Something else is just not to be obsessed by intelligence. I noticed this quite often with programmers. They are smart people, for whom intelligence is important in their job, but also often who were the "nerds" at school and not very popular. So intelligence was what made them better than these kids who made fun of them, and it became really important to them, to the point of becoming how they identify themselves. They are the smart kid. So when they meet someone smarter than them, it's like an existential threat for them. I know I was like that, it's only when I had a family and other priorities that I made my peace with it.
Great observation Feakos. I can definitely relate to this. Although I'm glad I've gotten better at dealing with it as I've gotten more life experience (a couple of years out of college).
I was a nerd myself,now that part of me is no more.Actually glad for that,because what you said is true,for smart people their only reason for existing is that they're smart,which is pitiful.Having to hold on to just your brain when in pain and in joy-- no wonder some people accelerate way beyond their peers.
I have A.D.D.(Attention Deficit Disorder). All my life I was put in classes for "slow learners." I was working as a window washer and the economy collapsed in 2007. I went back to college, was majoring in biochemistry. I completed all the chemistry classes including organic chemistry 2 then I switched to Software Engineering. Being smart or dumb has been a big echo in my life. Don't put limits on yourself or your life. That's what it really boils down to. I would not compare myself to Bill Gates in terms of intellect. Meaning, I won't say he is smarter or dumber than me. I would look at what Bill Gates actually did and think to myself, "how can I do something similar or do it better?" Are Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg geniuses with a super high IQ? Doubtful. I am sure they are relatively smart, but nothing extraordinary. All they did was create something useful that benefited others at the right time in history. Nothing more complicated than that. We all have the same potential and capability as someone like Bill Gates. The limiting factor is really our mentality. If I say to myself, "I could never do something like Bill Gates." I wouldn't even try and thus I would have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I believe it ultimately boils down to motivation. I knew how I envisioned my life and I always pictured myself successful. II did not want to live a life living pay check to pay check. When I was window washing I did take some programming courses just for fun. When I went to school seriously my goal was biochemistry. I had some computer courses under my belt I thought to do a double major in biochem and computer science. I had no choice but to go to school to achieve my goal of not living paycheck to paycheck making ends meat. I started out in prealgebra and some basic computer courses(they were easy because I had experience). After I got into algebra 2 I focused on chemistry. I would just take 2 courses math and chemistry. That was all I could handle. Chemistry is very hard for most people. When I changed my major fully to Software Engineering it is like math and chemistry prepared me for a higher course load. General ed classes are pretty much a joke to me they're so easy. I also received assistance from the school to get double time on my tests. It ultimately boils down to your desire to succeed. I have to finish school, no way around it. If I fail a class I just take it again. One way or another I will get my degree. The people who drop out of school(special ed or not) have a limited mindset(according to some studies). If they do badly in a test or school they think they're dumb and their intellect is limited. People who succeed do not tie their grades to their intellect. They always think, "I can do better next time." Oh, and computer courses have always been easy for me. I think because I programmed a lot on my own. The post is longer than expected.
I think it's just people in general. I look around me, and I don't mean to be rude but I just see most people in life just spinning their wheels with no growth. I also forgot to mention most of my life I have read self help/motivation/success type books, DVD's and audio. That was a huge part of my life as well.
Most do not believe change is possible. Motivation comes in 2 parts. You must believe you can achieve the goal and you almost must desire to achieve the goal. Most do not believe they can achieve it. That's what I think.
@Miroslave, The main reason I went to college at the age of 28 was because I wanted to be a Navy SEAL. I tried hard for many years. The cut off age for them is 28. Obviously, I was not successful. It was something I wanted more than anything in the world. Now, I look back and I am grateful I was not able to do it. I guess I do see what you mean. If someone is trying to get a degree all their life they may not be successful. Honestly, I think college is a scam and waste of money in most cases. The only except if you get yourself a good major. This would be computer science, engineering or something in the medical field.
It's not only that some people are naturally faster at learning new things than others. Some people put more time into learning these things. When I started university I had already put thousands of enjoyable hours into programming in many different languages. I was one of only 2 people in my whole year from 3 separate courses that got 100% on the Java programming exam. It wasn't that I was smarter than the others, I just had a massive head start.
It is a struggle especially for me because I had parents who did not finish high school, or even went to college, and being the person who I am from both my parents family , being the first generation to actually get a college degree brings a lot of pressure on me because some kids were well taught when they were little when they had parents who guided them correctly because there parents probably had college degrees which helped there child develop this mindset when they were young age, while growing up with parents who were not like that, brings a lot of pressure on me.
SamuraiClashR I had it the same (my parents were even mocking me for my interest in math and programming). It feels unfair and lonely to realize that we weren't given the principles to ground our decisions in, but it is an opportunity to really make our very own ones.
IMHO...it's about two things...desire and focus. We are all given the same tools (...very, very good tools) and we chose to focus what we do with them through desire. The more desire the better the tool, but unfortunately that tool is only honed by the focused of the desire. Example, I seriously doubt anyone a Google or Facebook would have level of sensitivity/intelligence to put this video together as well as the in music you do. Different set of desires, different sets of focus, different tool set. Your'e the best. Thanks...
