> So what really mattered was self-promotion, good timing, and luck.
Yes. He seems like someone who is good at self-promotion and networking. Well, good for him, but I think he underplays the role these have in his success.
> Why does the author have to present his life like one would in a fucking college essay?
I guess that's the self-promotion. And humble-bragging. Like this bit:
"I started working as a teacher in the countryside, but after invoking the spirit of their dead chief, they later annotated me the king of their village."
> Well, good for him, but I think he underplays the role these have in his success.
Exactly. Good for Emil, but it's always frustrating to hear survivorship bias preaching. Even the interviewer starts off by saying:
"By the way, I really love your CV - the quirks section was especially fun to read."
It's even more frustrating when I hear non-POC's talk about their journey to some non-western country (and subsequent conquering of fantastical goals like gaining the approval of locals) or pursuit of some sense of foreign culture. It's almost a given that they have internalized and appropriated the ideas (i.e. Buddhism or even worse post-retreat Buddhism). Good for the author to receive such positive feedback for such signaling, but it makes me sad to know that I might not receive the same.
Yes. He seems like someone who is good at self-promotion and networking. Well, good for him, but I think he underplays the role these have in his success.
> Why does the author have to present his life like one would in a fucking college essay?
I guess that's the self-promotion. And humble-bragging. Like this bit:
"I started working as a teacher in the countryside, but after invoking the spirit of their dead chief, they later annotated me the king of their village."