Taking credit for someone else's work

How do you feel about others succeeding on your dime—basically riding your coattails? I’m talking about close friends or family. Imagine you spent years grinding, sacrificing everything, and fighting tooth and nail to reach a goal. Now that you've finally made it, you have the means to lift others up, but these people don't actually *need* the help to survive; they'd just certainly enjoy the shortcut.

Would it eat at you that you had to crawl through the mud to get there, while they get handed everything on a silver platter without lifting a finger? Or would you be fine with it, just knowing you made someone else's life easier, even if you're still feeling the scars from all those years of sacrifice while they're out there living the high life?

If someone is clearly taking advantage of me, I’m cutting them off immediately.
But if they aren't? I’ll open up my wallet and help out however I can, regardless of how much sweat equity I had to pour in to save up that cash in the first place.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to who you're actually helping.
It isn't about expecting a kickback or getting something in return; it’s just about knowing that my hard work and sacrifice are being put toward something meaningful rather than being wasted on someone looking for a handout.

Look, if there's any way I can lend a hand to someone, I’m going to do it—I don't care how much extra legwork or late-night studying it takes to get it right. And honestly, I'm totally on board with what NMT is saying here.

Honestly, I’d love to be able to help someone out... and I don't mean I'm looking for some kind of payback or expecting anyone to feel like they owe me one. But then again, I can't quite wrap my head around this scenario where I spend years breaking my back, sweating through every single day, just to have my family swoop in and harvest everything I built... I mean, usually when I grind to achieve something, nobody else really gets a free ride from it, because... well, it's not like I planted a massive commercial orchard and everyone gets to feast for free... unless there's a more specific example you had in mind?
It doesn't have to be someone actually in your life, just something you could compare it to...
For instance, say I worked my tail off to save up enough cash to buy a vacation house out in the Hamptons, and now the whole family wants to crash there every weekend... that was my hard work, sure, but I think it'd be totally fine to let them come over and hang out...
But on the other hand, if I spent years grinding to build a company from the ground up, and suddenly everyone wants to use their "connection" to land director roles or just start skimming money off the top...😁 yeah, I wouldn't be letting that happen...

Morgan Bishop4 said:Honestly, I’d love to be able to help someone out... and I don't mean I'm looking for some kind of payback or expecting anyone to feel like they owe me one. But then again, I can't quite wrap my head around this scenario where I spend years breaking my back, sweating through every single day, just to have my family swoop in and harvest everything I built... I mean, usually when I grind to achieve something, nobody else really gets a free ride from it, because... well, it's not like I planted a massive commercial orchard and everyone gets to feast for free... unless there's a more specific example you had in mind?
It doesn't have to be someone actually in your life, just something you could compare it to...
For instance, say I worked my tail off to save up enough cash to buy a vacation house out in the Hamptons, and now the whole family wants to crash there every weekend... that was my hard work, sure, but I think it'd be totally fine to let them come over and hang out...
But on the other hand, if I spent years grinding to build a company from the ground up, and suddenly everyone wants to use their "connection" to land director roles or just start skimming money off the top...😁 yeah, I wouldn't be letting that happen...

Think of it as buying into an investment where the system is already built, proven, and pumping out profit. You can jump right in and start scaling, but like I said, building that machine from scratch took two or three years of pure blood, sweat, and sacrifice.

Kevin White11 said:Think of it as buying into an investment where the system is already built, proven, and pumping out profit. You can jump right in and start scaling, but like I said, building that machine from scratch took two or three years of pure blood, sweat, and sacrifice.

so we're talking some kind of sports betting algorithm 😁 pretty cool.
but honestly, look at software devs... they spend endless years grinding away to build something that actually works, only for it to be totally useless because someone else builds a better version, or they sell it for peanuts, or someone just straight up steals the idea... man, life's tough. if you’ve built something killer and you don't want to share the wealth, then don't share it with anyone... just keep it to yourself.

personally, I get a kick out of taking an idea or a system I cooked up and tossing it out there for others to see... maybe they'll take it and make it even better? who knows... hey, maybe charge a commission or something...

What is even the point of all your hard work if you’re just hoarding it for your own benefit? You could be monetizing your expertise, putting in the effort, and actually attaching your name to your achievements... but choosing to selfishly gatekeep everything you know, for what purpose exactly?
I mean, if Tesla had only generated electricity for his own personal use, where would we be now?

