Hacker News Reader

Comment by the_biot | Hacker News Reader

What I've never understood is the type of person that tries to convince people they've worked with for years to sign a document like that. How do you baldly screw over somebody you know? Just because your own boss told you to?

I was in a situation like that once (designate percentage of your staff for the chopping block "in case the order comes"), and just told my boss no.

How do they sleep at night?

View on HN

"Tom went aboard one of the big transient boats that night with his heavy satchel of miscellaneous plunder, and slept the sleep of the unjust, which is serener and sounder than the other kind, as we know by the hanging-eve history of a million rascals."

Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, end of Chapter XV.

I am guessing they sleep very well at night knowing that their job is still there. There are many ways you can spin this to convince yourself that you didn't do anything wrong.

The introspection you're talking about requires a strong moral compass and sadly its existence is not as common as you think/hope.

> Just because your own boss told you to?

You’re seeing survivorship bias, whenever I’ve been in this situation and said no, I was canned as well. You’re also usually not gonna have your boss sit down your and explain how he was told to fire some % of you but refused

"Fire them or you're fired" works wonders.

I imagine having children who want food, shelter, and healthcare is pretty motivating. People do a lot worse for much less.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com