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I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

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Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#161

Post by tonyedgecombe »

AussieWog93 wrote: post #6

Poor bastard. I think a lot of older people really don't understand this, but our generation (late millennials, or at least middle-class late millennials) were genuinely fed the lie our whole life that we were special and could do anything. At some point, you have to admit to yourself that you're just an ordinary human being and Elon Musk has something special that you don't have. Only when you're in this mindset can…

>Elon Musk has something special that you don't have

Yeah, and I don't want it. Even he admitted it's not good being himself.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#162

Post by goatherders »

mjg59 wrote: post #106

Growing up, the idea of a career in computing was implausible. The only computing course my school offered was scheduled against doing a full science course, and they had nothing for the 16-18 range. The local night school programming class I signed up for was cancelled because I was the only person who signed up for it. My parents made it extremely clear that the idea that I could ever make money writing software wa…

I recognize that this is largely a tech forum, but I find it interesting that you choose being a founder or CEO of Google as your benchmarks as opposed to walking on the moon, curing cancer, or something else. Not a critique, just an observation.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#163

Post by Draiken »

randomsearch wrote: post #146
Draiken wrote: post #135

This is always a tough subject for me because everyone seems to have at least an idea of what they want to achieve. When I was younger I had these silly dreams of moving to another country, getting married, becoming a programmer to make games, have my own company and get rich (haha). I did become a programmer and got married, but never left the country or became rich. Now on my 30s I know how limited my options are.…

> What's the point of it? Live for others. You (and I) are incredibly fortunate. We have our basic needs taken care of. We have more than that. There are many, many, people in the world who have problems that you can help solve. That could be - spending time with a lonely elderly person, volunteering with the homeless, building a website for a charity that can't afford to pay for a great one, building a startup that…

It's noble, but for me it's once again... pointless.

I don't have the money or power to enact any meaningful change. I can give my time or some money to others, but I'm not really fixing anything. I'm just drying ice.

Maybe I'm not selfless enough? I've never tried anything like that, so that's at least something new. Might give it a try

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#164

Post by JKCalhoun »

k__ wrote: post #51

I can relate a bit. I'm 36 and often ask myself, what did I do? My parents had kids with 20. My father and grandfather were managers with 25. I met a bunch of people who founded a company before they were 20. Friends of mine traveled from Europe to East Asia as hitchhikers in their 20s. Many of my fellow students work for FAANG. Two are CTOs at middle sized companies and one is even a professor at university. In cont…

Let's talk about your other friends from high school though.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#165

Post by elvongray »

giantg2 wrote: post #136
bmitc wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to note, this piece is in the humor section. Like most humor, it’s likely a constructed story based on real events or feelings. And also like most humor, it’s relatable. I think your advice to move forward is still relevant though.

I didn't find it funny nor was it that relatable. I'm actually wondering why it's even on HN in the first place and not flagged.

Not finding it funny doesn't mean some people here wouldn't

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#166

Post by SMAAART »

If most people feel this way, does it mean that it's "normal" to feel this way?

I torment myself with similar thinking.

1. Objectively speaking I have achieved a lot in my life, from where I started to where I am now, I am living the American dream, and then some.

2. I KNOW that I have a lot of unfulfilled potential. No, it's not the sugar-coated way to say that I am a loser, my "problem" is non-crippling anxiety: while I seem to be perfectly functioning on society, I procrastinate A LOT, and I suffer fro "failure-to-launch" syndrome.

I am getting better but not better enough.

Case in point this morning I was thinking about starting my own "100 days of rejection therapy" in order to improve. The kicker? When Jia Jang's TED talk came out in 2017 I told myself I was gong to do it. Today, 5 yers later, I am still thinking about it, and NOT doing it. FML.

Steven Pressfield calls it "Resistance", I call it Anxiety. Regardless, I can't help but wonder if:

1. The economy must lose trillions of dollars in loss productivity and loss opportunity due to resistance/anxiety

2. Is there a business to be made addressing this problem. It is a problem, but how to address it and monetize it?

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#167

Post by ericmay »

paulcole wrote: post #156
JKCalhoun wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No kids, huh?

If that’s how a person without kids feels, isn’t having kids just creating another person who has to have kids to find meaning in their life (and on and on and on)? With the certainty of climate change, it feels like adoption is the only moral/ethical way to do this.

Going to strongly push back on adoption being morally or ethically superior to having children the ole’ fashioned way because of climate change. I don’t see this as a productive train of thought and more likely solutions for climate change exist elsewhere.

It’s ok to have kids. Adopting kids is nice and that’s ok too.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#168

Post by altdataseller »

Draiken wrote: post #163
randomsearch wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's the point of it? Live for others. You (and I) are incredibly fortunate. We have our basic needs taken care of. We have more than that. There are many, many, people in the world who have problems that you can help solve. That could be - spending time with a lonely elderly person, volunteering with the homeless, building a website for a charity that can't afford to pay for a great one, building a startup that…

It's noble, but for me it's once again... pointless. I don't have the money or power to enact any meaningful change. I can give my time or some money to others, but I'm not really fixing anything. I'm just drying ice. Maybe I'm not selfless enough? I've never tried anything like that, so that's at least something new. Might give it a try

You might not have the power to change society or the world, as a whole. But you definitely can impact individuals. If you volunteer as a tutor for kids with learning disabilities for instance, I’m pretty sure you’ll make an impact on that individual.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#169

Post by chiefalchemist »

Draiken wrote: post #135

This is always a tough subject for me because everyone seems to have at least an idea of what they want to achieve. When I was younger I had these silly dreams of moving to another country, getting married, becoming a programmer to make games, have my own company and get rich (haha). I did become a programmer and got married, but never left the country or became rich. Now on my 30s I know how limited my options are.…

> I could try to focus on my hobbies, but you realize very quickly that to get good at anything, you need hundreds/thousands of hours.

Be careful. You might regret this, or at least wished you'd done otherwise.

Some years ago I bought a guitar. Worked at it initially - got distracted - and then put it aside. I now realize had I continued to pick it up everyday (or so) for say 20 to 30 mins I'd be able to play well enough by now. Perhaps not Hendrix or Page but enough to enjoy myself :)

What's the point?

The joy you brinb into the world. For yourself, and for others.

Pretty much anything else is overrated.

Re: I thought I’d have accomplished a lot more today and also before I was 35 (2020)

#170

Post by fallat »

Draiken wrote: post #163
randomsearch wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What's the point of it? Live for others. You (and I) are incredibly fortunate. We have our basic needs taken care of. We have more than that. There are many, many, people in the world who have problems that you can help solve. That could be - spending time with a lonely elderly person, volunteering with the homeless, building a website for a charity that can't afford to pay for a great one, building a startup that…

It's noble, but for me it's once again... pointless. I don't have the money or power to enact any meaningful change. I can give my time or some money to others, but I'm not really fixing anything. I'm just drying ice. Maybe I'm not selfless enough? I've never tried anything like that, so that's at least something new. Might give it a try

You're focusing too much on the macro and "the universe". You live one life; enjoy it and help others to be able to enjoy theirs too. Yeah, everything is pointless if you view your life through a cosmic lens. Is it pointless for the ant or bee to exist and work for its colony?
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