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I saw this idea some time ago also in HN [0,1], it has also stuck in my brain pretty hard. The way Paul words it is like this: > Having kids showed me how to
by josalhor 4y ago
I saw this idea some time ago also in HN [0,1], it has also stuck in my brain pretty hard.
The way Paul words it is like this:
> Having kids showed me how to convert a continuous quantity, time, into discrete quantities. (...). If Christmas-as-magic lasts from say ages 3 to 10, you only get to watch your child experience it 8 times. And while it's impossible to say what is a lot or a little of a continuous quantity like time, 8 is not a lot of something. (...)
(...)
> When I ask myself what I've found life is too short for, the word that pops into my head is "bullshit." I realize that answer is somewhat tautological. It's almost the definition of bullshit that it's the stuff that life is too short for. And yet bullshit does have a distinctive character. There's something fake about it. It's the junk food of experience.
> If you ask yourself what you spend your time on that's bullshit, you probably already know the answer. Unnecessary meetings, pointless disputes, bureaucracy, posturing, dealing with other people's mistakes, traffic jams, addictive but unrewarding pastimes.
This reflection in general has transformed not only how I look at time, but also how I look at work. I ask myself, is _my work_ bullshit? Is this _task_ bullshit? Is my way of spending _time_ bullshit?
[0]: http://www.paulgraham.com/vb.html http://www.paulgraham.com/vb.html
[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16729555 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16729555
- laurencei 4y agoAnother article along those lines that I think was on HN previous is "Life Is Not Short" I found it quite eye opening: https://dkb.show/post/life-is-not-short https://dkb.show/post/life-is-not-short
- iforgotpassword 4y agohttps://youtu.be/sz4YqwH_6D0 https://youtu.be/sz4YqwH_6D0
- matwood 4y agoThe idea that time is finite and we are all going to die is as old as humanity. In 1-2 generations most of us will be completely forgotten. I glad someone already posted something to Stoicism and Seneca.
- giantg2 4y ago"If you ask yourself what you spend your time on that's bullshit, you probably already know the answer. Unnecessary meetings, pointless disputes, bureaucracy, posturing, dealing with other people's mistakes," So basically any job?
- jstanley 4y agoYes.
- greymalik 4y agoSome people are lucky enough to do work that is meaningful and rewarding to them, that gives them a sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in between all those other things.
- giantg2 4y agoThat sounds pretty rare. Or maybe they are just the people creating the bullshit for others?
- josalhor 4y agoI've seen people work in tech working on more efficient renewable energy, improving crop harvesting, improving safety on the road... All while having a happy team of well-organized people. Not every job is bullshit and not every way of working is bullshit IMO.
- giantg2 4y agoThe job doesn't have to be bullshit. But basically every job has bullshit. If there's a job that's truly bullshit free, sign me up.
- josalhor 4y agoFair enough. But just like every job has bullshit, every part of life has some level of bullshit. I don't think in terms of "eliminating" bullshit, but rather minimizing it.
- mattlondon 4y agoWork is different. Most work stuff can be considered bullshit, but it pays the bills. For those 8 hours - 8 hours I'd spend anyway - I play the game in the way it needs to be played to paid handsomely. Sure I guess I could go and do my own start up and be my own boss, but life is too short for that. Swallow the corporate pill, play the game, and come out at 5pm with loads more money you'd make unless you were one of the 0.0000001% who are unicorn founders and walk away with xx millions.
- Aeolun 4y agoI think the idea is that you can have everything else, and non-bullshit work with a bit of effort.
- ushakov 4y agoyou can start your own startup, be your own boss and earn loads of money but to get there you need much more dedication and smart work than you currently do as employee so, instead of trying that, you choose to lease 8 hours a day to a corporate overlord you will earn money, but no legacy and no respect
- Bakary 4y agoRespect from whom? And what kind of legacy? And why will that legacy matter exactly? These aren't questions to be taken for granted