> We tend to have a habit of projecting what works for us, onto others.
I wish more people would understand this when giving advice -- what works for one case or one person is guaranteed to have many exceptions when you try to apply it to a larger population.
I'm a relatively new parent, and I've gotten to the point to where I hate when other parents give advice. Something that worked for your kid won't necessarily work for mine, and don't treat that case like it's my fault -- instead, qualify that your advice is based on your experience and your situation, not necessarily something universal.
Re:Ask HN: How do I develop focus?
by polishdude20 on Monday April 04, 2022 @11:37AM
(#30907885)
Is it up to the giver of advice or the taker? In a way, the giver just wants to talk about their experience. The taker wants to use the advice. It seems more realistic to have the taker vet what's told to them online.
The issue I have specifically is that advice givers tend to give advice either in an unprompted way or as if it will apply universally. For the post at the top of this thread, while it wasn't unprompted, it's positioned as if following the rules _will_ lead to you having better focus, when the realty of the situation is that they won't work for everyone. Something as simple as prefacing these rules as "this is what worked for me, maybe it'll work for you too" is enough to counteract this.
Re:Ask HN: How do I develop focus?
by stevetsourounis on Tuesday April 05, 2022 @06:10AM
(#30917169)
Daniel Pink’s book “When” reviews some research on morning people and night owls (there’s also a 3rd type that is somewhere in between). It suggests morning people are usually better at analytical tasks in the morning and creative tasks at night. Night owls are better at creative tasks in the morning and analytical tasks at night. Both seem to hit a slump in the afternoon.
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735210632/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FM...
Re:Ask HN: How do I develop focus?
by ChrisMarshallNY on Tuesday April 05, 2022 @08:05AM
(#30917932)
> It suggests morning people are usually better at analytical tasks in the morning and creative tasks at night.
This describes me, exactly.
I enjoyed his A Whole New Mind book.
I’m a “morning person.” My wife is definitely not.
For me, I enjoy getting up at 5 (actually, it takes a while to get to the “enjoy” part). I walk a couple of miles, take a shower, and often fix a number of issues before 8.
One of the most productive developers I ever knew (a former employee) was a “non-morning person.” He would amble into the office at noon. Drove HR crazy, but all attempts to get him to come in earlier, met with failure. He would often stay in past 2AM.
As his manager, I got flak for his schedule, but I put my own job in jeopardy, and did not enforce corporate policy on him. We worked together for almost 27 years. Japan loved him (so my job wasn’t actually in jeopardy). His schedule worked for them.
We tend to have a habit of projecting what works for us, onto others.