3 ms·

I am all for people being motivated by a higher calling and trying to be explorers, but you'd better forget about the "signing your name into history" bit. Unle

I am all for people being motivated by a higher calling and trying to be explorers, but you'd better forget about the "signing your name into history" bit. Unless you're one of the very first or do something very special, very few people will remember you. Could you, off the top of your head, recount the names of all the Apollo astronauts? Could you list, even with some research, say, the first 100 people from Europe that settled in North America? People should do that stuff because they love to do it, not out of a misguided hope of becoming famous for future generations.

javert 14y ago
"Signing your name into history" does not have to equate to "having your name remembered." In other words, it would be great to make history (in such an important way as this), whether you are remembered or not.
mdonahoe 14y ago
I don't remember apollo astronauts, but Wikipedia does. Hopefully our records will be better preserved than those from the Mayflower.
- tjic 14y ago
  > Hopefully our records will be better preserved than those from the Mayflower. I dunno. They Mayflower records are pretty decent. And online. http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/images/MayflowerCompact.gif http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/images/MayflowerCompact.gif
btown 14y ago
Even if you don't remember their names, though, you can recall the fact that there existed Apollo astronauts, men who were brave enough to go on those pioneering missions. DHH put it very eloquently in an essay 4 years ago: http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1437-put-a-dent-in-the-universe http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1437-put-a-dent-in-the-univer... - "The key is that your efforts would be missed, your customers would have a sense of loss, if you stopped doing what you’re doing." Imagine if history said this about Apollo: "The technology was there, but in the end, we lacked people brave enough to risk the voyage. So the project stagnated, the rockets languished on the launching pads. And America moved on, a president's promise forgotten." I'd say the nameless astronaut makes a pretty big dent.

javert 14y ago

"Signing your name into history" does not have to equate to "having your name remembered." In other words, it would be great to make history (in such an important way as this), whether you are remembered or not.

mdonahoe 14y ago

I don't remember apollo astronauts, but Wikipedia does. Hopefully our records will be better preserved than those from the Mayflower.

tjic 14y ago
> Hopefully our records will be better preserved than those from the Mayflower. I dunno. They Mayflower records are pretty decent. And online. http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/images/MayflowerCompact.gif http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/images/MayflowerCompact.gif

btown 14y ago

Even if you don't remember their names, though, you can recall the fact that there existed Apollo astronauts, men who were brave enough to go on those pioneering missions. DHH put it very eloquently in an essay 4 years ago: http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1437-put-a-dent-in-the-universe http://37signals.com/svn/posts/1437-put-a-dent-in-the-univer... - "The key is that your efforts would be missed, your customers would have a sense of loss, if you stopped doing what you’re doing." Imagine if history said this about Apollo: "The technology was there, but in the end, we lacked people brave enough to risk the voyage. So the project stagnated, the rockets languished on the launching pads. And America moved on, a president's promise forgotten." I'd say the nameless astronaut makes a pretty big dent.