Also, for a foreigner, it is interesting to see the routines of a uni like Harvard.

There are a few advices in this post I have not yet tried myself, and also I’d like to say big thumbs up for your “How To Learn Math” post. Most of it we should all know beforehand, but sometimes it’s the littlest things that make a big difference. “Don’t assume everything will work out” got me thinking, and it applies to everything, not just math. Now I don’t go further before I’ve understood all the material.

So thanks, and keep up the good work! Hope you did OK on your midterms.

- Chuck

And what do you mean more transparent, that they are more open with the fact that they indulged their greed and that the plight of others is less of a concern to them than what they have going on in their own lives. Now that may be the status quo in contemporary society or has been for hundreds of years past but that doesn’t necessarily vindicate that behavior nor give it sustained credence in the future. In fact Harvard being the ideas factory that it is, perhaps could develop new ways of thinking and new social technologies for which we model new ways of behavior.

And that other forms of capital not just monetary would be exemplified and valued.

If you enjoy it so much, it is probably because of the social ego boost success at it provides rather than anything in particular… Humans are by nature incentive motivated, not motivated by, um, other worldly “passions” that drive them to pursue “their dreams” unless we are talking about characters in romantic-era novels or what have you. While everyone here detests those laboring to get banking jobs, I always have found them LESS narcissistic and MORE transparent than those convinced the world needed to here what they had to say about the human condition, social injustice, politics, whatever.

Also if you want to have fun and don’t care about money, you can easily drop out and go to a state school, drink, play video games, hook up a lot… Without the flagship benefit of something like being a direct path to banking, to my mind Harvard looses a lot of appeal.

That said, the reference to Facebook 2.0 does ring true at some level. We would be better off if Harvard overachievers were fighting to the death toward value creation — for monetary/ego reward — rather than fantasy value creation (banking). Perhaps they can find some value to create that is well rewarded financially that doesn’t turn out to be fantasy value… like swapping house debts or internet super companies!!1.

Humans are not value optimizers however, but religious fanatics (all of us) sprinkled in with charlatans and fools… so there will most certainly be another bubble to ride - do not fear, young Harvardians! (although you might want to hide out in business school for a few years if possible)