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Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

perell.com

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Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#51

Post by magicjosh »

civilized wrote: post #46
magicjosh wrote: post #7

Huh I usually like Perell's stuff but this one seems a bit empty, like a cream puff without filling. The examples seem weak, for example the McKinsey story about smartphones is vague. Sure, people get things wrong, and groups certainly do. I wonder what the purpose of this piece is. Maybe there's 100 more pieces coming influenced by this dinner, this was just getting the crumbly cork out of the wine bottle. Or maybe…

Maybe this is petty, but any time the word "learnings" appears, my brain goes "this will be Business Blather, nothing of value will be said here, feel free to turn me off"

Yeah. It's a summation/averaging word. It's supposed to indicate "so much here" instead it means "nothing here".

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#52

Post by coldtea »

>Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

Because like many ultra-rich has translated his "smarts+upbringing+luck+connections+right-place-right-time" success into just his capability alone, or just to his following some "success formula", and thinks such formulas can be canned and re-applied at will...

Meanwhile the "reality-bending secrets" didn't prevent e.g. average to bad performace from his fund.

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#53

Post by coolso »

KerrAvon wrote: post #15
zozbot234 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're just saying that he might be dangerous because of his ego, not necessarily his ideas. Y'know, I'm not going to disagree there. But taking that big ego for granted, a "search for hidden secrets" is still one of the most socially productive ways you might use it for. Jumping on the bandwagon of a dubious social consensus can be a lot worse.

He literally funded Trump. “Productive” sometimes isn’t desirable.

> He literally funded Trump.

You stop here as if to assume this is enough info to prove his productivity was undesirable, and that everyone will understand and degree, but that’s an incorrect assumption.

What specifically was undesirable? Most people remember spending $1.50/less per gallon, spending less on everything else thanks to low inflation, the lowest illegal border crossings in decades, lower taxes, finally fighting back against China after decades of politicians saying a lot but doing nothing, peace talks with NK, a well handled foreign policy, and Operation Warp Speed which brought the US a wonderful historic vaccine in record time, 3 Supreme Court justices that will help America weather the current progressive zeitgeist meme fad policies (and many others), and some mean tweets and a very deranged media that covered him.

Before you bring up his handling of COVID, do recall that there were far more deaths under Biden in the same time period compared to under Trump, and that Biden’s only true move was making sure everyone had access to Trump’s vax. (Joe certainly didn’t shut down COVID like he claimed he would.)

So sometimes productive is, in fact desirable.

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#55

Post by coldtea »

bambax wrote: post #4

> Sometimes, our sense-making machinery has a glitch too. Many years ago, a McKinsey study concluded that nobody in the developing world would buy smartphones because they were too expensive. Based on that study, they held off on launching a smartphone for another three years. Around that time, an anthropologist who had recently returned from Chinese refugee camps saw how people would sacrifice half their disposable…

>It doesn't discuss anything else and offers nothing except banalities about the Bible, Jesus (speaking in Parables) and Rene (sic) Girard, a French author who was ridiculed in France for his obsessions and circular thinking, but enjoyed some kind of cult following in the US, apparently.

Girard was never ridiculed in France (at least, not any more than any other who became a target at this or that point). He remains a very respected figure, and his theories are very deep. That said, they're not suitable for consumption by analytical philosophy types.

Thiel, however, has only ever said trivialities regarding Girard and his theories, that reveal a very shallow understanding (if that), something analogous to "As Einstein said, everything is relative".

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#56

Post by darod »

Is this quality of “searching for a secret” any different than any entrepreneur? Is the point of being an entrepreneur to find a secret that will give you a competitive advantage to make you a lot of money. Now him being a VC he would be doing the same from an investor standpoint? Maybe I’m missing the “secret” message in this article.

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#58

Post by masklinn »

JaimeThompson wrote: post #8

It is interesting to me that Peter Thiel doesn't want to live / follow the same rules / laws he would have everyone else live under. Is it that he thinks himself better than the vast majority of us?

> Is it that he thinks himself better than the vast majority of us?

Yes? Thiel is one of the major pusher / backer of “dark enlightenment” type theories and efforts. Neo-feudalism is his goal, or at least one if his goals.

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#59

Post by burrows »

Bradlinc wrote: post #42
burrows wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m furiously speculating that in person pre-college public American education was mostly bad and this badness just carried over to remote education, but for whatever reason the badness is more apparent when conducted remotely.

I agree. Perhaps it was just easier to ignore when we weren't sitting directly next to our children. At least it was for me.

> Perhaps it was just easier to ignore when we weren't sitting directly next to our children.

I like this take a lot. Similar to the difference between hearing about homelessness second hand and walking through an encampment in Seattle or DC.

What has stuck out to you the most while observing your kid’s remote classes?

Re: Why Peter Thiel Searches for Reality-Bending ‘Secrets’

#60

Post by mathattack »

bambax wrote: post #4

> Sometimes, our sense-making machinery has a glitch too. Many years ago, a McKinsey study concluded that nobody in the developing world would buy smartphones because they were too expensive. Based on that study, they held off on launching a smartphone for another three years. Around that time, an anthropologist who had recently returned from Chinese refugee camps saw how people would sacrifice half their disposable…

The irony of writing problems from an article that concludes by offering writing advice!
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