Comments on: Everyone Rises To Their Level of Incompetence http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence Hugh MacLeod: "In terms of becoming an entrepreneur, probably the most useful thing I learned in the last twenty years was how to enjoy my own company for long stretches of time". Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:40:09 +0000 hourly 1 By: kenyanentrepreneur http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4618 kenyanentrepreneur Sat, 26 May 2007 02:35:05 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4618 emmo, emmo, Hannah Arendt?! -- her books are incomprehensible! I remember having to read her gibberish writings in a political philosophy class I took (phew....God spare me!) -- whoever said no one in the real world will pay you to philosophize was partly right. As for Michael Scheuer and Chomsky....I just like their left leaning political philosophies because I myself lean to the left. Academic books are actually not big sellers. Generally, it's because they're just not particularly interesting and can be a bit too dense for a lot of people. And since I've flipped through some of her books, I can say with authority, that they are boring and will not become big sellers. Chomsky should thank Hugo Chavez for pushing up his book sales way up.

emmo, emmo,

Hannah Arendt?! — her books are incomprehensible! I remember having to read her gibberish writings in a political philosophy class I took (phew….God spare me!) — whoever said no one in the real world will pay you to philosophize was partly right.

As for Michael Scheuer and Chomsky….I just like their left leaning political philosophies because I myself lean to the left.

Academic books are actually not big sellers. Generally, it’s because they’re just not particularly interesting and can be a bit too dense for a lot of people. And since I’ve flipped through some of her books, I can say with authority, that they are boring and will not become big sellers.

Chomsky should thank Hugo Chavez for pushing up his book sales way up.

]]> By: emmo http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4614 emmo Fri, 25 May 2007 23:20:55 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4614 Yes, that too, but more importantly on the part of her self-actualisation. She seems to have all the rest of her needs sewn up, all she needs is a 'becoming' if you will. Now I am not sure this is a fact, but from my experience as a writer, I know that we do it primarily to impart knowledge and to feel that our 'wisdom' if you like, is appreciated. I see I am being a little reckless with my punctuation. Pardon me. My point is that the professor who has run into a wall at his or her school, can take the alternative path of writing as it earns you just as much if not more in the way of attention and influence. Chomsky is a great example but he has tenure and at a big school, but other people like Norman G. Finkelstein have a much bigger voice and are more famous than they would have been if they were just lowly professors. Michael Scheuer, Hannah Arendt, Ayn Rand, etc. I dunno even if they were professors. With her writing, she is on to a good thing. Now to establish that cult.

Yes, that too, but more importantly on the part of her self-actualisation. She seems to have all the rest of her needs sewn up, all she needs is a ‘becoming’ if you will. Now I am not sure this is a fact, but from my experience as a writer, I know that we do it primarily to impart knowledge and to feel that our ‘wisdom’ if you like, is appreciated.
I see I am being a little reckless with my punctuation. Pardon me. My point is that the professor who has run into a wall at his or her school, can take the alternative path of writing as it earns you just as much if not more in the way of attention and influence. Chomsky is a great example but he has tenure and at a big school, but other people like Norman G. Finkelstein have a much bigger voice and are more famous than they would have been if they were just lowly professors.
Michael Scheuer, Hannah Arendt, Ayn Rand, etc. I dunno even if they were professors. With her writing, she is on to a good thing. Now to establish that cult.

]]> By: kenyanentrepreneur http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4586 kenyanentrepreneur Thu, 24 May 2007 20:34:33 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4586 Emmo: Employment maybe debilitating, but you gotta pay your bills someway or at least until you can find a way to earn a living working for yourself! But I think your point is correct - the job gives her free time to write books, which is unbelievable at the salary she is making and she should use that free time to write books and make money (since writing books did not bring her tenure!)

Emmo:

Employment maybe debilitating, but you gotta pay your bills someway or at least until you can find a way to earn a living working for yourself!

But I think your point is correct – the job gives her free time to write books, which is unbelievable at the salary she is making and she should use that free time to write books and make money (since writing books did not bring her tenure!)

