Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Retropunch]

But yeah, honestly, if you are like me, you are probably reasonably good at and potentially enjoy identifying patterns.  That is about it.  So anyone got any ideas where that is useful?  Probably science, but I hate lots of math calculations. 

You could try learning how to program. You not only identify patterns, but also create them yourself.

Programming is really great, and you get a massive sense of completion when you do create something great/finish something. It does have a bit of a learning curve, so you have to be careful of that, but picking an easy language and giving yourself smallish targets will really help get you underway. I once created some really, really basic language learning software ages ago which I still look at now and again just because I'm proud of it.

[Bauglir]

Although, keep in mind with programming that math will be tremendously helpful. It's probably not strictly necessary for a codemonkey job or for a few other kinds of software design, but if you find yourself doing heavy software engineering you're right back where you started. But, honestly, any time patterns are relevant, so too will math be, because math is a fuckmothering fantastic way of describing patterns. I would strongly recommend reevaluating math as a concept; if your experience with it is just as busywork exercises to earn a grade, you won't like anything, math or no. If you find yourself with an interesting problem, though, figuring out the math to apply can be a lot more engaging. Likewise if you're interested in learning about new ways to think, which high school and gen-ed university courses tend to be very bad at encouraging.

[Arx]

Maths is frequently useful, and I know I found it infinitely more fun once I got past all the busywork (and then you use these two pieces of information and calculate everything in the universe ).

Bear in mind that as far as programming goes it's one of those things where you have the aptitude or you don't, so it's probably a good idea to try to learn some Python or something before paying money to trap yourself into anything.

That's my approximately $0.002, anyway.

[JuanCarr]

Long story short, i don't feel like i'm a viable build for this world. I don't feel like there's room for me if i can't chop off my arms to fit in, i don't feel like there's a hole to my shape, and all those other metaphors for feeling like there's no need for a guy like me in the world*. I feel more like the world needs to accept my existence like a funny beetle in a jar, and keep me there because it's not bothered by my existence and it can't be arsed to throw me out.

Haha join the club. On the down side, you might have a tougher time than some people. On the up side, you've got a sense of ambition, and therefore the potential success you can find is probably a lot higher than most people.
I'm the same, I'm incapable of just going along with things I don't accept or dislike. The main problem I've found with this attitude is that most people don't appreciate it. Most people want you to shut up and fit seamlessly into their lives.

[Gentlefish]

Just because you're unique doesn't mean you have to (metaphorically (hopefully)) mutilate yourself to fit in. There's a place in the world for you. Seriously, there is. Do you like programming? Okay. Also like animals and wildlife resources? Great. Build wildlife simulations for a college and get paid for it.

Drawing? Sweet. Again, programming? Even better. Make the next CAD, or even work for them. Hey, missing a certain functionality you'd like to have in photoshop? Work for them and put it in there.

Bugs and business? All right, a little tougher. If you like growing bugs, enter the bait business, or sell crickets to reptile people. Or, if you're the type to preserve bugs, there's always entomology colleges who need people to preserve and categorize bugs.

The point is, you have talent. Shook, I've seen your creative talents here in Bay12. If you're worried about people, people are worrisome. There's lots of people which means a lot of people suck. Sure. Given. But there's always people who are awesome. There are people who will help you take your interests and figure out what exists that you might like. There's so many "boxes" that there really aren't boxes any more. Don't worry about fitting in because, by existing, you already fit.

You have talents, and you can find a way to make those talents make money appear. It'll take some time, but you'll totally manage. It'll be scary, but you can do it. And it will feel great.

[Bauglir]

This may or may not be helpful, but one of the most valuable skills you can develop is making yourself want to do things. Doing things you don't want to is hard and trying to bludgeon yourself into it is not productive long-term. Instead of ruling things out based on what you've tried and don't like, focus on things you do like and making yourself want them badly enough that the obstacles are in your way, not determining your path.

I've seen your art, Shook, so you probably know this already - in anything worth doing, you're going to have a hard time at first. In art, you're going to mess up a lot when you start, and that's discouraging. You have to want to get better badly enough to refuse to give up.

Everything is art. Everything that's worth doing is, in part, because there are difficult aspects that most other people aren't willing to put up with. The easy road to success is figuring out what you want to do badly enough that you go, "I'll fucking deal with it." It doesn't matter if it sounds stupid, either. Seriously the only thing I'd rule out are goals that explicitly involve the suffering of others, and you don't seem like that type of person.