Kevin White11 said:Think of it as buying into an investment where the system is already built, proven, and pumping out profit. You can jump right in and start scaling, but like I said, building that machine from scratch took two or three years of pure blood, sweat, and sacrifice.

You really need to ask yourself what your actual goal was when you were working so hard to

a) make your own life easier financially

or to

b) gain some kind of financial (and therefore general) edge over everyone else, including those closest to you.

Given the dilemma you’ve laid out here, my money is on option B.

The truth is, that was probably your driving force behind all that effort and sacrifice from the very beginning.

And honestly, it might not have even felt like true "sweat and sacrifice"; it likely just felt like you were doing what you wanted to do, but it only *looked* like grueling work and hardship to anyone watching from the outside.

You’re essentially using the fact that it *looked* like a struggle—something we’re all told we have to endure—to mask the reality that you didn't want to come across as selfish.

This whole layer of "blurring the lines"—this obsession with how things appear to the world—is a sign of external locus of control, which is just a byproduct of deep-seated internal feelings.

Look, if your motivation falls under category B, it means you haven't actually felt like an equal among your inner circle of friends and family. You had this underlying urge to finally level the playing field by increasing your own "power"—basically trying to shrink that sense of inferiority—and when opportunity meets that specific hunger, you get this intense drive.

If that feeling of being "less than" is rooted in your past, then the motivation for all that grinding feels almost unanchored or vague, because the cause is buried. Your brain just rationalizes it, telling you that if you just push through this hardship, things will finally feel right.

You can spot the real motive quite clearly: the fact that you aren't willing to share the fruits of your labor with your inner circle proves that maintaining this gap is important to you.

You want to keep that distance because, internally, you still feel inferior. Even if you deny it, your brain keeps pushing you to close the gap, but because you're fighting your own psyche, you can only see the solution through external means. You'll find yourself perpetually needing these external advantages just to feel like you stand on equal footing with others unless you actually resolve the root issue.

It’s a classic psychological trap. Think about someone like a high-profile celebrity who needs a massive, flashy mansion or a custom supercar just to feel like they belong in the same room as a regular guy. They need the status symbol to bridge the gap between their perceived self and the rest of the world.

Your setup isn't exactly a vanity project—it can actually be useful—so it's not a perfect comparison, but I wanted to show you where those levels of motivation come from. If you aren't careful, these drivers eventually take the wheel, and suddenly, nothing matters except the optics and how everything looks to the public.

--

Now, if your answer actually was A, then I don't see any issue at all with helping out your family and friends, especially if it doesn't put you in a bind.

hiddeneagle98 said:You really need to ask yourself what your actual goal was when you were working so hard to

a) make your own life easier financially

or to

b) gain some kind of financial (and therefore general) edge over everyone else, including those closest to you.

Given the dilemma you’ve laid out here, my money is on option B.

The truth is, that was probably your driving force behind all that effort and sacrifice from the very beginning.

And honestly, it might not have even felt like true "sweat and sacrifice"; it likely just felt like you were doing what you wanted to do, but it only *looked* like grueling work and hardship to anyone watching from the outside.

You’re essentially using the fact that it *looked* like a struggle—something we’re all told we have to endure—to mask the reality that you didn't want to come across as selfish.

This whole layer of "blurring the lines"—this obsession with how things appear to the world—is a sign of external locus of control, which is just a byproduct of deep-seated internal feelings.

Look, if your motivation falls under category B, it means you haven't actually felt like an equal among your inner circle of friends and family. You had this underlying urge to finally level the playing field by increasing your own "power"—basically trying to shrink that sense of inferiority—and when opportunity meets that specific hunger, you get this intense drive.

If that feeling of being "less than" is rooted in your past, then the motivation for all that grinding feels almost unanchored or vague, because the cause is buried. Your brain just rationalizes it, telling you that if you just push through this hardship, things will finally feel right.

You can spot the real motive quite clearly: the fact that you aren't willing to share the fruits of your labor with your inner circle proves that maintaining this gap is important to you.

You want to keep that distance because, internally, you still feel inferior. Even if you deny it, your brain keeps pushing you to close the gap, but because you're fighting your own psyche, you can only see the solution through external means. You'll find yourself perpetually needing these external advantages just to feel like you stand on equal footing with others unless you actually resolve the root issue.

