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I am slowly coming to realize that the root of all human misery is jealousy and resentment of those who are more successful than you. I have certainly felt the

I am slowly coming to realize that the root of all human misery is jealousy and resentment of those who are more successful than you. I have certainly felt these emotions in myself before, and I have noticed how ultimately counterproductive they are. Yes it is a lot easier to sit and hate, but if you instead choose to get up and change the world, it is much more rewarding in the end.

petercooper 19y ago
You got it. You put it so well (edit: by well I mean 'concisely') too. I wrote a 3000 word essay on this very topic yesterday (though it looks at the background to the problem in more depth), so I couldn't resist linking it here: http://peterc.org/2008/54-how-to-be-content-with-your-life-in-tech-or-why-your-work-with-web-20-is-not-a-waste-of-time.html http://peterc.org/2008/54-how-to-be-content-with-your-life-i... If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits.
- apathy 19y ago
  If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits. Maybe. Throughout most of human history, there have been winners and losers, rulers and serfs, leaders and followers. I have trouble believing that any invention, the Internet included, will magically change that state of affairs. My reasoning for giving Google the benefit of the doubt is much simpler -- if they fuck this up, and lose the trust of developers, they will hand over control of the next strategic platform to someone else. And I think that would be a much greater blow to the company than paying market value for a startup that succeeds on their platform. I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not. When I worked there, Google people still believed in "Don't be evil" and articulated decisions around their interpretation of said, just because it seemed to offer long-term benefits. I hope that has not changed, and I sincerely hope this woman is off-base. That said, without alternative perspectives, folks in this here echo chamber would likely march right into the 'trap'. Somewhere between your sunny futurism and her apocalyptic vision of Google Apps as an Ouroboros likely lies the truth.
apathy 19y ago
One of my officemates has the following pinned up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradoxical_Commandments http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradoxical_Commandments For those of a more mathematical bent, the following summarizes practical ramifications of extremal risk: http://www.fractalpress.com/blog/2008/03/17/the-black-swan-for-the-young-restless/ http://www.fractalpress.com/blog/2008/03/17/the-black-swan-f... The more I think about it, the more I think everyone with an entrepreneurial bent should read the above. Unless your goals in life are solely material, there is much value to be extracted from living without regrets as nearly as possible.
pg 19y ago
I am slowly coming to realize that the root of all human misery is jealousy and resentment of those who are more successful than you. I wish this article even had a motivation as pure as envy, but given the author I'd guess it's simply linkbait.

petercooper 19y ago

You got it. You put it so well (edit: by well I mean 'concisely') too. I wrote a 3000 word essay on this very topic yesterday (though it looks at the background to the problem in more depth), so I couldn't resist linking it here: http://peterc.org/2008/54-how-to-be-content-with-your-life-in-tech-or-why-your-work-with-web-20-is-not-a-waste-of-time.html http://peterc.org/2008/54-how-to-be-content-with-your-life-i... If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits.

apathy 19y ago
If we all just keep chipping in without competing, everyone benefits. Maybe. Throughout most of human history, there have been winners and losers, rulers and serfs, leaders and followers. I have trouble believing that any invention, the Internet included, will magically change that state of affairs. My reasoning for giving Google the benefit of the doubt is much simpler -- if they fuck this up, and lose the trust of developers, they will hand over control of the next strategic platform to someone else. And I think that would be a much greater blow to the company than paying market value for a startup that succeeds on their platform. I could be wrong, but I hope I'm not. When I worked there, Google people still believed in "Don't be evil" and articulated decisions around their interpretation of said, just because it seemed to offer long-term benefits. I hope that has not changed, and I sincerely hope this woman is off-base. That said, without alternative perspectives, folks in this here echo chamber would likely march right into the 'trap'. Somewhere between your sunny futurism and her apocalyptic vision of Google Apps as an Ouroboros likely lies the truth.

apathy 19y ago

One of my officemates has the following pinned up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradoxical_Commandments http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paradoxical_Commandments For those of a more mathematical bent, the following summarizes practical ramifications of extremal risk: http://www.fractalpress.com/blog/2008/03/17/the-black-swan-for-the-young-restless/ http://www.fractalpress.com/blog/2008/03/17/the-black-swan-f... The more I think about it, the more I think everyone with an entrepreneurial bent should read the above. Unless your goals in life are solely material, there is much value to be extracted from living without regrets as nearly as possible.

pg 19y ago

I am slowly coming to realize that the root of all human misery is jealousy and resentment of those who are more successful than you. I wish this article even had a motivation as pure as envy, but given the author I'd guess it's simply linkbait.