Ask HN: How do you get work done while there is a war in Europe?
91 comments
It's not easy, doubly so for Ukrainians like me. I've decided to take hours-long breaks from touching my phone or using my browser for anything but work. I like to take impromptu 5 minute breaks while working if I'm stuck or frustrated with something. Have to end that and become more disciplined, otherwise the news and the sadness and the fury just consumes me. Thursday and Friday were write-offs, I'm determined to make today different.
My situation exactly. I’m American but I live in Kyiv, I was lucky to get out a few days before the invasion but my life, my team, and my property are still there. I try to focus on helping the guys still there find safety and arrange lodgings, but the draw of doomscrolling is ever present.
Fortunately I’ve noticed that I can’t focus on the horrible reality of this war and also on coding or reviewing PRs or debugging some code. If I can focus on a concrete task my mood improves for as long as I can hold the focus.
Also as usual, physical activity helps. I landed in Tbilisi with just a suitcase and didn’t have time to find a gym or set up a routine, but even just walking up the steep hills in the city improves my mood. Don’t underestimate the positive effect this has on the mental state.
This war is not going away soon and my people aren’t going to be out of danger any time soon, so it’s critical to find a way to focus on what needs to be done and not waste time and energy fretting. Easy to say, not so easy to do.
Fortunately I’ve noticed that I can’t focus on the horrible reality of this war and also on coding or reviewing PRs or debugging some code. If I can focus on a concrete task my mood improves for as long as I can hold the focus.
Also as usual, physical activity helps. I landed in Tbilisi with just a suitcase and didn’t have time to find a gym or set up a routine, but even just walking up the steep hills in the city improves my mood. Don’t underestimate the positive effect this has on the mental state.
This war is not going away soon and my people aren’t going to be out of danger any time soon, so it’s critical to find a way to focus on what needs to be done and not waste time and energy fretting. Easy to say, not so easy to do.
> Thursday and Friday were write-offs, I'm determined to make today different.
I feel very much the same and I wish you well.
I feel very much the same and I wish you well.
I am not in Europe, but American, and this war does affect me, since we are the largest member of NATO, but also the first target of Russian aggression in this weird neo-Soviet era if Russia decides to deploy nukes (a low, but non-zero, chance).
I give the news 15 minutes of my time every day. Even when events like this happen, 15 minutes.
I, nor you, can meaningfully change the course of events; even if we could, neither of us can tell if we would improve things or make them worse. The only people who can change this now are the Russians starting a civil war in their own country to overthrow their leader to save their brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and I wish them all luck.
I give the news 15 minutes of my time every day. Even when events like this happen, 15 minutes.
I, nor you, can meaningfully change the course of events; even if we could, neither of us can tell if we would improve things or make them worse. The only people who can change this now are the Russians starting a civil war in their own country to overthrow their leader to save their brothers and sisters in Ukraine, and I wish them all luck.
> also the first target of Russian aggression in this weird neo-Soviet era if Russia decides to deploy nukes
On the contrary, you'll be the last target.
Ukraine is obviously the first, the countries bordering Ukraine in the South, especially Poland are at risk, then the rest of Europe and finally the US.
On the contrary, you'll be the last target.
Ukraine is obviously the first, the countries bordering Ukraine in the South, especially Poland are at risk, then the rest of Europe and finally the US.
It's much easier to avoid thinking about the war in the US. Here it's just another tragedy in a faraway country, and you only hear about it in the news. It probably doesn't affect your daily life.
The situation seems very different in Europe. The war is pretty much the only thing people are talking about on the channels I use to stay in touch with people in Finland. If I want to avoid thinking about the war, it's not enough to avoid the news. I must also avoid friends and family.
The situation seems very different in Europe. The war is pretty much the only thing people are talking about on the channels I use to stay in touch with people in Finland. If I want to avoid thinking about the war, it's not enough to avoid the news. I must also avoid friends and family.
I am of the generation that saw people being sent overseas just to die because, as many put it, "Bush lied".
The world is an international community, we sink or swim together. A tragedy in a faraway country is no different than one in my backyard.
The world is an international community, we sink or swim together. A tragedy in a faraway country is no different than one in my backyard.
You are talking about things that happen in the news rather than in the everyday world around you.