It’s a classic psychological trap. Think about someone like a high-profile celebrity who needs a massive, flashy mansion or a custom supercar just to feel like they belong in the same room as a regular guy. They need the status symbol to bridge the gap between their perceived self and the rest of the world.

Your setup isn't exactly a vanity project—it can actually be useful—so it's not a perfect comparison, but I wanted to show you where those levels of motivation come from. If you aren't careful, these drivers eventually take the wheel, and suddenly, nothing matters except the optics and how everything looks to the public.

--

Now, if your answer actually was A, then I don't see any issue at all with helping out your family and friends, especially if it doesn't put you in a bind.

Option A was always the only real motivator.

The only reason people hesitate to help others is because getting everything handed to you on a silver platter rarely ends well; you never learn to value anything, which usually backfires. Plus, the reality is that everyone has opportunities to succeed, but some people just find it easier to complain and blame others for where they are in life.

Kevin White11 said:Option A was always the only real motivator.

The only reason people hesitate to help others is because getting everything handed to you on a silver platter rarely ends well; you never learn to value anything, which usually backfires. Plus, the reality is that everyone has opportunities to succeed, but some people just find it easier to complain and blame others for where they are in life.

But look, the core issue here isn't about learning at someone else's expense—it's about learning at YOUR expense.

The title of this thread and even your opening post make it pretty clear: what really bothers you is that someone else might try to take credit for YOUR hard work.

It also confirms that you already view yourself as having "made it."

And honestly, it highlights your insecurity that the distinction between your effort and theirs will vanish if you give in to your "emotions"—or rather, your fear of being perceived as selfish. It feels like they have some kind of trump card against you that you can't figure out how to play.

It’s also obvious you’re frustrated because you feel like you could be "blamed" for this, essentially fueling that fear of looking selfish.

Nowhere in your argument do you mention that you care about denying them the chance to build actual character. You didn't even bring that up until I pointed it out.

You keep saying it bothers YOU that THEY will LOOK like they walked your path when they didn't. But you aren't explaining why that matters so much when we're talking about YOUR struggle. Why is the "appearance" of things such a sticking point for you? I mean, surely everyone knows who actually put in the sweat equity? Or maybe you just don't know (which doesn't mean they don't), but instead, you're hyper-focused on the optics.

Like I said before, choosing option B inherently involves a stubborn denial of option B.

Everything in your opening post revolves around YOU and how they relate specifically to YOU.

I truly want the best for you with these posts, but I'm fairly certain I'm hitting the nail on the head here. That’s probably why you’re rejecting my point; you can't make a smooth emotional decision because you're trying to over-rationalize a way to act so that your emotions disappear—regardless of where they're coming from. Clearly, they stem from your concern for yourself and how you appear to the outside world.

At the end of the day, your success is the knowledge you gained through the process. You can toss the trophies and the accolades in the trash once you're done.
That is the wisdom you gain after the fact—realizing that the knowledge was the prize, not the glory. By letting go of the need for recognition, you focus on the substance and building your true self. By obsessing over the recognition, you're just focusing on the "outside" and building an image.

Maybe I'm wrong, and there's no point in me being persistent, but I just wanted to lay out why I think we're talking about option B.

I can "read" it in your tone. Your whole way of expressing yourself seems to be an attempt to dodge option B by pointing to the immorality of others as the cause of your internal conflict. That immorality has always been there (or it hasn't), but in this specific moment, YOU are the one in the driver's seat. You are the only one who can choose to be moral or immoral. So, you're projecting that onto them, just like I explained earlier. Are they lazy, or stupid, or entitled simply because you're struggling with whether or not to hand them something?

Anyway, just give it some thought. 🙂

greeting

hiddeneagle98 said:But look, the core issue here isn't about learning at someone else's expense—it's about learning at YOUR expense.

The title of this thread and even your opening post make it pretty clear: what really bothers you is that someone else might try to take credit for YOUR hard work.

It also confirms that you already view yourself as having "made it."

And honestly, it highlights your insecurity that the distinction between your effort and theirs will vanish if you give in to your "emotions"—or rather, your fear of being perceived as selfish. It feels like they have some kind of trump card against you that you can't figure out how to play.

It’s also obvious you’re frustrated because you feel like you could be "blamed" for this, essentially fueling that fear of looking selfish.

Nowhere in your argument do you mention that you care about denying them the chance to build actual character. You didn't even bring that up until I pointed it out.

