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A good friend of mine has a 365x100 rectangle on his (high res) display. As a reminder that it is small, yet he has less days in his life than pixels in this re

by stared 11y ago

A good friend of mine has a 365x100 rectangle on his (high res) display. As a reminder that it is small, yet he has less days in his life than pixels in this rectangle. And every day spent not on a worthwhile project is a great loss. A modern, sobering memento mori, I would say.

acqq 11y ago
> 365x100 rectangle I like that! > And every day spent not on a worthwhile project is a great loss. Does anybody really values days of life based only on the "projects"?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- hobo_mark 11y ago
  I keep a journal since three years and I mostly write about current "projects" (be them work or my own things) and future ideas. To answer, yes, a day in which I haven't done anything useful is not really worth as much as a day in which I have, and it will be forgotten (unless I happen to be traveling (rare) or have met someone interesting (rarer)).
- nkozyra 11y ago
  It depends on how you define "project." Most people have life goals that filter into professional, personal, family, etc. Some goals might not sound like projects "go on more vacations with the kids," but require a sequence of things to be done in order for them to be feasible. In "the end," the ones that are most valuable will probably not be the professional things, particularly in the technical space. Most because they'll feel especially inconsequential 10 years out. The professional projects I spent weeks and months on a decade ago are problems largely solved and turnkey in 2016. That said, they're fulfilling, and that's why we enjoy doing them and challenging ourselves. So unless you're doing some really monumentally important-for-humanity professional projects, their value is probably ephemeral. They should play into a larger set of life goals.
coldtea 11y ago
Because in their death bed one often says "I wish I worked on more worthwhile projects"?
- ddt_Osprey 11y ago
  The inverse being: Why don't I just end it all right now? One answer possibly being: Hmmm, better find some stupid project, and occupy myself, before I really consider whether I'd find a convincing answer to that question. Oh cool, they open sourced this childhood video game!
  - matwood 11y ago
    There is an enormous range between working on a worthwhile project and end it all right now. The point was that very few people lay on their death bed and wish they spent more time working. Typically they wish for more time with their family, or in the general sense more experiences. Personally, I love the experience of learning something new and hence enjoy a lot of programming. I will not be wishing on my death bed to have written yet another CRUD app. If I die before my wife, I will have wanted more time with her - traveling if possible.
    - ddt_Osprey 11y ago
      Oh, so that was the point?
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- louprado 11y ago
  An e-mail I received right before reading this post: "THANK YOU for your excellent customer service. Your videos on YouTube -- while I little over my head -- tell how you have a passion for electronics and creating solutions. I have told several people about you and I hope it brings you business. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world." It is so hard to imagine that reflecting on this e-mail might bring me some satisfaction on my death bed ?
wuschel 11y ago
I wonder if the 'tick a box per day' model is a proper visualization of your life. You age, health and knowledge define your potential of doing and accomplishing things e.g. -- the majority of your top quality relationships are build in the first third of your life -- you are very attractive for females between 25-40 -- you can learn certain things very fast as a kid -- you age exponentially after a certain biologic age et cetera
taneq 11y ago
And "entertaining myself" is not a worthwhile project? In a nihilistic way, it's hard to argue that anything's more important. "Go now, and die in what way seems best to you." - Denethor
- stared 11y ago
  I guess you can s/worthwhile project/entertaining myself, and the message stays the same.
nni 11y ago
that is also an interesting idea I may do You might find this interesting - it adds a bit of dynamicness to it http://learnforeverlearn.com/candle/ http://learnforeverlearn.com/candle/

by stared 11y ago

acqq 11y ago

> 365x100 rectangle I like that! > And every day spent not on a worthwhile project is a great loss. Does anybody really values days of life based only on the "projects"?

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
hobo_mark 11y ago
I keep a journal since three years and I mostly write about current "projects" (be them work or my own things) and future ideas. To answer, yes, a day in which I haven't done anything useful is not really worth as much as a day in which I have, and it will be forgotten (unless I happen to be traveling (rare) or have met someone interesting (rarer)).
nkozyra 11y ago
It depends on how you define "project." Most people have life goals that filter into professional, personal, family, etc. Some goals might not sound like projects "go on more vacations with the kids," but require a sequence of things to be done in order for them to be feasible. In "the end," the ones that are most valuable will probably not be the professional things, particularly in the technical space. Most because they'll feel especially inconsequential 10 years out. The professional projects I spent weeks and months on a decade ago are problems largely solved and turnkey in 2016. That said, they're fulfilling, and that's why we enjoy doing them and challenging ourselves. So unless you're doing some really monumentally important-for-humanity professional projects, their value is probably ephemeral. They should play into a larger set of life goals.

coldtea 11y ago

Because in their death bed one often says "I wish I worked on more worthwhile projects"?

ddt_Osprey 11y ago
The inverse being: Why don't I just end it all right now? One answer possibly being: Hmmm, better find some stupid project, and occupy myself, before I really consider whether I'd find a convincing answer to that question. Oh cool, they open sourced this childhood video game!
- matwood 11y ago
  There is an enormous range between working on a worthwhile project and end it all right now. The point was that very few people lay on their death bed and wish they spent more time working. Typically they wish for more time with their family, or in the general sense more experiences. Personally, I love the experience of learning something new and hence enjoy a lot of programming. I will not be wishing on my death bed to have written yet another CRUD app. If I die before my wife, I will have wanted more time with her - traveling if possible.
  - ddt_Osprey 11y ago
    Oh, so that was the point?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
louprado 11y ago
An e-mail I received right before reading this post: "THANK YOU for your excellent customer service. Your videos on YouTube -- while I little over my head -- tell how you have a passion for electronics and creating solutions. I have told several people about you and I hope it brings you business. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world." It is so hard to imagine that reflecting on this e-mail might bring me some satisfaction on my death bed ?

wuschel 11y ago

I wonder if the 'tick a box per day' model is a proper visualization of your life. You age, health and knowledge define your potential of doing and accomplishing things e.g. -- the majority of your top quality relationships are build in the first third of your life -- you are very attractive for females between 25-40 -- you can learn certain things very fast as a kid -- you age exponentially after a certain biologic age et cetera

taneq 11y ago

And "entertaining myself" is not a worthwhile project? In a nihilistic way, it's hard to argue that anything's more important. "Go now, and die in what way seems best to you." - Denethor

stared 11y ago
I guess you can s/worthwhile project/entertaining myself, and the message stays the same.

nni 11y ago

that is also an interesting idea I may do You might find this interesting - it adds a bit of dynamicness to it http://learnforeverlearn.com/candle/ http://learnforeverlearn.com/candle/