We are so arrogant sometimes. The passage of time has nothing to do with reality. People seem to think that given enough time and energy and ingenuity we can do anything we want. This is not how the real world works.
Sometimes, we find a good solution, and it's the best possible one and we found it early on. We think we can do better, but we can't. A classic example of this is Euclid's fifth axiom. It wasn't proven until the 19th century that this axiom was necessary but everyone from Euclid to Gauss tried to get rid of it. Foolish.
It seems to me that while it's foolish to assume we can always improve on something, it's not at all foolish to try to do better (even if the attempts don't succeed). Asking "can we do better than this?" and trying to find a better way is a prerequisite for progress, after all.
Yeah, that's very true! Honestly, a lot of programming projects I've done are never going to be of use to anyone (even myself). But I learned from all of them, even the ones which went nowhere. That is valuable in itself.
An excellent illustration of how a lack of diversity in thinking can hinder forward progress. Thank God everyone doesn't think the same as you.
I think it's a testament to the human condition there are those of us willing to entertain the folly of pushing the boundaries, or of being foolish as you put it.
Sometimes, we find a good solution, and it's the best possible one and we found it early on. We think we can do better, but we can't. A classic example of this is Euclid's fifth axiom. It wasn't proven until the 19th century that this axiom was necessary but everyone from Euclid to Gauss tried to get rid of it. Foolish.