You keep saying it bothers YOU that THEY will LOOK like they walked your path when they didn't. But you aren't explaining why that matters so much when we're talking about YOUR struggle. Why is the "appearance" of things such a sticking point for you? I mean, surely everyone knows who actually put in the sweat equity? Or maybe you just don't know (which doesn't mean they don't), but instead, you're hyper-focused on the optics.

Like I said before, choosing option B inherently involves a stubborn denial of option B.

Everything in your opening post revolves around YOU and how they relate specifically to YOU.

I truly want the best for you with these posts, but I'm fairly certain I'm hitting the nail on the head here. That’s probably why you’re rejecting my point; you can't make a smooth emotional decision because you're trying to over-rationalize a way to act so that your emotions disappear—regardless of where they're coming from. Clearly, they stem from your concern for yourself and how you appear to the outside world.

At the end of the day, your success is the knowledge you gained through the process. You can toss the trophies and the accolades in the trash once you're done.
That is the wisdom you gain after the fact—realizing that the knowledge was the prize, not the glory. By letting go of the need for recognition, you focus on the substance and building your true self. By obsessing over the recognition, you're just focusing on the "outside" and building an image.

Maybe I'm wrong, and there's no point in me being persistent, but I just wanted to lay out why I think we're talking about option B.

I can "read" it in your tone. Your whole way of expressing yourself seems to be an attempt to dodge option B by pointing to the immorality of others as the cause of your internal conflict. That immorality has always been there (or it hasn't), but in this specific moment, YOU are the one in the driver's seat. You are the only one who can choose to be moral or immoral. So, you're projecting that onto them, just like I explained earlier. Are they lazy, or stupid, or entitled simply because you're struggling with whether or not to hand them something?

Anyway, just give it some thought. 🙂

greeting

Honestly, I don't give a damn about my image or what anyone thinks of me. I just live my life the best way I can. I'm perfectly confident in who I am.

hiddeneagle98 said:But look, the core issue here isn't about learning at someone else's expense—it's about learning at YOUR expense.

The title of this thread and even your opening post make it pretty clear: what really bothers you is that someone else might try to take credit for YOUR hard work.

It also confirms that you already view yourself as having "made it."

And honestly, it highlights your insecurity that the distinction between your effort and theirs will vanish if you give in to your "emotions"—or rather, your fear of being perceived as selfish. It feels like they have some kind of trump card against you that you can't figure out how to play.

It’s also obvious you’re frustrated because you feel like you could be "blamed" for this, essentially fueling that fear of looking selfish.

Nowhere in your argument do you mention that you care about denying them the chance to build actual character. You didn't even bring that up until I pointed it out.

You keep saying it bothers YOU that THEY will LOOK like they walked your path when they didn't. But you aren't explaining why that matters so much when we're talking about YOUR struggle. Why is the "appearance" of things such a sticking point for you? I mean, surely everyone knows who actually put in the sweat equity? Or maybe you just don't know (which doesn't mean they don't), but instead, you're hyper-focused on the optics.

Like I said before, choosing option B inherently involves a stubborn denial of option B.

Everything in your opening post revolves around YOU and how they relate specifically to YOU.

I truly want the best for you with these posts, but I'm fairly certain I'm hitting the nail on the head here. That’s probably why you’re rejecting my point; you can't make a smooth emotional decision because you're trying to over-rationalize a way to act so that your emotions disappear—regardless of where they're coming from. Clearly, they stem from your concern for yourself and how you appear to the outside world.

At the end of the day, your success is the knowledge you gained through the process. You can toss the trophies and the accolades in the trash once you're done.
That is the wisdom you gain after the fact—realizing that the knowledge was the prize, not the glory. By letting go of the need for recognition, you focus on the substance and building your true self. By obsessing over the recognition, you're just focusing on the "outside" and building an image.

Maybe I'm wrong, and there's no point in me being persistent, but I just wanted to lay out why I think we're talking about option B.

I can "read" it in your tone. Your whole way of expressing yourself seems to be an attempt to dodge option B by pointing to the immorality of others as the cause of your internal conflict. That immorality has always been there (or it hasn't), but in this specific moment, YOU are the one in the driver's seat. You are the only one who can choose to be moral or immoral. So, you're projecting that onto them, just like I explained earlier. Are they lazy, or stupid, or entitled simply because you're struggling with whether or not to hand them something?

