Even successful people get tired and discontented
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“Good runners still get tired; they just get tired at higher speeds.” - Paul Graham
Paul Graham knows how to write an essay.
- Insightful? Check.
- Thought provoking? Check.
- Well written? Check.
Paul has written several programming books. In 1995, he cofounded Viaweb, the first SaaS company, which in 1998 became Yahoo Store. In 2002 he discovered a simple spam filtering algorithm that inspired the current generation of filters. He also cofounded Y Combinator.
His essay I read yesterday is titled “Is It Worth Being Wise?”. It’s hard to summarize so I have just linked to it instead.
One part that really got me thinking is where he explains his relief at the realization that it might be okay to be discontented.
Below is in his own words:
“The idea that a successful person should be happy has thousands of years of momentum behind it. If I was any good, why didn't I have the easy confidence winners are supposed to have? But that, I now believe, is like a runner asking ‘If I'm such a good athlete, why do I feel so tired?’ Good runners still get tired; they just get tired at higher speeds.”