Cool video man. I agree with what you are saying. I have a habit of comparing myself to other developers and it always seems like they are so far ahead but if I stop and think back, every year I am doing something new that just seemed way outside of my ability the previous year. So long as you are growing every year, you will get there eventually.
really good concept of just making videos off the cuff, winging it, and having uncensored, unedited thoughts about the real world. keep it up. Would love to see more of those. Some topic suggestions: life hacks, building habits, stop worrying about high expectations.
It's true what you are saying about people smarter than oneself. I think it's something that no one should worry about because there will always be someone smarter than you anyway (not in everything). The good news is that everyone has a weak points and noone can be absolutely smart. It's a lot healthier to focus and improve on our capacity than comparing ourselves with the smartest person we've met.
Man, watching your videos gives so much motivation for me, even the videos I don't understand. I started college pursuing management and psychology, but it felt really lacking so I shifted my course to programming halfway through college and extended a year. An holy sh** did I feel so so stupid. But you're videos helped me change my mindset so much, and comforted me through finals week :) Keep it up mate
Books are usually more insightful than videos though. I've read movies that I have watched and most times the book describes things much more in depth. Plus I think reading takes more imagination and interpretation.
I agree. Dave. I have friends who are intelligent and they tell me that sometimes because they are gifted or its in the works from the genes pass down from generation to generation, I have a friend who got his Bachelor's of Science in BioChem, and then he decided to go from the Bachelors of Science in BioChem and skipped Masters degree, and went straight to get his PhD, he told me that it was in the genes, because he has family members and uncles who have PhD degrees, and M.D degrees. I guess that just explains that if you really want something you have to do work harder then the others, and if it takes that much time then so be it as long as I don't give up.
SamuraiClashR I totally agree, but lately, I have started doubting this mindset. I have been dedicated to education my whole life, hoping I would get smarter and I have, but there is probably person specific limit to it. Some of my more talented peers who have also worked hard will always think faster and outperform me. There is no way around it and I think that the best we can do is to make peace with it and try to be the best versions of ourselves.
Yeah, it's 100% genetic. The offspring of the educational and economic elites receive no advantage simply by having the good fortune to be born to parents who already know how to manipulate the system to their own (and more importantly to their children's) advantage. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error
i personally dont think intelligence is something you either have or you dont. its about your interest level in a certain thing. everyone that was amazing and went down in history for something was genuinely interested in it and loved it. you just gotta find that thing you love if that makes sense.
I had a group-mates in my university that during the freshman year was miles ahead of us, he was on the same level with guys that were attending the master’s program. During the Sophomore year he was on the teacher’s level, sometimes he got his point across and explained to the teachers why they were wrong at some situations. I got to know the guy better during the sophomore year and I realized that he was obsessed with the finance and banking. He always dreamed to be in the field, he spent all his spare time learning, watching videos about economy and reading economical/finance books. He abandoned his personal life to be successful at his dream. Was he smart? Yeah! Was he a genius? Maybe. Did he work harder than all of us? 100% yes. That’s what I think distinguish those exceptional people from regular specialist. Liking your profession is not enough to be exceptional, you have to be obsessed with what you do in order to stand out.
hi man, i'm from mauritius and have the habit of watching your videos.. that you said is real, in my country our mindset is when people are smarter than us is to let them do whatever they want with us.. if we can find our bugs of confidence the world would be better.. by the way, your videos are very helpful specially the one explaining software layering..keep it up
damn, I needed this. I keep comparing myself to my peers of my age and i feel the inequity and unfairness when i noticed my peers doing better than in education and career. every year i am earning more and learning more knowledge and skills but i can still the feel inequity and it honestly farks up my mind
I know youre a software engineer but this video really helped me realize my potential in my acting class. I can't compare myself with other actors who are doing better because I have to not compare and I know i'll get better in my own time and my time will come. and besides im also a programmer! thanks dave for your insight and sensible truth.
Mate, thank you so much. You just gave me the answer to the question bothering me for a long time. I was constantly feeling so frustrated when I see those super smart prodigies. They are all younger than me and are doing a fantastic job. I think it's partially because of the education I got from Asia, which doesn't encourage creative mind and most of us were trained as an employee. We stayed in school too long as well. A bunch of things I realised very late until many years of work. I fell behind a lot and I notice I was constantly in a process of catching up others. You are right about I shall put more focus on myself and the one I shall really compare with is myself. This is very important for me. I have friends who are younger than me and are already working in like Google, FB, etc. I was having a mindset that if I failed the interviews of those companies, I am inferior to my friends. This is the fear in me and the fear which I have to get rid of. Funny thing is, although I am saying this and feel like I have understood it, I can still feel the fear is ingrained. I think it's just too deep and it's going to take a while to really ditch this thought one day. Or maybe I should repeatedly watch this video =P. Anyway, mate, show you my gratitude and respect. Cheers.
Going through some rough times right now with some feelings of inadequacy. Thanks for making this video. I've stumbled upon a few of your other videos before this one and they are all great content.
Comparing is just a necessity that we can’t run away from. But yet again, the outcome of the efforts that we already put into did not turned out as what we hoped for, now that sucks.
I am a freshman at university,and it has only been a month and a half but we are already taking midterms,well anyways,...we had a mock physics exam last week and i had trouble with time management and i also forgot a few basic stuff because of the time problem.But when the results came out,i had noticed i got a score lower than of my peers' and since then i have just been stressing out and trying to understand why everyone did better than me and why cannot i understand physics just as well as them.Now after watching this,i feel slightly relieved.
