3 ms·

One day you wake up and realize that you spent your life maintaining your system to improve your life instead of actually improving your life.

by ozim 7y ago

keiferski 7y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map–territory_relation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map–territory_relation
- notJim 7y ago
  Indeed. Today abstraction is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror, or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: A hyperreal[1]. The territory no longer precedes the map, nor does it survive it. *It is nevertheless the map that precedes the territory— precession of simulacra—that engenders the territory.* [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality
jl6 7y ago
Arnold Rimmer’s revision timetable.
themodelplumber 7y ago
Starting on a project to improve one's life by engaging latent gifts is one of the smartest things one can do. It is aligned with the best advice psychology can offer. If that means maintaining a measurement system works for you--great. It's not as if we lack data showing that measurement systems are beneficial to human development.
twicetwice 7y ago
Only if you think of "maintaining your system to improve your life" as work. I would think of it more as play. It's not time wasted if you enjoy it. Hm. I actually don't agree with that sentiment as written. It's not time wasted if you enjoy it and have something to show for it? That's not it either. Maybe this. I view the work we're discussing like a programmer's equivalent of woodworking in your garage. Sure, it's not necessary. But it's creative, fulfilling, and enjoyable. There's something immensely satisfying about using something you made with your own two hands, even if it's not perfect. As long as all these things remain true, I wouldn't call it time wasted. To me your critism reads something like, "if you wanted to canoe, why did you spend a year making your own? you could have bought one and spent that year doing what you really wanted to do!" Well, I wanted do that, but I also enjoyed making something to do that too. I feel my life is better for having made it.
- karlicoss 7y ago
  > It's not time wasted if you enjoy it and have something to show for it Yep, agree! I really enjoy it, my only problem is that there are too few hours in day :) I guess it depends on the goals though -- it's perfectly fine to build something just for the sake of it, as long as you have fun. One of my goals through is to stop/pause the active phases of building and spending more time using it. Partly because of the lack of time, partly because it means iterating and reflecting on whatever I've already built. So ultimately I agree that it's important to improve your life instead of building something that may improve it one day. I mean, do I want my time back? Yes, sure, like with any learning in hindsight it always feels that I spent more time than necessary om this. But the thing is, I did improve my life while building this! I've learnt so much: obvious things like building better and more resilient software to my preferences in terms of tools and services. I've started the blog to share this system and the related things, which made me appreciate writing, and I feel like I'm getting better at it. The whole quantified self thing was super useful: it motivated me to think and learn how my body works, to eat healthy, etc. However stupid it is, self-tracking gives me extra motivation for the regular exercise and trying to pish my limits. Every new bit of data I'm adding is easier and smoother, so I can easily imagine myself using this system for years (and fixing minor bits that break once in a while, just like people fix things in their homes). Sharing it also means I can potentially improve others' lives, which makes me regret the time I spent building and researching much less. > "if you wanted to canoe, why did you spend a year making your own" I feel it's more like "you can rent/borrow a canoe, but you only have a spoon instead of a paddle which you can't switch. Oh and it can also collapse anytime. Why would you spend a year making your own?"
GhettoMaestro 7y ago
One day you're a dipshit posting beta-tier comments on Hacker News. For you, that is probably every day.
DelightOne 7y ago
Without understanding the value beforehand it is truly difficult to improve it.

One day you wake up and realize that you spent your life maintaining your system to improve your life instead of actually improving your life.

by ozim 7y ago

One day you wake up and realize that you spent your life maintaining your system to improve your life instead of actually improving your life.

keiferski 7y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map–territory_relation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Map–territory_relation

notJim 7y ago
Indeed. Today abstraction is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror, or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: A hyperreal[1]. The territory no longer precedes the map, nor does it survive it. *It is nevertheless the map that precedes the territory— precession of simulacra—that engenders the territory.* [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality

jl6 7y ago

Arnold Rimmer’s revision timetable.

themodelplumber 7y ago

Starting on a project to improve one's life by engaging latent gifts is one of the smartest things one can do. It is aligned with the best advice psychology can offer. If that means maintaining a measurement system works for you--great. It's not as if we lack data showing that measurement systems are beneficial to human development.

twicetwice 7y ago

Only if you think of "maintaining your system to improve your life" as work. I would think of it more as play. It's not time wasted if you enjoy it. Hm. I actually don't agree with that sentiment as written. It's not time wasted if you enjoy it and have something to show for it? That's not it either. Maybe this. I view the work we're discussing like a programmer's equivalent of woodworking in your garage. Sure, it's not necessary. But it's creative, fulfilling, and enjoyable. There's something immensely satisfying about using something you made with your own two hands, even if it's not perfect. As long as all these things remain true, I wouldn't call it time wasted. To me your critism reads something like, "if you wanted to canoe, why did you spend a year making your own? you could have bought one and spent that year doing what you really wanted to do!" Well, I wanted do that, but I also enjoyed making something to do that too. I feel my life is better for having made it.

karlicoss 7y ago
> It's not time wasted if you enjoy it and have something to show for it Yep, agree! I really enjoy it, my only problem is that there are too few hours in day :) I guess it depends on the goals though -- it's perfectly fine to build something just for the sake of it, as long as you have fun. One of my goals through is to stop/pause the active phases of building and spending more time using it. Partly because of the lack of time, partly because it means iterating and reflecting on whatever I've already built. So ultimately I agree that it's important to improve your life instead of building something that may improve it one day. I mean, do I want my time back? Yes, sure, like with any learning in hindsight it always feels that I spent more time than necessary om this. But the thing is, I did improve my life while building this! I've learnt so much: obvious things like building better and more resilient software to my preferences in terms of tools and services. I've started the blog to share this system and the related things, which made me appreciate writing, and I feel like I'm getting better at it. The whole quantified self thing was super useful: it motivated me to think and learn how my body works, to eat healthy, etc. However stupid it is, self-tracking gives me extra motivation for the regular exercise and trying to pish my limits. Every new bit of data I'm adding is easier and smoother, so I can easily imagine myself using this system for years (and fixing minor bits that break once in a while, just like people fix things in their homes). Sharing it also means I can potentially improve others' lives, which makes me regret the time I spent building and researching much less. > "if you wanted to canoe, why did you spend a year making your own" I feel it's more like "you can rent/borrow a canoe, but you only have a spoon instead of a paddle which you can't switch. Oh and it can also collapse anytime. Why would you spend a year making your own?"

GhettoMaestro 7y ago

One day you're a dipshit posting beta-tier comments on Hacker News. For you, that is probably every day.

DelightOne 7y ago

Without understanding the value beforehand it is truly difficult to improve it.