6 ms·

One day, you will be dead. Each year that passes after your death, fewer and fewer people will remember who you were, what you did or what your face looked like

One day, you will be dead. Each year that passes after your death, fewer and fewer people will remember who you were, what you did or what your face looked like. Eventually, you'll be completely forgotten. Who cares if that side project you put out sucked or not. Might as well put it out there and see what people think. There's a good chance too that the project won't even be remembered even by the time you die. The best way to get experience is to do things, so given that no one is going to remember, might as well try to do it. Your successes won't be remembered along with your failures.

riebschlager 8y ago
I usually like to save my existential crises for later in the week, but thanks for helping me dive right into it on a Monday morning.
- mitchty 8y ago
  Its really not anything more than that silly yoda quote "do or do not there is no try". Motivation/willpower is a very weak way to get things done, approach it instead with "I'll just write one line of code today/work on it for 15 minutes straight/document one thing/design one function". You'll likely find that once you start, you'll do more than you planned, the crux is almost always the start. You look at the entire body of work and think "its too much to do in one sitting", but ultimately thats your reptile brain talking you out of expending energy needlessly. So just use that little mind hack to get you out of your cognitive dissonance and started. And if the prior posters statement gets you into an existential crisis, I'd start reading up on the stoics, buddhists, etc... Yes even if you're an atheist/whatever, accepting ones fate in the universe has no meaning is ultimately relieving. Or as a Shinto priest once told me: Life is a dance, dance to the music while it plays, you may not get another chance to dance!
  - MarsAscendant 8y ago
    > And if the prior posters statement gets you into an existential crisis, I'd start reading up on the stoics, buddhists, etc... Not that it's not a good advice (I'm quite enjoying Meditations by Marcus Aurelius), but I'm fairly certain the above-poster said so in jest.
- thomk 8y ago
  This comment made me burst out laughing. Well done sir.
- aecorredor 8y ago
  HAHAHA
- iliomad 8y ago
  Also laughed out loud at this. Thanks :) It's also quite a freeing way of approaching a project - as long as I don't go to the extreme of not caring at all! Reminds me of the "pale blue dot" perspective - when stressed visualise planet earth from further and further away.....
louismerlin 8y ago
Very stoic of you. I like it !
sephoric 8y ago
Along these lines, I always try to be purpose driven: I make software because I'm good at it and because it makes me money. I need that money to buy food and clothing for me and my wife and our kids and to pay for having a roof over our heads. If I were better at something else, or not good enough at software, I would use that skill to accomplish the same task for the same reason. Usually it is enjoyable and rewarding to solve problems using software. But it can often be stressful and difficult. That's part of any job though, they can all be stressful and difficult. Going to a different career path will not relieve you from stresses and difficulties, it will only change what they are. So instead, if you enjoy writing software and are good at it, just learn how to overcome these difficulties and stresses in a good and healthy way, and keep remembering that at the end of the day, you're probably doing it for a higher goal.
mgolawala 8y ago
That line of thinking can also be quite demotivating. For instance, it could also be used to argue that since none of what I do matters anyway, I might as well spend it doing something else such as watching TV, playing video games, hiking in the forests, reading a good book, etc.
- iwantedjusttom 8y ago
  True, however, though you never know how what you do - no matter how small - will motivate others to something even greater in their lives. As pointless as it may seem - having the drive to progress helps others take on that mentality and move toward something greater as well!
- layer8 8y ago
  The main thing to consider is which way of spending one's time will be more fulfilling in the long run.
- runeks 8y ago
  > [...] since none of what I do matters anyway [...] What makes you say that? Is what you’re doing now worth doing only if people remember it after you die?
- groby_b 8y ago
  Sure. If that makes you happier, there's nothing wrong with that.
- kennxfl 8y ago
  Not in this case. It directly relates to launching side projects without consideration for perfection which provides quick feedback.
- MarsAscendant 8y ago
  I've been thinking about that lately. A couple of months back, I went through an existential crisis. I couldn't find a universal, cosmological reason for being, and, therefore, for doing anything productive. I asked myself: to what end is ouputting effort, if none of it will ultimately matter? It took me some time – and a Viktor Frankl quote – to get out of the rut. Yes, my life doesn't matter as far as the Sun is concerned, or the black holes that make up the center of our galaxy, or the dark matter, or the next grain of sand I'll encounter... So what? I enjoy making things. I get a kick out of it. Whenever I'm not facing the dread of failing (an excessively-frightening event that's seriously up to no good), I'm giggly about making effort towards creating something I value. Could be a short story. Could be another element of web design. Could be a philosophical paragraph or two. I enjoy it. At some point during the bleak week, I thought of killing myself. Why bother if none of it matters the least, right? Might as well not experience any of it. And then it clicked: it's the same fear you experience when you face the prospect of asking for something and may be rejected as a result, amplified to encompass my whole existence. It's like asking the boy/girl out, but if I'm rejected, by whole being is at stake. Like I'm going to lose myself if I make the wrong move here. "What the fuck? I'm gonna cancel my being subscription just 'cause I'm afraid to ask the life out? Fuck no!" What I was left with is my passion, and the fear I'm facing. I didn't just not want to die: I wanted to live. I wanted to explore, to create, to love and be loved – all a consequence of the inner passion I was afraid to realize. Why would there be need for a higher reason when, down here, I'm all good for doing something good? Most things you face are deeply circumstantial. Life as we know it is absurd. If you want to live, you might as well live without resorting to fear as your safety net.
forthispurpose 8y ago
Some framed-on-the-wall level of motivation right here
wordpressdev 8y ago
Everyone dies. "you live only as long as the last person who remembers you"
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
kevinyun 8y ago
Not to sound depressing, but as I read this comment's first paragraph, a negative perspective was my initial thought, and not the positive aspect. It's worth noting that a "YOLO" attitude can be used as a double-edged sword for motivation (e.g, "One day I will be dead, so there's no point in vying for success")
- sephoric 8y ago
  I guess that depends on what you mean by success. If nobody ever remembers my successes, if I never make "disrupt" any industry, if I never get to retire, if my works are never immortalized, even if all my software becomes obsolete one day when the SDKs that I'm using no longer exist (which has already happened a few times), as long as I can pay for my family's food by solving problems for other people, I will be satisfied.
jotm 8y ago
Haha, that's the only thing keeping my depressed ass from killing myself. Gonna die anyway, no need to rush it, might as well do something. Not doing much, though.
archevel 8y ago
I like to sum this sentiment up as: "One day even Socrates will be forgotten."
nuc 8y ago
I thought you were going to say: “Who cares if you build this project or not. Go out and enjoy life, as long as you can.” :P
projectfunded 8y ago
I use modanifil. Understand sometimes motivation is lost due to low level of dopamine feedback loop. I tried to motivate myself by thinking about negative scenarios like loss of job due to low performance etc...but it made motivation worse. You can take DRIs like Modanifil or Armodanifil to setup a stronger Dopamine feedback loop. Some people have this naturally so they are lot more driven, focused and motivation.. Some people suffer from low level of these due to lifestyle, diet or genetic reasons. So far it has helped me, some day I work 20hours+ and don't feel drag.
avierax 8y ago
I found this idea very motivating indeed. It reminds me not to take myself very serious and just start doing things. In fact thanks to your comments I started a new daring project today that is really challenging. Who cares if I fail... Nothing will be remembered if I fail, and there's always a chance to succeed.

