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Are people bad at their jobs or are the jobs just bad?

(annehelen.substack.com)
287 points moonka | 10 comments | 02 Apr 25 21:54 UTC | HN request time: 0.197s | source | bottom
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zw123456 ◴[02 Apr 25 22:52 UTC] No.43562700[source]▶
I recently retired after 45 years in tech. I started out in 1978 at Bell Labs. I have had great jobs and terrible jobs. Great bosses and horrific bosses. And all the things in between. I did not just survive, I thrived and beyond and worked at 3 start ups and a bunch of other companies large and small. What I learned is to not to be afraid. Regardless of what is happening around you. Fear is the enemy. Don't be afraid to be weird or crazy or whatever is causing you to be timid.
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tmpz22 ◴[02 Apr 25 23:03 UTC] No.43562798[source]▶
> What I learned is to not to be afraid. Regardless of what is happening around you.

Were you perhaps financially secure enough not to have to fear anything? Or tenured (Bell Labs!) that unemployment wasn't actually a threat to you? YMMV.

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1. dartos ◴[02 Apr 25 23:17 UTC] No.43562913[source]▶
I long for the day when someone can give advice based on their own personal experience without someone else being like “well that won’t work for literally everyone”

Yeah obviously. It’s a personal anecdote.

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2. luhsprwhk ◴[02 Apr 25 23:19 UTC] No.43562931[source]▶
I long for the day when people don't try to pass off vapid generic advice for likes. Waste of bandwidth.
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3. dartos ◴[02 Apr 25 23:23 UTC] No.43562960[source]▶
A bit cynical, no?
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4. luhsprwhk ◴[02 Apr 25 23:29 UTC] No.43563004{3}[source]▶
Giving generic feel-good advice is a decent strategy to farm likes from the naive. Some people have no shame.
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5. mathgladiator ◴[02 Apr 25 23:39 UTC] No.43563091[source]▶
It's obnoxious behavior. For example, I decided when I was young to live in my car and be homeless. I saved a bunch of money, and I've been frugal most my life. I was also super focused at my work and climbed the ladder making real money.

I believe most people don't have discipline to endure less than and the discipline to really listen to what power asks of them. There is a lot of great advice for people to do well in a job, but they just... don't apply it.

These people are best to be ignored.

6. groby_b ◴[02 Apr 25 23:48 UTC] No.43563165[source]▶
What's the _point_ of the anecdote, though? You're taking up everybody's time to tell a story, do us a favor to have a relevant point.

"Have no fear" doesn't apply to the article, at all. You might as well write "what I learned was to not stick legos up my nostril". Also good advice. Also not applicable.

It's fine if it doesn't work for everyone, it's annoying if it isn't relevant to anyone.

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7. kayodelycaon ◴[02 Apr 25 23:58 UTC] No.43563239[source]▶
It’s not just a personal anecdote. It’s telling people what they should do.

A personal anecdote would be saying this is what worked for me. Not this is how you should do it.

It comes off as telling you what your problem is and how you should fix it.

8. yoyohello13 ◴[03 Apr 25 03:22 UTC] No.43564331[source]▶
You are reading Hacker News. You are literally here to waste time.
9. ahmeneeroe-v2 ◴[03 Apr 25 03:23 UTC] No.43564344{4}[source]▶
Don't be afraid is excellent advice, sorry but you're coming off as very cynical.
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10. refulgentis ◴[03 Apr 25 04:30 UTC] No.43564763{5}[source]▶
I was watching a trial the other day and the prosecutor asks "And did you often see your nephews at your mothers house when you video called her?", and the defendant, a dentists, says "Yep, watching TV, brushing their teeth.[5 second silence] Don't forget to brush your teeth. Really important." The prosecutor smiles, laughs, and says "A little dull humor never hurt, eh?"

I'm not sure your average adult would find "don't be afraid" to be "advice", or some deeply meaningful advice that only a cynic would think was anything less than excellent.