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Comment by Shank | Hacker News Reader

> He told me that that was pretty easy, boring work, but I guess good enough to pay the bills.

I've been told a lot in my side projects a similar thing: that the problem I solved wasn't the "valuable" one to solve, and that other people were far ahead in the "real" problem. It drives me absolutely insane. People diminish the success of others just so their project can be "superior," despite when it's actually far behind in the department that one excels at.

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People generally want to be high status, and status is relative, so a way of propping your own status is to diminish the status of others. For some it's a need, like a fish with one fin trying desperately to stay afloat. I've met a handful of people like that, and I couldn't stand to hang around them very long, but a few people get along with them quite well, I suppose by buying into their version of reality.

This is often diagnosed as narcicism. Two people sharing one persons over inflated ego.

I understand the reasoning but sometimes I caught myself in the dilemma if I told the person that they is wasting their time in this stupid project. I mean, I respect the person wits, but this particular project is bad. If it was me, I would like a honest opinion, so I don't know what's really right.

Realize that your opinion and ability to predict market actions is completely unfounded.

Whatever they're working on is like research. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If you tell them it won't work (and you lack any relevant experience), they don't have a reason to believe you and neither do you frankly.

That's how I deal with it. I say to myself, who am I to judge?

Yes, I completely agree with you, but it's a feedback anyway, more data points to consider. I would be glad to hear the negative feedback even if in my mind I say that is BS*. Maybe there are points that I didn't consider before.

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