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Woaw. Apparently you can be 14 and extremely arrogant too. What the hell was that ? That's just an article full of bold claims "If something is physically poss

Woaw. Apparently you can be 14 and extremely arrogant too. What the hell was that ? That's just an article full of bold claims "If something is physically possible then you can achieve it if you try hard enough" and self gratification. I hate people like this who, because they have been lucky in life and because they have worked hard think they can give general lessons about life. My gosh this article was obnoxious.

john_flintstone 14y ago
Sour grapes fella. How do you know she's been 'lucky' in life?
- victork2 14y ago
  Well most of us have been very very lucky in life, we have won the lottery, but among other things: * Born in a 1st world country * Born in a wealthy enough family that can afford computers and education for their children * Born with parents that are supportive of her actions It's a very common misconception on Hacker News that we have started from nothing and if people don't succeed it's because they don't "try enough". If you really want to see nothing go to Africa and say you haven't been lucky in life. "Trying" for these people is way harder than YOUR trying and you have to realize that. By the way I am in no way sour, it's just important to realize what we were given in life and stop giving lessons to everybody based on our limited experience. Just a little decency.
  - jasonlotito 14y ago
    Not to discount what you said, but I think in some ways she realizes this. The problems she does overcome are, in her own words: "a load of crappy excuses". I think she understands the challenges she faces aren't really challenges, and are just that: "crappy excuses." So, you make a good point, and in some way, I think she realizes that with all she has been given, the excuses left to her are crappy.
  - watmough 14y ago
    Yeah, I can't echo this enough. I had to temper myself writing to my sponsor child last night. She's in Indonesia, and likely to be stuck making cassava with her mom and helping in the fields, until she gets married off and never heard from again. If she was able to suffer a trip on a boat, or be adopted into the 1st World she'd have a solid chance at an education, and a first world life.
  - Achshar 14y ago
    > Born in a wealthy enough family that can afford computers and education for their children Well i write web apps too and i can confirm it. I have not been agle to get my hands on a smartphone. And it's been ages and i still don't have a smartphone despite of listening and talking about it for years. People usually ignore this. Some time back, there was a kid who wrote ipad apps. I felt this that time too, he was more lucky. I haven't ever seen an ipad IRL let alone use it or own it. If i had an ipad when i was 12, i would have been very happy and probably better coder than i am today. Having access to all of this is a great help if you have it and albeit not a road blocker exactly but still a discouraging thought if you don't have them. Reading about such stuff everyday but never getting a chance to use them is not the best thing you would want for yourself. Only i know how much i want a smart device but i am still not able to get it. So yes, being lucky definitely counts. Although i would like to point out that i am getting education and my parents are still super supportive.
philwelch 14y ago
...Yes? Humility is learned through a lifetime of failure and suffering; don't hate people (your word, not mine) who haven't had the misfortune to experience that yet. What I really hate is to see this kind of tall poppy syndrome, and I'm horrified to see it on HN of all places. Confident, ambitious people should be celebrated, not hammered down by small-minded people who are offended whenever someone tries to achieve above their station.
- jrabone 14y ago
  Seconded, and it's so very, VERY British. Perhaps when the rest of the US wakes up the tone of comments might change, but right now some of them feel like they came straight from the playground.
arethuza 14y ago
"If something is physically possible then you can achieve it if you try hard enough" Personally, I think that's a pretty good attitude for a teenager to have.
ticks 14y ago
My only real complaint is she says 'awesome' too much. I'm pretty sure there's an unwritten rule in these parts that prevents us from saying it. Fine for Americans and acceptable for tech conferences, but too jovial for us Brits. ;)
- xd 14y ago
  I find myself cringing at the excessive use of the word "awesome" round these parts. It seems a lot of people just can't articulate themselves or their product so they just slap "Awesome" into the mix and be done with it.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
padolsey 14y ago
Sorry but what in the article reeked of arrogance? You should try commenting on the actual content of the article and not on the individual, who, truth be told, you know absolutely nothing about.

john_flintstone 14y ago

Sour grapes fella. How do you know she's been 'lucky' in life?

victork2 14y ago
Well most of us have been very very lucky in life, we have won the lottery, but among other things: * Born in a 1st world country * Born in a wealthy enough family that can afford computers and education for their children * Born with parents that are supportive of her actions It's a very common misconception on Hacker News that we have started from nothing and if people don't succeed it's because they don't "try enough". If you really want to see nothing go to Africa and say you haven't been lucky in life. "Trying" for these people is way harder than YOUR trying and you have to realize that. By the way I am in no way sour, it's just important to realize what we were given in life and stop giving lessons to everybody based on our limited experience. Just a little decency.
- jasonlotito 14y ago
  Not to discount what you said, but I think in some ways she realizes this. The problems she does overcome are, in her own words: "a load of crappy excuses". I think she understands the challenges she faces aren't really challenges, and are just that: "crappy excuses." So, you make a good point, and in some way, I think she realizes that with all she has been given, the excuses left to her are crappy.
- watmough 14y ago
  Yeah, I can't echo this enough. I had to temper myself writing to my sponsor child last night. She's in Indonesia, and likely to be stuck making cassava with her mom and helping in the fields, until she gets married off and never heard from again. If she was able to suffer a trip on a boat, or be adopted into the 1st World she'd have a solid chance at an education, and a first world life.
- Achshar 14y ago
  > Born in a wealthy enough family that can afford computers and education for their children Well i write web apps too and i can confirm it. I have not been agle to get my hands on a smartphone. And it's been ages and i still don't have a smartphone despite of listening and talking about it for years. People usually ignore this. Some time back, there was a kid who wrote ipad apps. I felt this that time too, he was more lucky. I haven't ever seen an ipad IRL let alone use it or own it. If i had an ipad when i was 12, i would have been very happy and probably better coder than i am today. Having access to all of this is a great help if you have it and albeit not a road blocker exactly but still a discouraging thought if you don't have them. Reading about such stuff everyday but never getting a chance to use them is not the best thing you would want for yourself. Only i know how much i want a smart device but i am still not able to get it. So yes, being lucky definitely counts. Although i would like to point out that i am getting education and my parents are still super supportive.

philwelch 14y ago

...Yes? Humility is learned through a lifetime of failure and suffering; don't hate people (your word, not mine) who haven't had the misfortune to experience that yet. What I really hate is to see this kind of tall poppy syndrome, and I'm horrified to see it on HN of all places. Confident, ambitious people should be celebrated, not hammered down by small-minded people who are offended whenever someone tries to achieve above their station.

jrabone 14y ago
Seconded, and it's so very, VERY British. Perhaps when the rest of the US wakes up the tone of comments might change, but right now some of them feel like they came straight from the playground.

arethuza 14y ago

"If something is physically possible then you can achieve it if you try hard enough" Personally, I think that's a pretty good attitude for a teenager to have.

ticks 14y ago

My only real complaint is she says 'awesome' too much. I'm pretty sure there's an unwritten rule in these parts that prevents us from saying it. Fine for Americans and acceptable for tech conferences, but too jovial for us Brits. ;)

xd 14y ago
I find myself cringing at the excessive use of the word "awesome" round these parts. It seems a lot of people just can't articulate themselves or their product so they just slap "Awesome" into the mix and be done with it.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

padolsey 14y ago

Sorry but what in the article reeked of arrogance? You should try commenting on the actual content of the article and not on the individual, who, truth be told, you know absolutely nothing about.