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Elon Musk on How to Build the Future

(www.ycombinator.com)
1106 points sama | 6 comments | 15 Sep 16 18:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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kstenerud ◴[15 Sep 16 19:30 UTC] No.12509079[source]▶
It always saddens me when I see a slew of Debbie Downer comments from the HN crowd.

"Yes, he ushered in the electric car revolution, but the production carbon footprint is still huge!"

"Yes, he's building rockets, but he took a bunch of government money!"

"Yes, he's paving the way to Mars, but what has he done for world hunger?"

And it not just with Musk, but really with anyone who has been successful. I would have thought that the technologists were above such petty envy. We're here to improve humanity's lot, aren't we?

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1. trentnix ◴[15 Sep 16 19:53 UTC] No.12509273[source]▶
I read something a couple of decades ago that's helped me avoid, occasionally, the mindset that causes me to be a curmudgeon: someone else's success is not my problem.

Thats not to say that any particular criticism is unjustified. Just that tearing down someone for its own sake is not good for anyone - rock throwers included.

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2. crikli ◴[15 Sep 16 20:07 UTC] No.12509391[source]▶
If only society in general would adopt that perspective. Unfortunately there seems to be a growing sentiment that someone else's success was somehow at their expense and therefore they are owed something by the successful.
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3. lostlogin ◴[15 Sep 16 20:29 UTC] No.12509564[source]▶
I'd argue that a lot of this a reaction to the standard media celebrity. Everywhere there are puff pieces trumpeting minor successes and pathetic daily trivialities of b-grade celebrities. And when it isn't this, younlater learn how success was achieved in a negative way or of terrible behaviour by the previously championed individual. Having a high level of cynicism helps keep one sane and avoid the hype. You are rarely disappointed.
4. antisthenes ◴[15 Sep 16 20:48 UTC] No.12509698[source]▶
In the case of real estate, that is precisely the case. Land is a zero-sum market devoid of any meritocracy.

Considering that housing is a pretty huge expense for the majority of people, it's a legitimate gripe.

5. dclowd9901 ◴[16 Sep 16 00:14 UTC] No.12510997[source]▶
> someone else's success is not my problem.

I'm pretty sure in a zero-sum game (e.g. Our market reality), this is the opposite of true.

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6. sabertoothed ◴[16 Sep 16 01:49 UTC] No.12511386[source]▶
The keyword was "mindset".