The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008) • Hacker News Board

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#71

Post by fsckboy » Thu, May 07, 2026, 2:00 AM UTC

irishcoffee wrote: post #67

WalterBright wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like being around people who talk about interesting things other than sports. I remain baffled at how people find sports interesting.

I love sports, and until a few years severely disliked theater and had no idea why people liked it. Didn't make sense, boring, long, generally stupid. Then I decided to get over myself and see what the fuss was about. Now I get it. I imagine you could do that if you wanted to. Up to you.

>theater and had no idea why people liked it. Didn't make sense, boring, long, generally stupid. Then I decided to get over myself and see what the fuss was about. Now I get it

I'm a techie by choice but I was raised lit'rary. I love the idea of theater, but the actuality, no thanks, attention seeking narcissists strut and fret their hour upon the stage: I only wish they were heard no more.

I am a fan of coffee shops, though, but coffee shops in theater districts: bring name-dropping cancelling headphones.

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#72

Post by WalterBright » Thu, May 07, 2026, 2:21 AM UTC

irishcoffee wrote: post #70

WalterBright wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've tried to like sports, in order to fit in. I just gave up on it.

You should try to understand sports for yourself. That’s your mistake.

LOL. My dad told me I was bored by baseball because I didn't understand it.

I played little league baseball as a kid. I was sure bored, as most of the time was spent standing or sitting around. The only reason "Bad News Bears" was a good movie is they cut about 98% of the baseball game play.

Car racing is a bit better. But still, you just watch as the cars go around a circle until they crash, run out of fuel, or win.

But I don't mind if you find baseh ball been berry berry good. Just don't tax me for your stadium!

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#73

Post by fsckboy » Thu, May 07, 2026, 3:36 AM UTC

this critique of elite educational institutions was written in 2008.

in 2008 he was denied tenure at Yale. [wikipedia]

casualty causality?

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#74

Post by irishcoffee » Thu, May 07, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC

fsckboy wrote: post #71

irishcoffee wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love sports, and until a few years severely disliked theater and had no idea why people liked it. Didn't make sense, boring, long, generally stupid. Then I decided to get over myself and see what the fuss was about. Now I get it. I imagine you could do that if you wanted to. Up to you.

> theater and had no idea why people liked it. Didn't make sense, boring, long, generally stupid. Then I decided to get over myself and see what the fuss was about. Now I get it I'm a techie by choice but I was raised lit'rary. I love the idea of theater, but the actuality, no thanks, attention seeking narcissists strut and fret their hour upon the stage: I only wish they were heard no more. I am a fan of coffee shop…

Oh, I very carefully didn't say I _liked_ it, I said I get it.

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#75

Post by FrustratedMonky » Thu, May 07, 2026, 12:39 PM UTC

prewett wrote: post #63

beardyw wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If software isn't a trade what is it? Holy orders?

> Holy orders? Haha, but, I'm going to say Holy Orders! Generally male, known for being single? [1] Spends of his time inside a building? Must master large quantities of esoteric knowledge? Not a path most people want to go? The role is to mediate the transcendent Potentiality to something usable by the common person? What he says is intelligible to those who know, but the field has a reputation for unintelligibility…

"esoteric knowledge"

" tech priesthood"

Creator of "sentient life"

Even "ghost in the shell"

Yeah. These used to be common terms. The comparison between tech and religious study used to be pretty common analogies.

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#76

Post by silexia » Fri, May 08, 2026, 1:39 PM UTC

The whole article is a humble brag by someone who has never done anything in his life but sit in a classroom. I know a lot of folks like that and none of them are successful in the real world. I know far more plumbers who understand the world and have built far more wealth than the people who never left the classroom.

Re: The Disadvantages of an Elite Education (2008)

#77

Post by JALTU » Fri, May 08, 2026, 5:52 PM UTC

jjmarr wrote: post #26

> When parents explain why they work so hard to give their children the best possible education, they invariably say it is because of the opportunities it opens up. But what of the opportunities it shuts down? An elite education gives you the chance to be rich—which is, after all, what we’re talking about—but it takes away the chance not to be. Yet the opportunity not to be rich is one of the greatest opportunities w…

I like this comment because it speaks to how we humans tend to not look (compare ourselves) down, but rather up. I don't strictly mean status, but...status. And the idea that one isn't reaching one's potential is clearly a source of ambition, for better or worse. The luck of you being you is a major part of this tension–how to play the "you" hand you have been dealt by the Divine Dealer of your particular Table.

Good luck, friends.