3 ms·

It's a good question but I don't think the characterization of "glorious pioneers holding lanterns in the dark" vs. "monkeys with sticks" is fair.

by thenmar 13y ago

seiji 13y ago
Let's talk about dating. The dating world is full of monkeys. Baristas, out of work actors, "office managers," bartenders, literal starving artists, set designers who make $15k/year for working 60 hours a week all year, .... (We're talking "this is what they do" people, not goodwill hunting "unlimited potential" people who turn into rocket scientists at the drop of at hat.) Imagine you're a YC person: Altman or Dallas or Quinto or whoever they have these days. At what point in a relationship does it get annoying not being able to share the upper parts of what you are and what you do? Sure, you can always commiserate about the weather and the latest TV shows or what your 188th level Orc Paladin did in WoW this week, but does that give meaning to "high achievers?" That's the lanterns in the dark versus the rabble of reality tv watchers. (Cutting off some replies here: yes, there's a continuous gradient between "only-a-barista" and "only-a-serial-billionare," but there are levels people seems to get chunked into fairly easily after talking with them for 5 seconds to 5 minutes. yes, some of these positions are due to life circumstances and coincidences along the way, but that's the life we end up with—we can't all go back in time to be born to the mother of Bill Gates.)
- thenmar 13y ago
  Sorry, what? Do you think that by being an engineer you have a level of consciousness that commoners can't comprehend? Have you ever dated anyone?
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
- kylemaxwell 13y ago
  Help me understand: are you under the impression that shared professional interests are what make a personal, intimate relationship work? Really?
  - seiji 13y ago
    Thought experiment: How many famous people date busboys and cater-waiters? How many CEOs date Starbucks baristas? People in Hollywood date other famous people. Successful people tend to go after other successful people. As much as generic 16 year old Jessica in Montana wishes, One Direction is not going to swoop out of the sky and date her. It's of course nowhere near accurate or absolute those positions hold, but, social spheres (and intimate octahedrons) form around people of like interests and abilities. There will always be a romcom to say otherwise though. CEO meets hostess. President of USA meets stripper. College professor meets checkout person at Target.
    - kylemaxwell 13y ago
      As an upper middle class guy who married a working class immigrant nearly 15 years ago, I can say that your statement is mostly hyperbole.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- JonnieCache 13y ago
  >there's a continuous gradient Out of interest, how would you label the axis?

It's a good question but I don't think the characterization of "glorious pioneers holding lanterns in the dark" vs. "monkeys with sticks" is fair.

by thenmar 13y ago

It's a good question but I don't think the characterization of "glorious pioneers holding lanterns in the dark" vs. "monkeys with sticks" is fair.

seiji 13y ago

Let's talk about dating. The dating world is full of monkeys. Baristas, out of work actors, "office managers," bartenders, literal starving artists, set designers who make $15k/year for working 60 hours a week all year, .... (We're talking "this is what they do" people, not goodwill hunting "unlimited potential" people who turn into rocket scientists at the drop of at hat.) Imagine you're a YC person: Altman or Dallas or Quinto or whoever they have these days. At what point in a relationship does it get annoying not being able to share the upper parts of what you are and what you do? Sure, you can always commiserate about the weather and the latest TV shows or what your 188th level Orc Paladin did in WoW this week, but does that give meaning to "high achievers?" That's the lanterns in the dark versus the rabble of reality tv watchers. (Cutting off some replies here: yes, there's a continuous gradient between "only-a-barista" and "only-a-serial-billionare," but there are levels people seems to get chunked into fairly easily after talking with them for 5 seconds to 5 minutes. yes, some of these positions are due to life circumstances and coincidences along the way, but that's the life we end up with—we can't all go back in time to be born to the mother of Bill Gates.)

thenmar 13y ago
Sorry, what? Do you think that by being an engineer you have a level of consciousness that commoners can't comprehend? Have you ever dated anyone?
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
kylemaxwell 13y ago
Help me understand: are you under the impression that shared professional interests are what make a personal, intimate relationship work? Really?
- seiji 13y ago
  Thought experiment: How many famous people date busboys and cater-waiters? How many CEOs date Starbucks baristas? People in Hollywood date other famous people. Successful people tend to go after other successful people. As much as generic 16 year old Jessica in Montana wishes, One Direction is not going to swoop out of the sky and date her. It's of course nowhere near accurate or absolute those positions hold, but, social spheres (and intimate octahedrons) form around people of like interests and abilities. There will always be a romcom to say otherwise though. CEO meets hostess. President of USA meets stripper. College professor meets checkout person at Target.
  - kylemaxwell 13y ago
    As an upper middle class guy who married a working class immigrant nearly 15 years ago, I can say that your statement is mostly hyperbole.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
JonnieCache 13y ago
>there's a continuous gradient Out of interest, how would you label the axis?