Post-reading
- Learning about the sheer level of brutality that Musk endured in his childhood was honestly shocking to me. One of my friends is a very big fan of Elon Musk and he was the first one to tell me this. When he did so, I thought that maybe he was exaggerating or that he had simply falsely heard or interpreted the information. Additionally, whenever I hear about Elon Musk in the media, they always make it seem that he had almost a comic book like upbringing where he was constantly overcoming adversities. I always thought that for a genius like himself, these must have been small obstacles that barely bothered him and that the media was maybe exaggerating things to build him up as this larger than life figure. After reading this book, I realize that I was underestimating the difficulties that Musk went through. He was constantly beaten to a pulp as a child so much that I question how he was able to handle it and make it to where he is today. This also makes me think about the psychological implications of these beatings and how mentally resolute of a person he must be.
- I think that Elon Musk's mental toughness is his most admirable trait. Reading the book made me think if this is an attribute that came along with his intelligence or was it something that was developed because of the environment that he grew up in. Sometimes, it is almost difficult to fathom how someone can be that intelligent and it can also make you disconnect with that person when you think that you guys are nothing alike. But perhaps his level of mental fortitude is something that can be replicated. I feel that Musk deals with more public scrutiny than his contemporaries since he is one of the few billionaires and entrepreneurs that is constantly in the limelight. When he was founding SpaceX, many astronauts and scientists said that he was undertaking a dangerous and needlessly risky venture when there are other problems on Earth that he could be paying attention to. Several of those doubters include his childhood heroes such as Buzz Aldrin. There is also the case of the constant scrutiny that he deals with Tesla and the company losing money. Many people think that he is foolish to challenge the norm of oil run cars and that the concept of electric or self driving cars will never be as successful as he hopes. I can only imagine the level of mental strain that he must deal with.
- I do not think that Elon Musk is as fair and honest as some people try to claim him to be. He is always battling his Tesla workers and refusing their right to unionize. I know that keeping these workers from unionizing is part of him working in that business but he is sometimes painted by his supporters as this kind and generous man when it has been reported several times that his workers are overworked. This not only extends to Tesla but also SpaceX. In order to meet the deadlines which he himself establishes, these people often barely have time to see their families and are expected to follow his lead and he does not seem to understand that not everyone has that ability.
- I see adversity and failure as a consistent part of Elon Musk's world and something which he must always overcome. There will always be legislation and government restrictions which he must battle and lobby against. This is something which I am not often a fan of because of the implications that a single man or corporation can have so much influence and power over a government, but its nonetheless something which he must battle against. Musk also encounters public criticism for his failures since he is so often in the limelight and is controversial. For example, his losses running Tesla are a major topic in public discourse and he must fight that and produce results to show that the company is developing and progressing according to his plans. A lot of times, he is forced into investing his own money and some people use that as proof that he is stubborn and cannot accept his failures. I choose to see it as a man who believes in his dreams and abilities, and is willing to bet his own money and livelihood on it.
Competencies
- I think Elon Musk has a lot of intuition when it comes to knowing if a market exists and how he can exploit that market. Paypal for example, who would have thought that it would be such a successful business venture. Elon Musk did, and it was one of his most successful and innovative ventures and in a lot of ways, it propelled him into his current position. It surprises me when I think of how much he must believe in himself and the plans which he undertakes, especially since he is such an innovator.
Reading Confusion
- A lot of Elon Musk's relationship with his father remains confusing to me. I read that his father was often distant and treated him poorly. I felt that Musk did not elaborate much on this relationship or why he felt that his father treated him the way which he did. I think that this has more influence in how Elon Musk carries himself now than he would like to admit but I do not think this is something he will share with the public anytime soon, if ever.
Two Questions
- Do you truly believe that humans can escape the boundaries of the Earth and become an interplanetary species? How much is ego fulfillment and building a lasting legacy responsible for your innovative pursuits?
Opinion of Hard Work
- I feel like Elon Musk partial believes cheesy things such as "hard work doesn't feel much like hard work if you really like and believe in what you're doing." I say this because he often talks about pulling 80 plus hour work weeks when he has to meet deadlines for either Tesla or SpaceX and that he often has to split his time working for these two companies. I do not think that anyone would devote that much time to any project unless they actually found personal enjoyment and satisfaction from it, so on some level, he must believe that what he is doing is not really work but creating and innovating.
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