Paul GrahamVerified account

The less conventional-minded you are, the less it probably seems to you worth bothering even to try to express your opinions.

Imagine trying to explain the word "Stalingrad" to a Kalahari bushman. Tremendously daunting: it's long, long story. Why would he listen?

The less familiar the basis for your opinions, the more daunting it is to make them intelligible to others. So much context to explain.

Gauss and Newton just gave up. Historically, it's a very common response. Creating is easier, and more gratifying, than explaining.

I know about Newton, but what happened with Gauss? I.e. what search string should I use to find out more about it?

Gauss worked for decades without mathematical peers. Jacobi, Abel, and Galois appeared too late: his solitary habits were deeply ingrained.

Oh, you mean working alone? Newton did more than that. After getting trolled early on, he stopped even wanting to publish.

Yes, that's true. And likewise with Gauss. He left vast amounts of work unpublished, mostly because he could imagine no one reading it.