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Comment by pyrrhotech | Hacker News Reader

"Pleasure cruises, golf and tracing the family tree are not that fulfilling" ok boomer, but what about video games? I've long had a suspicion that the relative popularity of the FIRE movement among Millenials and Zoomers is largely due to the fact that they've found a hobby in interactive digital entertainment that's leaps and bounds more addictive, satisfying and fulfilling (at least in a shallow sense) than the hobbies of their elders.

I enjoy working and don't plan on ever fully retiring, but certainly plan to leave the 9-5 lifestyle and working for others eventually to be a full time entrepreneur / indie hacker at some point. My first project towards that end is Grizzly Bulls (https://grizzlybulls.com/), an algorithmic trading platform which is certainly going well enough to support myself full time, but I really enjoy my current FTE work too much to consider it for now.

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This post has a lot of ageist statements.

I find it hard to believe that video games are a more fulfilling past time than something creative like woodworking or knitting.

I find it hard to believe video games are fulfilling. They're a past time, not an achievement.

Is knitting an achievement?

Yes, it absolutely is.

It's much harder than it looks. Even when you are skilled at it, making a significant knitting project is still a very large time commitment. Because of that, creating a knitting project and giving it to someone you care about can be a very deeply meaningful act for both the knitter and the receiver.

>It's much harder than it looks

So is Super meat boy.

>Even when you are skilled at it, making a significant knitting project is still a very large time commitment.

I don't think I know anyone who plays dota and would consider themselves skilled without having made a very considerable time commitment.

>Because of that, creating a knitting project and giving it to someone you care about can be a very deeply meaningful act for both the knitter and the receiver.

People can find meaning in just about anything.

> People can find meaning in just about anything.

And how marvelous that is.

As ye sew, so shall ye reap.

The draw of games is exploring unique new worlds, and gaining a sense of mastery over them. What's not fulfilling about that?

Some video games (such as CDDA) include elements of woodworking and knitting.

This reminds me to get back on my belt-only Factorio save. Balancers are too much fun to work with. I'm also reminded of that time I tried to figure out a good 2-2 throughput unlimited balancer for a good 30 minutes before I realized I wanted a single splitter with two belts in and two belts out. Humbling and satisfying at the same time.

Every hobby is a pastime, regardless of how outwardly creative it is. You get out what you put in.

As someone who used to knit regularly, I see it the other way around. It was just something to keep my hands busy.

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