riebschlager 8y ago

I usually like to save my existential crises for later in the week, but thanks for helping me dive right into it on a Monday morning.

mitchty 8y ago
Its really not anything more than that silly yoda quote "do or do not there is no try". Motivation/willpower is a very weak way to get things done, approach it instead with "I'll just write one line of code today/work on it for 15 minutes straight/document one thing/design one function". You'll likely find that once you start, you'll do more than you planned, the crux is almost always the start. You look at the entire body of work and think "its too much to do in one sitting", but ultimately thats your reptile brain talking you out of expending energy needlessly. So just use that little mind hack to get you out of your cognitive dissonance and started. And if the prior posters statement gets you into an existential crisis, I'd start reading up on the stoics, buddhists, etc... Yes even if you're an atheist/whatever, accepting ones fate in the universe has no meaning is ultimately relieving. Or as a Shinto priest once told me: Life is a dance, dance to the music while it plays, you may not get another chance to dance!
- MarsAscendant 8y ago
  > And if the prior posters statement gets you into an existential crisis, I'd start reading up on the stoics, buddhists, etc... Not that it's not a good advice (I'm quite enjoying Meditations by Marcus Aurelius), but I'm fairly certain the above-poster said so in jest.
thomk 8y ago
This comment made me burst out laughing. Well done sir.
aecorredor 8y ago
HAHAHA
iliomad 8y ago
Also laughed out loud at this. Thanks :) It's also quite a freeing way of approaching a project - as long as I don't go to the extreme of not caring at all! Reminds me of the "pale blue dot" perspective - when stressed visualise planet earth from further and further away.....

louismerlin 8y ago

Very stoic of you. I like it !

sephoric 8y ago

Along these lines, I always try to be purpose driven: I make software because I'm good at it and because it makes me money. I need that money to buy food and clothing for me and my wife and our kids and to pay for having a roof over our heads. If I were better at something else, or not good enough at software, I would use that skill to accomplish the same task for the same reason. Usually it is enjoyable and rewarding to solve problems using software. But it can often be stressful and difficult. That's part of any job though, they can all be stressful and difficult. Going to a different career path will not relieve you from stresses and difficulties, it will only change what they are. So instead, if you enjoy writing software and are good at it, just learn how to overcome these difficulties and stresses in a good and healthy way, and keep remembering that at the end of the day, you're probably doing it for a higher goal.

