Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by colin725 on Thursday September 15, 2016 @07:59PM
(#12510900)
Are you sure the net happiness from football was really raised by Messi or did he simply shift it to his county and teams he plays for? If you take away his great play doesn't it just make other players stick out more, and fans would derive happiness from other players?
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by jimbokun on Thursday September 15, 2016 @09:58PM
(#12511412)
He raises the net happiness. He does things no one else does and is a joy to watch. It's like saying if a great musician never lived people would just listen to different music. Sure, but there would be a certain joy and pleasure people never would have experienced, and never realized they were missing.
If they never realized they were missing something, then nothing was lost. Net happiness = same level.
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by canicode on Friday September 16, 2016 @08:19AM
(#12513483)
You could say that for just about anything, including Tesla...
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by Theodores on Friday September 16, 2016 @12:50PM
(#12515334)
Tesla make a lot of people happy but there must be accountants at Jaguar, BMW etc. who have not enjoyed losing sales to the California start up. However there are many happy Tesla customers and only a small handful of motor company accountants. Obviously there are sales staff too plus suits in the oil companies who have been pained by Tesla, but still the balance is a net happy one. Compare with Tony Blair, makes his business cronies happy but inflicts more misery.
Footballers do have a connection with their fans and it is their admiration that is sought far more than money. So they are very much in it to bring happiness to the world, to put on the show. I don't see them working for free though.
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by NoodleIncident on Thursday September 15, 2016 @08:05PM
(#12510949)
Only one other player stands out as much. It seems silly to say that either should have been an accountant, because if he were, then the same arguments would apply to the other.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/lionel-messi-is-impossib...
Given the way he has handled his taxes, it is safe to say that he would make a poor accountant anyway.
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by robotresearcher on Thursday September 15, 2016 @10:22PM
(#12511470)
I bet he has made one or more rich accountants.
Re:Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
by BasDirks on Friday September 16, 2016 @09:11AM
(#12513704)
Are you sure the net happiness from football was really raised by Messi or did he simply shift it to his county and
teams he plays for?
Yes
If you take away his great play doesn't it just make other players stick out more, and fans would derive happiness from other players?
No
Greatness isn't ONLY about being greater than others.
Maybe not, but Messi increases the happiness delta a lot for many, many people. I think the world is a much better place with him as a footballer than an accountant or something.