A lot of people in Finland may lose their jobs soon, because ~10% of foreign trade used to be with Russia. There is a feeling that the world has changed permanently, but nobody knows what will emerge. Ukraine is resisting the invasion, and ordinary people are sending money directly to its military. Even many activists on the left think that donating to traditional charities is insufficient. Meanwhile Russia seems to be only a shadow of its former self, which has awakened old fears of its collapse. And of refugee masses that could overwhelm Finland.
And here in the US, you can easily ignore all that, because you don't see the consequences in your daily life.
A lot of people in Finland may lose their jobs soon, because ~10% of foreign trade used to be with Russia. There is a feeling that the world has changed permanently, but nobody knows what will emerge. Ukraine is resisting the invasion, and ordinary people are sending money directly to its military. Even many activists on the left think that donating to traditional charities is insufficient. Meanwhile Russia seems to be only a shadow of its former self, which has awakened old fears of its collapse. And of refugee masses that could overwhelm Finland.
And here in the US, you can easily ignore all that, because you don't see the consequences in your daily life.
Thats a rather ignorant statement, as if Americans somehow universally lack empathy.
How does empathy have anything to do with this discussion? We were talking about how it can be more difficult to ignore the war and focus on something else in Europe, because you may feel the consequences in your daily life. Giving the news only 15 minutes of your time every day is not a very effective strategy, if you keep encountering the thing you are trying to avoid outside news.
If there is a war anywhere, it effects everyone, globally.
I don't get why this is such a hard concept for people to understand.
I don't get why this is such a hard concept for people to understand.
There is always a war somewhere, but it doesn't affect everyone equally. For the average Finnish citizen, this is probably the first time since WW2 that a war is raging in the "real world" instead of just in the news. For the average American citizen, it doesn't look like the war has spilled from the news to the real world yet. Polish and Russian citizens see a bigger impact than Finnish citizens, and the impact on the average Ukrainian citizen is obviously far greater.
>It's much easier to avoid thinking about the war in the US. Here it's just another tragedy in a faraway country, and you only hear about it in the news. It probably doesn't affect your daily life.
That was true until Putin decided to saber rattle his nukes. If things go boom, I'll see the flash, and be roasted somewhere between 10 and 50 seconds later, depending on which industrial site they take out first.
That was true until Putin decided to saber rattle his nukes. If things go boom, I'll see the flash, and be roasted somewhere between 10 and 50 seconds later, depending on which industrial site they take out first.
Is always amusing how North Americans call themselves 'Americans' like it is a nationality and call their country the name of the whole continent.
Romania and Poland would be the first hits. You're last.
> I give the news 15 minutes of my time every day. Even when events like this happen, 15 minutes.
I'll try that. Do you use pure self control for that? A timer?
I'll try that. Do you use pure self control for that? A timer?
Mostly self control. It only takes me about 15 minutes to go through all the actual news sources I follow. HN doesn't come out of the 15 minute budget, since its all technical focused not-exactly-news; it has its own budget of sorts.
I don't glue myself to the news. What's the point? Do you really need minute by minute updates of every operation or event? What actionable difference will it make?
You’ve clearly never worked nor lived somewhere high on the list of places a hostile would want to destroy. When I worked in a very tall building (tallest for thousands of miles) I would keep an eye towards the news “just in case”. Right now any such place is probably on high alert regardless of whether it would seem an obvious target to randos on the internet.
I'm curious of the odds of danger while being in a very tall building on a day to day basis. Additionally, I'm wondering what sort of news alert you're looking for that would be actionable. Do you really expect a news flash that will give you adequate time to take actions.
Balance all this against the time you spend looking at news daily.
Balance all this against the time you spend looking at news daily.
Considering I worked through multiple bomb threats, a nearby active shooter, and other such things I consider it time well spent. Probably any job with a high degree of public interaction benefits from situational awareness, further.
I agree with this comment because I am the same way. Situational awareness is extremely important to me.
But, with these events today, I'm being honest with myself: I live within 5 miles of a major, international US airport. Within 25 miles of a major military installation. Within 35 miles of a major US port. If I go out 50 miles, there are quite literally dozens of high priority targets in SoCal. My point being: If the SLBMs start flying, my entire world is going to be flattened by an air burst before anyone even gets a warning.
So, while I am paying active attention (more than I should) to this situation, I also know that, ultimately, worst-case scenario, it really doesn't matter. With that perspective, when I find myself looking at my social feeds a little too much or watching / reading a little too much news, I walk away from it to go spend time with my family.
