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The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

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Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#11

Post by nxmnxm99 »

grugagag wrote: post #6

Someone mentioned this here on HN and possibly setting the house on fire but was dismissed as unfounded. I actually realise that they knew something... It is sad that Tony Hsieh didn’t get the help that he needed and instead tried to self medicate in order to get away from all that. This recurrent story where extremely intelligent people are battling mental health issues and cannot speak out because the stigma behind…

> This recurrent story where extremely intelligent people are battling mental health issues and cannot speak out because the stigma behind this issue is too damaging is why we need to normalize the discourse around mental health if we want to avoid this type of tragedies.

Where exactly is the "stigma" of mental health in tech nowadays? We're blasted day and night to the point where apparently every other person is "battling mental health issues".

Maybe there's a deeper issue here than "stigma" and seeing overpriced therapists.

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#12

Post by throwaway2016lv »

I visited Zappos HQ with a university group in 2016. As part of the tour, we visited the executive area, where they all sat in cubicles/rows like anyone else's. They even pointed out Tony's desk, though he wasn't around at the time.

I came away from that tour with two distinct impressions: 1 - Zappos had an amazing company culture; everyone seemed to get along and really enjoy their work. 2 - Tony Hsieh had a surprisingly large collection of half-empty liquor bottles at his desk.

Tony's death is certainly a tragedy for his family and the communities he helped build. I hope even during this pandemic we can all maintain those key relationships in life that keep us in check.

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#15

Post by yevpats »

RIP. It's really sad. Mental health problems are often dismissed or not caught in time.

I read his book "Delivering Happiness" after I heard about his death and before reading this article about mental health problems. As I read it I saw some interesting stories and ideas about the businesses that he built but I also read stories which put way too much focus (imho) on various nights and parties which don't really relate to entrepreneurship or business. The first thing that popped into my mind is depression, drugs and alcohol overuse.

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#16

Post by da39a3ee »

da39a3ee wrote: post #13

https://archive.is/SkjZg

Um, downvotes? Are you saying that that link is not to the full contents of the article? Or are you saying that you think it is bad to give people access to data? Or are you saying that one should not circumvent the paywall of the WSJ because it is stealing?

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#17

Post by kepler1 »

I mentioned this below in the other thread about it.

Sounds like he was rebelling hardcore against an overly restrictive, maybe typical (?), 1st generation immigrant parent background?

"Ultimately happiness is really just about enjoying life,” he wrote in the 2010 book..."

This is often what you hear from someone who has doesn't have much of a sense of higher calling, or doesn't quite know what to do with his capabilities other than go for satisfaction in the short term. And leaves you feeling empty and unsure of what your life should be when work evaporates as your sense of self?

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#18

Post by naikrovek »

nxmnxm99 wrote: post #11
grugagag wrote: post #6

Someone mentioned this here on HN and possibly setting the house on fire but was dismissed as unfounded. I actually realise that they knew something... It is sad that Tony Hsieh didn’t get the help that he needed and instead tried to self medicate in order to get away from all that. This recurrent story where extremely intelligent people are battling mental health issues and cannot speak out because the stigma behind…

> This recurrent story where extremely intelligent people are battling mental health issues and cannot speak out because the stigma behind this issue is too damaging is why we need to normalize the discourse around mental health if we want to avoid this type of tragedies. Where exactly is the "stigma" of mental health in tech nowadays? We're blasted day and night to the point where apparently every other person is "b…

> Where exactly is the "stigma" of mental health

Are you blind? It's EVERYWHERE. ALL THE TIME.

Re: The Death of Tony Hsieh: A Spiral of Alcohol, Drugs and Extreme Behavior

#20

Post by zaroth »

da39a3ee wrote: post #16
da39a3ee wrote: post #13

https://archive.is/SkjZg

Um, downvotes? Are you saying that that link is not to the full contents of the article? Or are you saying that you think it is bad to give people access to data? Or are you saying that one should not circumvent the paywall of the WSJ because it is stealing?

I find the best place for the archive.is link is at the very bottom of the comments. Easier to find that way.
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