Ask HN: Why can't I learn anymore?

Maybe when you're starting out, this kind of work doesn't feel as much like bullshit because you don't have enough experience to differentiate. It feels like you're on your path to becoming a better engineer and the struggles ultimately seem worth it. But I bet once you hit a certain point, having to wrangle with the same flavor of bullshit you did 3, 5, 10+ years ago feels a lot more soul sucking. It doesn't feel like becoming a better engineer like it once did because, in OPs case, learning the syntax/structure of a new JS framework doesn't feel like the sort of vertical learning it once did. You probably want to learn new, more advanced concepts, not "I know how to do this in React - how do I do this in ?"

You're getting old. It happens.

What percentage of your salary are you saving?

You can still learn. I've experienced what you describe many times. Two suggestions for you.

First, what you describe sounds like burnout. Do some research about it for yourself, both what it's like and how to fix it. You're not lazy and you're not dumb. You have more capability and potential today due to your experience than you ever did any time in your past. But you do need to take care of yourself, and as you research burnout you will get ideas of how.

Second, when learning new things, you must give yourself the space to learn. For example, when I went to go learn Angular 2, I was already expert in older ways of doing web development and other technologies such as games and mobile, so I figured I'd give myself a week to learn angular, and in the final days of that week also begin the prototype of the project I was getting into Angular for in the first place. Also, I'd go ahead and start using the basic ideas of Redux. While learning, I was stressing out the entire time about how these trivial examples I was working on were probably not going to add up to the project prototype I needed to create by next week. The stress of the time crunch, combined with the fact that I was punishing myself for being too dumb to learn this in a few days inhibited my ability to learn. When you're learning something new, give yourself the space and time you need to learn it, and do not pressure yourself by trying to conflate project deadlines into the learning. The learning is the project for now; the business project must become a secondary concern to be worried about later, until you have the skills and experience with the technology you need to complete the project.

Also it's probably best to try to learn only one new technology at a time; don't switch to a new database and a new visual framework and a new web framework and also start using Typescript for the first time, all on the same project. Not unless you've got a year or something just to learn and nothing is going to be due on a specific date.

Be kind to yourself. When you're talking to yourself, talk to yourself about this the way you would with someone that you love.

p.s. Feeling like you're inadequate is a common side effect of learning. I've come to recognize it as a sign that I've got this. It's darkest before the dawn. 'Learning is not child's play; we cannot learn without pain.' - Aristotle

Seems like projection, and everyone upvoting this is sharing in it because it's the case for the vast majority of us.