But, with these events today, I'm being honest with myself: I live within 5 miles of a major, international US airport. Within 25 miles of a major military installation. Within 35 miles of a major US port. If I go out 50 miles, there are quite literally dozens of high priority targets in SoCal. My point being: If the SLBMs start flying, my entire world is going to be flattened by an air burst before anyone even gets a warning.
So, while I am paying active attention (more than I should) to this situation, I also know that, ultimately, worst-case scenario, it really doesn't matter. With that perspective, when I find myself looking at my social feeds a little too much or watching / reading a little too much news, I walk away from it to go spend time with my family.
I do the same as drstewart, because there's nothing I can realistically do, and getting myself worked up will only make my life worse.
And to answer your assertion, I live within 5km of the largest naval port in western Europe, which is also the Royal Navy's only nuclear repair and refuelling facility. I think it's safe to say that it'd be fairly high on the list of targets.
And to answer your assertion, I live within 5km of the largest naval port in western Europe, which is also the Royal Navy's only nuclear repair and refuelling facility. I think it's safe to say that it'd be fairly high on the list of targets.
Maybe they haven't, but OP didn't make that part of their statement, so responding as if they did is disingenuous. You seem to be going for the epic own rather than making an effort to take the hospitable interpretation of GP's statement.
If the OP is in Ukraine, it's a different story. They didn't say so, and it's unlikely. If they're in, for example, the United States, they do not need to be on high alert at the moment.
I live in Europe.
I’m guessing learning about your local bomb alerting system might help. That way you realize it’s not just you.
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You're absolutely correct, it's not needed. I guess it's more like an addiction at this time I can't overcome (yet).
If it's any consolation you're not the only one. I know that it is not helpful to check news sites or scroll through twitter ... and yet it's hard to motivate myself to focus on actual work knowing what's going on.
It's an addiction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomscrolling
I've heard of the term but never read up its definition, thank you, that's it:
"Doomscrolling, the compulsion to engross oneself in negative news, may be the result of an evolutionary mechanism where humans are “wired to screen for and anticipate danger”.
The anticipation bit made it clear. So now is the question: how to over come it? Looks like I need a full blown news detox.
"Doomscrolling, the compulsion to engross oneself in negative news, may be the result of an evolutionary mechanism where humans are “wired to screen for and anticipate danger”.
The anticipation bit made it clear. So now is the question: how to over come it? Looks like I need a full blown news detox.
I just stopped reading the news pretty much. It takes like a week or two and then you won't even notice. Look at it this way, if anything super important happens you will most likely see it on the front page here or on the front page of Reddit. But with HN and Reddit you don't get the bulk that is made to fill the page on a news site.
I'm no longer a religious person but I was raised a Presbyterian Christian. It was very common to hear the adults around me recite the Serenity Prayer when I was younger. I think there is a lot of wisdom there. I don't know if that will help you but it has helped me.
Something that I’ve recently started doing is pomodoros of 25 minutes with 5 minute breaks. Finding discipline to just do real work is difficult if your work isn’t well specified beforehand. So I use a few tools for this:
* pen/pencil and mini wire bound notebooks. I tried using Apple notes but the phone is a source of endless distraction.
I write down goals for the day, headlined by project name. When I’m done I cross them out.
* befocusedpro app for pomodoros
It has a pretty nice way to setup pomodoro tasks and isn’t trying to be much more than a pomodoro app. My employer uses Jira and my side projects use Trello or Apple notes. It sits on the mac menu bar and beeps when both the pomodoro and break are up. During breaks sometimes I respond to text messages or take a quick walk around but you could read news too.
I write down about 5 “goals” and try to get them all done
* streaks app iOS
This is like GitHub history for habits. After every befocusedpro pomodoro I check the streak for e.g. ( employer pomodoro ) or ( side project pomodoro )
Finally, I put my phone in do not disturb pretty much the whole time I’m trying to accomplish my pomodoros and the only exceptions are my significant other and mom / sister.
That’s it!
* pen/pencil and mini wire bound notebooks. I tried using Apple notes but the phone is a source of endless distraction.
I write down goals for the day, headlined by project name. When I’m done I cross them out.
* befocusedpro app for pomodoros
It has a pretty nice way to setup pomodoro tasks and isn’t trying to be much more than a pomodoro app. My employer uses Jira and my side projects use Trello or Apple notes. It sits on the mac menu bar and beeps when both the pomodoro and break are up. During breaks sometimes I respond to text messages or take a quick walk around but you could read news too.
