4 ms·

Easy for him to say. If you're at the bottom, you get little satisfaction or recognition for performing well, and are instead judged based on things like how mu

by jfv 8y ago

Easy for him to say. If you're at the bottom, you get little satisfaction or recognition for performing well, and are instead judged based on things like how much time you've spent in the office, how much code you've written, and how much your superiors like you. Don't listen to what the guy at the top is telling you to do with your life. Ever. But do nod and smile when he says it.

ferdberfel 8y ago
and wear your fourteen pieces of "flare"
deft 8y ago
Exactly. Doesn't take much thought to realize that a guy with $100 billion dollars has no idea what the average life is like, and has no reason to be giving life advice.
zug_zug 8y ago
I agree with all of this, except for "nod and smile." If you don't work there, then I think it's best to hold leaders emotionally accountable for their effect on the world. If you do work there, then it's really up to you, but there's a middle ground where you don't legitimize the system but don't rock the boat. For example, you could just not nod, and not smile. And only pretend to clap after the next announcement. And if everybody does this, it adds up without anybody being a target.
- wufufufu 8y ago
  > For example, you could just not nod, and not smile. And only pretend to clap after the next announcement. And if everybody does this, it adds up without anybody being a target. This is hilarious and terrifying.
tlb 8y ago
"If you're at the bottom for long / You're doing something wrong." Definitely don't listen to the people at the bottom telling you how to run your life. Ideally, listen to people who started where you started, and rose to where you want to get. Bezos himself started fairly low. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos#Early_life_and_education https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos#Early_life_and_educ...
- jfv 8y ago
  This is advice for Amazon employees specifically. The incentives are not for him to give advice on how to become Jeff Bezos.
- goalieca 8y ago
  > Definitely don't listen to the people at the bottom telling you how to run your life. Ideally, listen to people who started where you started, and rose to where you want to get. There's a lot of bad advice there too. People like to attribute their success to something they did but most people have no clue why they are successful. Luck has a lot to do with it and sometimes people succeed in spite of things they think might help.
  - nostrademons 8y ago
    Who would you rather be: the person who attributes their success to their actions, or the person who complains about not being successful? You don't necessarily have control over whether you're successful, but you have a lot of control over how you see yourself and your personal narrative.
    - goalieca 8y ago
      Why would i want to be anyone but myself? But to answer your point, arrogance and ignorance are not something to covet and neither is whining.
meesterdude 8y ago
> But do nod and smile when he says it. No, fuck Jeff Bezos the bozo. edit: whale biologist
- dang 8y ago
  You've been posting a bunch of unsubstantive comments to HN. Would you please stop? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

by jfv 8y ago

ferdberfel 8y ago

and wear your fourteen pieces of "flare"

deft 8y ago

Exactly. Doesn't take much thought to realize that a guy with $100 billion dollars has no idea what the average life is like, and has no reason to be giving life advice.

zug_zug 8y ago

I agree with all of this, except for "nod and smile." If you don't work there, then I think it's best to hold leaders emotionally accountable for their effect on the world. If you do work there, then it's really up to you, but there's a middle ground where you don't legitimize the system but don't rock the boat. For example, you could just not nod, and not smile. And only pretend to clap after the next announcement. And if everybody does this, it adds up without anybody being a target.

wufufufu 8y ago
> For example, you could just not nod, and not smile. And only pretend to clap after the next announcement. And if everybody does this, it adds up without anybody being a target. This is hilarious and terrifying.

tlb 8y ago

"If you're at the bottom for long / You're doing something wrong." Definitely don't listen to the people at the bottom telling you how to run your life. Ideally, listen to people who started where you started, and rose to where you want to get. Bezos himself started fairly low. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos#Early_life_and_education https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos#Early_life_and_educ...

jfv 8y ago
This is advice for Amazon employees specifically. The incentives are not for him to give advice on how to become Jeff Bezos.
goalieca 8y ago
> Definitely don't listen to the people at the bottom telling you how to run your life. Ideally, listen to people who started where you started, and rose to where you want to get. There's a lot of bad advice there too. People like to attribute their success to something they did but most people have no clue why they are successful. Luck has a lot to do with it and sometimes people succeed in spite of things they think might help.
- nostrademons 8y ago
  Who would you rather be: the person who attributes their success to their actions, or the person who complains about not being successful? You don't necessarily have control over whether you're successful, but you have a lot of control over how you see yourself and your personal narrative.
  - goalieca 8y ago
    Why would i want to be anyone but myself? But to answer your point, arrogance and ignorance are not something to covet and neither is whining.

meesterdude 8y ago

> But do nod and smile when he says it. No, fuck Jeff Bezos the bozo. edit: whale biologist

dang 8y ago
You've been posting a bunch of unsubstantive comments to HN. Would you please stop? https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html