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Ask HN: Do you know similar essays to Paul Graham's?

12 points by beaverbeats ↗ HN
Remember that feeling when you read Paul Graham? Did you have that same feeling reading something else? What was it? Please share.

14 comments

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[dead] beaverbeats
The closest I read so far is this site: http://www.amerika.org/about/ Watch out, dangerous ideas. Don't click if you are not ready.
jgh
"Dangerous Ideas"? These are pedestrian essays on barely-concealed white nationalism. These guys are concerned about "Western Culture" and seemingly obsessed with IQ. In fact the two essays (other than the about page) I read both mentioned IQ in the first paragraph. The first referring to a jewish man with an IQ of 115, and the second referring to a black congresswoman having a "low IQ".

These aren't dangerous ideas. These are tired, lazy rantings by insecure white men. These "ideas" have been around for generations. There isn't anything new or dangerous about them. The danger, however, does lie in their ability to radicalize weak-willed people (young men) into becoming terrorists.

[dead] beaverbeats
First: I recommend you read this: http://www.paulgraham.com/say.html

Second: You start with claiming that these are not dangerous ideas. Then you finish your comment by saying this might turn young men into terrorists? :D

It's a tough cookie I know. Chill. Consume responsibly. Whether you like it or not, these guys are very intelligent. Speaking of IQ, some among them with IQ 170. I'd rather not ignore what they are saying. They give a lot of insight into the thinking of the currently rising alt-right. Did you ever consider what if they are right, and you are wrong? Or at least some of the things they say are right? How will you orient yourself in such a world? What are the dangers? What are the opportunities?

If you know of any source that offers rebuttal to these ideas in a PG style, please let me know.

[dead] beaverbeats
Serious epiphanies from listening to Alan Watts and Sadhguru too.
justinzollars
To me Paul Graham is completely unique. He is really a master of words, and at times also a beautiful writer.
Mononokay
I found Aaron Swartz's weblog fantastic; at times exceeding Gram by more than a bit.
sbinthree
I'd second this. To use a fairly bad baseball analogy, PG hits triples most of the time, Aaron has a number of home runs and the rest are doubles.
Mononokay
And Aaron just has so much more. If I'm remembering correctly, he wrote an essay every day for a year at one point.
ArtWomb
Feld Thoughts is probably closest in tenor. TechStars and YC probably started around the same time circa 2007

https://www.feld.com/