Anyway, just give it some thought. 🙂

greeting

The truth is, my journey was brutal. I hit a lot of walls. It bugs me seeing others get everything handed to them on a silver platter without a single scratch. If I could have had things that easy, I would've taken it.

I want to help people, but I can't stop thinking about everything I had to endure versus what I'm giving away now. I didn't start this for anyone else—I did it for myself. But now that there's a chance to help others because of how unsatisfied I am with my surroundings, I'm finding it's not as easy as just handing it over.

Man, even when Elon Musk was out there busting his tail just to get the power grid running, we basically got our electricity handed to us on a silver platter...
It’s the same story with a million other things too... I mean, you’re driving around in a car, you’re cooking up recipes that some other person perfected ages ago, and so on and so forth... if we started slapping copyright claims on everything, everyone would just drop dead from the sheer frustration of it all...

Kevin White11 said:Honestly, I don't give a damn about my image or what anyone thinks of me. I just live my life the best way I can. I'm perfectly confident in who I am.

The truth is, my journey was brutal. I hit a lot of walls. It bugs me seeing others get everything handed to them on a silver platter without a single scratch. If I could have had things that easy, I would've taken it.

I want to help people, but I can't stop thinking about everything I had to endure versus what I'm giving away now. I didn't start this for anyone else—I did it for myself. But now that there's a chance to help others because of how unsatisfied I am with my surroundings, I'm finding it's not as easy as just handing it over.

Look, I'm telling you that I'm right here, and you keep dragging this conflict back to how it affects YOU rather than focusing on them.

Just read the introduction on this Wikipedia page and see for yourself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

Obviously, what you're dealing with is just a mild case of cognitive dissonance.

Your project has resulted in a type of knowledge that actually shifts reality, and holding onto that knowledge creates opportunities to reshape things (which means making money).

Wisdom is the experience born from the grind of building and refining that reality-shifting knowledge. That wisdom, as an lived experience, is what guides you through the next cycle.

3. You have "grown into wisdom" at the most evolved level of competition—competing through human wisdom. Nobody can strip that away from you because wisdom isn't something you can just transfer; it's the highest evolutionary tier.

2. You have "grown into knowledge that changes reality" at the penultimate stage of competition—competing via the possession of reality-altering information (think mammalian evolution). Knowledge can be stolen or copied, which is exactly why you're feeling that hesitation.

1. By applying that knowledge, you have "grown into wealth" at the stage before that—the level where we compete for physical objects (the reptilian drive). Possession can be lost too, but that’s beside the point here. It’s interesting to note that the opportunity to acquire knowledge (as an object used to decode behavioral patterns) is essentially equal to the integration of possessing the physical assets that such knowledge produces.

If you accept this breakdown as a fundamental truth, you'll realize you're just terrified of losing ground at the second, shallower level. By doing that, you end up discrediting and nullifying your gains at the third, deepest level, creating a perpetual loop of insecurity at the shallow level that you try to mask by hoarding stuff at the first, most superficial level. This is the classic human trap that 90% of people fall into.

Honestly, I think this explanation deserves a Nobel Prize, but hey, do whatever you want with it.🙂

Morgan Bishop4 said:Man, even when Elon Musk was out there busting his tail just to get the power grid running, we basically got our electricity handed to us on a silver platter...
It’s the same story with a million other things too... I mean, you’re driving around in a car, you’re cooking up recipes that some other person perfected ages ago, and so on and so forth... if we started slapping copyright claims on everything, everyone would just drop dead from the sheer frustration of it all...

See, you actually get what I mean by number three.

Elon Musk was way ahead of his time—in terms of evolution, he was basically working with a version 3 setup that was already incredibly powerful.

William Chavez5 said:What is even the point of all your hard work if you’re just hoarding it for your own benefit? You could be monetizing your expertise, putting in the effort, and actually attaching your name to your achievements... but choosing to selfishly gatekeep everything you know, for what purpose exactly?
I mean, if Tesla had only generated electricity for his own personal use, where would we be now?

I was actually thinking the exact same thing about Elon Musk—it's just such a bummer, really, because people like him are one in a billion. It feels like nobody else has the guts to be that selfless, even though, honestly, being empathetic doesn't actually cost a dime.

hiddeneagle98 said:Look, I'm telling you that I'm right here, and you keep dragging this conflict back to how it affects YOU rather than focusing on them.

