6 ms·

A lot of people here are going to talk negatives and prioritization and purpose, but I personally also want to be practically omniscient, and you should strive

A lot of people here are going to talk negatives and prioritization and purpose, but I personally also want to be practically omniscient, and you should strive for it too. You need strategies if you want to know a lot. Certainly focused things like classes and intensive study are necessary from time to time (and especially early in life), but we can't do that our whole lives, nor do we want to. What we need is to develop habits of constant learning. Here is one essential thing you can do to start learning a lot: Fill your home with dual-language books, and keep opening them. Put a stack on your toilet. By dual-language books, I mean books with the original language on one side, and your native language on the other. You'll find that the entirely of the classical pantheon, as well as much great literature and philosophy from many cultures is available in this form. Spreading math books around your house helps too, of course, along with those on the other topics you want to master. Keep opening them. Life is long, each day you can learn a bit more. "Every life is many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love. But always meeting ourselves."

echelon 4y ago
Back in college, I wanted this too. I triple majored in CS, biology, and chemistry. But when I looked at the impact I wanted to have and the resources I wanted at my disposal and compared them to an academic lifestyle, I saw a pretty glaring disparity. The best way to actually command subjects is to work on them. Spend some time at companies doing the things you want - preferably in high paying jobs - and then start something on your own where you have to wear all the hats and submerge yourself in the technical details. It's not as deep as academia, but it's certainly broad. This tactic might be what you're looking for. And if you get exceedingly lucky, you might wind up with the capital and stumble upon the kind of unexplored areas ripe for growth that Elon Musk did. That's probably the ideal scenario - you get to work on incredibly interesting subject matters through hiring the best talent in the world. Use your team as a high level search and filter algorithm, and be present to learn and enjoy the process. I'm nowhere near as successful but have employed people to do exactly that. It's not a bad alternative.
- pfkurtz 4y ago
  If you triple majored in 3 technical subjects, I submit that your aim was not what I am talking about. I am talking about how you fit in learning the real knowledge of our collective culture over a lifetime, no matter what else you do.
mattlondon 4y ago
Do you want to be "book smart" and only know a lot about what someone else thinks and tells you, or actually learn something yourself and gain the intuition and detailed understanding that you get from forming your own knowledge? You can read books till the cows come home, but don't expect to become an expert from reading alone. I can't imagine anyone on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time reading on the toilet Vs actually practicing a skill.
- Ken_At_EM 4y ago
  Every time I hear someone bring up the “book smart” versus “street smart” false dichotomy it often comes off as someone trying to justify their own inadequacies. I am not calling out the previous reply.
  - droobles 4y ago
    You are right of course, I experienced that growing up, but a good mix of both doesn't hurt!
    - Ken_At_EM 4y ago
      What’s another good label for these types of knowledge so that we can avoid the cliche? Is it as simple as having information and experience? I have read everything on being a carpenter but I have never practiced, so therefore I am “book smart” when it comes to carpentry? I guess this doesn’t really cut it because when someone claims their “steet smart” as a way to combat feeling inferior to someone else they have credited as “book smart” what they’re really trying to say is that they have knowledge that’s more useful in different situations? Or more practical situations? The more I think about this the more it seems like claiming to be “street smart” is just saying “hey, I’m smart too, just in a different way” when you’re feeling a bit less than someone.
      - pfkurtz 4y ago
        There's an obvious example in programming: one might read a lot about machine learning, without becoming a practitioner. Without actually doing some work, one's opinions about building AIs wouldn't be worth much. What breaks down is thinking this dichotomy captures the state of play wrt knowing lots of things. One of course has to practice knowledge, if that knowledge involves practicable skills, if one wants mastery. If one wants to know history, or philosophy, or... many of the actual large bodies of knowledge that exist... one needs to get comfortable very regularly opening books. That doesn't mean it's all that's required!
nudpiedo 4y ago
Then the pages of the books will become dusty and humid, for sure deteriorated. Let alone the other beings living in the house will also somehow interact with the books in other ways than the romantic fantasy setup you proposed.
- pfkurtz 4y ago
  What the heck are you even talking about? I gotta say, Hacker News is probably one of the least welcoming communities on the internet.
  - nudpiedo 4y ago
    Try to leave a book open on the kitchen a couple of weeks, and another on the bathroom/shower. Then come back and post. And if you happen to not live alone, the same. IF the book is large enough/hard cover to remain open by the page you were reading. Basically I am calling BS for what it is.
    - pfkurtz 4y ago
      Those are not places I suggested leaving books, because I'm not stupid. I suggested: by the toilet. So you can learn something every time you poop. Then there's these other things called shelves... I own a few.
  - mattlondon 4y ago
    It is welcoming, but it may also challenge your ideas and beliefs. For that I value it.
    - pfkurtz 4y ago
      The people who are unwelcoming on HN and the people who post interesting/challenging responses... do not seem to overlap.

