There is no need to direct negativity toward others for making time to learn. Carmack is in this position today because of such work ethic, not in spite of it.
Work isn’t the only responsibility.
What is the correlation between taking a week away from responsibilities - work, family, etc. - and job satisfaction?
I do not mean telling family that I am disappearing for a week starting tomorrow, but that I want to disappear for a week in a couple of months and the family would cover responsibilities for me (I should be willing to reciprocate).
Many people have a lot more flexibility than they let on. They just make excuses instead of acknowledging their own priorities and commitments or lack of actual interest in change and work.
Of course work isn't the only responsibility.
Of course some people have kids, pets, parents, medical conditions, etc.
It's one week away from work. It can still be done. You weren't going to be taking care of any other responsibilities during your normal 9-5 hours, so that should have no bearing on the week you take off; treat it as any other work week, except you're working for yourself.
Have you ever been married, had kids, etc? Pretty much any time I take off of work, it involves catching up on projects, chores, or parental responsibilities during the day. It seems the vast majority of people I've spoken to tell of similar situations.
I was homeless from 16 to my early 20s. I suffer from multiple traumas, both physical and mental. I have ADHD and bipolar disorder. I've had sciatica, degenerative disc disease, gout and other issues since my teens. Most days I can barely walk. When I do have kids, I'm not going to get to be the dad I want to be, running around and playing with them. My parents are abusive drug addicts who were not present in my life, so I was raised by other extremely abusive people instead, who kicked me out into the streets for being atheist. So malnourished as a child that my friends would make fun of being able to see the bones in my face and body. I spent years living homeless on scraps of food.
I have to advance my career. Every single thing is stacked against me, trying to make me fail. I don't get the luxury of deciding if I want to take a week off to do so. It's a matter of survival, and I have very purposefully structured my life in such a way that I have a shot in hell at one day raising a child above the poverty line.
Believe me, this is not a matter of me not empathizing with others or understanding the complexities of life. It's a matter of prioritization and commitment. If I can make time to learn, anyone can.
And on top of all of that, I do in fact have to provide for my sister and her four young, expensive children, because she doesn't have anyone either. I don't get much free time, man.
I'm still learning where I should set boundaries on both sides of the field, and this will probably be something I continue to struggle with for some time.
I think you didn't read the parents carefully. The comment being replied to is not about 9-5 hours, it's about "locking yourself into a hotel for week", and if you have kids, this is not exactly a healthy thing to do in the face of other responsibilities. That's the point being made here, and you are changing the goal posts.
The negative sentiment itself is what I addressed. Everyone fortunate enough to have internet access, a computer and a functional brain/body can make time, if they really want to, to learn new things that benefit their long term goals.
That's what I mean -- you didn't read the parents carefully. The commenter (me) made that reply to this:
> Carmack did it an a week by locking himself in an hotel room
Everyone can and should spend time learning, but the little point being made was that locking yourself in a hotel room is not something most people can do due to responsibilities. Somehow you changed this into your more general statement "spending a week learning something."
It's downright silly to claim that I have no life responsibilities because I prioritize setting aside time for self-growth and encourage others to do the same.
Open your mind a little bit and ponder why you feel compelled to have such a negative and dismissive attitude about this.
> If you can't take a single week off of work during an entire year in order to advance your career, then you're satisfied with your current one.
It’s a pretentious remark, saturated in lofty assumptions about people, and you could learn from these reactions.
Edit: I just noticed your username, “soul of mischief“, and now it makes sense to me. Are you trolling?
> I just noticed your username, “soul of mischief“, and now it makes sense to me. Are you trolling?
It's against the rules of Hacker News to assume bad faith. I certainly am not arguing in bad faith, nor do I intend to make anyone feel bad for the sake of it.
I purposefully wrote an abrasive comment in order to stoke the minds of others and make them think inwardly. There was one time in my life where I also needed to hear those exact words. That no matter what adversity I face, I must make times for the things I really care about.
I must constantly re-evaluate what drives me and check to make sure I'm not letting life pass by without achieving at least some of my goals. I must not make excuses, and I must not make excuses for others. I must not be negative toward those who are in a better station of life.
As for my username, it is derived from a popular hip hop group, Souls of Mischief, who are part of the larger Oakland set, Hieroglyphics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXJc2NYwHjw
But in general I can do what I want. This month, it's been relearning awk to do financial data analysis and reading the books of a British author, Diana Athill.
I'll say that my personal project satisfaction level is medium. Life satisfication has a major social component that provides meaning, though. Optimizing for both isn't necessarily easy even in retirement.
I'm going to guess you don't have kids.