Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Life is Short

paulgraham.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

311–320 of 452 posts

Re: Life is Short

#311

Post by throwaway999888 »

sigmaml wrote: post #154
xenadu02 wrote: post #6

I'm a more productive engineer now that I have small kids than I ever was before. I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. I don't waste time building some over-architected nonsense on a side project, I ship the MVP. When I do take time away from my kids I maximize it by learning three or four new technologies, patterns, or libraries at once. When you realize how short time really is you…

> I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. It is sad - and disgusting - to see this degree of arrogance in bluntly categorising those who use (or build) PCs (and not Macs) as indulging in bullshit! I am happy that you have found a useful computer in Mac. At the same time, though, please realise that hundreds of millions of computer users choose otherwise too. And, please do not conclude t…

It's how humans rationalize their view of their own "development" and "progression":

1. I liked to do an activity before.

2. I don't do that activity any more, nor like it.

3. I am older, so I must be wiser (or else I wasted my time)

4. Therefore the old activity was bullshit all along. All hail my personal development.

Re: Life is Short

#312

Post by Kiro »

tluyben2 wrote: post #296
nulltype wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure bullshit is relative. I think cooking and driving are both bullshit, but there are tons of people who love both of those.

You are missing out by not cooking.

Why is that? I'm cooking all my meals but think it's the worst choir of all. Complete waste of time.

Re: Life is Short

#313

Post by [deleted] »

jroseattle wrote: post #252

Life seems really short as soon as kids enter the picture. The best line I ever heard about kids and life was this: With children, the days are long but the years are short. These days, I find myself trying to find the "work/life balance", which is really just me managing the ebb-and-flow of time between work and family. What I've learned in that process is that while work provides some satisfaction that meets an int…

[deleted]

Re: Life is Short

#314

Post by [deleted] »

vdnkh wrote: post #151
NhanH wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm very efficient with my time but if I made every second worthwhile, I'd go nuts. Sometimes BS time (videogames, the pub, etc) are necessary. Be careful with equating "unproductive" and bullshit. Society at large only cares about your productivity, and there is always pressure for you to do "productive" thing that advances some imaginary life ladder. From your POV and benefits, all those productive things might a…

What's productive to me isn't always considered productive to society, but I do "objectively productive" things like exercising and personal projects.

[deleted]

Re: Life is Short

#315

Post by petercooper »

I think Seneca said something on the topic that meshes even better with HN and the startup way of life than this essay:

The state of all who are preoccupied is wretched, but the most wretched are those who are toiling not even at their own preoccupations but must regulate their sleep by another’s, their walk by another’s pace, and obey orders in those freest of all things, loving and hating. If such people want to know how short their lives are, let them reflect how small a portion is their own.

Re: Life is Short

#316

Post by zhte415 »

20 years is 1% of the time since the Bible was written to today.

Life is short, so is history, and the impact we can make is enormous.

Re: Life is Short

#317

Post by [deleted] »

pcote wrote: post #172

The downside to "don't wait to do the things that matter" is what to do when you empty that bucket list early. I've covered the geeky bucket list stuff. (making video games, blogging, open source contribution, IT jobs, BS in CS, ect.) I've covered the more stereotypical bucket list stuff too. (Skydiving, performing onstage, time with friends, writing the novel, marrying the right girl, ect.) At this point in my life,…

[deleted]

Re: Life is Short

#319

Post by nice1 »

I do not always agree with PG's essays, but this one is spot on. Identifying BS is the major task we all face, and having children is a big help - this has been supremely true in my own life. Granted, this does not solve specific problems, but it gives a sense of direction. Without it we are cannot see the forest for the trees.

Re: Life is Short

#320

Post by kybernetyk »

sigmaml wrote: post #154
xenadu02 wrote: post #6

I'm a more productive engineer now that I have small kids than I ever was before. I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. I don't waste time building some over-architected nonsense on a side project, I ship the MVP. When I do take time away from my kids I maximize it by learning three or four new technologies, patterns, or libraries at once. When you realize how short time really is you…

> I don't have time for bullshit. I don't build my own PCs, I buy Macs. It is sad - and disgusting - to see this degree of arrogance in bluntly categorising those who use (or build) PCs (and not Macs) as indulging in bullshit! I am happy that you have found a useful computer in Mac. At the same time, though, please realise that hundreds of millions of computer users choose otherwise too. And, please do not conclude t…

Well, if all you care about is value for time spent/productivity then building your own PC probably isn't the wisest decision.

On the other hand if you have more free time than money then buying a Mac would probably be not the best decision.

Context is important and I don't think OP was generalizing that every PC user is a fool. It's just not the right thing for him personally since he got kids and would rather spend time with them.

Post reply on HN