Hacker News Reader

Comment by lokimedes | Hacker News Reader

That is the saddest self-realization post I have ever read. Boils down to accepting being a tool and proceeds with optimizing ROI on said tool.

View on HN

you are a tool. that's the reality.

we all like to believe that we are somehow better than this and that there is meaning in the work we do, but at the end of the day if you were to disappear tomorrow things will go on without you. you might as well optimize for personal gain from being a tool

You can also optimize for self care

i mean yes. but you can also optimize for money AND self care. it can be a multivariable optimization problem.

A very well-paid tool that can probably retire in a few years and never have to work again.

"We're all puppets, lokimedes. I'm just a puppet who can see the strings."

I feel like I'm the only person left who actually likes working and being productive with other people. I actually like programming and solving problems with other people.

There's been a huge shift since COVID to embrace not working hard, but to me life isn't as interesting when you're spending 40 hours a week just kinda wasting your time, trying to get away with putting in the least amount of effort possible. Having a little pride in your work can be very healthy.

Working with people who care about their craft is definitely much more enjoyable.

"What should we work for?

Only this: proper understanding; unselfish action; truthful speech. A resolve to accept whatever happens as necessary." — Marcus Aurelius

what about working hard and also making lots of mon-e

"Retire" doesn't need to mean "sit on your ass all day"; it can also mean "freedom to do whatever work I want, no matter the pay", "start my own business", "take a year off to be a stay-at-home parent", and things like that.

Yes, you like it when you are lucky to end up with people you work well with, but it only lasts until that one guy leaves and that other guy starts. Now you don't like it anymore. Wouldn't it be kind of the same thing but just more flexible, if you could do the same group work programming for open source for example? It would be very similar work but now on your own terms.

Work and job are not the same thing.

Reminds me about the Gervais model.

Reading that series of posts has literally made me more than a $100k. I should probably buy Venkatesh a coffee or something.

What posts?

Are these them?

https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...

That's them! Specifically part I (the three layers of hierarchy) and part V (how the top layer manipulates the middle layer, leaving them with all the blame and none of the credit).

$100K by being a more savvy operator within office politics?

Low estimate over long enough timeline.

Oh I definitely believe you -- just confirming my read of your statement was correct.

Yes. Specifically, by understanding that the ladder is a trap and looking for the backdoor.

What was the backdoor?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com