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My grandfather retired at 50 because he refused to us a PC when it became required (~1985 or so). He was lucky that he worked for a company that had pensions an

My grandfather retired at 50 because he refused to us a PC when it became required (~1985 or so). He was lucky that he worked for a company that had pensions and bought people out into early retirement often so he had that option. If the adoption of VR is anything like that, I'll be looking for my out too.

moolcool 4y ago
Why is it that all news, including tech news, just fills me with endless dread nowadays? I surely can't be the only one who feels like this. Like what do we have to look forward to in the event that we don't have to face a depression, get drafted, see another pandemic, realize more of the effects of climate change, or get nuked? Wearing stupid goggles for 8 hours a day and paying Zuckerberg $50 for a virtual "I Hate Mondays" t-shirt? Oof.
- smoldesu 4y ago
  Commodifying software was a mistake that resulted in all sorts of perverse incentives. We first saw Microsoft succumb to it, then Amazon, and are now watching Facebook, Apple and Google all create a mustard-gas-miasma of dark patterns and rent-collection. Really, it's our fault for not recognizing these threats during the dotcom boom.
- conductr 4y ago
  As I like to say, "software eating the world" is just the first step of digestion
- rngname22 4y ago
  You're typing this on a piece of technology that presumably you appreciate having access to, have you considered that there were likely many people in the generation before you who assumed something like HN was impossible and that all web tech or personal computing would be purely negative / dystopian? Turns out it's a mixed bag of good and bad. As is the world. There are beautiful things happening right now all over the world and there are horrible things. The happiest people seem to be either really excellent at accepting the horrible things or looking the other way, but in both cases they make sure their eyes are focused on the good as well and not just the bad.
- ChildOfChaos 4y ago
  Then remove yourself from that live and start reconnecting to higher values. Seems like you are stuck in the consumerism / professional world. Reconnect to the people around you, nature, the things you love etc and just start to dial down those things that are filling you with dread. It's not going to get any better, but the things that matter are still there underneath all that nonsense that you are being sold.
- nemo44x 4y ago
  > Why is it that all news, including tech news, just fills me with endless dread nowadays? Because you have a lot of knowledge about world events but you don't have very much wisdom about them.
- bckr 4y ago
  You would probably enjoy listening to Hal Sparks on Twitch or YouTube. He's a comedian-cum-political commentator who is extremely well read and has made it his job to explain why the world ain't ending. He's in a beef with The Young Turks whose business plan is the exact opposite, even though they're supposedly on the same side politically. He faces the worst of what's going on, watches some of the most toxic... er, "media clips", and tells you why they're wrong and dumb and why you should actually be optimistic, based on confirmable facts and, as another comment mentioned, wisdom.
- dQw4w9WgXcQ 4y ago
  > just fills me with endless dread nowadays News inherently captures attention through fear. "Everything is fine today" doesn't sell papers. But if that's the story you're choosing to tell yourself I would dread that future too.
bitL 4y ago
Early retirement won't be an option for anyone under 40 and retirement for anyone under 30 with the way things are going.
- conductr 4y ago
  Agree. If USA was a stock ticker, he timed it perfectly
- cercatrova 4y ago
  Speak for yourself, plenty of people have retired early already before 40. See /r/financialindependence if you want.
- rcarr 4y ago
  Depends on what your circumstances are and how little you’re willing to live with. If you’ve got very few desires then you don’t need much. If I don’t end up married with kids I think I may just buy a good motorbike, a good tent and a good stove and travel indefinitely.

moolcool 4y ago

Why is it that all news, including tech news, just fills me with endless dread nowadays? I surely can't be the only one who feels like this. Like what do we have to look forward to in the event that we don't have to face a depression, get drafted, see another pandemic, realize more of the effects of climate change, or get nuked? Wearing stupid goggles for 8 hours a day and paying Zuckerberg $50 for a virtual "I Hate Mondays" t-shirt? Oof.

smoldesu 4y ago
Commodifying software was a mistake that resulted in all sorts of perverse incentives. We first saw Microsoft succumb to it, then Amazon, and are now watching Facebook, Apple and Google all create a mustard-gas-miasma of dark patterns and rent-collection. Really, it's our fault for not recognizing these threats during the dotcom boom.
conductr 4y ago
As I like to say, "software eating the world" is just the first step of digestion
rngname22 4y ago
You're typing this on a piece of technology that presumably you appreciate having access to, have you considered that there were likely many people in the generation before you who assumed something like HN was impossible and that all web tech or personal computing would be purely negative / dystopian? Turns out it's a mixed bag of good and bad. As is the world. There are beautiful things happening right now all over the world and there are horrible things. The happiest people seem to be either really excellent at accepting the horrible things or looking the other way, but in both cases they make sure their eyes are focused on the good as well and not just the bad.
ChildOfChaos 4y ago
Then remove yourself from that live and start reconnecting to higher values. Seems like you are stuck in the consumerism / professional world. Reconnect to the people around you, nature, the things you love etc and just start to dial down those things that are filling you with dread. It's not going to get any better, but the things that matter are still there underneath all that nonsense that you are being sold.
nemo44x 4y ago
> Why is it that all news, including tech news, just fills me with endless dread nowadays? Because you have a lot of knowledge about world events but you don't have very much wisdom about them.
bckr 4y ago
You would probably enjoy listening to Hal Sparks on Twitch or YouTube. He's a comedian-cum-political commentator who is extremely well read and has made it his job to explain why the world ain't ending. He's in a beef with The Young Turks whose business plan is the exact opposite, even though they're supposedly on the same side politically. He faces the worst of what's going on, watches some of the most toxic... er, "media clips", and tells you why they're wrong and dumb and why you should actually be optimistic, based on confirmable facts and, as another comment mentioned, wisdom.
dQw4w9WgXcQ 4y ago
> just fills me with endless dread nowadays News inherently captures attention through fear. "Everything is fine today" doesn't sell papers. But if that's the story you're choosing to tell yourself I would dread that future too.

bitL 4y ago

Early retirement won't be an option for anyone under 40 and retirement for anyone under 30 with the way things are going.

conductr 4y ago
Agree. If USA was a stock ticker, he timed it perfectly
cercatrova 4y ago
Speak for yourself, plenty of people have retired early already before 40. See /r/financialindependence if you want.
rcarr 4y ago
Depends on what your circumstances are and how little you’re willing to live with. If you’ve got very few desires then you don’t need much. If I don’t end up married with kids I think I may just buy a good motorbike, a good tent and a good stove and travel indefinitely.