[mynameishere]

I hate to always be the jerk on this board, but:

1) How can a just-now-released essay be influential at all?

2) At least half of pg's essays are better written than this, which to me seemed a little phoned-in. It's not really an essay anyway, but a peptalk. He didn't even have the usual cavalcade of proofreaders at the bottom.

3) The most influential essay I've ever read is the first essay of "Genealogy of Morals".

[jsjenkins168]

I've read all of his essays too, but I guess for me in particular this one strikes a chord because:

1) I just resigned from my day job this week to pursue startup ambitions and

2) I am definitely having "oh shit what am I doing" thoughts right now.

So given the timing for me, this kind of inspiration is very moving. As far as how it is written, I would argue that the phoned-in and impulsive nature is what makes this essay so elegant. It is clean and concise, stating the idea simply: dont give up. Anyway, this is all one mans opinion so you are certainly entitled to disagree.

[imp]

I think that sometimes off-the cuff speeches/essays are more influential because they aren't heavily edited and flow more like how a normal person would speak. I thought this was a great essay.

[SwellJoe]

"1) How can a just-now-released essay be influential at all?"

It can, obviously, be very influential to one reader...and instantly. Time is irrelevant once it reaches that one reader.

[mattmaroon]

All of Paul's essays are better written. This wasn't an essay. It was a talk, and one written quickly.

[Jd]

"Hang in there. Stay plugged in. Oh, and in case you didn't get it the first time, don't give up."

The most influential, well-written paragraph I've ever read!

[Neoryder]

i think his use of influential is a on a more personal note.