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Advice

patrickcollison.com

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Re: Advice

#71

Post by vasilipupkin »

segmondy wrote: post #58
ebbv wrote: post #16

As far as "changing the world" goes; the reality is you mostly have to be very lucky. The amount of people setting out to do world changing things vs. the ones that are successful is a staggering ratio. Hitting 40 this year my advice to any young person is do what will make you feel happy and fulfilled. Whatever that is. It's hard to figure that out, but we only live once and the old adage "You'll regret the things y…

The things that make you feel happy and fulfilled today might be the very things that make you feel unhappy and empty tomorrow. The challenge is that most people can't tell till they find themselves in that unhappy state. My advice for any young person is to learn to think for themselves and figure out things for themselves. There is no magical advice out there that will work for everyone. The same thing that will tr…

nah. that's just too vague. Let's be more specific. Specifically, you are less likely to feel happy and fulfilled if you do not find something that you really enjoy actively doing. Actively working on something that is yours is more likely to make you feel fulfilled than sitting around the house after 9-5 work. But many people end up mostly sitting around the house, with occasional break for travel and vacations, etc.

Re: Advice

#72

Post by lostcolony »

m52go wrote: post #25

This is probably nit-picking, because I understand the intended message, but the "Aim to read a lot" bit gets me. I've always aimed to read a lot...but rarely manage to actually do it.

Get it on your phone. Use downtime to read. It's not as tactile as a physical book, but you always have your phone on you. Any time you'd pull it out to browse/eff about, read instead.

I'll read waiting in line. During unproductive meetings. Riding in any sort of public transport/lyft/etc. In airports. On the toilet.

Re: Advice

#73

Post by ritchiea »

gfodor wrote: post #60
mugsie wrote: post #44

> Why San Francisco? San Francisco is the Schelling point for high-openness, smart, energetic, optimistic people. Global Weird HQ. This could describe Seattle, Portland, Austin, Denver (from my experience) in the US, and a myriad of other places worldwide.

Note: optimism in SF more easily sighted when the preferred political party is in power

Note: optimism in SF more easily sighted when you’re a well off tech worker

Re: Advice

#74

Post by ritchiea »

I wish someone would write a useful version of this for the question “what should I do to make the most of my life when my family is poor or somehow less fortunate?”

A lot of this would still apply but there’s a huge percentage of the population that has to deal with major difficulties in life before they can heed the kind of advice Patrick offers.

Re: Advice

#75

Post by petercooper »

Swizec wrote: post #67

And remember: if you're not 10-20, you can still do all these things! The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago, the second best time is now. When you feel old and curmudgeonly, that's the perfect time to take a deep breath and become a beginner in something new.

Exactly. I'm almost 40 and I feel all of this advice is just as relevant to me.

Re: Advice

#76

Post by codingdave »

"Go be an autodidact iconoclast, and hang out with everyone else does that, too." is a great recipe for being an interesting person. But changing the world requires not just being interesting, but understanding the status quo, and finding ways to bridge them. This advice won't give you both sides.

Also, there is nothing wrong with living a pedestrian life. Millions (billions?) of people do so, happily. And there are many small changes you can make in the world even while walking a typical path. The world changes over time, as many people make those small changes. Feel free to pursue large changes, but don't reject the power of incremental improvements.

Re: Advice

#77

Post by 52-6F-62 »

wolco wrote: post #24
sudhirj wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was in SF for the last WWDC, mostly to see and visit these people I keep hearing about. But I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where they were or how to talk to them. I went to WWDC, a couple of meetups, the Computer History Museum, walked through Stanford, ate hummus in Palo Alto, took only public transport or shared Lyft rides. But other than a chance meeting with the CEO of Mode Analytics in one can ride t…

Hang out in front of google or attend the local 2600 meeting. Best way to meet CEOs is to become one yourself.

TIL— 2600 is blocked by my workplace.

Re: Advice

#78

Post by SEMW »

mugsie wrote: post #44

> Why San Francisco? San Francisco is the Schelling point for high-openness, smart, energetic, optimistic people. Global Weird HQ. This could describe Seattle, Portland, Austin, Denver (from my experience) in the US, and a myriad of other places worldwide.

By definition only one place can be the Schelling point: the one that, in the absence of any coordination, a plurality of people think would be picked as the one that a plurality of people think would be picked as... etc.

Re: Advice

#79

Post by tonyedgecombe »

ritchiea wrote: post #74

I wish someone would write a useful version of this for the question “what should I do to make the most of my life when my family is poor or somehow less fortunate?” A lot of this would still apply but there’s a huge percentage of the population that has to deal with major difficulties in life before they can heed the kind of advice Patrick offers.

there’s a huge percentage of the population that has to deal with major difficulties in life

Do you or is this just some lefty privileged angst?

Re: Advice

#80

Post by ritchiea »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #79
ritchiea wrote: post #74

I wish someone would write a useful version of this for the question “what should I do to make the most of my life when my family is poor or somehow less fortunate?” A lot of this would still apply but there’s a huge percentage of the population that has to deal with major difficulties in life before they can heed the kind of advice Patrick offers.

there’s a huge percentage of the population that has to deal with major difficulties in life Do you or is this just some lefty privileged angst?

Yea I did, what is it to you? Do you take joy in asking that question? Does it make you feel better to know my mom was a single parent without very much money?

Do you feel like you productively added to the conversation?

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