Some good soundbites there, but you don't really need 38. I would only add this:
"0. Brevity is the soul of wit."
Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
21–28 of 28 posts
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#22I want to thank you for your thought provoking article. I just passed my 36th birthday, and I've reached some different conclusions. Many of my criticisms stem from your statements that are over generalized and inflexible. I may agree with the spirit you wrote them, but many of these arbitrary rules break when subjected to different contexts. Some I totally disagree with but please apply to my challenges a friendly a…
>> 17. There are few joys that equal a good book, a good walk, a good hug, or a good friend. All are free.
> True. Let me add to the list decimating an opponent @ Starcraft2.
Nice! Especially if it's a cannon rushing Protoss and you scout and beat it, it's an amazing feeling.
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#2339. You can always get to the frontpage of HN by wrapping bromides and platitudes in some kind of Top N list.
The 4-5 things on vegetarian/vegan were platitudish but everything else in the list gave me the impression of deep insight coming from clear thinking and lots of introspecting. I think he has assembled a nice list.
The parent comment should be downvoted; this list is deserving of supporting arguments attacking its quality, and you have none.
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Let me speak up just once to object (and simultaneously confirming your QA ;)). I am a vegetarian, but rarely discuss it, unless someone explicitly inquires about my motivations. Personally, I do think that killing an animal for food is immoral, but moral is not absolute. What if a desert nomad family is starving? In my position I can barely imagine what it is like to be starving, so I am certainly not in the positio…
Alright, so if I can interject my own personal history and views that counter your views sure. I grew up on a farm and have both hunted as well as literally cut the throat of the things I've eaten (cows and pigs included). I think attributing the taking of another animals life as immoral is a bit naive. I'm not saying everyone should eat purely meats and proteins, but our entire natural world revolves around animals/…
An interesting TED presentation, giving perspective on animal suffering:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty...
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#25I want to thank you for your thought provoking article. I just passed my 36th birthday, and I've reached some different conclusions. Many of my criticisms stem from your statements that are over generalized and inflexible. I may agree with the spirit you wrote them, but many of these arbitrary rules break when subjected to different contexts. Some I totally disagree with but please apply to my challenges a friendly a…
> many of these arbitrary rules break when subjected to different contexts. Some I totally disagree with
I'm with you there. I see you are new here, but please continue to contribute your valuable insight to this community.
> My possessions add a lot to my life
You really come to appreciate the value of possessions when you grow up without a cent to your name. It's easy to dismiss their value when you have been relatively well off all your life.
> Do go into debt.
There is good debt, and bad debt. Don't go into credit card debt. Use the 21 day grace period to your advantage.
If buying a house is mathematically more convenient than renting at a given price point, it makes sense to take on that kind of debt. You'll throw away money via rent anyway, you may as well end up owning valuable real estate.
> False. You absolutely need to reach as many people as possible and YOU need to explain why your product is great and you need to use every tool at your disposal.
Amen. It's something that technical people fail to accept very often.
> False. There are better ways to learn that meth is bad than to try it. Still I agree that you should not be afraid to fail.
I like to learn from other people's mistakes when possible.
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#26This is gold... "The only kind of marketing you need is an amazing product. If it’s good, people will spread the word for you. All other kind of marketing is disingenuous."
> This is gold...
More like Fool's gold.
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#27I want to thank you for your thought provoking article. I just passed my 36th birthday, and I've reached some different conclusions. Many of my criticisms stem from your statements that are over generalized and inflexible. I may agree with the spirit you wrote them, but many of these arbitrary rules break when subjected to different contexts. Some I totally disagree with but please apply to my challenges a friendly a…
>> 17. There are few joys that equal a good book, a good walk, a good hug, or a good friend. All are free. > True. Let me add to the list decimating an opponent @ Starcraft2. Nice! Especially if it's a cannon rushing Protoss and you scout and beat it, it's an amazing feeling.
Agree
Cannon rushing is lame, and I main P.
Re: Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
#28This is gold... "The only kind of marketing you need is an amazing product. If it’s good, people will spread the word for you. All other kind of marketing is disingenuous."
That is a totally ignorant viewpoint. Just think of eg applications or music or films or websites. Without marketing the product will most likely drown in the sea of mediocrity. As a music lover I did not know just how much great free music exists until the netlabel scene rose up in the past years and started promoting music throughout their hemisphere. Nowadays I often find "professional high quality" music under fr…
Well, if you work in the Music industry go and pay millions on Ads and TV commercials and you can create the next mainstream artist like Lady Gaga or something.
Try do the same thing with a website with poor content, visitors will never come back.
Try do the same thing with an iPhone/Android app, user installs and uninstall within 20 minutes.
Try do the same with a paid web service, user will only pay the first month of the service.
An Amazing Product will engage the users and they will automatically spread the word.
I certainly will not give that advice to Tommy Mottola(or whoever is in charge of Sony Music now).
Read this, this is Dropbox(YC 07) CEO talking about Adwords.
http://venturebeat.com/2010/10/27/dropbox-drew-houston-adwor...