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Comment by drd | Hacker News Reader

Normally, settlers leave their home land because they don’t have anything to lose. So they look for new things that may improve their lives; just look at the history. Why on earth, rich people want to go to Mars? They cannot drive a Ferrari; they cannot build a mansion either. Just to prove that they are cool people?

Paul Graham said: “Live in the future, and then build what's missing.” Probably Elon Mask is trying to apply this rule. Well, at least I don’t get it.

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Rich people are winning a game. Its a way of making your life meaningful. Its not a very good way.

Making a future for mankind - that's a very cool game. I'd go in a heartbeat, and I'm doing fine in America (more than fine - been a startup founder many times, money in the bank).

So, knowing that there may be no return, you are ready to leave everything and start over in an extremely unknown environment. The support may be a few years away. You leave your family, friends, and relatives for making a meaningful life? Doesn’t this look more like suicide?

I think there are many much better ways to make a future for mankind. Just look at the children in Africa. Technology innovations can do a lot on earth.

If that's a sincere comment I expect you're already in Africa helping the children. Else, maybe you are doing something for yourself or your family. This is more like that.

Of course I'd not go if it was suicide. But technology can overcome lots of hurdles. Colonists in the past had the same decision to make, and here we are in America to prove it.

I just know that every photograph I see of Mars landscape, I feel a rush, I want to run to that far horizon and see what's there.

No, unfortunately I am not helping those children. I am not rich. However, I agree with you on Mars photos. They are fascinating.

You are equating money to happiness. I'm sure that there are plenty of very wealthy people out there that don't feel like they have anything to lose, and they might as well do something spectacular instead of continue to try to fill the void with more material items.

Did you ever try to see who all those settlers who built America were? There is only a handful of names remained. Thousands and thousands are unknown. Do you think those thousands found happiness? They only fought to survive.

Before getting the town of 80,000 to a living status, thousands and thousands will fight to survive and will die immaturely. Of course, this brings happiness to those who helped to settle 80000 on Mars. They will enjoy on Earth.

I assume the settlers you are referring to are those that came from Europe. America had been settled for a very, very long time before those people came along. Anyhow... I know some people that trace their lineage back to the Pilgrims. They are a pretty proud bunch.

Just because you are fighting for survival doesn't mean you can't be happy doing it.

I think that attempting to relate this to previous colonization efforts on this planet is flawed. The motivation of the "colonists" would be completely different.

You are right, the motivations are different.

I don't really understand what you are trying to get at. Are you saying that nobody would want to go? Or that anyone who does want to go is being irrational? The first seems obviously false, and the second seems completely irrelevant.

The fact is there are people who would go, it doesn't really matter to them if you understand their motivation.

It is just amazing what people are willing to do.

With a city of 80,000 people on Mars, you can sure bet someone would start building/selling rovers for people to cruise around in. And there will definitely be contractors willing to build up your bubble-house to mansion standards.

It wasn't the Kings, those with power, who originally went exploring - they directed resources towards such endeavours.

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