I write down about 5 “goals” and try to get them all done
* streaks app iOS
This is like GitHub history for habits. After every befocusedpro pomodoro I check the streak for e.g. ( employer pomodoro ) or ( side project pomodoro )
Finally, I put my phone in do not disturb pretty much the whole time I’m trying to accomplish my pomodoros and the only exceptions are my significant other and mom / sister.
That’s it!
Stop amusing yourself with stuff that you don’t actually enjoy.
That’s all following Twitter “news” is. Entertainment.
That’s all following Twitter “news” is. Entertainment.
The point is, I am not doing it for my amusement - it's something else. More like a need/urge to stay in the loop. I had the same sensation when Covid hit in 2020.
I know what Fomo is, and no, it's not like that. Maybe it's more a feeling of "wanting to know first" so I can be mentally prepared when things turn to the worse. Not sure.
It seems like a vicious cycle of anxiety. Make a serious effort to limit your news consumption to maybe a few quick glances a day. If you're glued to the news, you'll notice that 90% of them are the same, so it's a more efficient use of your attention to check them 90% less.
Many people, like me, fell in the trap of getting "hyperinformed" during COVID, only to find out staying on the bleeding edge of an evolving situation is like having another full-time job. Excessive infotainment only heightens anxiety.
Many people, like me, fell in the trap of getting "hyperinformed" during COVID, only to find out staying on the bleeding edge of an evolving situation is like having another full-time job. Excessive infotainment only heightens anxiety.
Well, I definitely know the feeling…
But if it is about preparation, then ask yourself what you can (or will) do to prepare for a worst case scenario, then middle scenario, then not so bad scenario. Take care of what you can, and tell yourself clearly that you’ve done what you need to do there’s no need to worry about it anymore.
But if it is about preparation, then ask yourself what you can (or will) do to prepare for a worst case scenario, then middle scenario, then not so bad scenario. Take care of what you can, and tell yourself clearly that you’ve done what you need to do there’s no need to worry about it anymore.
There are things in the immediate sphere of your life which you can influence. Telescoping in on tragic events which you have no direct control over doesn't empower you or resolve the underlying tragedy. Remember that there are bad situations on every scale throughout the world, everyday.
The best way to empower yourself is to tackle the things which you can change. The more empowered you are, the more agency you have to tackle tragic events. Although it is unlikely that you will be able to personally prevent wars, there are other smaller problems you can engage with.
The best way to empower yourself is to tackle the things which you can change. The more empowered you are, the more agency you have to tackle tragic events. Although it is unlikely that you will be able to personally prevent wars, there are other smaller problems you can engage with.
Why?
Wars go on every day, people suffer every day, it doesn't benefit you or them to obsessively watch.
I'd get it for people who live in or have close connections with the affected area, but knowing every update when you're on the other side of the world? What's the benefit?
Keeping up with the general situation, sure, but up to the minute all day watching... I don't get the point or the motivation besides which is ultimately entertainment, and not good entertainment.
Don't you get bored with news sources? CNN just repeats itself all day.
Wars go on every day, people suffer every day, it doesn't benefit you or them to obsessively watch.
I'd get it for people who live in or have close connections with the affected area, but knowing every update when you're on the other side of the world? What's the benefit?
Keeping up with the general situation, sure, but up to the minute all day watching... I don't get the point or the motivation besides which is ultimately entertainment, and not good entertainment.
Don't you get bored with news sources? CNN just repeats itself all day.
How many wars involve the possibility of WW3 or nuclear engagements? This ones a bit different.
You're not alone, and there's nothing wrong with that kind of response, so don't give yourself a hard time for it. These are shocking events with global ramifications as well as obviously the awful localised impact within Ukraine.
As an eastern(-ish) European[1] with fuzzy memories of experiencing a small war as a ~4 year old kid, this has been extremely hard to watch. Even though I live in USA now, I don’t remember ever being this affected by a news cycle.
Wednesday evening when the news of totally-not-invasion first broke was tough. Thursday was basically a write off. Friday was luckily so busy I didn’t have time for interneting.
Ultimately what worked was to remind myself all this is outside the sphere of my influence, there’s nothing actionable I can do, and following minute-by-minute news is just giving someone else free reign of my mind. Don’t need people’s hot takes and armchair analysis. A daily balanced report from a proper journalist outfit is enough.
edit: What has also helped was deciding early on that should this go beyond Ukraine into the rest of Europe, I’m flying my family out immediately. There’s only 918 miles by road between Kyiv and where my family lives. Making that decision in advance and with clear pull-the-trigger criteria makes it easier to stop stressing.
