[jshen]

"The lives of Chinese people are not any worse because of the inability to say ‘R’. Ditto for the programming languages."

Doesn't this contradict the essay?

"The best way is to just take the word of a better hacker."

Except for the difficult issue that great hackers had different opinions about which languages are best. Which do you listen to?

[delackner]

His choice of phrasing is perhaps poor, but no it is not a contradiction.

If you don't know your life could be better, you are spared the disappointment of knowing you lack something desirable.

[jshen]

but that isn't what he says. He says that there lives are NOT any worse. This is very different than saying they don't realize they are worse off. I.e. it's a contradiction