3 ms·

How are you doing that?

jacquesm 4y ago
Doing what? Looking forward and not backward? Trying to improve the lives for those around me, making things that are useful to people with as little abuse potential as possible, developing my skills in whatever domain that interests me at the moment (right now: piano, music in general) not fret about past decisions (not much you can do about them anyway), thinking about what I'll do today and tomorrow and then doing that rather than thinking about what I did yesterday and the week before (or even longer ago). I'm happy I'm not a child born into the world today because the amount of distraction is off the scale, making it far harder to do something useful until you realize that you are being manipulated into changing bits on a server somewhere. (Yes, the irony of posting that here does not escape me.) And John Carmack may be a role model of productivity but it doesn't say anything about how he is as a person.
- nonrandomstring 4y ago
  > Trying to improve the lives for those around me Time very well spent. A certain component of wisdom is the mix of pride and regret that gives you carefully considered perspectives to pass on. It's not fashionable to "respect your elders" for what they may know. And of course what works for one may not work for others. But speaking to the OP, generally it pays to listen to wiser people who are generous with their sincere advice of the "Sunscreen" kind, by Mary Schmich, and you don;t have to be old to pass on that advice. Looking back I really value those people who had the courage to put me straight about my behaviour when I was a kid. They saved me from wasting some life and opportunities, or taking bad roads. One good reason to heed it is that it cost those people to learn it. What you see as "wasted" time might better be called "accumulated wisdom". Remember it may be that the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others :) Do you genuinely regret the time you wasted on social media? Then for a start, well done for saying it. Even at the age of 23 it really doesn't make you a bad person, or "judgemental", or some kind of throwback who "shouts at clouds" to actively say to younger people and to your peers - "FFS get off social media". You never know who is the person who listens to you, whose life you can help. I often say to young people, you should get rid of your smartphone while you still can. Most give me the roll-eyes shrug. But maybe one in twenty look me back in the eye, and I can see the cogs turning and know I just shifted the needle imperceptibly.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    > Remember it may be that the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others That's my dad.

Doing what? Looking forward and not backward? Trying to improve the lives for those around me, making things that are useful to people with as little abuse potential as possible, developing my skills in whatever domain that interests me at the moment (right now: piano, music in general) not fret about past decisions (not much you can do about them anyway), thinking about what I'll do today and tomorrow and then doing that rather than thinking about what I did yesterday and the week before (or even longer ago). I'm happy I'm not a child born into the world today because the amount of distraction is off the scale, making it far harder to do something useful until you realize that you are being manipulated into changing bits on a server somewhere. (Yes, the irony of posting that here does not escape me.) And John Carmack may be a role model of productivity but it doesn't say anything about how he is as a person.

nonrandomstring 4y ago
> Trying to improve the lives for those around me Time very well spent. A certain component of wisdom is the mix of pride and regret that gives you carefully considered perspectives to pass on. It's not fashionable to "respect your elders" for what they may know. And of course what works for one may not work for others. But speaking to the OP, generally it pays to listen to wiser people who are generous with their sincere advice of the "Sunscreen" kind, by Mary Schmich, and you don;t have to be old to pass on that advice. Looking back I really value those people who had the courage to put me straight about my behaviour when I was a kid. They saved me from wasting some life and opportunities, or taking bad roads. One good reason to heed it is that it cost those people to learn it. What you see as "wasted" time might better be called "accumulated wisdom". Remember it may be that the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others :) Do you genuinely regret the time you wasted on social media? Then for a start, well done for saying it. Even at the age of 23 it really doesn't make you a bad person, or "judgemental", or some kind of throwback who "shouts at clouds" to actively say to younger people and to your peers - "FFS get off social media". You never know who is the person who listens to you, whose life you can help. I often say to young people, you should get rid of your smartphone while you still can. Most give me the roll-eyes shrug. But maybe one in twenty look me back in the eye, and I can see the cogs turning and know I just shifted the needle imperceptibly.
- jacquesm 4y ago
  > Remember it may be that the purpose of your life is to serve as a warning to others That's my dad.