[^1] Slovenia
Wednesday evening when the news of totally-not-invasion first broke was tough. Thursday was basically a write off. Friday was luckily so busy I didn’t have time for interneting.
Ultimately what worked was to remind myself all this is outside the sphere of my influence, there’s nothing actionable I can do, and following minute-by-minute news is just giving someone else free reign of my mind. Don’t need people’s hot takes and armchair analysis. A daily balanced report from a proper journalist outfit is enough.
edit: What has also helped was deciding early on that should this go beyond Ukraine into the rest of Europe, I’m flying my family out immediately. There’s only 918 miles by road between Kyiv and where my family lives. Making that decision in advance and with clear pull-the-trigger criteria makes it easier to stop stressing.
[^1] Slovenia
I had some issues with a sort of generalized need to frequently check updates like this in the past. Maybe a noteworthy world event, maybe just national signing day for some NCAA sport or a pro draft, an argument on some phpBB forum. Breaking it was largely a matter of not having access. I was in the Army a while and often not engaged in work where you can shift attention all that easily or safely. Then when I got out, I was doing mostly classified work from a SCIF where I had no Internet access at my primary workstation. Just having that sort of small effort barrier was enough. I lived without a constant info dump update feed scrawling through my eyeballs for many years and realized it made no difference and I did not need that. It's not that I now watch or read no news ever, but infrequently, mostly on weekends. I still kind of care about sports but not nearly as much. Hacker News is the only site I still visit where I can comment and receive feedback, but I make no effort whatsoever to see if anyone has replied to try and reply back.
If you find you can't do it through sheer willpower alone, there are plenty of ways to more or less simulate an airgap. Various browser extensions can block sites during work hours. If you find yourself turning it off all the time, you can make it harder on yourself by keeping a set of firewall rules at your router or DNS rules at a filtering provider that takes more than a click or two to turn off. If you're using company issued workstations from an office and they don't block the sites you find yourself wasting time on and don't allow you to install extensions or configure your own DNS, those won't work. A less drastic possibility is listening to news via radio as a constant background noise type of thing, or possibly even a television feed. At least that way you can still work while receiving updates. It should be less addictive since it's non-interactive and the feed is not algorithmically curated to be maximally addictive to you personally.
If you find you can't do it through sheer willpower alone, there are plenty of ways to more or less simulate an airgap. Various browser extensions can block sites during work hours. If you find yourself turning it off all the time, you can make it harder on yourself by keeping a set of firewall rules at your router or DNS rules at a filtering provider that takes more than a click or two to turn off. If you're using company issued workstations from an office and they don't block the sites you find yourself wasting time on and don't allow you to install extensions or configure your own DNS, those won't work. A less drastic possibility is listening to news via radio as a constant background noise type of thing, or possibly even a television feed. At least that way you can still work while receiving updates. It should be less addictive since it's non-interactive and the feed is not algorithmically curated to be maximally addictive to you personally.
> If you find yourself turning it off all the time, you can make it harder on yourself by keeping a set of firewall rules at your router or DNS rules at a filtering provider that takes more than a click or two to turn off.
I tried that wiht my hosts file (/etc/hosts) and failed since it's a password and a comment character to enable the site back on. I do not control the firewall on the WiFi where I have my work setup.
I tried that wiht my hosts file (/etc/hosts) and failed since it's a password and a comment character to enable the site back on. I do not control the firewall on the WiFi where I have my work setup.
It's definitely tricky and I find myself doing the same, refreshing Reddit, BBC News, Twitter and Telegram channels.
It sucks, and I bet the closer (geographically) you are to the conflict, the worse it gets.
Trying to do your routine helps sometimes, but I don't think it's feasible to completely forget about what's happening.
It sucks, and I bet the closer (geographically) you are to the conflict, the worse it gets.
Trying to do your routine helps sometimes, but I don't think it's feasible to completely forget about what's happening.
Find somewhere public to work. Its a lot harder to sit unproductively doomscrolling while sitting in a café with other people around. Its not as productive as a regular day at home but its better than nothing. At least for me anyways.
This may help you
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/hatethenews
http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/hatethenews
How did you keep your focus on working for the last several years, while the war has been raging in Yemen? Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Yemen, with a millions displaced and starved to death - many orders of magnitude greater than the death and suffering that has taken place in Ukraine.
