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Humans are fundamentally irrational. Studies with chimps have proven exactly how irrational we are. One classic experiment has the reseacher give the chimps to

by db48x 4mo ago

Humans are fundamentally irrational. Studies with chimps have proven exactly how irrational we are. One classic experiment has the reseacher give the chimps tokens in exchange for simple tasks, like finding a pebble and bringing it to the reseacher. Then the chimp can exchange the token for food. The chimps will do this all day for slices of cucumber. But if a chimp sees the researcher give another chimp a grape in exchange for the token then suddenly cucumber isn’t good enough any more. If the researcher keeps giving the first chimp cucumber then it will scream and throw it back, even uselessly threaten the reseacher. Rationally the chimp is still as well off as before. It still prefers cucumber over kibble, and it is still worth the chimp’s time to earn the cucumber. What it doesn’t like is the _unfairness_. > But seeing valuation rounds of tens of billions and now a net worth of a trillion dollars - million times million - it just feels like the game is eternally uneven and I can't in good conscience support these ideas anymore. Do you see how you are making the same mistake? If you earn the millions you wanted then you will still be just as well off as you would have been before you found out about someone earning a trillion. Of course it’s not entirely a mistake to want fairness. Fairness is a good thing in many cases. But when it comes to self–improvement we have to look beyond fairness and try to be more rational. Earn those millions and be satisfied. They will provide you just as much stability now as they ever would have.

techblueberry 4mo ago
> Do you see how you are making the same mistake? If you earn the millions you wanted then you will still be just as well off as you would have been before you found out about someone earning a trillion. It’s not the same mistake. I’m doing fine. I have completely tuned my life and aspiration to my income. I need know more and I am personally satisfied. But forget morality and “who has enough”. Money is just not moving sufficiently in the system. And even traditional capitalists are sounding the alarm on this. It’s not about how much Elon Musk has compared to me. It’s looking at the total distribution of money. But like all the rules about the economy and capitalism not being a zero sum game are dependent on moderation and a set of rules. AI companies really are sucking up all the capital leaving less money for smaller firms. Depending on how AI companies tie themselves to the government, you could see bailouts and inflation that make us all poorer.
holistio 4mo ago
It's not the same mistake. The thing tied to the dictionary shared by the people here - SAFEs, pre-seeds, Sand Hill Road - has shifted. ~Ten years ago SF and the Valley represented the opportunity to meet quirky people, have smart fun, build something and maybe get an order or two magnitudes richer than your parents. Now Paul Graham is lecturing Oxford students about how you can become a billionaire in 9 months. It's all gotten insane. I used to respect him, have his book in print and now I feel like everything he and his world represents is shifting further and further away from what I consider a disciplined, virtuous life. I no longer want to play their game. Having a YC badge on my front page has turned from something I longed for to an idea that's oddly cringe now.
- db48x 4mo ago
  None of that seems relevant to your initial question. Start a company, sell something people want, earn your stability. What part of that requires associating with Paul Grahram or YC?
- deleted 4mo ago
  [deleted]
- db48x 4mo ago
  > It's not the same mistake. You didn’t answer my other question, but I still wanted to return to this point. Consider two scenarios: 1. Chimp A does a task, gets a token, gives the token to a human, and gets cucumber in return. 2. Chimp A does a task, gets a token, gives the token to a human, and gets cucumber in return. Chimp B does the same thing but gets a grape instead. In which scenario is Chimp A better off? Answer: neither. He gains the same amount in each case. Now consider your future: 1. You start a company, sell things people want, profit, sell the company for $2½ million after taxes, and retire with financial security (assuming you have some financial discipline). 2. You start a company, sell things people want, profit, sell the company for $2½ million after taxes, and retire with financial security (assuming you have some financial discipline) and Elon Musk has a net worth (on paper) of a trillion dollars? See how in both cases you have gained the same thing? Don’t let your envy of Elon Musk cause you to lose out on something that would be good for you. The chimp loses his head and throws the cucumber at the researcher who was unfair to him, but you can be better than that. The way I see it, you have five basic options: 1. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you work for someone else, earn a salary, live paycheck to paycheck, and retire penniless. 2. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you work for someone else, earn a salary, save ~50% of your income, and retire with millions (exact figure depends on your age, your exact savings rate, and how many kids you send to college). 3. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for a few years, go bankrupt, then start over. 4. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for a few years, succeed, sell it, and then retire with millions. 5. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for years, never quite have enough yearly revenue to sell the company, but still manage to pay yourself a salary and save for retirement, and then retire with millions. Just to belabor the point, Elon Musk’s net worth doesn’t really affect the outcome you get.