]]> By: emmo http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4583 emmo Thu, 24 May 2007 20:09:40 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4583 The lesson? The lesson is that employment is debilitating. She is in a jam only because she does not appreciate the vastly better prospects she would have as her own boss. The writer after all, has a much more profound impact on th world than does the professor.

The lesson? The lesson is that employment is debilitating. She is in a jam only because she does not appreciate the vastly better prospects she would have as her own boss.

The writer after all, has a much more profound impact on th world than does the professor.

]]> By: KE http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4546 KE Wed, 23 May 2007 18:51:29 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4546 Don: She's not going to lose her job. I doubt they'll fire her because she is a good and smart employee. However, she is not going to move up and I think she's tired of being the number 2. She believes she has what it takes to be the number 1. The problem is, they are other TENURED faculty members who also believe this. My point in reciting this story was not really to moan this woman's plight, it was to highlight how much job insecurity there is, especially when you start making over 150,000 dollars a year. Very few private companies will pay you that much money if you don't eventually start bringing in sales or clients. The only exception I can think of are doctors who have a very specialized skill. But with most industries, you get to a point where you either move up (mainly by bringing in clients) or you move out.

Don:

She’s not going to lose her job. I doubt they’ll fire her because she is a good and smart employee. However, she is not going to move up and I think she’s tired of being the number 2. She believes she has what it takes to be the number 1. The problem is, they are other TENURED faculty members who also believe this.

My point in reciting this story was not really to moan this woman’s plight, it was to highlight how much job insecurity there is, especially when you start making over 150,000 dollars a year. Very few private companies will pay you that much money if you don’t eventually start bringing in sales or clients.

The only exception I can think of are doctors who have a very specialized skill. But with most industries, you get to a point where you either move up (mainly by bringing in clients) or you move out.

]]> By: don http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4544 don Wed, 23 May 2007 17:58:59 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4544 Could it be the hints of loossing the job may be what is driving her "ambition"? Maybe she new she had it good and milked it for the 15 years and now sees it all going away and is looking to make the next move? Nice post

Could it be the hints of loossing the job may be what is driving her “ambition”?

Maybe she new she had it good and milked it for the 15 years and now sees it all going away and is looking to make the next move?

Nice post

]]> By: KE http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4535 KE Wed, 23 May 2007 13:58:03 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4535 I don't feel sorry for her (her husband's a doctor and she's not going to starve) but why she thought she could move up without tenure is beyond me. I guess the lesson of this story is to never overrate yourself! Based on what I was told about her and based on some of the emails I saw, she thought she was very good (& maybe she was!) but the world is full of smart, talented, people and you'll be measured against your colleagues benchmarks. And if you don't acquire one of those benchmarks, you won't be let into the club.

I don’t feel sorry for her (her husband’s a doctor and she’s not going to starve) but why she thought she could move up without tenure is beyond me.

I guess the lesson of this story is to never overrate yourself! Based on what I was told about her and based on some of the emails I saw, she thought she was very good (& maybe she was!) but the world is full of smart, talented, people and you’ll be measured against your colleagues benchmarks. And if you don’t acquire one of those benchmarks, you won’t be let into the club.

]]> By: mwasjd http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/everyone-rises-to-their-level-of-incompetence#comment-4530 mwasjd Wed, 23 May 2007 10:35:02 +0000 http://www.kenyanentrepreneur.com/?p=759#comment-4530 Sad that it took her 15 years to figure out the tenure thing. Since there's no way around it (it's apparent that she's got no chance of getting it), I'm at a loss at figuring out what is best. It seems certain that she's not going about life based on the money she's getting now, but has set her heart on higher things which is commendable. People like her inspire me to aim for higher but, sorry to say, plan way ahead of time...

Sad that it took her 15 years to figure out the tenure thing. Since there’s no way around it (it’s apparent that she’s got no chance of getting it), I’m at a loss at figuring out what is best. It seems certain that she’s not going about life based on the money she’s getting now, but has set her heart on higher things which is commendable.

People like her inspire me to aim for higher but, sorry to say, plan way ahead of time…

]]>