mgolawala 8y ago

That line of thinking can also be quite demotivating. For instance, it could also be used to argue that since none of what I do matters anyway, I might as well spend it doing something else such as watching TV, playing video games, hiking in the forests, reading a good book, etc.

iwantedjusttom 8y ago
True, however, though you never know how what you do - no matter how small - will motivate others to something even greater in their lives. As pointless as it may seem - having the drive to progress helps others take on that mentality and move toward something greater as well!
layer8 8y ago
The main thing to consider is which way of spending one's time will be more fulfilling in the long run.
runeks 8y ago
> [...] since none of what I do matters anyway [...] What makes you say that? Is what you’re doing now worth doing only if people remember it after you die?
groby_b 8y ago
Sure. If that makes you happier, there's nothing wrong with that.
kennxfl 8y ago
Not in this case. It directly relates to launching side projects without consideration for perfection which provides quick feedback.
MarsAscendant 8y ago
I've been thinking about that lately. A couple of months back, I went through an existential crisis. I couldn't find a universal, cosmological reason for being, and, therefore, for doing anything productive. I asked myself: to what end is ouputting effort, if none of it will ultimately matter? It took me some time – and a Viktor Frankl quote – to get out of the rut. Yes, my life doesn't matter as far as the Sun is concerned, or the black holes that make up the center of our galaxy, or the dark matter, or the next grain of sand I'll encounter... So what? I enjoy making things. I get a kick out of it. Whenever I'm not facing the dread of failing (an excessively-frightening event that's seriously up to no good), I'm giggly about making effort towards creating something I value. Could be a short story. Could be another element of web design. Could be a philosophical paragraph or two. I enjoy it. At some point during the bleak week, I thought of killing myself. Why bother if none of it matters the least, right? Might as well not experience any of it. And then it clicked: it's the same fear you experience when you face the prospect of asking for something and may be rejected as a result, amplified to encompass my whole existence. It's like asking the boy/girl out, but if I'm rejected, by whole being is at stake. Like I'm going to lose myself if I make the wrong move here. "What the fuck? I'm gonna cancel my being subscription just 'cause I'm afraid to ask the life out? Fuck no!" What I was left with is my passion, and the fear I'm facing. I didn't just not want to die: I wanted to live. I wanted to explore, to create, to love and be loved – all a consequence of the inner passion I was afraid to realize. Why would there be need for a higher reason when, down here, I'm all good for doing something good? Most things you face are deeply circumstantial. Life as we know it is absurd. If you want to live, you might as well live without resorting to fear as your safety net.

forthispurpose 8y ago

Some framed-on-the-wall level of motivation right here

wordpressdev 8y ago

Everyone dies. "you live only as long as the last person who remembers you"

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

kevinyun 8y ago

Not to sound depressing, but as I read this comment's first paragraph, a negative perspective was my initial thought, and not the positive aspect. It's worth noting that a "YOLO" attitude can be used as a double-edged sword for motivation (e.g, "One day I will be dead, so there's no point in vying for success")

sephoric 8y ago
I guess that depends on what you mean by success. If nobody ever remembers my successes, if I never make "disrupt" any industry, if I never get to retire, if my works are never immortalized, even if all my software becomes obsolete one day when the SDKs that I'm using no longer exist (which has already happened a few times), as long as I can pay for my family's food by solving problems for other people, I will be satisfied.

jotm 8y ago

Haha, that's the only thing keeping my depressed ass from killing myself. Gonna die anyway, no need to rush it, might as well do something. Not doing much, though.

archevel 8y ago

I like to sum this sentiment up as: "One day even Socrates will be forgotten."

nuc 8y ago

I thought you were going to say: “Who cares if you build this project or not. Go out and enjoy life, as long as you can.” :P

projectfunded 8y ago

I use modanifil. Understand sometimes motivation is lost due to low level of dopamine feedback loop. I tried to motivate myself by thinking about negative scenarios like loss of job due to low performance etc...but it made motivation worse. You can take DRIs like Modanifil or Armodanifil to setup a stronger Dopamine feedback loop. Some people have this naturally so they are lot more driven, focused and motivation.. Some people suffer from low level of these due to lifestyle, diet or genetic reasons. So far it has helped me, some day I work 20hours+ and don't feel drag.

avierax 8y ago

I found this idea very motivating indeed. It reminds me not to take myself very serious and just start doing things. In fact thanks to your comments I started a new daring project today that is really challenging. Who cares if I fail... Nothing will be remembered if I fail, and there's always a chance to succeed.