the film indicates no amusements, hobbies or pastimes. The idea of his courtship of his wife fascinates me: Forgive me, but I imagine that even while making love, he must be fretting about the loss of valuable sushi-making time."

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20...

Re: Jiro's Dream

#14

Post by fleaflicker »

joezydeco wrote: post #13

I watched this movie on a flight home recently and loved it. Loved the man, loved that he found a calling and stuck to it, loved that he never changed a thing and won worldwide acclaim because of it. Then I got home and read Ebert's review. This paragraph hit me like a punch to the stomach and put it all in perspective: "Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But…

This was my reaction too. I was initially inspired by his dedication.

But Jiro also illustrates that to reach the top of some crafts your dedication must border on sociopathy.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#15

Post by phaus »

wahnfrieden wrote: post #3

Tangential, but I just ate at Sukiyabashi Jiro last week and it was incredible. They were much friendlier than sometimes portrayed too.

Was it worth almost $400 per person? Or $19 for each piece of sushi?

I'm not surprised that they were very friendly. Most of the people in the documentary stated that Jiro has a "stern" appearance when he's making sushi. From my experience, I find that people often mistake concentration for anger.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#16

Post by acangiano »

phaus wrote: post #15
wahnfrieden wrote: post #3

Tangential, but I just ate at Sukiyabashi Jiro last week and it was incredible. They were much friendlier than sometimes portrayed too.

Was it worth almost $400 per person? Or $19 for each piece of sushi? I'm not surprised that they were very friendly. Most of the people in the documentary stated that Jiro has a "stern" appearance when he's making sushi. From my experience, I find that people often mistake concentration for anger.

I would imagine that the story alone is worth as much.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#17

Post by csmeder »

fleaflicker wrote: post #14
joezydeco wrote: post #13

I watched this movie on a flight home recently and loved it. Loved the man, loved that he found a calling and stuck to it, loved that he never changed a thing and won worldwide acclaim because of it. Then I got home and read Ebert's review. This paragraph hit me like a punch to the stomach and put it all in perspective: "Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But…

This was my reaction too. I was initially inspired by his dedication. But Jiro also illustrates that to reach the top of some crafts your dedication must border on sociopathy.

I would argue the average person's life is much closer to bordering on sociopathy. Jiro is full of energy and happiness at age 85. So many "normal" people are sickly physically and or mentally by age 85. They complain about how things use to be better, they watch fox news, have no passion in their life and feel empty. I see the opposite in Jiro, he seems to be so full. So full of joy, and passion. A simple life doesn't mean a sociocpthic life. The complexity and lavishness most people look for to make them feel full often what makes them feel so empty. So I disagree, Jiro is not a cautionary tale, rather he is an inspiration. I hope I am that happy and full of life at age 85. I hope I am still dreaming of new ideas at night and honing my passion durring the day.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#18

Post by owenjones »

joezydeco wrote: post #13

I watched this movie on a flight home recently and loved it. Loved the man, loved that he found a calling and stuck to it, loved that he never changed a thing and won worldwide acclaim because of it. Then I got home and read Ebert's review. This paragraph hit me like a punch to the stomach and put it all in perspective: "Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But…

Ebert's comments were a surprise? One of the major themes of the movie is the incredible cost of perfection/mastery. Everyone wants to be the best at something, but so very few are willing to give everything to perfect their craft.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#19

Post by pgambling »

Coincidentally, I watched "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" this evening, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see it on the front page of HN. I was absolutely fascinated by Jiro, and I couldn't stop thinking about how his advice is applicable to honing you software development skills. Jiro never stops trying to improve in all facets of his craft, including the seemingly minor details.

I agree with the Roger Ebert quote that it's clear he sacrificed much of his family life to obtain this mastery. Jiro even admits that he wasn't a good father. However, if you love what you do, as he does, then I can't fault him for it. We'd be so fortunate to have that kind of passion.

Re: Jiro's Dream

#20

Post by noirman »

pgambling wrote: post #19

Coincidentally, I watched "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" this evening, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see it on the front page of HN. I was absolutely fascinated by Jiro, and I couldn't stop thinking about how his advice is applicable to honing you software development skills. Jiro never stops trying to improve in all facets of his craft, including the seemingly minor details. I agree with the Roger Ebert quote that it's cl…

Jiro Dreams of Sushi was probably on the front page for more than couple of times. Here's one just 2 days earlier: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4462539
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