
The Short, Sad Story of Stanwix Melville - samclemens
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/10/30/the-short-sad-story-of-stanwix-melville/
======
aerovistae
I mildly resent the conclusions of the author, that Stanwix's life was
"motionless" or "stationary." On the contrary it sounds like he went a great
many places, met a great many people, and was involved in a great many things.
He traveled by sea to Shanghai, walked many miles along unsettled Central
American coastlines to reach a distant city (having to bury a companion along
the way), was involved in an actual shipwreck, and so on. Sounds perfectly
adventurous to me.

What did he have to do to qualify as having a "greater" life, write a new
JavaScript framework?

Not everyone creates the great American novel. That doesn't make your life
"lesser." If anything it might mean you spent less time at a desk by yourself.

~~~
totalZero
The author is a Harvard PhD and Mount Holyoke professor. Maybe he hasn't lived
a very adventurous life, and as a consequence has convinced himself that high
status is more important than interesting experience.

