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Ask HN: I seem to lack personality beyond my work / university. What can I do?

I come from a very poor background, so I quickly learned that if I wanted something I needed to cling onto any opportunity that came up as if my life depended on it, because it did. From high school, to university, now to grad school, all I have done is stay indoors and study. It seems that learning and accumulating information is the only thing I am good at.

I am almost done with my master's and I am also working FT at a FAANG company. I had some free time this weekend, when I realized I could do anything, but there was nothing I wanted to do.

I know that to some degree I am burned out due to studies, courses and everything else, but I honestly don't know where to go from here.

I don't find my job particularly engaging, and I am considering returning to academia. I am having conversations with my co-supervisor on working with them after I graduate, and if that goes well, a PhD at the intersection of privacy, medicine and ML.

It that unless I find some big goal to work towards, I am empty, a vessel, becoming what I am doing du jour. I spend all my time working and thinking about the problem and when that stops I don't have anything else.

What can I do to deal with this apparent emptiness? I don't think diving into another project will cut it.

43 points PartiallyTyped 4 years ago 68 comments

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