by db48x 4mo ago

techblueberry 4mo ago

> Do you see how you are making the same mistake? If you earn the millions you wanted then you will still be just as well off as you would have been before you found out about someone earning a trillion. It’s not the same mistake. I’m doing fine. I have completely tuned my life and aspiration to my income. I need know more and I am personally satisfied. But forget morality and “who has enough”. Money is just not moving sufficiently in the system. And even traditional capitalists are sounding the alarm on this. It’s not about how much Elon Musk has compared to me. It’s looking at the total distribution of money. But like all the rules about the economy and capitalism not being a zero sum game are dependent on moderation and a set of rules. AI companies really are sucking up all the capital leaving less money for smaller firms. Depending on how AI companies tie themselves to the government, you could see bailouts and inflation that make us all poorer.

holistio 4mo ago

It's not the same mistake. The thing tied to the dictionary shared by the people here - SAFEs, pre-seeds, Sand Hill Road - has shifted. ~Ten years ago SF and the Valley represented the opportunity to meet quirky people, have smart fun, build something and maybe get an order or two magnitudes richer than your parents. Now Paul Graham is lecturing Oxford students about how you can become a billionaire in 9 months. It's all gotten insane. I used to respect him, have his book in print and now I feel like everything he and his world represents is shifting further and further away from what I consider a disciplined, virtuous life. I no longer want to play their game. Having a YC badge on my front page has turned from something I longed for to an idea that's oddly cringe now.

db48x 4mo ago
None of that seems relevant to your initial question. Start a company, sell something people want, earn your stability. What part of that requires associating with Paul Grahram or YC?
deleted 4mo ago
[deleted]
db48x 4mo ago
> It's not the same mistake. You didn’t answer my other question, but I still wanted to return to this point. Consider two scenarios: 1. Chimp A does a task, gets a token, gives the token to a human, and gets cucumber in return. 2. Chimp A does a task, gets a token, gives the token to a human, and gets cucumber in return. Chimp B does the same thing but gets a grape instead. In which scenario is Chimp A better off? Answer: neither. He gains the same amount in each case. Now consider your future: 1. You start a company, sell things people want, profit, sell the company for $2½ million after taxes, and retire with financial security (assuming you have some financial discipline). 2. You start a company, sell things people want, profit, sell the company for $2½ million after taxes, and retire with financial security (assuming you have some financial discipline) and Elon Musk has a net worth (on paper) of a trillion dollars? See how in both cases you have gained the same thing? Don’t let your envy of Elon Musk cause you to lose out on something that would be good for you. The chimp loses his head and throws the cucumber at the researcher who was unfair to him, but you can be better than that. The way I see it, you have five basic options: 1. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you work for someone else, earn a salary, live paycheck to paycheck, and retire penniless. 2. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you work for someone else, earn a salary, save ~50% of your income, and retire with millions (exact figure depends on your age, your exact savings rate, and how many kids you send to college). 3. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for a few years, go bankrupt, then start over. 4. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for a few years, succeed, sell it, and then retire with millions. 5. Elon Musk has a net worth of $1 trillion, you start a company, work hard for years, never quite have enough yearly revenue to sell the company, but still manage to pay yourself a salary and save for retirement, and then retire with millions. Just to belabor the point, Elon Musk’s net worth doesn’t really affect the outcome you get.