Thread

1. serf · 1789657645 · focus · HN ↗

   >One of my most successful life-hacks is to avoid people I don’t like or don’t trust.

   following this advice would have made most of my professional life impossible, what a luxury it would have been to be able to.

   1. hmokiguess · 1789657790 · focus · HN ↗

      Some people aren't very self aware of their own bubble and how luck plays a role in their life.

      1. bluGill · 1789658098 · focus · HN ↗

         People who say that tend to make their own bad luck and not get nearly as far in life.

         Not that luck doesn't have a role, but everybody gets it.

      2. bcrosby95 · 1789658191 · focus · HN ↗

         Pointing to luck renders all advice meaningless.

         1. esseph · 1789658274 · focus · HN ↗

            Luck can mean opportunity, but doesn't reflect on capability, availability,or outcome.
         2. jdiff · 1789658293 · focus · HN ↗

            Much advice is meaningless, baseless post-mortem correlations from people trying to justify their own success.

            1. rexpop · 1789658645 · focus · HN ↗

               "Buy more lottery tickets!"

               1. teravor · 1789658866 · focus · HN ↗

                  no, it's "buy lottery tickets to exclusive lotteries".

                  the ability to enter such lotteries is where success lies. either through connections or ability.

                  1. harimau777 · 1789666408 · focus · HN ↗

                     If you need connections and ability then you are back to luck.

                     1. smcg · 1789676321 · focus · HN ↗

                        those can be cultivated.

                        1. harimau777 · 1789678430 · focus · HN ↗

                           To a degree maybe but the degree differs dramatically for different people. To give an extreme, someone with a significant disability growing up in an impoverished family in the middle of nowhere is generally going to have very little opportunity to cultivate connections and ability.
                  2. rexpop · 1789696079 · focus · HN ↗

                     In my metaphor, "lottery winners" is already representing exclusivity.
      3. [deleted] · 1789658399 · focus · HN ↗

         [deleted]

      4. heavensteeth · 1789658632 · focus · HN ↗

         who's to say OP hasn't suffered or otherwise disadvantaged himself in upholding that moral?

         1. sodapopcan · 1789660451 · focus · HN ↗

            Exactly. Plus, many people don't seem to understand the word "avoid" (it's come up in my own bubble recently). It doesn't mean "never." For example, a vegan would not say "I avoid eating meat." Furthermore, because someone successfully avoids now doesn't mean they went through a period of being unable to in order to earn the privilege to do so regularly.

            1. aziaziazi · 1789663065 · focus · HN ↗

               Your exemple says much more: a short definition of veganism may use "never" and not "avoid", but a more complete, thoughtful definition encompass catches it:

               > [...] which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable [...]

               <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.vegansociety.com&#x2F;go-vegan&#x2F;definition-veganism" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.vegansociety.com&#x2F;go-vegan&#x2F;definition-veganism

               1. sodapopcan · 1790169339 · focus · HN ↗

                  Ha, fair! It was an example off the top of my head and used based on my experience of how vegans talk, but yes, it&#x27;s not a perfect example. But then if we&#x27;re going down the rabbit hole then nothing is really absolute when it comes to what we should and shouldn&#x27;t do. An actual software example would have been better:

                  &quot;Avoid strong coupling between modules&quot; v. &quot;Never upload raw keys to a git server.&quot;

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