Does the world not already provide enough difficult challenges? I encourage others to test themselves by endeavoring to make the world a better place.
Yes, I know that sounds condescending, but I cannot stand the author's self-absorbtion: "By making life harder for myself, I prove how macho I am!"
Why does "working on a startup" equate with "making the world a better place?"
I promise to take care of toxic waste for some large
manufacturing corporations. I take their money and 'dispose'
of the waste. What if I dispose of the waste into waterways
(lakes, rivers,etc)? My customers are happy because the waste
is taken off of their hands. If anyone ever finds out about
the dumping, they can claim to no know anything (and they
may well not know anything) and *I'm* the one that takes
the fall, not them. In the meantime, they get to reap the
benefits of cheaper disposal (since it's not being disposed
of properly). I would hardly say that I'm making the world
a better place though.
Most methods I can think of cost a lot of money.
This model corresponds well to bits and pieces of an absolutely massive portion of our economy.
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positional_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_the_Leisure_Class
Uh, I think you mean "instead of going to graduate school."
Aren't you projecting something unto him?