I don’t make my money by tricking 19-year-olds who can borrow $80,000 only if it’s spent on a particular purpose. I think bilking young people is low class, even if it allows you to "be a thinker", whatever the fuck that means. [[michel chaoulli .. or similar]]
Some of my friends were smart enough to see the adults for what they were. I was not. I tended to be trusting of adults, especially professionals who smile and seem knowledgeable, smart, and not apparently against me.
- Well, first of all, I like to shoot my mouth off online.
- Second, I’m pissed off. I think normal people would just ignore the analyticz0rs, self-help gurus, stock-trading advice givers, newsletter salesmen, economists (Galbraith link), trading coaches, guidance counsellors, Ty Bateses, and self-appointed leadership experts and life coaches. It's probably apparent to most people, even young people, that this is a crock and a scam. But maybe it's not a waste of time to reaffirm to the 16-year-olds that, no, these people who say they have your best interests at heart, do not. And that the artist who gets ad money from you watching their Youtube video, is ultimately supported by ads paid by Ty Bates, which ultimately means he expects to rip somebody off for more than the artist got.
- Third, I may end up meeting a client if this is shared widely enough. (You won’t find out who I am through this handle, and I never try to make money directly by blogging. It’s simply a self-promotion mechanism which can lead to real work. ((By the way, I think Seth Godin is a creep. Should write that in the main body.))
- Finally, it’s uncomfortable for me to live in a world where Peter Thiel, Paul Graham, Ray Kurzweil, Robert Reich, Tyler Cowen, Cato Institute, LSE, HBR, and the New York Times are ruining culture, making people stupider and suckier. Sometimes I walk around on the internet and feel like I have no home in conversation. Well, PG can write opinion pieces and so can I. If I’m really successful in using my facts to convince you of my esthetics, then I’ll be more likely to get into a comfortable conversation at a bar or on twitter, and less likely to encounter creepy creeps.