This is great. This is nice to listen to. I thought I was only one of the few people that think about this. My highschool is pressuring with a bunch of younger people with an amazingly developed mind. It hurts my own self-worth a bit.
the nice thing is it doesn't matter if it's true or not if you think like this, you see the world a better way and you may grow a little bit faster like the other people who are smarter than you just because you see things more clear
what i think....being smart is the process,,,,, when you are in company with smarter people you will begin to think as they think.it's not about who learned faster or slower it's about learning and learn, just really surround yourself with smart and smarter than you people.....soon you will be counted as smarter too,,, and the who didn't surround himself with smart peoples, from his perspective you are smarter ,,because he's not doing what you are doing.. if he starts hang around with smarter people he will become smart too..
I really liked this video. It's also important to note that development is often asynchronous. To take an extreme example, the prodigies going to college at age 10 may not be the most socially gifted; conversely, those who are party animals in high school often struggle to find a niche later in life. There are many, many dimensions on which to compare yourself, unfavorably or otherwise, and it really is best not to make direct comparisons with peers.
Hey, none of us are immune to those feelings. It's alright. I feel that too sometimes. You should talk to some of them though, and see what's going on in the head. All that glitters is not gold-know what I mean?
u are so amazing.yesterday itself i was in this dilemma n overwhelming state when ones feels he/she lacking behind and people of their age r so much excelling. i am so obsessed with competition n winning that i waste a lot of my energy n time racing for the stuffs not even worth it. n it really hurts my self esteem and confidence. but as u say comparing with prodigies ,nah nt a fair comparison.
I am frustrated because I was a brilliant kid. Really special, but my father used to abuse me verbally all the time and humiliate me. That took a toll on my self esteem and also was so messed up emotionally that could not do well enough at college. I graduated though, but my GPA was unimpressive. Consequently other guys had better jobs out of college. I have alway felt that I was running behind and playing catch up on all aspects of my life. Now at age sixty I am in no position to retire and trying to switch to s/w development. I am an Electrical Engineer, and talented, but my career record not satisfactory.
Hey Iron Nerd. Thanks for commenting. I'm sure you are highly skilled in whatever you do. I find it unfortunate that everything is trending towards software. This is also what some of my highly qualified engineers peers are doing. What they studied and are currently doing is much more difficult than software, but it just isn't in demand, and more money is to be made in software it seems. Hit me up if you want to chat davex.inc@gmail.com
Good Video. I work with Kids like he describes as "Gifted." All my students have taken IQ tests and are classified [top .5%] as Special Ed who need advanced curriculum the same way others need curriculum that is paced differently. They make good workers, but struggle to do things others do. They rarely make good entrepreneurs in comparison to the rest of the population, and struggle to find normalcy as adults. The grass isn't necessarily greener. Those kids just peak early because things in early life revolve around how well you do in school.
Hi Dave! I've just recently discovered your channel and have found it both informative and enjoyable. I've recently begun resuming school with a new track in C.S. I wanna ask if you might provide a video concerning moving into the professional field of computer science with a criminal record. My early twenties are plagued with run-ins w/ the law because of my excessive partying and alcohol abuse. If you might have any advice or information on getting a job with such marks against one, that would be hugely helpful. Thanks and keep up the great work. Cheers!
These a pretty cool way to do your vids and yeah I think it looks a bit weird to talk to yourself a bit but you're in the city so you probably see weirder everyday lol
how long have you lived in NYC? Im planning on moving there sometime this year, I was wondering what it took to handle the city life there? (ive always lived in the south) thanks!
Hi- I apologize if you've already answered this before, but how do you live in NYC on a developer's salary? Do you have extra income, or can one actually do it? Thanks
How do you keep progression forward? I'm doing a phd in systems biology and my programming is getting stagnate because the effort to improve just feels too demanding.
Thanks, yea Vlog is awkward for me, but I could try doing it more. Best way is to check meetup.com and search for the tech keywords. There might be something, but can't guarantee anything.
I believe there is some critical period of development past which the speed of learning new cognitive skills is greatly reduced... and by cognitive skills i'm talking about the critical thinking skills necessary to become a well-paid professional in an intellectually demanding field. I think the point of pre K-12 education is to expose students to a variety of cognitive tasks so that they can then be self-directed on a path to success and personal fulfillment. Children who develop cognitive skills earlier in life tend to master those skills at a higher level and outperform those who are exposed later in their development. Parents who understand this critical period phenomenon probably push their kids to quickly develop the skill sets and motivation necessary to sustain them throughout their academic career. The rest of us tend to find our motivation later in life when the pressure of the rat race is already upon us. But by then it's too late.
3:16 "If you see other people at your similar age or your similar level doing better than you..." What about people half your age with significantly less experience earning tens of thousands of dollars more than you do while simulaneously receiving astronomically overvalued stock? The lie that was foisted upon me when I was young was "We can't hire you--we need the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers are just so experienced. They're the most specialiest generation ever to set foot on this planet." Now that the children of the Baby Boomers have entered the workforce, the new lie is that "We can't hire you--we need the children of the Baby Boomers. The children of the Baby Boomers are just so innovative. They're the most innovationiest generation ever to set foot on this planet. And by 'innovation', we mean 'reinventing the wheel and slapping a new name on it'."
