Things I Should Have Known at 20 • Hacker News Board

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#141

Post by sjwright » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 5:00 PM UTC

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #135

tensor wrote: post #68

Number two is flat out wrong. The majority of knowledge that you need to know is not bleeding edge and does not become outdated by the time a curriculum is formed. In fact, you can't even understand the bleeding edge research without first understanding what came before it. If by institutions, we are talking about universities, then they are one of the best places to access vast amounts of information and experts on…

The only part of point two I like is to not have faith. Never have faith in anything. Always observe, reason, and experiment. That seems wrong. Without believing in both yourself and in something beyond yourself (it doesn't necessarily have to be physically real), there's little point in observing, reasoning, or experimenting. Expertise in epistemology doesn't help much if you've got no normative philosophies for app…

What do you mean by "believing in yourself"? I'm pretty sure I exist, indeed it would be a logical conundrum to think otherwise. Belief doesn't figure here.

What else should I believe in?

I don't believe that gravity is real, I just operate my life on the assumption that it exists and is predictable. It's working great so far.

I don't believe climate change is real, but I accept the evidence provided, and will continue to do so until such time as I'm provided with further evidence to consider.

I don't believe my mother loves me, I'm quite satisfied that she does. I have enough evidence.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#142

Post by jarek » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 5:17 PM UTC

raldi wrote: post #128

jarek wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fun fact: the technical term is "seven-segment display character representations."

Even when there are clearly more than seven segments?

You're right, this one has nine, I didn't look very closely. I guess you could still call them SSD-like...

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#143

Post by sorenbs » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 5:48 PM UTC

yelsgib wrote: post #72

pg wrote: post #67

Any book worth reading is worth reading slowly.

What's the slowest book you've read?

GEB

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#144

Post by sophacles » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 6:26 PM UTC

rauljara wrote: post #18

The list is all phrased as commands. I can't stand that. There is no one way through life, and I wish people didn't act like just because it worked for them it will work for everyone. Find people that are cooler than you and try to be even cooler than them seems like a particularly terrible command to give in general. So many of the people I admire the most just don't care so much about image. And I've met too many p…

You know why they are called edge cases and exceptions? Because they are (sometimes) uncommon or (usually) rare. Statistically speaking, you are not at all special. You probably will never have a thought no one has thunk, and your opinion of what is great and awesome about how you are different will turn out to be nothing special in retrospect (like most people who ever live discover). Try taking some advice and actually be the outlier you are trying to be, not "rebelliously" rejecting it like every young person ever has done in some fucked up attempt to be unique the same way everyone else who ever lived has done.

You are not special, get over yourself (oh no! command... best rebel and complain, its lazier and easier than learning or thinking about it).

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#145

Post by TheSOB88 » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 7:26 PM UTC

adventureful wrote: post #74

Point 20 is wrong. You'll find that everybody is 'broken' in their own special ways. There really isn't any such thing as someone that isn't broken (unless you're talking about serious mental trauma as the definition of "broken"). We all accumulate baggage over a lifetime, and from each relationship; we all have weird quirks and strange behaviors and eccentricities of varying degrees, and weird reactions to things we…

It's called figurative writing, dude... That's exactly what he means.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#146

Post by CamperBob2 » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 7:38 PM UTC

nzealand wrote: post #62

duckduckgouser wrote: post #33

This article is obviously written by someone (at least mentally) under the age of 35. Always try to be cooler and more accepting than others? WTF. I gave that up years ago. There too much to deal with in life without worrying about what is cool.

I started to write a similar list out for my son to read later on in life. It was mostly bullshit. I like his comment about relationships however.

My parents indoctrinated me with Kipling's "If." It's certainly as good a list as this one, for better or worse.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#147

Post by SquareWheel » Fri, Jun 01, 2012, 11:29 PM UTC

javert wrote: post #77

SquareWheel wrote: post #46

"Shyness is the belief that your emotions should be the arbitrators of your decision making process when the opposite is actually true." This is the very opposite of how I've been trying to live my life. I do not know what to think of that.

That's interesting. What do you mean? How have you been trying to live your life?

Well, I've always considered emotional decisions to be poorer than decisions made with logic.

Say if you're considering buying a new thing, is it just an impulsion to get the endorphin rush, or logically do you need that item?

Or maybe it's a moral question. You're 20. A friend's cute sister wants to have a beer with you. Logically you can see where it could lead and the negative impact it will have on your friend and yours relationship. On the other hand, you're getting all sorts of cues from your emotions to go for it. That's evolution for you, we're wired that way. So these two things are at two very opposite ends of the spectrum.

I've considered logical decision making to be a superior route for some time, and I thought that was somewhat well accepted. To hear the opposite just kind of threw me.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#148

Post by javert » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 3:24 AM UTC

SquareWheel wrote: post #147

javert wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's interesting. What do you mean? How have you been trying to live your life?

Well, I've always considered emotional decisions to be poorer than decisions made with logic. Say if you're considering buying a new thing, is it just an impulsion to get the endorphin rush, or logically do you need that item? Or maybe it's a moral question. You're 20. A friend's cute sister wants to have a beer with you. Logically you can see where it could lead and the negative impact it will have on your friend an…

Personally, I agree with you, here, and that has always been my policy.

It seems to me like the author of the article agrees, too, though. I think he's saying that shyness comes from putting your emotions first, and I assume he thinks shyness is a bad thing.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#149

Post by nazgulnarsil » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 4:11 AM UTC

shin_lao wrote: post #91

nazgulnarsil wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

crunches have nothing to do with a six pack. follow the link he provided.

It's a bit OOT, but, allow me to retort. I'm not a big fan of intermittent fasting or any 'program' for that matter. What I'd like to say, from personal experience, is that nothing beats a balanced diet and regular exercise. No program, no "method". Just an old fashioned healthy life. And sorry, but if you want a six packs, at some point, you'll have to sweat for it.

programs help people transition to healthier habits. I don't "follow" leangains in the sense that I don't check calories and workouts against some set in stone plan, but my lifestyle looks pretty similar to a leangains program.

Re: Things I Should Have Known at 20

#150

Post by SquareWheel » Sat, Jun 02, 2012, 9:56 AM UTC

javert wrote: post #148

SquareWheel wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I've always considered emotional decisions to be poorer than decisions made with logic. Say if you're considering buying a new thing, is it just an impulsion to get the endorphin rush, or logically do you need that item? Or maybe it's a moral question. You're 20. A friend's cute sister wants to have a beer with you. Logically you can see where it could lead and the negative impact it will have on your friend an…

Personally, I agree with you, here, and that has always been my policy. It seems to me like the author of the article agrees, too, though. I think he's saying that shyness comes from putting your emotions first, and I assume he thinks shyness is a bad thing.

You know, I think I read the quote wrong. As I read it back I think I agree. Whoops!