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Don't Waste the Good Days

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Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#211

Post by staticassertion »

wiether wrote: post #187
ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

Based on my observations (so anecdotal probably), it seems that being happy doesn't depends on what you did in the past or what you intend your future to be, but what you're doing now. Looking bad at your younger self won't make you happy. Looking with envy at your older self won't make you happy. Regarding your comment, I've never found someone saying "I wish I did things differently" and being happy. The sheer fact…

I agree. There's also a difference between happiness, fulfillment, and "a good life" for many people.

I can be happy playing video games and relaxing, but maybe not fulfilled. I can work hard on interesting problems and feel fulfilled, but if that's all there is in my life I wouldn't say I lived well.

Confronted with death we look to our past for comfort. We're about to experience a total loss of everything and so, naturally, we search for meaning - "it can't have all been for nothing".

That's why the "death bed" thought experiment is interesting but also probably not the right way to frame things. It forces you to question life's intrinsic meaning and value but you should also think about how you feel right now, regardless of death or meaning or value.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#212

Post by 2sk21 »

shove wrote: post #9

Reminds me of one of my favorite poems (which expressed a similar idea far more eloquently imo) Telephone Booth (number 905 1/2) BY PEDRO PIETRI woke up this morning feeling excellent, picked up the telephone dialed the number of my equal opportunity employer to inform him I will not be into work today Are you feeling sick? the boss asked me No Sir I replied: I am feeling too good to report to work today, if I feel s…

I listened to the whole album by Pietro Pietri which included this poem - loved it!

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#213

Post by axiosgunnar »

forgotmyoldname wrote: post #136
ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

I’m one of those fools who took a few years off before college, after college, and decided to up and move to a faraway country while I was young. It’s very likely I’d have more money if I went straight to work while I was younger instead of goofing off. I could probably have paychecks twice as big as I do now. But you know what? My worst days in the place I live now are better than my best days in my home country. My…

Where did you move to?

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#214

Post by buran77 »

emodendroket wrote: post #172
01100011 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's tough... at 47 I'm old enough to have felt the decades past turn into a scant handful of memories. When you're older, the past matters less. The now matters more. Not being able to pay for good health care matters. Not being able to eat what you want or take vacations matters. When you're old, you realize "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" and you have the now to worry about. But I…

But if you were in your 20s I doubt living solely for your retirement would be much fun to you either. Some balance is necessary here.

The need for balance cannot be stated enough. All things have to be done when it's their time. Spending your entire youth working yourself to the bone to retire early is just as bad as trying to spend all your old years globetrotting to make up for not doing it earlier in life.

Life is like good food: you'll want all ingredients properly mixed in at the right time (with some added randomness and creativity). Trying to eat the ingredients one by one in some order that you think will make the food better is almost guaranteed to disappoint.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#215

Post by acqbu »

01100011 wrote: post #170
ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

It's tough... at 47 I'm old enough to have felt the decades past turn into a scant handful of memories. When you're older, the past matters less. The now matters more. Not being able to pay for good health care matters. Not being able to eat what you want or take vacations matters. When you're old, you realize "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" and you have the now to worry about. But I…

What's the best time to have kids? 35?

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#216

Post by telesilla »

tayo42 wrote: post #69
bathtub365 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I saw this posted elsewhere on HN and it really resonated with me. “I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and a…

every post here in this post is triggering an existential crisis for me. oh what to do...

Write down the things you love and find an intersection or invent that intersection. You can't enjoy them all 100% but you don't have to leave all the things you love behind.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#217

Post by annie_muss »

01100011 wrote: post #170
ryandrake wrote: post #41

I feel like there is wisdom in "Make hay while the sun shines." When you're young and unencumbered by responsibility and family, when your cognitive abilities are at their peak, when your energy is endless, when your body is strong and healthy, when your knees work, and your fingers can type without arthritis: that's the optimal time to work and earn. Min-max that salary and stay healthy. Due to compounding interest,…

It's tough... at 47 I'm old enough to have felt the decades past turn into a scant handful of memories. When you're older, the past matters less. The now matters more. Not being able to pay for good health care matters. Not being able to eat what you want or take vacations matters. When you're old, you realize "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" and you have the now to worry about. But I…

I very much agree with your sentiment about children. I'm into my 30's and feeling the ticking clock. Part of me wishes I had had children 10 years ago. Unfortunately, having children means less time and effort to put into career advancement. Getting and keeping a job as a software developer is challenging enough already without trying to keep a family together too.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#218

Post by axiosgunnar »

cm2012 wrote: post #139
gchamonlive wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can everybody earn a year off after working hard? No, because this is privilege. To be born in a rich country. To have family structure to study and go to college, to have a stable job and a successful career after graduation. To be lucky enough to choose a career that is in demand. Or to open a business that is successful. People underestimate A LOT how much of a role luck plays in successful careers. Sure hard work…

Not to mention intelligence, willingness to work hard, etc are all highly heritable, aka genetic luck

So?

Being smart sometimes has downsides, eg existential crises etc

Life is not fair.

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#219

Post by axiosgunnar »

quickthrower2 wrote: post #160
sam0x17 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> don’t dismiss it by calling it privilege There are literally millions of people who deserve / have "earned" this privilege, but aren't given it. The word lucky comes to mind.

If everyone in the world was just smart and hard working enough they could all take a year off together.

And at the same time!

Re: Don't Waste the Good Days

#220

Post by luxurytent »

acqbu wrote: post #215
01100011 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's tough... at 47 I'm old enough to have felt the decades past turn into a scant handful of memories. When you're older, the past matters less. The now matters more. Not being able to pay for good health care matters. Not being able to eat what you want or take vacations matters. When you're old, you realize "Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone" and you have the now to worry about. But I…

What's the best time to have kids? 35?

The best time is the time that's right for you.
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