Thanks for a great inspirational video! I have a question. If all goes according to plans I will study computer engineering this fall and I can't wait to get started! I have been interested in computers for the greater part of my life but for some reason I never thought of actually studying it at uni until this year. I have for example basically no experience at all with programming. Again, I'm thrilled to begin, but I'm also a bit worried. I worry a bit about how much I should try to learn before I attend uni. I'm planning to spend a fair amount of time this summer to prepare myself for the higher studies, but I'm honestly not sure exactly what I should focus on. Should I just try to play around with programming randomly, or should I focus on understanding basic computer science? What could benefit me the most? I suppose anything is better than nothing, but I feel like I could really need some guidance here. Any help appreciated!
Congratz on getting into University for computer engineering, that sounds great. There's not much you can do. I would read introductory material to get as much context as you can before classes start. Don't worry about this too much. You will psych yourself out if you try to prep too much, I'm sure you will be fine. You can read more for your own interests, that always helps. Best of luck
Really need this video! I'm headed to Carnegie Mellon in the fall and I was definitely scared of the competition and comparing myself to my peers. I've been looking for UA-camrs who went to/attend CMU :)
kangdoom12345 Keep practicing. It's basically the only way. You seem to have the basics down but I'm sure grammar and some spelling is harder. Try to always have conversations I'm English when possible. Be active on a message board or subreddit that is in English.
Let's face it - some kids are more intelligent because of genetic, hereditary reasons. Some might have had a better start, that is come from a more affluent background and their parents knew how to develop their talents.
This really reminds me of the story in Malcom Gladwell's book called "Outliers". And I forget all the details, but there's this guy who apparently has an IQ of like close to 200 or something, and he couldn't even graduate college. Is he "smarter" than people at Google? Yep. But the people who work at Google have something else. Even average people have something else. And it could just just be as simple as knowing someone, or social skills, etc. Doesn't always mean they're smarter.
About famous successful people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. In their case, it really is not so much about being smart, but also about being in the right place at the right time. In the case of Apple, the first computers were built and designed by Steve Wozniak, from off the shell parts, that were made available by the development of integrated circuits during the past two or three decades before. Graphical UI and mouse also are not ideas of Steve Jobs. Steve saw them at Xerox, and in some form the idea existed already before that. Steve was a good business man tough, good at marketing and building a brand. Gates and Jobs are of course smart people, but they are just the top of the iceberg. There is massive amount of people who have worked in their companies and for their products to make what they have now, and there was a lot of very important work and inventions already before these companies, that get no credit at all. Media often mystifies the founders or leaders of certain now successful companies a little too much, forgetting that they are only one person, and their personal contribution may only be one small piece of it all. Like when it comes to computers, pretty much all most important inventions were already made before Apple or Microsoft. Usually in difficult things, it is not smartness that defines success in the long run, but the amount of correct kind of developing practice and perseverance. This may be the case with the programmers you were comparing yourself to also. Some people have some programming knowledge already before they begin studying it seriously, so it may appear like they are extremely smart. But how often is the reason just that they have done it before?
Something else is just not to be obsessed by intelligence. I noticed this quite often with programmers. They are smart people, for whom intelligence is important in their job, but also often who were the "nerds" at school and not very popular. So intelligence was what made them better than these kids who made fun of them, and it became really important to them, to the point of becoming how they identify themselves. They are the smart kid. So when they meet someone smarter than them, it's like an existential threat for them. I know I was like that, it's only when I had a family and other priorities that I made my peace with it.
Feakos Now, imagine being like that and actually not smart at all! It is painful, trust me...
This is a great comment, thanks for sharing.
Great observation Feakos.
I can definitely relate to this. Although I'm glad I've gotten better at dealing with it as I've gotten more life experience (a couple of years out of college).
This was me and I realize it was tearing myself apart. Now I'm trying hard to detach from this mentality.
I was a nerd myself,now that part of me is no more.Actually glad for that,because what you said is true,for smart people their only reason for existing is that they're smart,which is pitiful.Having to hold on to just your brain when in pain and in joy-- no wonder some people accelerate way beyond their peers.
Dont compare yourself to your peers, compare yourself to who you were yesterday. Great video man!
Jacob Wilkins pretty good words of wisdom for the day tomorrow we'll talk about life goals.
I have A.D.D.(Attention Deficit Disorder). All my life I was put in classes for "slow learners." I was working as a window washer and the economy collapsed in 2007. I went back to college, was majoring in biochemistry. I completed all the chemistry classes including organic chemistry 2 then I switched to Software Engineering.
Being smart or dumb has been a big echo in my life. Don't put limits on yourself or your life. That's what it really boils down to. I would not compare myself to Bill Gates in terms of intellect. Meaning, I won't say he is smarter or dumber than me. I would look at what Bill Gates actually did and think to myself, "how can I do something similar or do it better?"
Are Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg geniuses with a super high IQ? Doubtful. I am sure they are relatively smart, but nothing extraordinary. All they did was create something useful that benefited others at the right time in history. Nothing more complicated than that.
We all have the same potential and capability as someone like Bill Gates. The limiting factor is really our mentality. If I say to myself, "I could never do something like Bill Gates." I wouldn't even try and thus I would have created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I believe it ultimately boils down to motivation. I knew how I envisioned my life and I always pictured myself successful. II did not want to live a life living pay check to pay check.
When I was window washing I did take some programming courses just for fun. When I went to school seriously my goal was biochemistry. I had some computer courses under my belt I thought to do a double major in biochem and computer science.
