Ask HN:  Does reading HN ever make you feel like shit?
You have to consider the number of users.  HN now gets 60k unique visitors on weekdays.  That's a decent sized stadium full of people.  Of course they seem overwhelming collectively, but most individuals are only experts in a few areas.<p>If it makes you feel any better, my biggest worry about this site is the opposite: that the median awesomeness is decreasing as the number of users increases.<p>If you want to feel less overwhelmed, try reading the comments starting at the bottom of the page instead of the top.