[Jopax]

This guy has a nice bit of advice for ya.

[Gentlefish]

This website helps me feel better about the world when I get scared of everything. Just search for what bothers you and you'll inevitably find a video that not only removes the fear but also dumps a truckload of hope into you lap like an avalanhce of soft kittens.

[Trapezohedron]

I say follow one of the strings of your nebulous ideas. Start from there. So far, I entered college (without prior high-school level education btw) not having any idea what to do except improving myself. Ended up with me liking what I chose: being a proud marketer.

Currently 3rd year university and hope I still will be able to pull through.

[~Neri]

Eeech.. I know how this feels.. Still here, but I know what I want from life and I know it will come in time. Only worrying thing is the period between now and when it happens.

Remember, what you truly want may be completely different from what is considered "normal" by society. I know mine is extremely abnormal~

I suggest doing some thinking and soul searching, sounds like you need it.

Everything will come in time, all I need to do is complete the tasks that are mine~

What do you want?

What do you truly want?

What tasks must you complete for that to be yours?

Long story short, i don't feel like i'm a viable build for this world. I don't feel like there's room for me if i can't chop off my arms to fit in, i don't feel like there's a hole to my shape, and all those other metaphors for feeling like there's no need for a guy like me in the world*. I feel more like the world needs to accept my existence like a funny beetle in a jar, and keep me there because it's not bothered by my existence and it can't be arsed to throw me out.

PM me.

[acetech09]

Entire quote snipped for brevity, but regarding the world not having a place for you? Make one. It's what I do for a living, and it's not as hard as it sounds. Life isn't a series of bendy straws extruded in weird cookie-cutter shapes, but a grand caravansary of free-flowing goods and services, where it's (more or less) free to set up your own stall.

[Muz]

I could get into huge long rants about this, but nobody reads walls of text. So short form here, I'll write a wall of text if there are questions.

Here's the big secret about the world:
Everything you see and experience today was created by someone dumber than you.

And from that,
You write the rules of society.

If you don't like anything about this world, don't bitch about it. Change it. If you can't change it, learn to live with it. Bitching about stuff is emotionally draining.

You're not going to know what life has in store for you. So learn to deal with uncertainty.

There's a bunch of studies that highlight the ideal skillsets needed for certain jobs. Attitude is probably the most important thing, far more than skills. You can learn skills, but most people can't change their attitude. If you build the right attitude, you can do anything.

The knowledge economy is not about time. It's about energy. Energy comes from emotion.

If you want to be emotionally invincible, tackle a huge problem. Help people. Don't aim to be a billionaire - you're not helping people that way. Solve problems.

My big goal is making sure that people love their jobs. People just come into work whenever they like and do the job they were paid to do, without needing social media blocking and punch cards. People would no longer feel indebted to work, they wouldn't spend their lives looking forward to retirement.

With a large enough, non-selfish goal, people follow you. They want you to succeed. They'll donate resources to you. They'll guide you and cheer you on. You deal with less office politics and assholes. People will protect you. The little things don't matter anymore. You get filled with a drive to fix things.

You also gain a certain amount of honesty and fearlessness in everything you do. This will give you super energy, and thus, superpowers.

Once you dedicate yourself to this goal, you set up plenty of other little goals and checkpoints along the way. Things like choice of degree/profession/career/spouse... they become a lot easier for you.

So that's basically the long build up to your question. Society doesn't have a hole for you? Make one.


P/s another huge thing we didn't learn at school:
Get a mentor

People spend what... 10 years in education and don't spend a day looking for a mentor. Find someone who has done the things you want to do. Make friends with them. You want to be a multi-millionaire, find someone who is, and learn from them. Often the people who have done so are eager to share their war stories. And they like to hear the perspective of someone who's on a lower level, with more energy than they have. The younger you are, the more potential you have.

Just ask people. Start small-ish. Then move up slowly to make friends with former presidents, Fortune 500 CEOs, and so on. I learned all this stuff from mentors like that.

There's often a science and system to everything. Repeat other people's methods and very often you get the exact same results.

[nekoexmachina]

I just leave it here:
http://www.harrybrowne.org/articles/GiftDaughter.htm