5 ms·

This is the typical great man myth that gets promulgated by their publicists to make them seem more than human. As a rule they are either out right lies or grea

by monochr 12y ago

This is the typical great man myth that gets promulgated by their publicists to make them seem more than human. As a rule they are either out right lies or greatly exaggerated, other myths of this type is Kennedy reading 1000 words per minute, Napoleon listening to reports, reading a letter and dictating laws all at the same time, or Stalin single handedly designing the first five year plan.

Immortalin 12y ago
For speed readers, 1000 wpm is actually pretty standard.
- monochr 12y ago
  Yeah, no: http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_1000word_dash.html http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_...
aswanson 12y ago
Stalin designing the first 5 year plan doesnt sound impressive. It sounds like an idiotic idea resulting from an idiot, with predictably idiotic centrally planned results.
- monochr 12y ago
  The first 5 year plan was the most successful piece of industrial policy by any country in the world until the Chinese opening of their market. What's even more impressive is that it happened in the middle of the great depression without outside help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_five-year_plan_%28Soviet_Union%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_five-year_plan_%28Soviet...
  - delian66 12y ago
    It also created the conditions for the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor in which millions of people starved to death :-( .
bigtunacan 12y ago
1000 words per minute doesn't seem outlandish. My 10 year old already reads at over 300 wpm.
- monochr 12y ago
  I got married yesterday. If the trend continues tomorrow I will be doubling the number of wives I have every day. I expect to be married to the whole human race by the end of the month. Your childs increase in reading speed by contrast is highly unimpressive.
  - xavierxf- 12y ago
    Not to ruin the analogy, but wouldn't the number of wives you have just increase by one every day? Because 2 * 0 = 0?
    - fny 12y ago
      Perhaps she was a midwife?
    - vacri 12y ago
      We need more than two data points to get the relationship. It may be that monochr will have a fibonacci progression in the daily number of wives...
  - sanoli 12y ago
    No, you'll have about 30 wives.
juliangregorian 12y ago
It's almost certainly a myth in Edison's case. Seems like he considered it his brand in a way. Reports from his contemporaries are that he slept much more than he would have liked to admit. http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm#Thomas%20Alva%20Edison http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm#Thomas%20Al...
j1o1h1n 12y ago
I've always like Prince Shotoku, able to follow ten conversations at the same time.

by monochr 12y ago

Immortalin 12y ago

For speed readers, 1000 wpm is actually pretty standard.

monochr 12y ago
Yeah, no: http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_1000word_dash.html http://www.slate.com/articles/briefing/articles/2000/02/the_...

aswanson 12y ago

Stalin designing the first 5 year plan doesnt sound impressive. It sounds like an idiotic idea resulting from an idiot, with predictably idiotic centrally planned results.

monochr 12y ago
The first 5 year plan was the most successful piece of industrial policy by any country in the world until the Chinese opening of their market. What's even more impressive is that it happened in the middle of the great depression without outside help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_five-year_plan_%28Soviet_Union%29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_five-year_plan_%28Soviet...
- delian66 12y ago
  It also created the conditions for the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor in which millions of people starved to death :-( .

bigtunacan 12y ago

1000 words per minute doesn't seem outlandish. My 10 year old already reads at over 300 wpm.

monochr 12y ago
I got married yesterday. If the trend continues tomorrow I will be doubling the number of wives I have every day. I expect to be married to the whole human race by the end of the month. Your childs increase in reading speed by contrast is highly unimpressive.
- xavierxf- 12y ago
  Not to ruin the analogy, but wouldn't the number of wives you have just increase by one every day? Because 2 * 0 = 0?
  - fny 12y ago
    Perhaps she was a midwife?
  - vacri 12y ago
    We need more than two data points to get the relationship. It may be that monochr will have a fibonacci progression in the daily number of wives...
- sanoli 12y ago
  No, you'll have about 30 wives.

juliangregorian 12y ago

It's almost certainly a myth in Edison's case. Seems like he considered it his brand in a way. Reports from his contemporaries are that he slept much more than he would have liked to admit. http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm#Thomas%20Alva%20Edison http://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm#Thomas%20Al...

j1o1h1n 12y ago

I've always like Prince Shotoku, able to follow ten conversations at the same time.