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What should I do with my life?

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Re: What should I do with my life?

#41

Post by mattm »

eavc wrote: post #23
euroclydon wrote: post #2

I think it's evil the amount of energy and resources that go into creating unnecessary desires in people in order to cultivate a consumer class. It's time to reap the benefits of our technological advancements, by working shorter weeks, finding less expensive ways to build shelter (houses), and becoming more proficient in local food generation.

I sympathize with this view, but the problem is, all it takes is someone else willing to work longer hours in the same role to make you undesirable as an employee.

...unless you can get more done by working shorter hours.

In my experience, the people that work the longest hours waste the most time at work. Work expands and contracts to fill time.

Re: What should I do with my life?

#42

Post by barmstrong »

euroclydon wrote: post #2

I think it's evil the amount of energy and resources that go into creating unnecessary desires in people in order to cultivate a consumer class. It's time to reap the benefits of our technological advancements, by working shorter weeks, finding less expensive ways to build shelter (houses), and becoming more proficient in local food generation.

Did you read the same article I did?

Trying to figure out the connection with this comment :)

Re: What should I do with my life?

#43

Post by run4yourlives »

giantfuzzypanda wrote: post #40
uspatentpending wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

tl;dr -- Evolutionary forces are far more complex and do not always select for strength over intelligence. Evolution != bigger && stronger. If this were true, why aren't there still brontosaurus-sized creatures on land? The truth is evolution selects the best adaptation for the specific ecosystem. Depending on the ecosystem, this could mean all sorts of adaptations, including more advanced intelligence and less advan…

> The truth is evolution selects the best adaptation for the specific ecosystem. Evolution is completely random.

No it isn't. Where did you get this idea?

Re: What should I do with my life?

#44

Post by eavc »

mattm wrote: post #41
eavc wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sympathize with this view, but the problem is, all it takes is someone else willing to work longer hours in the same role to make you undesirable as an employee.

...unless you can get more done by working shorter hours. In my experience, the people that work the longest hours waste the most time at work. Work expands and contracts to fill time.

Unless you're super-human, there will still be someone willing to do exactly what you're doing but for more hours. But again, I agree with you.

Re: What should I do with my life?

#45

Post by nopassrecover »

caffeine wrote: post #32
nopassrecover wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with everything you say but question "it simply takes too long to evaluate intelligence". It's not like we are house flies with a day to find a mate. I think maybe the problem is intelligence (and other characteristics) are often hard to evaluate. Added to this, the intelligent meek geek isn't getting the girl because he isn't bold, but cognitive dissonance convinces him that there must be something wrong wit…

We share common ancestors with houseflies who have a day to find a mate. We were at one point small furry proto-mammals who mated almost exclusively by smell and aggressiveness. It no longer takes too long to evaluate intelligence. But when our mate evaluation systems were being designed, there were fewer available dimensions to optimize over. A woman's opinion of a man's smell still correlates strongly with both her…

On the other hand, attraction to flaunted success doesn't seem like it would have very strong evolutionary roots.

Re: What should I do with my life?

#46

Post by SkyMarshal »

quickpost wrote: post #22
goatforce5 wrote: post #4

Oooh. Po Bronson is probably my favourite author. There's something about his writing style that pushes my buttons. It's probably worth nothing that he used to do a lot of writing for Wired magazine (eg http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.12/hotmale.html ) and his second novel, The First $20m Is Always The Hardest, was about a startup ( http://pobronson.com/index_first_20_million.htm ). His site has lots of excerpts…

I also loved Bombardiers. Great book that didn't get a lot of traction - highly recommend it for anyone considering a career in finance.

I loved Bombardiers too. Catch-22 applied to the financial 'industry'.

Those are the only two books I've read that managed to pull off that style of satire. If anyone knows any others, I'd love to know.

Re: What should I do with my life?

#47

Post by myth_drannon »

Psyonic wrote: post #34
goatforce5 wrote: post #4

Oooh. Po Bronson is probably my favourite author. There's something about his writing style that pushes my buttons. It's probably worth nothing that he used to do a lot of writing for Wired magazine (eg http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.12/hotmale.html ) and his second novel, The First $20m Is Always The Hardest, was about a startup ( http://pobronson.com/index_first_20_million.htm ). His site has lots of excerpts…

Not really related at all to this discussion, and not technically the first line (though its on the first page), but this line from Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer was the most captivating book starter for me ever: "I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive." How could you not keep reading after that?

Similar to the writing on Nikos Kazantzakis tomb "I hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free."

Re: What should I do with my life?

#48

Post by bokonist »

euroclydon wrote: post #2

I think it's evil the amount of energy and resources that go into creating unnecessary desires in people in order to cultivate a consumer class. It's time to reap the benefits of our technological advancements, by working shorter weeks, finding less expensive ways to build shelter (houses), and becoming more proficient in local food generation.

If you want to consume less and work a shorter work week, then do it. Save money and buy store brands rather than advertised brands, don't buy as much, etc.

Re: What should I do with my life?

#49

Post by mkramlich »

fnid2 wrote: post #11
euroclydon wrote: post #2

I think it's evil the amount of energy and resources that go into creating unnecessary desires in people in order to cultivate a consumer class. It's time to reap the benefits of our technological advancements, by working shorter weeks, finding less expensive ways to build shelter (houses), and becoming more proficient in local food generation.

Ways to do these things have been around for decades, but it's not in the interest of the producers of homes and employers to do them. Look into some of the inventions by R. Buckminster Fuller. He invented a house that cost thousands, easily transported, made of aluminum, and sturdy, but it never caught on. Probably because he didn't spend time marketing it, but the mobile home and large home manufacturing companies…

"The world will continue getting dumber."

on same topic: recommend you see the movie Idiocracy

Re: What should I do with my life?

#50

Post by JoeAltmaier »

euroclydon wrote: post #10
gaius wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's unnecessary? I mean, we could all be wearing identical grey jumpsuits that fulfill the requirements of modesty and environmental protection, but we don't. The most any advertiser can say to anyone is "this might give you pleasure, here's how to try it". The rest is up to you.

I know what you mean, but consider the psychological tactics at work in the following industries: Fashion, Diet and Anti-Aging, just for starters.

Fortunately, as a nerd, I am immune to their ministrations.
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