đź’° The Price of Success or Why Good People Are Often Poor

Andrey Nikishaev
3 min read4 days ago

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I think many of you have heard phrases like, “If you’re so smart, then why are you so poor?” In this post, I’d like to explain this a bit — not from some high pedestal, but using my own example, my own emotions, and my own experiences.

It all begins when you start learning, exploring this world, and getting to know the people in it. The more you know, the better you understand how everything works; and the better you understand it, the greater the gap becomes between the world you want to live in and reality. (Imagine the scene with Morpheus offering Neo a choice.)

At that moment, a major turning point occurs, depending on whether we are altruists or egoists. An altruist sees the world as good for everyone, while an egoist sees it only for themselves. And it’s not hard to guess whose path to making their vision a reality is easier.

With the egoist’s choice, everything is clear — the path is almost straightforward because every decision is made solely in their own favor, without regard for the losses of those around them.

I chose a different path. I won’t say I’m the ideal altruist, but very often in life, I made choices that weren’t in my own favor.

You want to change the world for everyone — or, more precisely, for those you can. And then the question arises: What can you do? And here, my friends, lies the thing that grinds you down even more than an industrial grinder.

Because the answer to that question is: What price are you willing to pay?

Can you save someone who needs a heart transplant? Of course — by giving yours.

Since 100% altruism is unattainable (such a person simply wouldn’t survive into adulthood), we come to the conclusion that in every altruist’s mind there is a constant battle with their own selfishness. And you can’t hide from it even in your sleep.

Every good deed comes at a price — essentially, you’re spending a part of yourself for a higher purpose: to make the world a better place. And the higher the price you pay, the lower your chances of success, wealth, and perhaps even happiness.

Therefore, the smarter you are and the clearer your vision of the world, the more altruistic you tend to be — and the fewer chances you have of achieving anything in this world. What you desire becomes unattainable, and you’re just a human with limited resources.

The only way to be an altruist without going insane is to completely lose your emotions; then all your actions would be governed solely by logic. But in that case, you would cease to be an altruist, because logic would tell you that being an egoist is far more advantageous.

Such is the unsolvable dilemma.

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Andrey Nikishaev
Andrey Nikishaev

Written by Andrey Nikishaev

Machine Learning and Computer Vision Researcher. Founder LearnML.Today

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