I had no choice but to go to school to achieve my goal of not living paycheck to paycheck making ends meat. I started out in prealgebra and some basic computer courses(they were easy because I had experience).
After I got into algebra 2 I focused on chemistry. I would just take 2 courses math and chemistry. That was all I could handle. Chemistry is very hard for most people. When I changed my major fully to Software Engineering it is like math and chemistry prepared me for a higher course load.
General ed classes are pretty much a joke to me they're so easy. I also received assistance from the school to get double time on my tests.
It ultimately boils down to your desire to succeed. I have to finish school, no way around it. If I fail a class I just take it again. One way or another I will get my degree.
The people who drop out of school(special ed or not) have a limited mindset(according to some studies). If they do badly in a test or school they think they're dumb and their intellect is limited. People who succeed do not tie their grades to their intellect. They always think, "I can do better next time." Oh, and computer courses have always been easy for me. I think because I programmed a lot on my own.
The post is longer than expected.
I think it's just people in general. I look around me, and I don't mean to be rude but I just see most people in life just spinning their wheels with no growth. I also forgot to mention most of my life I have read self help/motivation/success type books, DVD's and audio. That was a huge part of my life as well.
Most do not believe change is possible. Motivation comes in 2 parts. You must believe you can achieve the goal and you almost must desire to achieve the goal. Most do not believe they can achieve it. That's what I think.
asmcriminaL But if you tried your whole life achieve something (which may or may not be) impossible, you would be equally unhappy at the end...
@Miroslave, The main reason I went to college at the age of 28 was because I wanted to be a Navy SEAL. I tried hard for many years. The cut off age for them is 28. Obviously, I was not successful. It was something I wanted more than anything in the world. Now, I look back and I am grateful I was not able to do it.
I guess I do see what you mean. If someone is trying to get a degree all their life they may not be successful. Honestly, I think college is a scam and waste of money in most cases. The only except if you get yourself a good major. This would be computer science, engineering or something in the medical field.
It's not only that some people are naturally faster at learning new things than others. Some people put more time into learning these things. When I started university I had already put thousands of enjoyable hours into programming in many different languages. I was one of only 2 people in my whole year from 3 separate courses that got 100% on the Java programming exam. It wasn't that I was smarter than the others, I just had a massive head start.
It is a struggle especially for me because I had parents who did not finish high school, or even went to college, and being the person who I am from both my parents family , being the first generation to actually get a college degree brings a lot of pressure on me because some kids were well taught when they were little when they had parents who guided them correctly because there parents probably had college degrees which helped there child develop this mindset when they were young age, while growing up with parents who were not like that, brings a lot of pressure on me.
SamuraiClashR I had it the same (my parents were even mocking me for my interest in math and programming). It feels unfair and lonely to realize that we weren't given the principles to ground our decisions in, but it is an opportunity to really make our very own ones.
SamuraiClashR me too... expecially the thought of "I dont want to turn out like them" makes it feel like a burden ☹️
That's my parents. No guidance ... nothing..uneducated.. its biting me in the ass now when i am old.
Thanks so much, Dave! You just made a big difference in my life and my mindset
Dave, you never fail me to give me important insight. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos!
Thank you for the kind words, that's the kind of stuff that is motivating. As long as people find it helpful, I will continue
the time line thing is so true, I think the point is how smart you are at "the end" of the time line.
IMHO...it's about two things...desire and focus. We are all given the same tools (...very, very good tools) and we chose to focus what we do with them through desire. The more desire the better the tool, but unfortunately that tool is only honed by the focused of the desire.
Example, I seriously doubt anyone a Google or Facebook would have level of sensitivity/intelligence to put this video together as well as the in music you do. Different set of desires, different sets of focus, different tool set.
Your'e the best.
Thanks...
Audio was good, and value was great. Thanks for the reminder!
Cool video man. I agree with what you are saying. I have a habit of comparing myself to other developers and it always seems like they are so far ahead but if I stop and think back, every year I am doing something new that just seemed way outside of my ability the previous year. So long as you are growing every year, you will get there eventually.
That's awesome. I recently discovered your videos since I'm learning software stuff for my masters degree. I've been to NYC once, I loved it!
love your channel man. great content, wisdom and no bullshit.
this is kickass wisdom I never found anywhere else
this video deserves more views and likes
Dave, Well said. I was pretty mad at myself that i was not gifted. But now i realise i should stop comparing myself with others but myself.
Excellent comment. I just came to that conclusion recently. Thanks for sharing.
really good concept of just making videos off the cuff, winging it, and having uncensored, unedited thoughts about the real world.
keep it up. Would love to see more of those. Some topic suggestions: life hacks, building habits, stop worrying about high expectations.
I've been watching your videos lately and realize that you talk about interesting issues in a good way. Thanks for sharing it.
It's true what you are saying about people smarter than oneself. I think it's something that no one should worry about because there will always be someone smarter than you anyway (not in everything). The good news is that everyone has a weak points and noone can be absolutely smart. It's a lot healthier to focus and improve on our capacity than comparing ourselves with the smartest person we've met.
Man, watching your videos gives so much motivation for me, even the videos I don't understand. I started college pursuing management and psychology, but it felt really lacking so I shifted my course to programming halfway through college and extended a year. An holy sh** did I feel so so stupid. But you're videos helped me change my mindset so much, and comforted me through finals week :) Keep it up mate
I love this new style of your video, giving value and vlogging, keep it up Dave!
