I’ve had the same supper for 10 years • Hacker News Board

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#551

Post by ryanmarsh » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:09 PM UTC

dkersten wrote: post #469

kebman wrote: post #426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it matter? This is an old belief told from one generation to another. And in the instance of my family, it certainly turned out to be true. Later that summer, during an especially hot and bright night (it's midnight sun where I come from because it's above the Arctic Circle) I saw that grouse on the tractor road further down the fields of the farm. It silhouetted in the midnight sun. It surprised me to see it st…

Humans are also great at seeing patterns in noise and we like to attribute various things to things we see. So its also likely that you remember these coincidences because of your loved ones deaths and don't remember the many other times these animals were around because nothing happened to make them memorable. Also, "later that year" is a very long period of time for something to happen.

I love how people will do anything to deny the lizard brain. We have a “spidey” sense just like all the other animals and for good reason. Ignore it at your peril should you ever have a brush with the side of nature that cares not for your “lack of studies”.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#552

Post by eloff » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:10 PM UTC

chubbyish wrote: post #293

Jtsummers wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My happiest period with relation to work was similar, laborious but satisfying because I got something done every day and didn't have to think about it after work. When you're writing software, it's hard to turn off the switch (I think especially if you find software development itself to be an interesting subject) when you leave the office. It's hard to not think about the design, the thing you'll do tomorrow, conti…

Same here. I love software but also hate it. Too many decisions. During lockdown I relish the opportunity to clean the house and cook because they are straightforward tasks where there are clear goals and I always achieve success. Software for me these days involves too much despair and worry over whether things are done the right way.

You'll never find the right way. But there are lot's of ways that are good enough - you can learn to get satisfaction in a good enough solution and move on.

And if you got it wrong, and it wasn't good enough, you can take another stab at it later with the wisdom gained meanwhile.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#553

Post by mrits » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:17 PM UTC

kebman wrote: post #399

Ah, the simple life... My grandfather would take me along and we'd go to the neighbour to fetch eggs. He had a plastic bucket that he put them in with some old newspapers scraps in the bottom. I heard that before the war they didn't even need money. He'd simply bring a bucket of milk, and he'd get a bucket of eggs in return. But it was of course a lot simpler to bring money. It was far cheaper than in the store too.…

It seems like the bird would want to position itself based on the current day's weather and not the average of the next 3 months.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#554

Post by goda90 » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:19 PM UTC

mrits wrote: post #553

kebman wrote: post #399

Ah, the simple life... My grandfather would take me along and we'd go to the neighbour to fetch eggs. He had a plastic bucket that he put them in with some old newspapers scraps in the bottom. I heard that before the war they didn't even need money. He'd simply bring a bucket of milk, and he'd get a bucket of eggs in return. But it was of course a lot simpler to bring money. It was far cheaper than in the store too.…

It seems like the bird would want to position itself based on the current day's weather and not the average of the next 3 months.

They can't exactly move their nest after they lay their eggs. You gotta choose what will survive the worst case.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#555

Post by globular-toast » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:20 PM UTC

Xcelerate wrote: post #542

It seems a lot of this comes down to personality differences, particularly with regard to novelty or sensation seeking. There's no right or wrong, but it's interesting that both groups don't really understand the other. For me personally, I have a very high inclination for novelty, even if that novelty comes with the risk of a bad experience. I just can't imagine doing, seeing, eating, working on, or talking about th…

My girlfriend and I are at opposite ends of this spectrum in many respects. I seek novelty in most aspects of life. I often choose novelty over guaranteed enjoyment. My girlfriend, on the other hand, is afraid of novelty. When we eat out, if we have been to the restaurant before I can order her food without asking 100% of the time. It will be what she had last time.

My desire for novelty can be problematic. I find it difficult to maintain long term sexual relationships. I'm so bored of having the same sex in the same positions over and over again. But I'm also too introverted to be happy with polygamous or short term relationships, not too mention how expensive that lifestyle is.

Like you, though, I don't seek novelty in all aspects of life. I too wear the same few t-shirts and same pair of jeans every day. Maybe there is just so little room for novelty here that it doesn't matter? What difference does it really make to me if I wear a pink t-shirt instead of green? My girlfriend, of course, buys new clothes almost every week.

