What You'll Wish You'd Known This guy has written an excellent piece of advice for living. Originally crafted for high school students, the insights he shares are pertinent for everyone. And, yeah, I wish I had known (or been capable of knowing) all the stuff he describes. But in my case, like so many teens, I'd have written off whatever he said simply because it was advice from an adult. (I still can't put my finger on the point at which I went from knowing everything to realizing that my ignorance is continuously increasing :)
Friday, January 21, 2005
Comments:
What are you talking about, Greg? Of all the things we did in High School for the sheer understanding. We had a great time. And we were always learning. I learned more hanging out with you than I did in school. I would say our Middle School and High School years were exactly what this guy recommends. We had many experiences, learned a lot and opened our minds to what can be.
Hey Tom! Long time...
I agree we learned a lot of stuff, and Paul Graham's point about doing "real stuff" was partly fulfilled for me in the ALF crowd, but, in my case at least, I was more motivated to attend college as a way to postpone having to work for a living, rather than as a way of "staying upwind". If I had been paying attention to how quickly many options were being foreclosed as I skated from one university and major to the next, I believe I would have chosen a path and stuck with it (like you did). Now I find myself in what society euphemistically calls "middle-age", having spent my career hopping from assignment to assignment, writing software. None of it was durable or very fulfilling. Most of my life's work has become obsolete within a couple of years.
I think that had I been mindful of the options, I might have focussed more on one area, perhaps finding the gumption to go through grad school and working in molecular biology. That would have satisfied me more philosophically, and might have made a more durable impact than the anonymous and quickly obsoleted software I've written.
Oh well. It's been fun and I expect it to continue to be fun and interesting. I just think I, along with many High School students that Paul Graham addresses, could have played our hands better if we'd been made mindful of the way the game is played.
I agree we learned a lot of stuff, and Paul Graham's point about doing "real stuff" was partly fulfilled for me in the ALF crowd, but, in my case at least, I was more motivated to attend college as a way to postpone having to work for a living, rather than as a way of "staying upwind". If I had been paying attention to how quickly many options were being foreclosed as I skated from one university and major to the next, I believe I would have chosen a path and stuck with it (like you did). Now I find myself in what society euphemistically calls "middle-age", having spent my career hopping from assignment to assignment, writing software. None of it was durable or very fulfilling. Most of my life's work has become obsolete within a couple of years.
I think that had I been mindful of the options, I might have focussed more on one area, perhaps finding the gumption to go through grad school and working in molecular biology. That would have satisfied me more philosophically, and might have made a more durable impact than the anonymous and quickly obsoleted software I've written.
Oh well. It's been fun and I expect it to continue to be fun and interesting. I just think I, along with many High School students that Paul Graham addresses, could have played our hands better if we'd been made mindful of the way the game is played.
Well...we don't come with an instruction manual. It's really amazing when we do make something of ourselves. That "choice" thing God gave us leaves the options wide open. And that is what makes life both fun and stressful. It's all in how you choose to accept it. I've usually gone for the instant gratification. And I am a true believer of "ignorance is bliss". I spend too much time now worrying about where I am and where I'll end up. I do know I have complete control of my life. And with that, I can do anything. Take care. By the way, I like the picture - and I do remember it.
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