The myth of genius and the sociology of privilege
Taking a step back from the dizzying headlines, Elon Musk has fallen for the oldest, biggest planet-killing myth of them all – the myth of his own genius.
Not content to regard founding PayPal as an act of genius rather than a stochastic effect of privilege, Musk believed his own brand of magic powder touched everything he did.
The fact that the dice were loaded heavily in his favour seems to have escaped him. Self-awareness isn’t usually a skill valued by people like Musk.
He now seems on the verge of destroying a communication platform, Twitter, that, for all its faults, had become a vital part of our public discourse.
Ironically, Jack Dorsey originally founded Twitter as a journaling tool, not a site for endless gladiatorial arguments over Brexit. Unlike Musk, Dorsey never tried to impose his ego on Twitter. He allowed it to take its course, shaped by the anarchic, self-organising forces that used it.
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