Read the book Outliers. it explains this in detail.
we are in a digital age. only losers read books. Nowadays people watch videos to get insights, knowledge and skills. please stop living in the past.
Books are usually more insightful than videos though. I've read movies that I have watched and most times the book describes things much more in depth. Plus I think reading takes more imagination and interpretation.
Pete S.
don't listen to him, you can like watch the videos to have an overall idea but it is not going to replace reading and it's benefits
little big big LOL OK then.
@@joellim7010 Yes , That is why losers like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffet, Gary Vee and Mark Zuckerberg read books every day.
I agree. Dave. I have friends who are intelligent and they tell me that sometimes because they are gifted or its in the works from the genes pass down from generation to generation, I have a friend who got his Bachelor's of Science in BioChem, and then he decided to go from the Bachelors of Science in BioChem and skipped Masters degree, and went straight to get his PhD, he told me that it was in the genes, because he has family members and uncles who have PhD degrees, and M.D degrees. I guess that just explains that if you really want something you have to do work harder then the others, and if it takes that much time then so be it as long as I don't give up.
SamuraiClashR I totally agree, but lately, I have started doubting this mindset. I have been dedicated to education my whole life, hoping I would get smarter and I have, but there is probably person specific limit to it. Some of my more talented peers who have also worked hard will always think faster and outperform me. There is no way around it and I think that the best we can do is to make peace with it and try to be the best versions of ourselves.
Yeah, it's 100% genetic. The offspring of the educational and economic elites receive no advantage simply by having the good fortune to be born to parents who already know how to manipulate the system to their own (and more importantly to their children's) advantage.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error
i personally dont think intelligence is something you either have or you dont. its about your interest level in a certain thing. everyone that was amazing and went down in history for something was genuinely interested in it and loved it. you just gotta find that thing you love if that makes sense.
I had a group-mates in my university that during the freshman year was miles ahead of us, he was on the same level with guys that were attending the master’s program. During the Sophomore year he was on the teacher’s level, sometimes he got his point across and explained to the teachers why they were wrong at some situations. I got to know the guy better during the sophomore year and I realized that he was obsessed with the finance and banking. He always dreamed to be in the field, he spent all his spare time learning, watching videos about economy and reading economical/finance books. He abandoned his personal life to be successful at his dream. Was he smart? Yeah! Was he a genius? Maybe. Did he work harder than all of us? 100% yes. That’s what I think distinguish those exceptional people from regular specialist. Liking your profession is not enough to be exceptional, you have to be obsessed with what you do in order to stand out.
hi man, i'm from mauritius and have the habit of watching your videos.. that you said is real, in my country our mindset is when people are smarter than us is to let them do whatever they want with us.. if we can find our bugs of confidence the world would be better.. by the way, your videos are very helpful specially the one explaining software layering..keep it up
damn, I needed this. I keep comparing myself to my peers of my age and i feel the inequity and unfairness when i noticed my peers doing better than in education and career. every year i am earning more and learning more knowledge and skills but i can still the feel inequity and it honestly farks up my mind
I know youre a software engineer but this video really helped me realize my potential in my acting class. I can't compare myself with other actors who are doing better because I have to not compare and I know i'll get better in my own time and my time will come. and besides im also a programmer! thanks dave for your insight and sensible truth.
Mate, thank you so much. You just gave me the answer to the question bothering me for a long time. I was constantly feeling so frustrated when I see those super smart prodigies. They are all younger than me and are doing a fantastic job. I think it's partially because of the education I got from Asia, which doesn't encourage creative mind and most of us were trained as an employee. We stayed in school too long as well. A bunch of things I realised very late until many years of work. I fell behind a lot and I notice I was constantly in a process of catching up others. You are right about I shall put more focus on myself and the one I shall really compare with is myself.
This is very important for me. I have friends who are younger than me and are already working in like Google, FB, etc. I was having a mindset that if I failed the interviews of those companies, I am inferior to my friends. This is the fear in me and the fear which I have to get rid of. Funny thing is, although I am saying this and feel like I have understood it, I can still feel the fear is ingrained. I think it's just too deep and it's going to take a while to really ditch this thought one day.
Or maybe I should repeatedly watch this video =P. Anyway, mate, show you my gratitude and respect. Cheers.
Remember, that hard work and patience conquers all!
Going through some rough times right now with some feelings of inadequacy. Thanks for making this video. I've stumbled upon a few of your other videos before this one and they are all great content.
Thank you for the nice comment! Take care
This was a really great video with amazing advice. Thanks for showing us Battery Park, I've live in New York my whole life and I haven't been lol.
Comparing is just a necessity that we can’t run away from. But yet again, the outcome of the efforts that we already put into did not turned out as what we hoped for, now that sucks.
Dave Xiang!! Thanks bro for the inspiration.
Stumbled upon this really good video! Love your work
Thanks so much for this. Been struggling with this for most of my life, especially recently and this helped tons.
Your videos are great and very insightful. Also, love that you can show parts of New York City with the vids.
I am a freshman at university,and it has only been a month and a half but we are already taking midterms,well anyways,...we had a mock physics exam last week and i had trouble with time management and i also forgot a few basic stuff because of the time problem.But when the results came out,i had noticed i got a score lower than of my peers' and since then i have just been stressing out and trying to understand why everyone did better than me and why cannot i understand physics just as well as them.Now after watching this,i feel slightly relieved.
