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How to Think for Yourself

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Think for Yourself

#441

Post by Balgair »

amadeuspagel wrote: post #50

Like many of pg's essays there's an unqualified glorification of being independent. For example the suggestion that hiring conformist people is something that just happens. It seems more likely that companies more or less consciously hire such people, because a company where everyone thinks independently would be one where everyone wants to do something different, and nothing would get done, no one could agree on any…

No matter the size of the company, having an unconformist accountant is not going to go well for anyone.

Aside: Michael Munger has a good Econtalk screed on the 5 buildings that a University considers most important here: https://www.econtalk.org/michael-munger-on-the-future-of-hig...

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#442

Post by briefcomment »

mcguire wrote: post #410

" Ditto for essayists. An essay that told people things they already knew would be boring. You have to tell them something new. " How come I know exactly where this essay is going? It is yet another "start-up founders are genetically, intellectually, and emotionally superior; the rest of the muggles are so envious." Does Paul think everyone except startup founders works on an assembly line? " You see this especially…

There's a lot of mind-reading in this essay, and basically no humility.

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#443

Post by the_af »

ssalazar wrote: post #430
Apocryphon wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand pg. The wisdom is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical business most of the insights will go over a typical reader’s head. There's also pg’s positivistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from Sam Altman literature, for instance.

> To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand pg This isnt the defense of pg you think it to be.

It's not a defense of pg. That comment is paraphrasing a well-known meme about the Rick & Morty cartoon [1]. Someone wrote something very similar about Rick & Morty (though it's likely that it was itself a joke parodying R&M's toxic fandom). So I'd say it's an attack on pg's fandom.

[1] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/to-be-fair-you-have-to-have-a...

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#444

Post by Animats »

x87678r wrote: post #404

Some of my biggest regrets are doing what I thought was best when I should have done what everyone else was doing. This ranges from from not buying an overpriced house 20 years ago, to not partying at college, to following some interesting but unpopular technology. Its not all bad doing things your own way but you have to be careful about straying too much.

I know that feeling. It's led me down some dead ends. Proof of correctness, 30 years too early. Ragdoll physics by spring-damper methods, 20 years too early. Mobile robotics, which never took off. Legged robot locomotion, which only works if you can lose a lot of money on it.

I once thought Gopher was the future, that spread-spectrum would beat TDMA, that video over the Internet was too inefficient to be useful, and that web design, like book design, would stabilize and become routine.

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#445

Post by tqi »

ssalazar wrote: post #430
Apocryphon wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand pg. The wisdom is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical business most of the insights will go over a typical reader’s head. There's also pg’s positivistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from Sam Altman literature, for instance.

> To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand pg This isnt the defense of pg you think it to be.

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/to-be-fair-you-have-to-have-a...

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#446

Post by chiefalchemist »

Well stated, as expected. That said, it's heavy on features and light on benefits (which include often undesirable side effects).

For example, in PG's world unbound-thinking has value. It is generally seen as a good thing. Do the same within a religion and you're a heretic. Worse, you could end up dead.

Perhaps he'll do a follow up? To explore the benefits (and friction) for individuals, as well as teams and organizations. Maybe even go so far as to address diversity beyond the conventional paradigm (i.e., race, gender, etc.) That would be great.

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#447

Post by zw123456 »

jstummbillig wrote: post #354
zw123456 wrote: post #344

As an inventor holding over 70 patents, I often get asked "can you teach me to be innovative?" My answer is that you already are but you have been taught not to be. It is not that you need to learn to be innovative you have to unlearn to be compliant. School, military, most big companies all have many rules and expectations which essentially train the innovativeness out of people. I agree it is in human nature to be…

> As an inventor holding over 70 patents Can/Did you elaborate on this? Sounds exciting, I would love to hear more about how you got started and what kind of work you do.

I started at Bell Labs in 1978, I am a research fellow for a large telcom presently.

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#448

Post by galaxyLogic »

lowcodetv wrote: post #128
hnracer wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although it could act as a good filter, if they lash out it's a valuable red flag

Absolutely a clear signal that their belief is emotional. If you step on that toe just make it clear that you aren't questioning them at all, in fact, "you agree with them... you just wanted to know some sources to point to when those other nosey people who question our beliefs do so"... and diffuse the situation. You really just want to make the other person feel "heard" and respected for their opinion , if that's t…

> hey, why is your reality the correct version of reality?

Exactly, it is about the question "why?". Why are your reasons for believing something more plausible. But that is not the mindset of an emotionally charged person.

Was the election rigged? A Trump supporter would say "Of course it was". But a judge in Pennsylvania had a good response to Giuliani (who was trying to argue it was): "... Calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here".

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-pennsy...

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#449

Post by Arubis »

B1FF_PSUVM wrote: post #439
Arubis wrote: post #421

Over the years, I've found PG's essays much less compelling. As some sibling comments here have noted, there's a level of self-assuredness that feels increasingly disconnected from reality, like PG's become a synecdoche of SF VC-fuelled startup culture as a whole. Whether that's him changing, or me, or the world, I'm not certain--but I still look forward to them simply because the ensuing discussions here on HN tend…

.

Ha! This was unintentional, but I’ll leave it for context of your comment.

Edit: alas, with your comment removed, this is nonsensical; I’ve fixed the typo in parent.

Re: How to Think for Yourself

#450

Post by jahewson »

Arubis wrote: post #421

Over the years, I've found PG's essays much less compelling. As some sibling comments here have noted, there's a level of self-assuredness that feels increasingly disconnected from reality, like PG's become a synecdoche of SF VC-fuelled startup culture as a whole. Whether that's him changing, or me, or the world, I'm not certain--but I still look forward to them simply because the ensuing discussions here on HN tend…

You had me at synecdouche.
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