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>I came away sympathetic — recognizing a kindred spirit who’s capable of a lot, but had a hard time fitting in with the world If there's one thing I've learned

>I came away sympathetic — recognizing a kindred spirit who’s capable of a lot, but had a hard time fitting in with the world If there's one thing I've learned about HackerNews, it's that everyone here is an exceptional but misunderstood genius. >while everyone else just saw a very impressive asshole. I don't know a single person who came away from this film with the impression that Alex Honnold is an asshole. Seems like an odd take, but nothing in today's world surprises me.

reascenda 7y ago
I thought he was an asshole. Quite apart from how he came across in the film exposing yourself to utterly needless danger is a very bad way to treat people who love you.
- snarf21 7y ago
  I get that perspective. Let me ask this: Do you feel the same way about the people in your life who smoke? or eat fast food? or don't exercise daily? or text while driving? I know you can say those are an accumulation of small dangers but it isn't like Honnold never climbed once and decided to free solo the hardest cliff in the world. Do you feel the same about race car drivers? NFL players? We all have our identity and a lot of time it is associated with the things we are good with.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - whatshisface 7y ago
    I think there are plenty of people who are trying to get their loved ones to quit smoking.
    - balfirevic 7y ago
      But do they think of them as assholes because they are smoking? Or eating unhealthy food?
      - whatshisface 7y ago
        If you eat so badly that you die at 40, then yes that's just as bad as slipping off a rock. Look at it this way, let's say a guy gets married and then starts eating so many big macs every day that he's headed to the grave in a few years. My guess would be that his wife would hate him for that even more than if he was a solo climber.
  - reascenda 7y ago
    For some of those things yes. Dangerous driving and smoking for me are reckless to the point of being blameworthy. I'm less sure about eating badly and not exercising but I'm not sure that's a difference of kind rather than degree (inasmuch as those things tend to be less harmful, or an instance is less harmful)
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
  It's his life, if he chooses to do this instead of joining the military or being a firefighter or some traditionally acceptable form of risking your life, that's fine. He is not obligated to live the way 'the people who love him' want him to.
- ProAm 7y ago
  > exposing yourself to utterly needless danger is a very bad way to treat people who love you He didnt ask those people to love him, their emotions are not his responsibility, he gets to live his life the way he wants to. That's his right of existence.
- chroma 7y ago
  The only person in the movie who met Honnold before he started free soloing was his mother, and she seems fine with him doing it. Everyone else knew what they were signing up for. If anything, they're the selfish ones because they want him to stop doing what he loves.
soVeryTired 7y ago
Well he didn't treat his girlfriend particularly well through the film. He was never actively nasty to her, but he was dismissive and didn't appear too interested in her either.
- test1235 7y ago
  Alex is the way he's always been, and she got into the relationship knowing that. I think it's quite selfish of her to expect him to change for her.
- have_faith 7y ago
  That's odd, in my group the main take away was how toxic she is to their relationship. It came across as if she attached herself to him in a way that came across as very manipulative. Demonstrated well in the house buying scene I think.
gameswithgo 7y ago
>but nothing in today's world surprises me. there is no time in the world when it wasn't full of crazy.
thrav 7y ago
Read the article. His girlfriend is literally quoted saying people think he is an asshole. --- Traffic is heavy, giving us time to discuss the parts of his Free Solo persona with which he disagrees. "Oh, the daredevil," he says. "The asshole," Sanni says. "No, no, I don't think that's part of the public persona." "I think it is."

reascenda 7y ago

I thought he was an asshole. Quite apart from how he came across in the film exposing yourself to utterly needless danger is a very bad way to treat people who love you.

snarf21 7y ago
I get that perspective. Let me ask this: Do you feel the same way about the people in your life who smoke? or eat fast food? or don't exercise daily? or text while driving? I know you can say those are an accumulation of small dangers but it isn't like Honnold never climbed once and decided to free solo the hardest cliff in the world. Do you feel the same about race car drivers? NFL players? We all have our identity and a lot of time it is associated with the things we are good with.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- whatshisface 7y ago
  I think there are plenty of people who are trying to get their loved ones to quit smoking.
  - balfirevic 7y ago
    But do they think of them as assholes because they are smoking? Or eating unhealthy food?
    - whatshisface 7y ago
      If you eat so badly that you die at 40, then yes that's just as bad as slipping off a rock. Look at it this way, let's say a guy gets married and then starts eating so many big macs every day that he's headed to the grave in a few years. My guess would be that his wife would hate him for that even more than if he was a solo climber.
- reascenda 7y ago
  For some of those things yes. Dangerous driving and smoking for me are reckless to the point of being blameworthy. I'm less sure about eating badly and not exercising but I'm not sure that's a difference of kind rather than degree (inasmuch as those things tend to be less harmful, or an instance is less harmful)
AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
It's his life, if he chooses to do this instead of joining the military or being a firefighter or some traditionally acceptable form of risking your life, that's fine. He is not obligated to live the way 'the people who love him' want him to.
ProAm 7y ago
> exposing yourself to utterly needless danger is a very bad way to treat people who love you He didnt ask those people to love him, their emotions are not his responsibility, he gets to live his life the way he wants to. That's his right of existence.
chroma 7y ago
The only person in the movie who met Honnold before he started free soloing was his mother, and she seems fine with him doing it. Everyone else knew what they were signing up for. If anything, they're the selfish ones because they want him to stop doing what he loves.

soVeryTired 7y ago

Well he didn't treat his girlfriend particularly well through the film. He was never actively nasty to her, but he was dismissive and didn't appear too interested in her either.

test1235 7y ago
Alex is the way he's always been, and she got into the relationship knowing that. I think it's quite selfish of her to expect him to change for her.
have_faith 7y ago
That's odd, in my group the main take away was how toxic she is to their relationship. It came across as if she attached herself to him in a way that came across as very manipulative. Demonstrated well in the house buying scene I think.

gameswithgo 7y ago

>but nothing in today's world surprises me. there is no time in the world when it wasn't full of crazy.

thrav 7y ago

Read the article. His girlfriend is literally quoted saying people think he is an asshole. --- Traffic is heavy, giving us time to discuss the parts of his Free Solo persona with which he disagrees. "Oh, the daredevil," he says. "The asshole," Sanni says. "No, no, I don't think that's part of the public persona." "I think it is."