The audio is great man :D
not at all for non-native speakers, noise makes it a bit difficult to understand, however I still got the idea :)
Your ideas and thought process are amazing
This is great. This is nice to listen to. I thought I was only one of the few people that think about this. My highschool is pressuring with a bunch of younger people with an amazingly developed mind. It hurts my own self-worth a bit.
the nice thing is it doesn't matter if it's true or not if you think like this, you see the world a better way and you may grow a little bit faster like the other people who are smarter than you just because you see things more clear
Good advice, just think about your goals. And those people that are ahead of you can actually help you.
what i think....being smart is the process,,,,, when you are in company with smarter people you will begin to think as they think.it's not about who learned faster or slower it's about learning and learn,
just really surround yourself with smart and smarter than you people.....soon you will be counted as smarter too,,,
and the who didn't surround himself with smart peoples, from his perspective you are smarter ,,because he's not doing what you are doing.. if he starts hang around with smarter people he will become smart too..
I really liked this video. It's also important to note that development is often asynchronous. To take an extreme example, the prodigies going to college at age 10 may not be the most socially gifted; conversely, those who are party animals in high school often struggle to find a niche later in life. There are many, many dimensions on which to compare yourself, unfavorably or otherwise, and it really is best not to make direct comparisons with peers.
Thank you Charles!
nice video man..the comments here are very interesting
Just because your name is Dave - don't make you any better than me in a battle.
Yep. Compare and contrast thyself!
Thanks, Dave.
Great video mate! Absolutely love your practical outlook on things.
=]
I really like these posts... since I struggle so much in school These videos help my insecurities so much thank you
This is so true in all ways..Nothing is more depressing that comparing myself with my banking friends who made double what I do T.T.
Hey, none of us are immune to those feelings. It's alright. I feel that too sometimes. You should talk to some of them though, and see what's going on in the head. All that glitters is not gold-know what I mean?
Great video! Some people are too mindful with the people around them and it hinders their own development.
never comparing
Just upgrade your mind... that is what everyone needs, not compare your mind. 😊😊
My favorite part of town... Especially further after Brookfield.
u are so amazing.yesterday itself i was in this dilemma n overwhelming state when ones feels he/she lacking behind and people of their age r so much excelling. i am so obsessed with competition n winning that i waste a lot of my energy n time racing for the stuffs not even worth it. n it really hurts my self esteem and confidence. but as u say comparing with prodigies ,nah nt a fair comparison.
This is sound advice for someone going to a bootcamp. Take note!
I am frustrated because I was a brilliant kid. Really special, but my father used to abuse me verbally all the time and humiliate me. That took a toll on my self esteem and also was so messed up emotionally that could not do well enough at college. I graduated though, but my GPA was unimpressive. Consequently other guys had better jobs out of college. I have alway felt that I was running behind and playing catch up on all aspects of my life. Now at age sixty I am in no position to retire and trying to switch to s/w development. I am an Electrical Engineer, and talented, but my career record not satisfactory.
Hey Iron Nerd. Thanks for commenting. I'm sure you are highly skilled in whatever you do. I find it unfortunate that everything is trending towards software. This is also what some of my highly qualified engineers peers are doing. What they studied and are currently doing is much more difficult than software, but it just isn't in demand, and more money is to be made in software it seems. Hit me up if you want to chat davex.inc@gmail.com
I appreciate this Dave
Good Video. I work with Kids like he describes as "Gifted." All my students have taken IQ tests and are classified [top .5%] as Special Ed who need advanced curriculum the same way others need curriculum that is paced differently. They make good workers, but struggle to do things others do. They rarely make good entrepreneurs in comparison to the rest of the population, and struggle to find normalcy as adults. The grass isn't necessarily greener. Those kids just peak early because things in early life revolve around how well you do in school.
So do you try and teach them the things that are important that they may find difficult?
Hi Dave! I've just recently discovered your channel and have found it both informative and enjoyable. I've recently begun resuming school with a new track in C.S. I wanna ask if you might provide a video concerning moving into the professional field of computer science with a criminal record. My early twenties are plagued with run-ins w/ the law because of my excessive partying and alcohol abuse. If you might have any advice or information on getting a job with such marks against one, that would be hugely helpful. Thanks and keep up the great work. Cheers!
Thanks for this video. 👍🏼
i think to develop your mind, all your need is information (internet)
These a pretty cool way to do your vids and yeah I think it looks a bit weird to talk to yourself a bit but you're in the city so you probably see weirder everyday lol
You should change the title to "People I hate"
thanks for this video man
Good message!
Can you do a day in my life video or demonstrate what it is like as a programmer?
Enjoying your videos. Just subscribed
Thank you!
hey! thanks for that!, and yes, that was valuable :)
how long have you lived in NYC? Im planning on moving there sometime this year, I was wondering what it took to handle the city life there? (ive always lived in the south) thanks!
Hi- I apologize if you've already answered this before, but how do you live in NYC on a developer's salary? Do you have extra income, or can one actually do it? Thanks
To be the best you got to be obsessed man, good thing most of us rather live happier.
Provided really great value
what kind of headset are you using? that sounds awesome. I'm listening on my bose speaker, and that helicopter sounds like its right outside. lol
How do you keep progression forward? I'm doing a phd in systems biology and my programming is getting stagnate because the effort to improve just feels too demanding.
Dope video setting and interesting topic
Great advice
More like this, please, vlog style suits you. Also, I'll be in New York June 6-10. Anything techie going on ?