Unfortunately it is because "new sources" generate your outrage and decide what you are going to focus on. This is not to say what's happening in Ukraine isn't a tragedy or that we all shouldn't be concerned, but it is to say that there are tragedies and wars raging around the world all the time that are far worse than what is happening in Ukraine today. Many are familiar with Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" which details exactly this issue. If you are obsessed with Russia's war on Ukraine and barely give a passing thought to the much more deadly and horrific Saudi/US war on Yemen you ought to consider why exactly that is.
Unfortunately it is because "new sources" generate your outrage and decide what you are going to focus on. This is not to say what's happening in Ukraine isn't a tragedy or that we all shouldn't be concerned, but it is to say that there are tragedies and wars raging around the world all the time that are far worse than what is happening in Ukraine today. Many are familiar with Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent" which details exactly this issue. If you are obsessed with Russia's war on Ukraine and barely give a passing thought to the much more deadly and horrific Saudi/US war on Yemen you ought to consider why exactly that is.
> How did you keep your focus on working for the last several years, while the war has been raging in Yemen? Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Yemen, with a millions displaced and starved to death - many orders of magnitude greater than the death and suffering that has taken place in Ukraine.
Your entire premise is fraudulent: of course all people do not matter to all people equally the same. Family, tribe, city, state, nation, culture, ethnicity, race, class, religion. People choose to care about other people based on such qualifications as a matter of routine throughout all of history, it is normal and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
If you're in Britain and your family is in Ukraine, of course you're going to care more about what's going on in Ukraine than what is going on in Yemen. If you're second or third generation Ukrainian in the US, of course you're likely to care a lot more about what's going on in Ukraine than in Yemen.
If you culturally relate to Ukrainians far more than you culturally relate to people in Yemen, of course you're going to be drawn to what's going on in Europe more than in Yemen. That's perfectly normal and entirely moral.
You don't have to care about every person on the planet equally, and any claim to the contrary is espousing not only an immoral philosophy but an impossible one: you couldn't follow such a value system even if you tried. Such an impossible value system is only built to drown people in guilt and control, it serves no other purpose.
Your entire premise is fraudulent: of course all people do not matter to all people equally the same. Family, tribe, city, state, nation, culture, ethnicity, race, class, religion. People choose to care about other people based on such qualifications as a matter of routine throughout all of history, it is normal and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
If you're in Britain and your family is in Ukraine, of course you're going to care more about what's going on in Ukraine than what is going on in Yemen. If you're second or third generation Ukrainian in the US, of course you're likely to care a lot more about what's going on in Ukraine than in Yemen.
If you culturally relate to Ukrainians far more than you culturally relate to people in Yemen, of course you're going to be drawn to what's going on in Europe more than in Yemen. That's perfectly normal and entirely moral.
You don't have to care about every person on the planet equally, and any claim to the contrary is espousing not only an immoral philosophy but an impossible one: you couldn't follow such a value system even if you tried. Such an impossible value system is only built to drown people in guilt and control, it serves no other purpose.
None of those tragedies as you call them had the direct potential to turn nuclear based on the threats of one of the parties involved.
Is it somehow weird to be, as an European, more concerned by internationally escalating Russian invasion warfare in Europe than by civil war in Yemen? Of course war is shit always, but I don't see how "oh, there are other bad things also" is a helpful analysis of the situation.
No, but as an American, it is somehow weird for my fellow Americans to be more concerned with a war between European nations than a war we are actively engaged in.
> How did you keep your focus on working for the last several years, while the war has been raging in Yemen? Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Yemen, with a millions displaced and starved to death - many orders of magnitude greater than the death and suffering that has taken place in Ukraine.
My question was about recent events - I am not diminishing any other wars ever stated, at all. Disclosure: I am a pacifist.
My question was about recent events - I am not diminishing any other wars ever stated, at all. Disclosure: I am a pacifist.
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Seeing the Ukranians on my team log in for work (even though they have been told there is no expectation to do so given the situation, but saying they do so for the distraction it offers them) simply emboldens my already considerable respect for them.
If they can work from within an active war zone (Kyiv) I can do so from the comfort of my northern european couch.
If they can work from within an active war zone (Kyiv) I can do so from the comfort of my northern european couch.
It is rational to ignore information about things we cannot affect.
Your energy is much better used in other ways.
