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Sergey Brin's Unretirement

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Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#451

Post by tempestn »

vidarh wrote: post #200
tempestn wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That attitude is the weapon of suppression. Yes, it's true that life isn't fair. But it's also true that people have agency and can make material improvements to their own quality of life through smart decisions and dedication. Of course most of us won't start the next Google, but that doesn't mean dreams and hope are bad in general.

We have no evidence that people have meanginful agency, or even agency at all. It is an assumption that to start with requires that the universe is not largely or entirely deterministic beyond what we can measure, but even in the case of some "hidden variable" that provides agency (try to even define it in a way that doesn't make it either deterministic, random, or a combination that implies no actual control) we hav…

Honestly I don't disagree with anything you wrote, I don't think. It is worth remembering that if we were born in someone else's shoes, with their genes and their environment, we would literally be them and would act as they act. In that way, yes, agency is an illusion. Remembering this can help us to have empathy for others, potentially even those with whom we vehemently disagree.

But, as you said, we still all make decisions every day, and those decisions do affect our lives. So by acting as if we have agency, we can still have a positive impact, both on ourselves and others.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#452

Post by yibg »

weinzierl wrote: post #202
marcus_holmes wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I took a career break and was weirded out by the question of "how do I introduce myself?". So used to saying "Hi, I'm Marcus, I'm IT Director of " that suddenly having nothing to say there was strange. When people asked "what do you do?" I had no good answer, and that felt like I had no good identity. I guess for Sergey Brin it's a little different, he will always be "Founder of Google" even if he leaves Google. But…

> So used to saying "Hi, I'm Marcus, I'm IT Director of " [..] Risking a stereotype. In my experience from traveling the world it's a tell-tale sign for being from a culture heavily influenced by the Protestant work ethic. Introduce yourself like that in Spain, Italy, or Brazil and you'll get strange looks. On the flip side, I've found that people who do not define themselves through their work primarily often do so…

Not very common as the intro, but pretty common around here (bay area) to get asked that pretty soon after the intro. I don't like it, and I wished people didn't focus so much on it though.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#453

Post by geodel »

ausbah wrote: post #394

im probably just projecting but going back to work when youve amassed enough to live off to an enormous fortune feels like a failure of imagination. sure everyone needs to keep their hands busy, feel valued by others, etc etc but surely there’s some other hobby, interest, or unprofitable passion project you would invest time into? but maybe being in a corporate environment (any any env) shapes your thinking in such a…

Well, XYZ rando going back to work after RSUs are vested is lot different from Google founder going back to work because he sees his 'baby' is in trouble.

Those hobbies, interests etc sounds like middle class thing where people take upon gardening, cooking, hiking, surfing or some such that they couldn't do enough while working. For people like Google founders they would've had any adventure they seek outside work anywhere in they world every weekend.

People forget Bill Gates advised (maybe still consulted) by MS long after he formally moved away from any official position in company.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#454

Post by tempestn »

black_knight wrote: post #185
tempestn wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That attitude is the weapon of suppression. Yes, it's true that life isn't fair. But it's also true that people have agency and can make material improvements to their own quality of life through smart decisions and dedication. Of course most of us won't start the next Google, but that doesn't mean dreams and hope are bad in general.

I am not saying we should be defeatist! I making the argument that it does not, and morally should not, have to be so that we all have to toil when we have such a wealth of technology. How we go about changing this, I do not know, but everyone just playing along nicely in hope of one day being the one who strikes gold seems not to be working! “Life isn’t fair, suck it up and get good!” is another form of suppression/…

This framing I'm on board with. The original comment took it too far for me, and even if not intended as defeatist I think could encourage that response. I'm all for people working not only to better their own conditions, but society as a whole.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#455

Post by [deleted] »

geodel wrote: post #397
ericmay wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One big difference was social life. In India, I was constantly meeting people—connections were easy and organic. In the US, maintaining a daytime social life felt much harder. Everyone is on a treadmill—insurance, income, careers—often not by choice. I know there are ways to build community here, but in India it just happened naturally. The primary reason for this is the built environment we live in here in the Uni…

I don't know if it is build environment or cultural thing. In US showing up at friends, or neighbors unannounced and spend hour or two would be very odd if not downright impolite. But in India it is something everyone would do or at least used to do a 15-20 yrs back when I was there. One simple reason I think is overall US is very rich so people just can have anything they need on their own and sharing small things w…

[deleted]

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#456

Post by yibg »

jasode wrote: post #234
jaapz wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some people, their work/job is just such a big part of their identity, that for them this is a problem. That is I guess the point the person you were replying to was trying to make. It's also not really weird for a job to become such a big part of your identity, when people spend most of their time at work or at home thinking about their work.

>For some people, their work/job is just such a big part of their identity, that for them this is a problem. That's only 1/2 of the dynamic. People also like to assign an identity to others . For example, if I say, "I'm semi-retired." ... the follow-up question is always "Oh, so what did you do before that?" ... which is polite coded-speak for, "Did you inherit money or what work did you do for money that put you in…

> People are naturally curious about your rough level of success, wealth, expertise, etc.

I definitely find this more true in some cultures. e.g. silicon valley, it seems people want to know where you're at on the "hierarchy". Many parts of Asia too, you get treated differently if you're a low level worker, regular worker, executive etc.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#457

Post by Melatonic »

melling wrote: post #416
tempsaasexample wrote: post #412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These people could have bought a dirt bike or mountain bike and had the time of their life. I don't get it.

I think I’d take directing big things at Google over riding a dirt bike… I’m not actually sure what you don’t get. I’m all for not living a lower level grind and riding a dirt bike. Most jobs simply aren’t interesting.

If you're a director at Google you can probably afford a pretty damn nice dirt bike if that's your jam

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#458

Post by Melatonic »

fragmede wrote: post #435
WJW wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But this person was laid off. His help was (apparently) not appreciated, and he's not helping anyone by sitting alone in his car on the parking lot. Do you think it is healthy behavior to go to a parking lot at 0900 every day and do nothing because you mentally cannot face the idea of not going to an office?

> His help was (apparently) not appreciated That's just your take. We don't know where he sat in the team, so we can assume the idea that he wasn't appreciated by his teammates as incorrect. He didn't make the cut based on unknown metrics from upper management, but they have their own reasons for doing things. Getting in to the parking lot of the old office sounds way healthier than not making it out of bed at all.

They could go anywhere though - why not go to a coffee shop at 9 with a laptop or on a morning hike? I agree sitting in bed depressed would be bad but it seems like avoiding the issue to specifically sit in the parking lot of an old employer.

At minimum I think it would be healthier to tie part of your identify to an aspect of your career you enjoy rather than a specific employer itself.

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#459

Post by Melatonic »

largbae wrote: post #287

From observing my parents and other elders, it isn't "work" in the job sense that we all need. It is feeling needed by others. This can be accomplished by being an active grandparent, charity(active volunteering not just allocating money), open-source contribution, mentoring. It can be something other than a job. It just can't be done alone. We are social creatures and need to be needed by each other. Luckily there a…

"If you want to stay youthful stay useful!"

Re: Sergey Brin's Unretirement

#460

Post by skeuomorphism »

cuttothechase wrote: post #47

Sergey's challenge looks like is not in retiring early or with non-work. We had a high performing co-worker who was scared witless after a lay-off episode and this was not because he was worried about lacking money or loss of prestige., but because he could not come to terms with the simple fact of facing the 9 am on a Monday morning with absolutely no expectations. It freaked so much to not feel the hustle and the a…

What a sad way to live life, for a man to miss the chains he wears in enslavement, for he knows nothing else
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