You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves • Hacker News Board

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#21

Post by notarobot123 » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 11:39 AM UTC

The affordances of social media don't make it easy for nuanced discussion:

- Broadcast messages "perform" better with a degree of generalization

- Algorithmic feeds warp our perceptions of any shared context

- Personal risk is mitigated if you talk about the opinions of the group

- You can avoid personal disclosure by speaking in broad terms

- Responding to a comment with a more general criticism side-steps personal attacks

I think our increased tribalism is at least partly a consequence of using media with characteristics like these. Eventually, you're not thinking in terms of individuals with balanced opinions but more in terms of tribal representatives because this is often our experience.

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#22

Post by notarobot123 » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 11:44 AM UTC

DonsDiscountGas wrote: post #20

Not exactly the point of the article, but I didn't understand how this guy lying and getting a couple meetings implies that "the game" is rigged.

It's not what you know but who you know/where you studies/who you worked for.

Are these legitimate signals of success or signs that "the game is rigged" to advantage those with existing privilege? Both perhaps?

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#23

Post by subjectsigma » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 11:47 AM UTC

I used to get wrapped around the axle about things like this and write analysis posts which I normally did not end up publishing. I stopped doing it because I realized it’s not helpful. This isn’t going to change anything or help anyone. People are going to continue to make dumb arguments and that’s fine. Not everything has to rise to the level of philosophy.

I guess if you legitimately enjoy meta-commentary of social media posts then keep doing you.

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#24

Post by eviks » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 12:22 PM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #14

Whoa, hold on. You're engaging in a worse version of exactly what you're accusing others of. > Do you see the problem? Rob Bailey is calling Bhavye Khetan a hypocrite because Bhavye Khetan said something that contradicts something that "people" say. Nobody called anybody a hypocrite (nor implied it for that matter) - you entirely put those words in his mouth. All he said was that people have a common complaint that c…

> All he said was that people have a common complaint that contradicts what this person is complaining about. The implication is simply that VCs have contradictory demands placed on them, so they can't fully satisfy them all.

No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#25

Post by dataflow » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 12:47 PM UTC

eviks wrote: post #24

dataflow wrote: post #14

Whoa, hold on. You're engaging in a worse version of exactly what you're accusing others of. > Do you see the problem? Rob Bailey is calling Bhavye Khetan a hypocrite because Bhavye Khetan said something that contradicts something that "people" say. Nobody called anybody a hypocrite (nor implied it for that matter) - you entirely put those words in his mouth. All he said was that people have a common complaint that c…

> All he said was that people have a common complaint that contradicts what this person is complaining about. The implication is simply that VCs have contradictory demands placed on them, so they can't fully satisfy them all. No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes

> No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes

No, it makes sense because you're a grown-up adult who can think beyond yourself and recognize when your demands would be irreconcilable with those of others, instead of a baby that complains the moment he doesn't get what he expected because his world only revolves around him. Does that make sense?

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#26

Post by eviks » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 1:00 PM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #25

eviks wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All he said was that people have a common complaint that contradicts what this person is complaining about. The implication is simply that VCs have contradictory demands placed on them, so they can't fully satisfy them all. No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes

> No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes No, it makes sense because you're a grown-up adult who can think beyond yourself and recognize when your demands would be irreconcilable with those of others, instead of a baby that complains the moment he doesn't get what he expected because his world only revolves arou…

Of course not, this is pure nonsense wrapped in an emotional baby formula. And you forgot to establish the part where everyone should assume the others are not babies (complaining adults don't want to take their call) for this to even be plausible

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#27

Post by throwawaymaths » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 2:22 PM UTC

DonsDiscountGas wrote: post #20

Not exactly the point of the article, but I didn't understand how this guy lying and getting a couple meetings implies that "the game" is rigged.

it's rigged against people that dont have that background. because plenty of people dont have that background (possibly even equally impressive, or more hard working, better leadership experience, better ideas) and without the pedigree get passed over by vcs, but this guy could fake everything, not get vetted, and get an inbound meeting on the right credentialism.

And the irony is, the vc couldnt see it either!!

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#28

Post by taylorlunt » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 3:18 PM UTC

dataflow wrote: post #25

eviks wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All he said was that people have a common complaint that contradicts what this person is complaining about. The implication is simply that VCs have contradictory demands placed on them, so they can't fully satisfy them all. No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes

> No, he told the author not to complaint. Why would this ask make sense? Because it's contradictory to complain about both of the opposite outcomes No, it makes sense because you're a grown-up adult who can think beyond yourself and recognize when your demands would be irreconcilable with those of others, instead of a baby that complains the moment he doesn't get what he expected because his world only revolves arou…

This is a strange response for someone demanding generosity and charity from others.

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#29

Post by taylorlunt » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 3:25 PM UTC

throwawaymaths wrote: post #27

DonsDiscountGas wrote: post #20

Not exactly the point of the article, but I didn't understand how this guy lying and getting a couple meetings implies that "the game" is rigged.

it's rigged against people that dont have that background. because plenty of people dont have that background (possibly even equally impressive, or more hard working, better leadership experience, better ideas) and without the pedigree get passed over by vcs, but this guy could fake everything, not get vetted, and get an inbound meeting on the right credentialism. And the irony is, the vc couldnt see it either!!

I pointed out in the article that this is the system working as intended. Getting a meeting with a VC is not the same thing as getting an investment. And if you're getting thousands of emails, it makes sense to prioritize the most impressive-sounding people as opposed to choosing randomly or something.

There was also no control for this experiment, so we don't know what the alternative even looks like.

Re: You People Keep Contradicting Yourselves

#30

Post by taylorlunt » Thu, Jul 03, 2025, 3:28 PM UTC

subjectsigma wrote: post #23

I used to get wrapped around the axle about things like this and write analysis posts which I normally did not end up publishing. I stopped doing it because I realized it’s not helpful. This isn’t going to change anything or help anyone. People are going to continue to make dumb arguments and that’s fine. Not everything has to rise to the level of philosophy. I guess if you legitimately enjoy meta-commentary of socia…

Ha, I'm certainly not expecting my writing to change human nature! I feel more like David Attenborough or something, watching nature from the outside and commenting on things for the edutainment of my audience. Maybe some of the people who read the post will change their own behaviour, but it would never be enough to make a dent.