“In practice I think it’s easier to see ugliness than to imagine beauty. Most of the people who’ve made beautiful things seem… — Paul Graham Beauty Copy Share Image
“The government spying on people doesn’t literally make programmers write worse code. It just leads eventually to a world in which bad… — Paul Graham Bad idea Copy Share Image
“If I had a choice of living in a society where I was materially much better off than I am now, but… — Paul Graham Copy Share Image
“To launch a taboo, a group has to be poised halfway between weakness and power. A confident group doesn’t need taboos to… — Paul Graham Taboo Copy Share Image
“Intellectual curiosity was not one of the motives on the FBI’s list. Indeed, the whole concept seemed foreign to them. Those in… — Paul Graham Cybersecurity Copy Share Image
If you imagine someone with 100 percent determination and 100 percent intelligence, you can discard a lot of intelligence before they stop… — Paul Graham Copy Share Image
“In almost any group of people you’ll find hierarchy. When groups of adults form in the real world, it’s generally for some… — Paul Graham Common purpose Copy Share Image
“There are plenty of other ways to get money, including chance, speculation, marriage, inheritance, theft, extortion, fraud, monopoly, graft, lobbying, counterfeiting, and… — Paul Graham Corruption Copy Share Image
“You might find contradictory taboos. In one culture it might seem shocking to think x, while in another it was shocking not… — Paul Graham Copy Share Image
“Let's start with a test: Do you have any opinions that you would be reluctant to express in front of a group… — Paul Graham Copy Share Image
“At every period of history, people have believed things that were just ridiculous, and believed them so strongly that you risked ostracism… — Paul Graham Beliefs Copy Share Image
“The people most likely to grasp that wealth can be created are the ones who are good at making things, the craftsmen.… — Paul Graham Computer programmers Copy Share Image
“Users are a double-edged sword. They can help you improve your language, but they can also deter you from improving. So choose… — Paul Graham Irony Copy Share Image
“There is all the more reason for startups to write Web-based software now, because writing desktop software has become a lot less… — Paul Graham Entrepreneurship Copy Share Image
