The author seems self-aware and I think there's a lot of good observations in this post.

At the same time, I think ambition needs to be paired with humility and acceptance of you can't have it all.

There's no perfect life. You can't optimize everything such that you achieve a hypothesized balance between all the things that are competing for your time and energy. In the final analysis, most people, if given the chance to reflect before they die, would choose more time with the people they care about than more time working, even if, in the moment, they felt they were doing a good job balancing the two.

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3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

[deleted]

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SoftTalker an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Kids are also not always a joy. I love my kids, and there were certainly moments of joy, mostly when they were young. As they grow up, they turn out to be their own people. They may ignore your advice and learn life lessons the hard way. They may not live up to the hopes you had for them. Be prepared for some disappointment. Doesn't mean that you don't love them, but they can be frustrating.

To be fair, I'm sure I disappointed my parents in some ways or times also.

	▲	ElProlactin 36 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Not sure what this has to do with the post? Work is also not always a joy. Success is not always a joy. But there's more than enough evidence to show that, when people look back on their lives, most of them most highly value their relationships and have the most regrets around how they managed those relationships. Having a child doesn't guarantee happiness. Raising a child is not always going to be rainbows and I suppose learning to accept that the life you create doesn't mean you get to dictate what that life becomes is a form a wisdom. But none of this takes anything away from the experience if you accept it for what it really is.

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thsbrown 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I think this is the point though right? The author is saying that he rejects this dichotomy and he's attempting to take on both even if others might perceive it as impossible.

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ElProlactin 4 hours ago | parent [-]

Yes, he seems to be going in that direction, which I think is the fallacy. This is where I think humility should balance amibiton.

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_carbyau_ 3 hours ago | parent [-]

I don't think he is guaranteeing success, but stating his aim. Gotta have a goal to work towards if you claim to be ambitious.

	▲	ElProlactin 19 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		You can have the best ship but if you're sailing in the wrong direction, you're still sailing in the wrong direction.