4 ms·

That sounds like a non-sequitur. http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html and http://www.paulgraham.com/safe.html http://www.pau

That sounds like a non-sequitur. http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html and http://www.paulgraham.com/safe.html http://www.paulgraham.com/safe.html come to mind.

d_welsman 11y ago
I wasn't equating ego to meanness, more a disregard of what other people think about them, not being afraid to fail also not to compromise their product to make everyone happy and ending up with a washed down product.
- lifeisstillgood 11y ago
  I think we fool ourselves into believing there is external pressure for quick, dirty, please everyone, "will fix it later" solutions when no one sane asks for that. Modern management is trying to apply command and control to creative endeavours, and usually forces everyone to fail. Sometimes it's possible to wander around, rejecting the views of everyone else and creating a perfect product. More often you get something no one wants. A better approach is to have enough time and money to walk in the right direction, carefully. No matter how many times I think of the idea of a start up running ahead I think of disorganised mob, not a disciplined army. The goal is to take a disciplined army into the unknown. not a rabble egged on by a crazy guy, or a goose.
- tomhoward 11y ago
  In the sense that "ego" is understood in both psychology and spiritual circles, low egotism is associated with the qualities you describe. High egotism -> high conscious opinion of one's self (compensating for low subconscious self-worth), need for external affirmation of self-worth, and propensity for aggression and meanness in the pursuit of that affirmation. Low egotism -> content with self-worth, unreactive to external criticism or praise, willingness to do what is "for the greater good" regardless of short term challenges and resistance, trusting one's self to achieve the best outcome in the end.
throwaway13337 11y ago
I wonder if, in the future, people will compile these writings into a book with numbers for easy reference of quotes. They could also add testaments of things He said as recorded by His disciples. We could call it "The Book of Graham".
- tomhoward 11y ago
  There may be an acceptable way to make this point, if you can find a way to do it with kindness. Snark like this is mean and makes HN less civil.
  - frankling 11y ago
    May you be blessed, brother. Let us find wisdom and civility in His word of Ref. 1, PG 09:14, Psalm 9:2. "If you want to build great things, it helps to be driven by a spirit of benevolence". [1] http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html
- MaxScheiber 11y ago
  Very off-topic, but Leveraged Sellout---a satirical blog about the financial industry---did a parody piece on YC called "The Book of Graham." http://www.leveragedsellout.com/2014/02/the-book-of-graham/ http://www.leveragedsellout.com/2014/02/the-book-of-graham/

That sounds like a non-sequitur. http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html and http://www.paulgraham.com/safe.html http://www.paulgraham.com/safe.html come to mind.

d_welsman 11y ago

I wasn't equating ego to meanness, more a disregard of what other people think about them, not being afraid to fail also not to compromise their product to make everyone happy and ending up with a washed down product.

lifeisstillgood 11y ago
I think we fool ourselves into believing there is external pressure for quick, dirty, please everyone, "will fix it later" solutions when no one sane asks for that. Modern management is trying to apply command and control to creative endeavours, and usually forces everyone to fail. Sometimes it's possible to wander around, rejecting the views of everyone else and creating a perfect product. More often you get something no one wants. A better approach is to have enough time and money to walk in the right direction, carefully. No matter how many times I think of the idea of a start up running ahead I think of disorganised mob, not a disciplined army. The goal is to take a disciplined army into the unknown. not a rabble egged on by a crazy guy, or a goose.
tomhoward 11y ago
In the sense that "ego" is understood in both psychology and spiritual circles, low egotism is associated with the qualities you describe. High egotism -> high conscious opinion of one's self (compensating for low subconscious self-worth), need for external affirmation of self-worth, and propensity for aggression and meanness in the pursuit of that affirmation. Low egotism -> content with self-worth, unreactive to external criticism or praise, willingness to do what is "for the greater good" regardless of short term challenges and resistance, trusting one's self to achieve the best outcome in the end.

throwaway13337 11y ago

I wonder if, in the future, people will compile these writings into a book with numbers for easy reference of quotes. They could also add testaments of things He said as recorded by His disciples. We could call it "The Book of Graham".

tomhoward 11y ago
There may be an acceptable way to make this point, if you can find a way to do it with kindness. Snark like this is mean and makes HN less civil.
- frankling 11y ago
  May you be blessed, brother. Let us find wisdom and civility in His word of Ref. 1, PG 09:14, Psalm 9:2. "If you want to build great things, it helps to be driven by a spirit of benevolence". [1] http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mean.html
MaxScheiber 11y ago
Very off-topic, but Leveraged Sellout---a satirical blog about the financial industry---did a parody piece on YC called "The Book of Graham." http://www.leveragedsellout.com/2014/02/the-book-of-graham/ http://www.leveragedsellout.com/2014/02/the-book-of-graham/