I Met Paul Graham Once

Nota bene: I’ve had a rough 2025 so far. I’m worried that people who used to support, or at least tolerate me, will turn against me out of a desire to conform, to show their obeisance, to the current prevailing winds. I found myself writing this essay to explain why I’ve been feeling so miserable. I sent it to Paul before I published it here. I met Paul Graham once. It was the summer of 2015, and…