why Europe grew so powerful. Was it something about the geography of Europe? Was it that Europeans are somehow racially superior? Was it their religi… - Paul Graham

The answer (or at least the proximate cause) may be that the Europeans rode on the crest of a powerful new idea: allowing those who made a lot of money to keep it.

When you try something new, you inevitably attract haters. So not being deterred by haters is one of the skills you need in order to make change happen. Like most skills, it's a combination of natural ability and practice. But don't expect not to have to practice.

Data is ideology's headwind.

Before Twitter, people used to send angry messages called "hate mail" to (usually) famous people they were mad at. Now when they get mad at someone, they send messages to all their friends.