Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd • Hacker News Board

Re: Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd

#21

Post by cliveholloway » Wed, Apr 14, 2010, 2:51 PM UTC

Or, you could argue that if Sergey had had a pile of people being friends with him that he would have been distracted from his intellectual work.

Do you think Microsoft would have come about if Bill Gates had got laid earlier?

(that's the excuse I use when discussing why I'm not an internet mogul right now, heh cough)

Re: Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd

#22

Post by dbaugh » Wed, Apr 14, 2010, 2:52 PM UTC

plesn wrote: post #9

dfield wrote: post #6

You should never ignore anyone, but not because you're trying to get something out of it...

That's so true, and as I grow I'm trying to break social barriers/shields (being more open/authentic/personnal immediately) more and more with unknown people: it just makes relating to people much more enjoyable and profound! It's not even about the hypothetical profit you could get.

I think this is more along the lines of what he was trying to say; he was young and dumb and now he has learned from his mistakes.

Re: Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd

#23

Post by dgabriel » Wed, Apr 14, 2010, 2:53 PM UTC

lurkerperpetual wrote: post #12

A not ignored nerd is not a nerd. How about this idea: if such people would not be constantly derided and ignored they may be more socially successful, start spending more time with people with less potential and start lowering their own expectations as a consequence, trading their dreams for the cosiness of mere run-of-the-mill success.

Come on, you don't have to be a social pariah to find success as a start-up founder. That's just silly.

Re: Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd

#24

Post by JeanPierre » Wed, Apr 14, 2010, 3:55 PM UTC

lurkerperpetual wrote: post #12

A not ignored nerd is not a nerd. How about this idea: if such people would not be constantly derided and ignored they may be more socially successful, start spending more time with people with less potential and start lowering their own expectations as a consequence, trading their dreams for the cosiness of mere run-of-the-mill success.

I see your point, but saying hi every now and then, or talking about stuff while walking to and from school doesn't really hurt. Besides, being ALL alone makes it pretty hard to get some constructive criticism from others, and you might suffer from depression/low self-esteem and such.

But obviously, don't party every single night if you want to become a rocket scientist.

Re: Why You Should Never Ignore A Nerd

#25

Post by Locke1689 » Wed, Apr 14, 2010, 4:25 PM UTC

cliveholloway wrote: post #21

Or, you could argue that if Sergey had had a pile of people being friends with him that he would have been distracted from his intellectual work. Do you think Microsoft would have come about if Bill Gates had got laid earlier? (that's the excuse I use when discussing why I'm not an internet mogul right now, heh cough )

Do you think Microsoft would have come about if Bill Gates had got laid earlier?

Yes. Basically I think this is a false comparison. First, there's nothing saying that Sergey Brin didn't have a pile of friends -- they were probably just not the guy who made this youtube video. If you're serious about your work then you will treat it as you do anything else you enjoy. You might as well ask if Michael Jordan would have become a great basketball player if he had a bunch of friends--he probably did.