Your energy is much better used in other ways.
It's also rational to be affected by things we cannot affect as well though. Your comment could be interpetted as saying that it is irrational to not ignore these things.
Unfortunately, platitudes are not always the answer.
Unfortunately, platitudes are not always the answer.
>It's also rational to be affected by things we cannot affect as well though.
It's natural to be affected by things we cannot affect, but it is not rational.
A rational agent or rational being is a person or entity that always aims to perform optimal actions based on given premises and information.[0] Thus, an agent that spends energy analyzing impossible scenarions cannot be rational.
>Your comment could be interpetted as saying that it is irrational to not ignore these things.
That would be a valid interpretation of my comment.
It's natural to be affected by things we cannot affect, but it is not rational.
A rational agent or rational being is a person or entity that always aims to perform optimal actions based on given premises and information.[0] Thus, an agent that spends energy analyzing impossible scenarions cannot be rational.
>Your comment could be interpetted as saying that it is irrational to not ignore these things.
That would be a valid interpretation of my comment.
I'm struggling with this too. I find that on any given day, once the "seal is opened" on the news, so to speak, it's very hard to close it. As soon as I start reading and doomscrolling, it becomes an incredible compulsion that's hard to break myself away from. But if I can just pull myself away from it for about an hour, the compulsion starts to fade. So I'm trying to restrict my news reading to 15-30 minutes once per day. That fulfills the urge to "be informed", while not endlessly scrolling through millions of uninformed opinions.
FYI, the war in Ukraine has been ongoing since 2014. You care more about the current developments because the media you follow care more about it. Unless you live in the region, there is nothing you can do about it and it is unlikely to have any effect on your day-to-day life, so turn off the news and focus on things you actually have leverage on.
Me? I never cared about that war and I still don't, just like I don't care about any of the currently ongoing wars (Yemen, Syria, whatever). Not following the news makes life generally less unpleasant.
Me? I never cared about that war and I still don't, just like I don't care about any of the currently ongoing wars (Yemen, Syria, whatever). Not following the news makes life generally less unpleasant.
You dont mention if you live in Ukraine, or if you have relatives there. If you don't, why are you glued to the news / Twitter? Why do you need a constant stream of updates?
News of international affairs has never caused me to solve a problem or reduce an anxiety in my own life or the life of thiose around me (quite the opposite), so I do not give it much weight in my mind.
Throughout the pandemic there have been genocidal actions in Ethiopia and China, Duterte in the Philippines has made an incredible number of “extrajudicial killings” and brought total tyranny on the populace, and I’m sure there have been many other atrocities of which I am unaware.
I might question why you are giving so much mental weight to this conflict. I understand nukes are involved via Russia’s involvement, but this isn’t Russia’s only military action in the last number of years. Could it be that you have been primed to take this particular conflict Very Seriously by a news media which regularly downplays conflicts with more casualties and cultural significance?
Throughout the pandemic there have been genocidal actions in Ethiopia and China, Duterte in the Philippines has made an incredible number of “extrajudicial killings” and brought total tyranny on the populace, and I’m sure there have been many other atrocities of which I am unaware.
I might question why you are giving so much mental weight to this conflict. I understand nukes are involved via Russia’s involvement, but this isn’t Russia’s only military action in the last number of years. Could it be that you have been primed to take this particular conflict Very Seriously by a news media which regularly downplays conflicts with more casualties and cultural significance?
I limit my news intake to just the Wikipedia's "Current events" portal page [1] which provides just the right amount of worldwide current events.
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events
If it’s just twitter then just keep a smallish window up somewhere with whatever the most trending thing is. If there’s a word bubble that kinda thing. Anything really pressing will rise on those fast enough. Otherwise carve out time for “just work” and “breaks to see what’s going on in the world.”
I just haven't been trying too hard on the work side. It's not that important. I knowingly allow my focus to regularly break, I don't care about that. I have friends in Ukraine and I'm glued to the news. I check it constantly.
I have friends and family in Israel. I'm used to working while missiles are flying.
Industrial civilization is already in a state of collapse, plenty of people on HN have done a great job doubling down on the "this is fine", but even prior to the Ukraine invasion, it was hard to put your head down an work for brighter future you know doesn't exist. The immediacy of the war in Ukraine is just harder for most people to ignore.
