> The reason why I could never become a blackhat is my need for affirmation. People who can do great intellectual work in the dark without anyone around them un

> The reason why I could never become a blackhat is my need for affirmation. People who can do great intellectual work in the dark without anyone around them understanding or fully appreciating the effort involved have a different psychological profile THIS. I used to think doing a PhD is lonely, but even then you have venues to discuss your ideas. Even with esoteric or difficult topics, there is an opportunity to package it for the masses. E.g. physicists. I imagine it’s hard for hackers to even communicate with their significant others. This is not a topic you can go to school for and meet people who have the same context.