Thanks, yea Vlog is awkward for me, but I could try doing it more. Best way is to check meetup.com and search for the tech keywords. There might be something, but can't guarantee anything.
I believe there is some critical period of development past which the speed of learning new cognitive skills is greatly reduced... and by cognitive skills i'm talking about the critical thinking skills necessary to become a well-paid professional in an intellectually demanding field. I think the point of pre K-12 education is to expose students to a variety of cognitive tasks so that they can then be self-directed on a path to success and personal fulfillment. Children who develop cognitive skills earlier in life tend to master those skills at a higher level and outperform those who are exposed later in their development. Parents who understand this critical period phenomenon probably push their kids to quickly develop the skill sets and motivation necessary to sustain them throughout their academic career. The rest of us tend to find our motivation later in life when the pressure of the rat race is already upon us. But by then it's too late.
But timeline is very crucial in career. You can get much more opportunity at age 20s than 30s
It was my favorite part of NY.
3:16 "If you see other people at your similar age or your similar level doing better than you..."
What about people half your age with significantly less experience earning tens of thousands of dollars more than you do while simulaneously receiving astronomically overvalued stock? The lie that was foisted upon me when I was young was "We can't hire you--we need the Baby Boomers. The Baby Boomers are just so experienced. They're the most specialiest generation ever to set foot on this planet." Now that the children of the Baby Boomers have entered the workforce, the new lie is that "We can't hire you--we need the children of the Baby Boomers. The children of the Baby Boomers are just so innovative. They're the most innovationiest generation ever to set foot on this planet. And by 'innovation', we mean 'reinventing the wheel and slapping a new name on it'."
Thanks for a great inspirational video!
I have a question. If all goes according to plans I will study computer engineering this fall and I can't wait to get started! I have been interested in computers for the greater part of my life but for some reason I never thought of actually studying it at uni until this year. I have for example basically no experience at all with programming.
Again, I'm thrilled to begin, but I'm also a bit worried. I worry a bit about how much I should try to learn before I attend uni. I'm planning to spend a fair amount of time this summer to prepare myself for the higher studies, but I'm honestly not sure exactly what I should focus on.
Should I just try to play around with programming randomly, or should I focus on understanding basic computer science? What could benefit me the most? I suppose anything is better than nothing, but I feel like I could really need some guidance here.
Any help appreciated!
Congratz on getting into University for computer engineering, that sounds great. There's not much you can do. I would read introductory material to get as much context as you can before classes start. Don't worry about this too much. You will psych yourself out if you try to prep too much, I'm sure you will be fine. You can read more for your own interests, that always helps. Best of luck
Dave Xiang Thanks Dave, I'll follow that advice!
Really need this video! I'm headed to Carnegie Mellon in the fall and I was definitely scared of the competition and comparing myself to my peers. I've been looking for UA-camrs who went to/attend CMU :)
good luck!
Well done.
Hi .Dave 😊 I want to improve my english language could you help my . what is the best way to do this..thanx
kangdoom12345 Keep practicing. It's basically the only way. You seem to have the basics down but I'm sure grammar and some spelling is harder. Try to always have conversations I'm English when possible. Be active on a message board or subreddit that is in English.
Omar Samara
Thanx so much for your kind omar ...
No problem. Just remember to always practice. Also if people don't understand you, don't get frustrated, just speak slower and try to improve!
nice place!:D
Let's face it - some kids are more intelligent because of genetic, hereditary reasons. Some might have had a better start, that is come from a more affluent background and their parents knew how to develop their talents.
This really reminds me of the story in Malcom Gladwell's book called "Outliers". And I forget all the details, but there's this guy who apparently has an IQ of like close to 200 or something, and he couldn't even graduate college. Is he "smarter" than people at Google? Yep. But the people who work at Google have something else. Even average people have something else. And it could just just be as simple as knowing someone, or social skills, etc. Doesn't always mean they're smarter.
So given enough time, I can be as smart as Newton or Einstein?
Don't get mugged Dave. Haha.
Great video.
Notification squad (y)
About famous successful people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. In their case, it really is not so much about being smart, but also about being in the right place at the right time. In the case of Apple, the first computers were built and designed by Steve Wozniak, from off the shell parts, that were made available by the development of integrated circuits during the past two or three decades before. Graphical UI and mouse also are not ideas of Steve Jobs. Steve saw them at Xerox, and in some form the idea existed already before that. Steve was a good business man tough, good at marketing and building a brand. Gates and Jobs are of course smart people, but they are just the top of the iceberg. There is massive amount of people who have worked in their companies and for their products to make what they have now, and there was a lot of very important work and inventions already before these companies, that get no credit at all. Media often mystifies the founders or leaders of certain now successful companies a little too much, forgetting that they are only one person, and their personal contribution may only be one small piece of it all. Like when it comes to computers, pretty much all most important inventions were already made before Apple or Microsoft.
Usually in difficult things, it is not smartness that defines success in the long run, but the amount of correct kind of developing practice and perseverance.
This may be the case with the programmers you were comparing yourself to also. Some people have some programming knowledge already before they begin studying it seriously, so it may appear like they are extremely smart. But how often is the reason just that they have done it before?
This video made me a subscriber
good video!! nice idea
do you just use your phone or a camera to record yourself ? does anyone know
I just use my phone right now. If I start doing this more, I should probably invest in some better equipment!