Ask HN: What advice do you have for confused young people? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What advice do you have for confused young people?

10 pointsthetbw11 comments

  - Simplify your life
  - Get away from noisy situations and circumstances
  - Do what you like and not what the society or market tells you
  - Enjoy what you do and don't force yourself in environments that cause you pain and are toxic for your mental state
  - Keep around only a couple of genuine friends and the rest keep them as your acquaintances
  - Always think where you were a couple of years ago and where you currently are; it helps you appreciate yourself even more
  - Do not hesitate to ask for help; you never know from where it might come (trust me on that part...)

Learn from the Stoics ----- https://dailystoic.com, https://virtualmmx.ddns.net/gbooks/AGuidetotheGoodLifeTheAnc... in a nutshell, the philosophy is, the purpose of life is to be happy, you attain that by having purpose in your life, so that in the end, you have no regrets, to savor every moment because one day you won't be here to, to always be kind, and to always remember that fame and fortune are not what make you happy.I myself, have found that having good friendships and something meaningful to do as a job are most important, and work involving helping people and/or volunteering is very satisfying. I also find this website about choosing careers intriguing: https://80000hours.org

Neuroplasticity decreases with age. This generally means two things: One, embrace your confusion and explore different life paths while you still can, before your brain hardens and your attitudes stagnate. Two, don't bother trying to convince old people of anything, and take their advice with a grain of salt. Their thought patterns are in a different phase by that point.

- It's really hard to give good business or career advice. It's like telling someone how to dance with just words. Keep an eye out for good advice, but don't expect a silver bullet.

- Some things just become clearer with time and practice. Be patient while learning soft skills in particular.

- Keep your list of obligations small. Give yourself a wide margin for play, experimentation and spontaneity. Good things happen when you can afford to follow your gut.

- Savings let you weather bad times and multiply the impact of your actions. They greatly reduce the cost of your decisions.

- You probably have a myopic view of the professional world, so don't make any rash decisions about your career. Take the time to try things and explore your options.

don’t take advice from confused old people.

Despite the naysayers, college is still probably the single greatest ROI you can get. Be practical when picking what to study; balance pursuing passions and interests with the need for marketable skills.

Follow your bliss. It may not be immediately apparent what this is, but if you look within your heart, it's a subtle message telling you what you need to work at.

Confusion happens when the compass is pointing in multiple directions. Pick a single heading. And stick to it. Thats the only way the boat travels furthest.

Always lift with your knees.

Fail fast and iterate

Slow is Smooth; Smooth is Fast.

Practice slowly so that the correct motor patterns are ingrained. And perhaps equally importantly, execute "slowly", don't rush.

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