Just read the introduction on this Wikipedia page and see for yourself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

Obviously, what you're dealing with is just a mild case of cognitive dissonance.

Your project has resulted in a type of knowledge that actually shifts reality, and holding onto that knowledge creates opportunities to reshape things (which means making money).

Wisdom is the experience born from the grind of building and refining that reality-shifting knowledge. That wisdom, as an lived experience, is what guides you through the next cycle.

3. You have "grown into wisdom" at the most evolved level of competition—competing through human wisdom. Nobody can strip that away from you because wisdom isn't something you can just transfer; it's the highest evolutionary tier.

2. You have "grown into knowledge that changes reality" at the penultimate stage of competition—competing via the possession of reality-altering information (think mammalian evolution). Knowledge can be stolen or copied, which is exactly why you're feeling that hesitation.

1. By applying that knowledge, you have "grown into wealth" at the stage before that—the level where we compete for physical objects (the reptilian drive). Possession can be lost too, but that’s beside the point here. It’s interesting to note that the opportunity to acquire knowledge (as an object used to decode behavioral patterns) is essentially equal to the integration of possessing the physical assets that such knowledge produces.

If you accept this breakdown as a fundamental truth, you'll realize you're just terrified of losing ground at the second, shallower level. By doing that, you end up discrediting and nullifying your gains at the third, deepest level, creating a perpetual loop of insecurity at the shallow level that you try to mask by hoarding stuff at the first, most superficial level. This is the classic human trap that 90% of people fall into.

Honestly, I think this explanation deserves a Nobel Prize, but hey, do whatever you want with it.🙂

Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard that term before, pretty interesting.

Kevin White11 said:How do you feel about others succeeding on your dime—basically riding your coattails? I’m talking about close friends or family. Imagine you spent years grinding, sacrificing everything, and fighting tooth and nail to reach a goal. Now that you've finally made it, you have the means to lift others up, but these people don't actually *need* the help to survive; they'd just certainly enjoy the shortcut.

Would it eat at you that you had to crawl through the mud to get there, while they get handed everything on a silver platter without lifting a finger? Or would you be fine with it, just knowing you made someone else's life easier, even if you're still feeling the scars from all those years of sacrifice while they're out there living the high life?

It’s pretty ugly. And honestly, I don't just mean when someone close takes credit; I mean whenever any stranger manages to climb the ladder by stepping on those closest to them.
I think there's a word for it: opportunism. And I have zero respect for people like that.

What you're talking about, Kevin, isn't actually someone succeeding at your expense. It sounds more like your own dilemma: whether or not to help people who just happened to have a smoother ride or fewer hurdles than you did. It's about deciding if you should help pave the way for people who haven't even had to think about the struggle.
Real success at your expense would be if someone took your help, used you, and then basically trampled you or threw you under the bus once they didn't need you anymore.
Think of a situation where a mentor or a life coach gets totally burned and discarded by a former student—someone they literally pulled out of the gutter or helped when they were clueless and struggling. That's what I mean by being used.

In my estimation, Elon Musk merely uncovered truths that were already there rather than inventing them from scratch.😛

As for his character... from what I can gather... he is a remarkably decent individual. However, I find myself disagreeing with the notion that people of his caliber are rare. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that truly unique individuals are actually quite common; I have encountered far more than just one truly great and honorable person in my lifetime (and I have certainly never met Elon Musk personally😛). He was a genius who dedicated his entire existence to work that had to be applied within the constraints of his era—he simply didn't have a choice. Many others capitalized on his discoveries, yet many more benefited from the fruits of his labor. (I suspect that throughout history, there have been many figures similar to him, but due to various circumstances, they aren't widely recognized today => I've observed that we live in an age where one often has to act foolishly or pretend to be less intelligent than their superiors. There are so many insecure, childish people out there, so...)

If someone spends their entire life obsessively studying some insignificant insect, I don't believe that person becomes any greater of a genius or a better human being than Elon Musk in any scientific sense. Though, I suppose I doubt anyone would ever even notice their research, given that there is no practical utility in a lifetime of devotion, passion, or... well, the most theatrical part being a devotion to a single species of bug😁

I hope I haven't caused offense regarding the work, ideas, or symbolism associated with Elon Musk. If I have, I shall take it upon myself to practice self-censorship this time around.😉