Ask HN: Why do Silicon Valley documentaries get me stirred up? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why do Silicon Valley documentaries get me stirred up?

8 pointsp0d6 comments

Why I am here and what I do with my life are really important questions for me. Having given the matter much thought I have concluded that pursuing wealth is not my end goal. My problem is that when I watch Silicon Valley type documentaries I get stirred up and feel like I want to make a difference in the world. I don't think I can articulate why I feel this way? The message of these documentaries always seems to be about wealth which flies in the face of what I said earlier. Has anyone else had the same inner conflict?

Just to give some context I am well paid sysadmin, have a part time business / saas product and the most wonderful family. I am not trying to square my disappointment with life. I am just unsure if I should kick these feelings into touch or pursue them.

That's the most fundamental question: why life matters, and how do you use the infinitesimal small amount of time you have in this universe.

Of course only you can answer the question, but something that helped me in my own introspection was Clayton Christensen's book "How to measure your life" [1].

Also, for those in the mid-twenties and unsure about career, family, relationships and body/mind, I highly recommend "The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter" [2]. It may not be relevant for you anymore (I read in my almost forties), but I wish I had read two decades earlier. Here's a short summary I wrote on Quora [3].

Good luck on your journey!

[1] https://www.amazon.com/How-Will-Measure-Your-Life/dp/0062102...

[2] https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Decade-Your-Twenties-Matter/...

[3] https://qr.ae/TWrUXi

Thanks for your answer and recommendations, looking into them now.

Can you tell what documentaries you have watched? I would like to see if I have the same kind of reactions to them as I'm also pondering why I'm here and what to do with my life.

> I am just unsure if I should kick these feelings into touch or pursue them.

Know Thyself > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself

Not sure what to do with that but thanks for responding?

OK - Consider in the absence of clarity, take action.

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