The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius • Hacker News Board

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#311

Post by JMTQp8lwXL » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:33 PM UTC

throwaway713 wrote: post #191

I agree with his theory, but what I find particularly interesting is that I think most people do not have an obsessive interest in anything at all. And as someone who has obsessive interests in a lot of things (some “useful”, some not), that seems really odd to me: how can you just be satisfied to go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed each day? (Not saying that’s the wrong way to live, just saying it is surp…

> Going to meetings, making dinner, creating to-do lists — these don’t fit my personality at all, but I have to do them because they need to be done.

Have you ever tried not doing things, and seeing what happens? A lot of things are quite frankly unnecessary in life.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#312

Post by TeMPOraL » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:38 PM UTC

JMTQp8lwXL wrote: post #311

throwaway713 wrote: post #191

I agree with his theory, but what I find particularly interesting is that I think most people do not have an obsessive interest in anything at all. And as someone who has obsessive interests in a lot of things (some “useful”, some not), that seems really odd to me: how can you just be satisfied to go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed each day? (Not saying that’s the wrong way to live, just saying it is surp…

> Going to meetings, making dinner, creating to-do lists — these don’t fit my personality at all, but I have to do them because they need to be done. Have you ever tried not doing things, and seeing what happens? A lot of things are quite frankly unnecessary in life.

FWIW, making to-do list is often a way of coping with inability to focus and hold coherent thoughts for longer periods of time in one's head. At least that's how I do this - especially now that I have a kid. I jot down lots of random throwaway todo lists for the day or week; otherwise, between the job, family and unwinding on HN, I'd essentially never do anything other than daily chores and "firefighting".

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#313

Post by tomxor » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:38 PM UTC

NPMaxwell wrote: post #304

carapace wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did... did they not tell him it was a joke?

No. They meant to stop him from his compulsive interest in electronics. They wanted him to play with other kids, play sports, run around. He seemed weird and they thought he would seem weird when he grew up. And running shop that fixes radios didn't look like success to them. (Until recently, "nerd" was a very offensive insult.)

> (Until recently, "nerd" was a very offensive insult.)

In that sense, perhaps society has made a little progress, in socially embracing those that seem eccentric, quirky or uncomfortable - maybe not always for the right reasons, but it allows more people to be themselves and be happy.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#314

Post by _Microft » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:43 PM UTC

dsaavy wrote: post #127

_Microft wrote: post #3

What's the topic that just doesn't leave you alone? For me it's an interest in animal consciousness and communication, even though I am a physicist by training.

If you use Instagram I would encourage you to look at this profile: https://instagram.com/hunger4words It’s a lady who is a speech therapist who has taught her dog to communicate with pre-programmed push buttons.

I'll have a look again. Last time I checked though, it looked like random button presses with wishful interpretations for what it's worth.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#315

Post by tomxor » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:44 PM UTC

sgentle wrote: post #72

Competitive gaming is a particularly good example of this. I followed most of the rise of Dota from trashy Warcraft 3 mod to Valve's multi-million-dollar-prize-pool juggernaut. The first few crops of Dota millionaires all had the same backstory: "I played this game 14 hours a day. If there were tournaments at all they didn't really pay anything. My parents said I was wasting my life. I never had a girlfriend. Everyon…

> There are, frankly, far more comfortable ways to earn a million dollars in exchange for 20,000 to 50,000 hours of your life.

Not everything is about ROI, I'm also not saying playing Dota for your entire life is going to be particularly fulfilling in many other ways thought - after all they are playing out their lives within the very finite confines of someone else's creation.

The author does point this out as a suggested heuristic, if you are obsessed with someone elses creation, it's probably not going to be very fruitful (whether fruitful means money, scientific discovery, or fulfillment ones curiosity etc).

