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I really appreciate your reply, you've definitely got the gears turning in my head. Something to clarify, I'm not really trying to say that people like that wa

I really appreciate your reply, you've definitely got the gears turning in my head. Something to clarify, I'm not really trying to say that people like that want to be evil. People like Shkreli make bad choices not because they like to be bad, but because they're indifferent to the indirect consequences of their choices. I'm extremely skeptical that someone in a position like Shkreli was would be in any serious risk of losing access to essentials like food and shelter if they were to behave more ethically, so I think it's important to set the standard that choosing a job like that when you have alternatives is wrong. All that being said, I do agree with you that the primary problem by far is the exploitative structure that enables these people to exist in these positions, in the first place. If someone's analysis of the situation ended at Shkreli, I'd encourage them to think deeper. However, I do strongly believe that we don't have to choose between one or the other -- encouraging others to look down on those who choose to be a part of this system can have a significant influence by discouraging others from entering it, themselves. The more voices we have saying "this is not something to aspire to," the more pressure we can build to effect meaningful systemic change.

ericb 6y ago
I appreciate your open-minded approach. In terms of turning gears, I find that a surprising amount of the time, the evil people (greedy bankers, landlords, unions, execs, VCs police) are caricatures held by outsiders who don't see the full set of incentive structures driving their behavior. Instead, from afar, they become cartoon bad-guys. When this happens, most people take the easy route and decide they are all "evil" rather than looking at the incentive structure of the system, and the behavior it encourages. Next time you see one of these, see if you can instead see it as a bunch of people in roles mostly acting in their own self interest, and think on whether policy, institutional organization, or law could alter the incentives and change what is in their self-interest in a better way.

ericb 6y ago

I appreciate your open-minded approach. In terms of turning gears, I find that a surprising amount of the time, the evil people (greedy bankers, landlords, unions, execs, VCs police) are caricatures held by outsiders who don't see the full set of incentive structures driving their behavior. Instead, from afar, they become cartoon bad-guys. When this happens, most people take the easy route and decide they are all "evil" rather than looking at the incentive structure of the system, and the behavior it encourages. Next time you see one of these, see if you can instead see it as a bunch of people in roles mostly acting in their own self interest, and think on whether policy, institutional organization, or law could alter the incentives and change what is in their self-interest in a better way.