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Ask HN: What talent do you wish you had?

7 points by ushakov 5y ago

i wish i could draw

manuelabeledo 5y ago
Sounds like you wanted to log on Reddit.
- ushakov 5y ago
  on Reddit everybody can do everything, here people mostly can do one thing: code so i was wondering what people of HN want to know how to do besides coding
  - PaulHoule 5y ago
    On Reddit the only thing they can do is meme or be crazy exhibitionists in domains where real people are usually boring.
themodelplumber 5y ago
Sleeping while annoying or stimulating things are happening. Like sleeping on a windy beach or sleeping through an interesting movie. I have friends who can do that, and it seems like they're always ready for the next adventure. It get the feeling this is related to the fact that they slept through the most recent thing we did that wasn't as adventure-ish. I hope it's a talent or at least something that can be developed because I want to be able to do that someday...
- toast0 5y ago
  Just like Bruce Banner said in one of the movies that he's always angry, the secret to this one is to be always tired. If you aren't naturally tired all the time, it helps to have a newborn and participate in night feedings[1] while also having plenty to do during the day (perhaps caring for the child or other children during the day or just a job out of the home). [1] I hear these can be easyish if things work out, but if not, there's a lot of steps and you have to be awake enough to do them and you may need both parents involved. As the child develops, the intervals between night feedings tend to increase, it got nice when there was time for a whole sleep cycle for the adults, but way worse when there was only time for 1.5 cycles so you'd be guaranteed a bad interruption. Once it was 2+ it seemed better, 3rd and more sleep cycles seem more ok to interrupt.
  - themodelplumber 5y ago
    Parent of 3 NICU kids, twins and 2 other near-twins with an infant adoption...5 total...Still I think there are some subjective differences person to person, it's been interesting to observe.
    - toast0 5y ago
      Well, if you can't/couldn't sleep at the drop of a hat with all of the work that must have been, I dunno. :D Maybe you'll pick it up some other way.
billconan 5y ago
play musical instrument
PaulHoule 5y ago
I’ve gotten a huge amount of book knowledge on the psychology, sociology, history, literature of love, relationships, attraction, seduction, etc. I just need to put it into practice.
skydhash 5y ago
Singing. I love music and have a good sense of rhythms, but the tone of my voice is so random, I can't sing for my life - that doesn't stop me, though.
paulcole 5y ago
Nearly all “talents” are just skills and way more learnable than people want to admit. Just think about all the work that you (likely if you’re reading this) put into learning to code and use a computer. It’s not a talent you were born with. Whether it felt like work or not is another matter. Singing, drawing, shooting a basketball, whatever, are things that can be learned. No, you’re not going to be Fred Astaire, Da Vinci, or Steph Curry. But your skill can be developed far beyond what feels possible today if you’re willing to put the work in. Most people just aren’t willing to put the work in, so it’s easier to wish for a “talent.”
- burntoutfire 5y ago
  You can probably learn to draw like Da Vinci. You can't ever learn to sing like say Thom Yorke (from Radiohead) though - each person has its own unique timbre of voice, and you can't just sound like someone else. Similarly to how you can't just make yourself handsome through "working on it".
  - paulcole 5y ago
    > Similarly to how you can't just make yourself handsome through "working on it". You may not look like Brad Pitt, but a person can improve their appearance by “working on it.” Grooming, dress, etc.
spectrum1234 5y ago
Being good at golf.

7 points by ushakov 5y ago

i wish i could draw

manuelabeledo 5y ago

Sounds like you wanted to log on Reddit.

ushakov 5y ago
on Reddit everybody can do everything, here people mostly can do one thing: code so i was wondering what people of HN want to know how to do besides coding
- PaulHoule 5y ago
  On Reddit the only thing they can do is meme or be crazy exhibitionists in domains where real people are usually boring.

themodelplumber 5y ago

Sleeping while annoying or stimulating things are happening. Like sleeping on a windy beach or sleeping through an interesting movie. I have friends who can do that, and it seems like they're always ready for the next adventure. It get the feeling this is related to the fact that they slept through the most recent thing we did that wasn't as adventure-ish. I hope it's a talent or at least something that can be developed because I want to be able to do that someday...

toast0 5y ago
Just like Bruce Banner said in one of the movies that he's always angry, the secret to this one is to be always tired. If you aren't naturally tired all the time, it helps to have a newborn and participate in night feedings[1] while also having plenty to do during the day (perhaps caring for the child or other children during the day or just a job out of the home). [1] I hear these can be easyish if things work out, but if not, there's a lot of steps and you have to be awake enough to do them and you may need both parents involved. As the child develops, the intervals between night feedings tend to increase, it got nice when there was time for a whole sleep cycle for the adults, but way worse when there was only time for 1.5 cycles so you'd be guaranteed a bad interruption. Once it was 2+ it seemed better, 3rd and more sleep cycles seem more ok to interrupt.
- themodelplumber 5y ago
  Parent of 3 NICU kids, twins and 2 other near-twins with an infant adoption...5 total...Still I think there are some subjective differences person to person, it's been interesting to observe.
  - toast0 5y ago
    Well, if you can't/couldn't sleep at the drop of a hat with all of the work that must have been, I dunno. :D Maybe you'll pick it up some other way.

billconan 5y ago

play musical instrument

PaulHoule 5y ago

I’ve gotten a huge amount of book knowledge on the psychology, sociology, history, literature of love, relationships, attraction, seduction, etc. I just need to put it into practice.

skydhash 5y ago

Singing. I love music and have a good sense of rhythms, but the tone of my voice is so random, I can't sing for my life - that doesn't stop me, though.

paulcole 5y ago

Nearly all “talents” are just skills and way more learnable than people want to admit. Just think about all the work that you (likely if you’re reading this) put into learning to code and use a computer. It’s not a talent you were born with. Whether it felt like work or not is another matter. Singing, drawing, shooting a basketball, whatever, are things that can be learned. No, you’re not going to be Fred Astaire, Da Vinci, or Steph Curry. But your skill can be developed far beyond what feels possible today if you’re willing to put the work in. Most people just aren’t willing to put the work in, so it’s easier to wish for a “talent.”

burntoutfire 5y ago
You can probably learn to draw like Da Vinci. You can't ever learn to sing like say Thom Yorke (from Radiohead) though - each person has its own unique timbre of voice, and you can't just sound like someone else. Similarly to how you can't just make yourself handsome through "working on it".
- paulcole 5y ago
  > Similarly to how you can't just make yourself handsome through "working on it". You may not look like Brad Pitt, but a person can improve their appearance by “working on it.” Grooming, dress, etc.

spectrum1234 5y ago

Being good at golf.