I also don't change things for the sake of it. My desire for novelty doesn't override if it ain't broke don't fix it. When I cook something I've cooked many times before, I will reproduce the method exactly and produce consistent results. My girlfriend will slightly change things every single time, sometimes consciously, sometimes not. My dad cooks like this too. I think he actually does seek novelty in the way he cooks something. If I cook a dish and it's delicious it will be just as delicious next time. If he cooks and it's delicious, next time he'll add a completely new ingredient to it, for better or worse.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#556

Post by drcongo » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:23 PM UTC

I'm surprised there's this many comments and none of them are wondering the same things as me: what does he do with that onion? Is it eaten raw like an apple? Roasted?

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#557

Post by haihaibye » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:29 PM UTC

zwayhowder wrote: post #289

haihaibye wrote: post #280

71 sheep is a hobby, not enough to make a living as a farmer. In Australia a family farm can have 10-20x that number.

They also use different tools and methods size is relative. My favourite anecdote for visiting Welsh friends is to tell them about Anna Creek Station, a cattle farm in South Australia that is slightly larger than Wales.

I have no doubt Welsh land can support many more sheep per acre, but to make minimum wage (£17k) off 71 sheep you need to make £240 profit per sheep per year.

At £100 per fat lamb, you still haven't made minimum wage even if all 71 have twins and you have zero costs. Maybe they sell some wool, too.

In reality you have bills, sheep die, and you need to keep some lambs for breeding stock

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#558

Post by paul_f » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:33 PM UTC

drcongo wrote: post #556

I'm surprised there's this many comments and none of them are wondering the same things as me: what does he do with that onion? Is it eaten raw like an apple? Roasted?

I only looked at the comments to find the answer to this question. How does one eat an entire onion?

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#559

Post by VLM » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:35 PM UTC

FractalParadigm wrote: post #65

montenegrohugo wrote: post #7

There is value in finding your place in life and being content with it. Yes, you might be able to change it, perhaps to conform to more traditional standards of 'success', but why bother if you're happy as you are? If we humans optimize by happiness, then we should have nothing but envy for a life like Wilf Davies leads.

I came to this realization in university - I love software, I love writing programs and solving problems, but I really don't love office work or the idea of sitting at a desk all day. I dropped out of a software engineering program to work on a factory floor, a decision I haven't regret once in five years (even if my parents would consider me a failure). The hours are good, the wage is good, benefits are good, I get…

People use the same word "team" to describe both hypercompetitive groups of mutual enemies playing a zero sum game, and happy groups of cooperating people striving for a common goal.

Usually the first group is seen as more socially acceptable and usually makes more money, but the second group almost always has a superior quality of life.

Coworkers and the relationship with them matter. Its almost never talked about.

Re: I’ve had the same supper for 10 years

#560

Post by throwawaaarrgh » Sat, May 08, 2021, 2:37 PM UTC

brokencode wrote: post #200

diehunde wrote: post #180

Trying to eat something different everyday is an American obsession that I'll never understand. It's just so stressful and inconvenient. I grew up in a small town where eating the same for dinner everyday was extremely common. Tea or coffee and bread. The only variable would be what you put in your bread. Some days it would be butter, some days it would jam. Some days it would be honey, some days it would be avocado.

I think eating the same thing every day is fine, though you need to make sure to have a balanced diet with good nutrition. The author mentioned his uncle who just ate bread, butter, and cheese for every meal, and I’m not sure how you can even survive off of that. Surely it’s lacking something important with no fruit or vegetables. I’ve heard that humans had a long period of time after we became sedentary and started…

> you need to make sure to have a balanced diet with good nutrition

You know, you are going to die. They're going to lower you into a hole in the ground. The worms will have you for dinner. That's it.

Right before you die, are you going to say to yourself, "boy, I'm sure glad I made sure to have a balanced diet with good nutrition" ? Will you say, "I'm glad I didn't enjoy cheese and bread with butter every single day" ?

70 years of pure joy, of every moment counting, of getting just what you want, is worth a million years of trying to extend your life and health. Don't live the life you think you're supposed to, and don't live for the future. Whatever you like, do it now.