Hacker News Reader

Comment by onmydesk | Hacker News Reader

As someone in my late 30s I think the main reason is this- Its time then to stop fking around and just get it done. It dawns on you at this age where you are in your life, how far you've got to go and it annoys you that thus far you didn't get 'it' done yet.

You're not staring death in the face but you're close enough to feel its influence. If not now when? That spurs you on, beyond any motivation you ever had at any age before. The experience helps, the realisation that those before you weren't any more special than you helps, but the ticking clock motivates like nothing else.

Here's my own personal motivator that has meant the most at this age.. — 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.' - Henry David Thoreau. That should scare the hell out of you, unless you're not old enough yet.

View on HN

There is always a back-up plan of having kids, focusing on raising them well and hoping that maybe they will come up with something cool.

That's a really heavy load to put on your kids. They should be free to live their lives as they want to live them and not shoulder the weight of mommy & daddy's unfulfilled dreams.

Eh, that partly depends on how narrowly you define "something cool".

I know what you mean, but kids normally shoulder a huge wad of parental expectations - its called culture and we couldn't live without it. Rename 'unfulfilled dreams' as 'values' and now it can be a good thing.

I find this attitude really obnoxious. "Oh my little darling might be the next great _______!"

Why don't you go do that? Having kids is a just a way of kicking the can down the road.

Unlike the other respondants, I am going to be supportive but still a bit critical. They do have a point that when "cool" is too narrowly defined, everyone misses out.

But that being said, what is missing in our society right now is a more reasonable form of this, which says "invest in your children's businesses, help them achieve success, and see your children's economic life as your retirement plan." Your kids may have their own lives, and very often they are going to get to define what 'cool' means. But if there is mutual support there, they are far more likely to succeed.

When talking about people who have their breaks in later 30's etc., chances are high they've had kids already.

Yeah, a lot of motivation comes from recognizing that you've got a finite amount of time left to work with. Plus I think when you're older you may better understand the need for patience and for strategy (and have the experience needed to effectively strategize).

But Thoreau also wrote of the value of living in the moment. So don't get too worked up about the destination.

That's not contradictory to what the quote says. In fact, "do it now" is pretty much exactly what he's saying when he says most men die with the song still in their heart.

Moot point however, the quote is a missed one. He never said this.

Ok, paraphrased : "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation" - Walden

Not so very much different.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com