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#316

Post by infradig » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 9:59 PM UTC

mantap wrote: post #159

NPMaxwell wrote: post #135

You may think there is some rational choice to be made about obsessive curiosity. Maybe not. In 1960, my mom lived near a six year old who could fix electric stuff. Everyone in the neighborhood knew him and brought him things to fix. TV's were no problem; dead radios were great; telephones were cool. He was a super happy kid with a constant enthusiasm and a sparkle in his eye, running home from school every day to se…

I thought this story was going to end with "and that kid was Richard Feynman"

I thought it was going to be about William Sidis.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#317

Post by scruple » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 10:03 PM UTC

kkylin wrote: post #200

erikerikson wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'll come up for air around 3 and minor hobbies will re-emerge around 5. I would recommend finding some deeply informed and interesting podcasts on subjects you expect to be helpful in order to educate yourself passively during the early years.

And many parents we know (ourselves included) give up exercise. If at all possible, try to maintain some semblance of an exercise routine.

My twins are 6 months. I've maintained 3x a week, hour long full body training sessions the entire time (and I get out for 2-3 10k runs a week and occasionally get out for a mountain bike ride, depending on how good of a deal I can make with my wife). I'm fortunate to work from home full-time, which means that I can get my workout in over lunch hour.

For people who aren't are so fortunate, I always recommend that they look into Kettlebell Simple & Sinister on Amazon from Pavel Tsatsouline (there's a new version, recently released, easy to read and very dense with information and incredible strength training insights).

Simple & Sinister is essentially a 20 minute, no nonsense, 100% legitimate strength training routine that can be done daily, even in combination with other training programs and workouts. Kettlebells take up essentially no space and if you buy a reputable brand you will have this strength training implement for the rest of your life.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#318

Post by sornaensis » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 10:03 PM UTC

danbmil99 wrote: post #219

throwaway713 wrote: post #191

I agree with his theory, but what I find particularly interesting is that I think most people do not have an obsessive interest in anything at all. And as someone who has obsessive interests in a lot of things (some “useful”, some not), that seems really odd to me: how can you just be satisfied to go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed each day? (Not saying that’s the wrong way to live, just saying it is surp…

Frankly most people obsess about things like finding a mate, playing video games, collecting comics, politics, reading books, watching & discussing TV shows & movies, social websites (such as this one), sex, porn, fashion, sports, the social politics of work (as opposed to the work itself -- e.g. "The Office") and, of course, their kids. But none of these sorts of obsessions are likely to lead to fame or fortune. I t…

Interests aren't necessarily obsessions or passions.

I think it's rare to be obsessed with any of those things, but common to be superficially interested. For instance many people will just watch a TV show and enjoy it, and maybe even rewatch it a few times, without knowing all of the actors or writers or how the production of the show worked, etc etc, while you would expect an obsessed person to know at least some of these things, because they are compelled to find out at much as they possibly can about the object of their obsession.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#319

Post by belorn » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 10:10 PM UTC

satyrnein wrote: post #90

rhlsthrm wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly right. I've come across this theory of obsession on my own and I've been helping my wife find what she's obsessed with. She watches things on YouTube like makeup tutorials that are things I would have never thought she was obsessed with.

Let's not be too hasty in concluding women's attention to their appearance and their children is completely genetic when all throughout history these were duties pushed onto them. Darwin got to say "I'll be in my study" and "you take care of the kids and dinner and everything else" was just automatically implied.

You are arguing against an imaginary argument. Parent and grand parent comment did not say anything about genetics.

Darwin could go inside the study because his gender role was fulfilled by being rich. Had he been poor he might have said "I will be in the coal mine", and getting slowly and horrible killed.

Very few know people in history had the privilege to freely obsess over things which is outside their gender role, especially if the result leads to them not fulling that role through other means.

Re: The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius

#320

Post by sibeliuss » Sat, Nov 23, 2019, 10:19 PM UTC

throwaway713 wrote: post #191

I agree with his theory, but what I find particularly interesting is that I think most people do not have an obsessive interest in anything at all. And as someone who has obsessive interests in a lot of things (some “useful”, some not), that seems really odd to me: how can you just be satisfied to go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to bed each day? (Not saying that’s the wrong way to live, just saying it is surp…

I'm very new to having a kid but so far I've found it's helped focus my time more efficiently by getting better at multi-tasking, and then the remaining "interests" time is spent with a serious, no-time-to-waste approach.

Also, you might be surprised at what having a kid does to you, in a good way. Like PG mentions in his essay, once people have kids they tend to be their focus, and it's satisfying to guide them and see them grow.