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Because he is a complex human being with a very visible dark side and any praise of his achievements will make his terrible personality traits stain you like a

Because he is a complex human being with a very visible dark side and any praise of his achievements will make his terrible personality traits stain you like a soggy barf bag on an overnight flight

sbuttgereit 2y ago
But you know... they're all complex. Even you are a complex human being... maybe not so visible as Elon Musk... but... so what? You know why people really do it? It has nothing to do with Elon Musk, but rather is a response to our own fears for our own social standing. We fear that if we say something good about a person that our social group has, in defiance of your complex human point, decided is "a bad guy" that we'll just as cavalierly be excluded or derided from that group. So when you acknowledge that complexity or something good that this "good for nothing" person has done, you have to start off with with virtual signaling: "oh this guy is terrible, but... ", (meaning "please see that I'm still one of you"). I find the whole act kinda craven, perhaps even moreso than a social group that demands it.
- edgyquant 2y ago
  The hive mind has decided he’s bad, so you have to make sure everyone knows you hate him too otherwise you risk being ostracized as well
  - lobsterthief 2y ago
    Nah, I dislike him regardless of what the hive mind thinks.
- causality0 2y ago
  It's very much a "religion of society". There is dogma, sins, shunning, confession, penance, blasphemy, heretics, etc. Just because it doesn't have a creation myth doesn't make it not religious.
- evilduck 2y ago
  A more gratuitous interpretation is that someone who does this is making an attempt to stave off the expected vapid replies that occur whenever you mention polarizing topics or people.
- t43562 2y ago
  That might be what you would do but I think the man is a shit and I only mention his achievements out of duty to try to be fair. If I wasn't interested in being fair I'd just say I don't care what he has done - he has been paid well for whatever it is and doesn't need any admiration from anyone.
jay-barronville 2y ago
This is so silly. Reading comments like these, you’d think everyone on HN is a perfect human, without flaws and liked by everyone. I’m glad someone like Elon doesn’t spend his time reading stuff like this and instead spends most of his time kicking ass. In the long run, his results will continue to speak for him.
- causality0 2y ago
  I mean, yes and no. In principle I agree with you but Musk very much does also spend his time reading stuff like this and getting into internet slap fights. Last time I checked he was tweeting 29.2 times a day, or roughly once every thirty minutes of wake time.
  - thedudeabides97 2y ago
    [flagged]
- strken 2y ago
  Half the problem with Elon is that he does spend some of his time reading stuff like this and shitposting on the website formerly known as Twitter about it, instead of going to work or sitting on a beach reading something more useful. Upon reflection this is also a problem with me, but I don't own SpaceX or Tesla, so fewer people are going to call me out on it.
  - robertlagrant 2y ago
    That is the tiniest problem imaginable. If that's half the problem then is it even worth the gossip on HN?
    - strken 2y ago
      Elon's propensity to say dumb shit and take a side in the culture war is not a tiny problem. It is devaluing the brand of every company he publicly contributes to, when the brand is the most valuable thing about many of them.

Because he is a complex human being with a very visible dark side and any praise of his achievements will make his terrible personality traits stain you like a soggy barf bag on an overnight flight

sbuttgereit 2y ago

But you know... they're all complex. Even you are a complex human being... maybe not so visible as Elon Musk... but... so what? You know why people really do it? It has nothing to do with Elon Musk, but rather is a response to our own fears for our own social standing. We fear that if we say something good about a person that our social group has, in defiance of your complex human point, decided is "a bad guy" that we'll just as cavalierly be excluded or derided from that group. So when you acknowledge that complexity or something good that this "good for nothing" person has done, you have to start off with with virtual signaling: "oh this guy is terrible, but... ", (meaning "please see that I'm still one of you"). I find the whole act kinda craven, perhaps even moreso than a social group that demands it.

edgyquant 2y ago
The hive mind has decided he’s bad, so you have to make sure everyone knows you hate him too otherwise you risk being ostracized as well
- lobsterthief 2y ago
  Nah, I dislike him regardless of what the hive mind thinks.
causality0 2y ago
It's very much a "religion of society". There is dogma, sins, shunning, confession, penance, blasphemy, heretics, etc. Just because it doesn't have a creation myth doesn't make it not religious.
evilduck 2y ago
A more gratuitous interpretation is that someone who does this is making an attempt to stave off the expected vapid replies that occur whenever you mention polarizing topics or people.
t43562 2y ago
That might be what you would do but I think the man is a shit and I only mention his achievements out of duty to try to be fair. If I wasn't interested in being fair I'd just say I don't care what he has done - he has been paid well for whatever it is and doesn't need any admiration from anyone.

jay-barronville 2y ago

This is so silly. Reading comments like these, you’d think everyone on HN is a perfect human, without flaws and liked by everyone. I’m glad someone like Elon doesn’t spend his time reading stuff like this and instead spends most of his time kicking ass. In the long run, his results will continue to speak for him.

causality0 2y ago
I mean, yes and no. In principle I agree with you but Musk very much does also spend his time reading stuff like this and getting into internet slap fights. Last time I checked he was tweeting 29.2 times a day, or roughly once every thirty minutes of wake time.
- thedudeabides97 2y ago
  [flagged]
strken 2y ago
Half the problem with Elon is that he does spend some of his time reading stuff like this and shitposting on the website formerly known as Twitter about it, instead of going to work or sitting on a beach reading something more useful. Upon reflection this is also a problem with me, but I don't own SpaceX or Tesla, so fewer people are going to call me out on it.
- robertlagrant 2y ago
  That is the tiniest problem imaginable. If that's half the problem then is it even worth the gossip on HN?
  - strken 2y ago
    Elon's propensity to say dumb shit and take a side in the culture war is not a tiny problem. It is devaluing the brand of every company he publicly contributes to, when the brand is the most valuable thing about many of them.