But just today we got another update from the IPCC [0] confirming what many people paying attention have already known: “Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.” Key phrase there being liveable future Most people on HN don't believe climate change will be that bad, but for those paying attention we're already on a ticking clock. In 2014 I saw all of this, 2020 onward being progressively worse was something I knew was inevitable.
End of the day you realize that you have to eat, pay rent, etc. so you have to work. Tech workers have had a really great luxury of possibly enjoying or even loving their day job, but that's not why people have to work. We've always lived in a kafkaesque world, tech workers have just been shielded from it.
The only advice is to try to cut out the news and twitter a bit. It's mostly disinformation on there anyway, nobody really knows exactly what's happening and plenty of people have an agenda to push.
Spend so more time consuming "slow" media. Read a novel, some philosophy, or just spend time listening to music. The world will be getting increasingly stressful over the years, it's a good idea to start figuring out how you are going to life in a world of loss.
0. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/ipcc-iss...
But just today we got another update from the IPCC [0] confirming what many people paying attention have already known: “Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future.” Key phrase there being liveable future Most people on HN don't believe climate change will be that bad, but for those paying attention we're already on a ticking clock. In 2014 I saw all of this, 2020 onward being progressively worse was something I knew was inevitable.
End of the day you realize that you have to eat, pay rent, etc. so you have to work. Tech workers have had a really great luxury of possibly enjoying or even loving their day job, but that's not why people have to work. We've always lived in a kafkaesque world, tech workers have just been shielded from it.
The only advice is to try to cut out the news and twitter a bit. It's mostly disinformation on there anyway, nobody really knows exactly what's happening and plenty of people have an agenda to push.
Spend so more time consuming "slow" media. Read a novel, some philosophy, or just spend time listening to music. The world will be getting increasingly stressful over the years, it's a good idea to start figuring out how you are going to life in a world of loss.
0. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/ipcc-iss...
The richer you are the more you can donate to assist the victims of war. So check the news only a few times a day and work hard to be in a position to help. I should follow my own advice.
Project Dynamo has caught my eye and I donated to them. They're helping citizens evacuate and flee to other countries. It's a registered non-profit and claims to be ran by military veterans.
I can't.
I'm treating parsing the news as an exercise in recognizing disinformation instead of just watching in horror. There's so many parties between what's actually happening and my news feed that I feel there's guaranteed to be genuine war-time propaganda showing up. I want to build the muscle required to recognize that stuff so that when the same tactics are used by/against my country later in life, I'll be practiced at calling it out.
That Ghost of Kyiv story? Immediately called the clip BS since it's like Propaganda 101. Turns out the video on my timeline was from a video game.
Approaching my news feed as a hostile reader takes enough effort/energy that I genuinely just get tired and put it down to do something else.
That Ghost of Kyiv story? Immediately called the clip BS since it's like Propaganda 101. Turns out the video on my timeline was from a video game.
Approaching my news feed as a hostile reader takes enough effort/energy that I genuinely just get tired and put it down to do something else.
Faces along the bar
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.
Cling to their average day:
The lights must never go out,
The music must always play,
All the conventions conspire
To make this fort assume
The furniture of home;
Lest we should see where we are,
Lost in a haunted wood,
Children afraid of the night
Who have never been happy or good.
It's ok to take a few days for your mental health and recuperation. Talk to your manager.
I work for myself hence my time is unregulated/untracked - there is no manager :)
Just like you did get work done when there was war in Afghanistan, Syria, …
Turn off all news and twitter during work hours.
Not being Ukrainian makes it somewhat easier i think, but it's still a very troubling situation.
Hopefully there are some sensible Russians who will prevent Putin from running amok.
My routine consists of checking Hacker News, CNN and local media with the purpose of checking up on any new developments.
One rule i try to live by is no commenting while at work.
And while there is no sympathy at all for Putin, i have no problems with the Russian people, they are still very much welcome.
Hopefully there are some sensible Russians who will prevent Putin from running amok.
My routine consists of checking Hacker News, CNN and local media with the purpose of checking up on any new developments.
One rule i try to live by is no commenting while at work.
And while there is no sympathy at all for Putin, i have no problems with the Russian people, they are still very much welcome.
You stop exposing yourself to news which most likely won’t affect you in any way, and you remember that if everyone stopped doing what they do and just sat there scared of Putin, it’d be his victory anyway.
add this to your hosts file
0.0.0.0 twitter.com
0.0.0.0 twitter.com
I ignore it. It isn't that hard.
atanasovskib(1)
How do you keep your focus on working during these times?