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Comment by sp4rki | Hacker News Reader

Re-reading the comment I see that I made a mess out of my thoughts. If you're a business man that knows music hell more power to you right? I meant the cases where you have people doing amazing things programming, or composing music, or whatever, but not making any money and having to work in a call center or a grocery store packing bags. I've seen many people I know make such retarded choices it's not even funny. Reminds me of Good Will Hunting. It would have been a complete waste to give the guy such a mind so he can go work at a construction site right?

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What about Grigori Pereleman?

Is he a complete waste because he declined to take the prize money for his proofs?

No, taking prize money in no way equates making money by means of his work (as in a job) at the Steklov Mathematical Institute. If he would have worked at a call center, I'd say that yes it's a waste. I never said the point was to make MILLIONS of dollars, but to use your abilities to make money, i.e. work. If your life's work is math, carpentry, or the trombone, so be it. But coasting through life doing odd jobs to get by when you have a skill in which you're proficient is an insult to the rest of the people that don't share it.

    If your life's work is math, carpentry, or the 
    trombone, so be it. But coasting through life 
    doing odd jobs to get by when you have a skill 
    in which you're proficient is an insult to the 
    rest of the people that don't share it.

I still disagree with you, but to each his own I guess.

Grigori Pereleman would be doing mathematics with or without the prize money.

I think sp4rki's point is that it's a waste if not taking/making the money means that you have less time to do whatever it is you're good at. E.g. the artist who could make money from it but chooses not to, and as a result has to work at the convenience store, and as a result produces less art. Though that last bit is a bit contentious - maybe working at the convenience store is a good source of inspiration for that artist.

Grigori Pereleman would be doing mathematics with or without the prize money.

But, according to various accounts he's probably not. He quit doing mathematics and just lives with his mother and goes to the movies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Perelman#Withdrawal_fro...

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