echelon 4y ago

Back in college, I wanted this too. I triple majored in CS, biology, and chemistry. But when I looked at the impact I wanted to have and the resources I wanted at my disposal and compared them to an academic lifestyle, I saw a pretty glaring disparity. The best way to actually command subjects is to work on them. Spend some time at companies doing the things you want - preferably in high paying jobs - and then start something on your own where you have to wear all the hats and submerge yourself in the technical details. It's not as deep as academia, but it's certainly broad. This tactic might be what you're looking for. And if you get exceedingly lucky, you might wind up with the capital and stumble upon the kind of unexplored areas ripe for growth that Elon Musk did. That's probably the ideal scenario - you get to work on incredibly interesting subject matters through hiring the best talent in the world. Use your team as a high level search and filter algorithm, and be present to learn and enjoy the process. I'm nowhere near as successful but have employed people to do exactly that. It's not a bad alternative.

pfkurtz 4y ago
If you triple majored in 3 technical subjects, I submit that your aim was not what I am talking about. I am talking about how you fit in learning the real knowledge of our collective culture over a lifetime, no matter what else you do.

mattlondon 4y ago

Do you want to be "book smart" and only know a lot about what someone else thinks and tells you, or actually learn something yourself and gain the intuition and detailed understanding that you get from forming your own knowledge? You can read books till the cows come home, but don't expect to become an expert from reading alone. I can't imagine anyone on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time reading on the toilet Vs actually practicing a skill.

Ken_At_EM 4y ago
Every time I hear someone bring up the “book smart” versus “street smart” false dichotomy it often comes off as someone trying to justify their own inadequacies. I am not calling out the previous reply.
- droobles 4y ago
  You are right of course, I experienced that growing up, but a good mix of both doesn't hurt!
  - Ken_At_EM 4y ago
    What’s another good label for these types of knowledge so that we can avoid the cliche? Is it as simple as having information and experience? I have read everything on being a carpenter but I have never practiced, so therefore I am “book smart” when it comes to carpentry? I guess this doesn’t really cut it because when someone claims their “steet smart” as a way to combat feeling inferior to someone else they have credited as “book smart” what they’re really trying to say is that they have knowledge that’s more useful in different situations? Or more practical situations? The more I think about this the more it seems like claiming to be “street smart” is just saying “hey, I’m smart too, just in a different way” when you’re feeling a bit less than someone.
    - pfkurtz 4y ago
      There's an obvious example in programming: one might read a lot about machine learning, without becoming a practitioner. Without actually doing some work, one's opinions about building AIs wouldn't be worth much. What breaks down is thinking this dichotomy captures the state of play wrt knowing lots of things. One of course has to practice knowledge, if that knowledge involves practicable skills, if one wants mastery. If one wants to know history, or philosophy, or... many of the actual large bodies of knowledge that exist... one needs to get comfortable very regularly opening books. That doesn't mean it's all that's required!

nudpiedo 4y ago

Then the pages of the books will become dusty and humid, for sure deteriorated. Let alone the other beings living in the house will also somehow interact with the books in other ways than the romantic fantasy setup you proposed.

pfkurtz 4y ago
What the heck are you even talking about? I gotta say, Hacker News is probably one of the least welcoming communities on the internet.
- nudpiedo 4y ago
  Try to leave a book open on the kitchen a couple of weeks, and another on the bathroom/shower. Then come back and post. And if you happen to not live alone, the same. IF the book is large enough/hard cover to remain open by the page you were reading. Basically I am calling BS for what it is.
  - pfkurtz 4y ago
    Those are not places I suggested leaving books, because I'm not stupid. I suggested: by the toilet. So you can learn something every time you poop. Then there's these other things called shelves... I own a few.
- mattlondon 4y ago
  It is welcoming, but it may also challenge your ideas and beliefs. For that I value it.
  - pfkurtz 4y ago
    The people who are unwelcoming on HN and the people who post interesting/challenging responses... do not seem to overlap.