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Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

nytimes.com

41–50 of 141 posts

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#41
post #40
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Who will be the next CEO of Apple?" "No." Someone didn't think this law through...

Obviously it only works on yes or no questions.

Yeah, so the "law" as stated in the Wikipedia article is not correct.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#42
Expectations surrounding education have spun out of control. On top of a seven-hour school day, our kids march through hours of nightly homework, daily sports practices and band rehearsals, and weekend-consuming assignments and tournaments. Each activity is seen as a step on the ladder to a top college, an enviable job and a successful life.

Small-print: Successful life not guaranteed. Neither is happiness but we didn't specifically mention that.

For me the depression stemmed from existential nihilism paired with a lack of control of what I had to participate in. It taught me, once I was fully in control of my own time and energy, to be careful with who I spent time with and what I was doing with my time. Not in the Get-Shit-Done sense, more in the Will This Shit Affect My Zen-State. Often the answer is Yes so instead I play games, drink beer, read, hang out with my partner and friends and occasionally make cool things.

I won't be remembered in 200 years, few people will, but at least my time was mine.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason the system wants you to work hard is because they get a share of your labour for every part you are successful above subsistence. They get this through debt issuance, primarily via land prices. Fiat money costs absolutely zero to produce, they give it out freely and in return you pledge to give part of your labour for 30 years. If land prices were far lower we'd all be working 3 or 4 days a week. Employers…

How do you suggest we modulate land price if not via the current system? How is land tax going to make things any easier? The US already has property tax - you want to raise it?

I've put that in my reply above. We need to have taxes to regress speculation which will see land prices fall and will replace much of income tax.

Have a read of the link or many other sites on LVT.

I think we also need to deal with money creation by private banks. This has been an absolute disaster since it became effectively unconstrained with the end of the gold standard. (not that I'm a gold bug).

It's the issue facing our generation, and the next. Just look at SF where land prices have made it very expensive to live there as ultimately all productivity gains flow to land prices rather than to workers.

And to the guy who replied below you need to put some effort in I'm afraid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_tax

Basically you can't pass on LVT via rent.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#44

Expectations surrounding education have spun out of control. On top of a seven-hour school day, our kids march through hours of nightly homework, daily sports practices and band rehearsals, and weekend-consuming assignments and tournaments. Each activity is seen as a step on the ladder to a top college, an enviable job and a successful life. Small-print: Successful life not guaranteed. Neither is happiness but we did…

The dominant culture says you are a loser. Well done to you for having the confidence to stick to your guns.

Problem is you can't opt-out fully because you have to live and for that you must pay banker tribute via rent.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#45
Notions of "success" often include no consideration whatsoever of happiness or general contentment with life.

We moved to one of the top ISDs in Texas years ago, ended up pulling our kids out and home-schooling. It was a hyper competitive, near-toxic environment. No thanks.

I have found the recipe for well-being to be pretty simple: good health, work I enjoy, good relationships, community, time to be quiet. Don't need much else, imo.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#47

Expectations surrounding education have spun out of control. On top of a seven-hour school day, our kids march through hours of nightly homework, daily sports practices and band rehearsals, and weekend-consuming assignments and tournaments. Each activity is seen as a step on the ladder to a top college, an enviable job and a successful life. Small-print: Successful life not guaranteed. Neither is happiness but we did…

Read HN. Write code. Play games. Eat with family & friends. Repeat. Thank you, universe.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#48

I wonder how this conflicts with the fact that the difficulty of studies especially in exact science in primary education has been steadily declining even math teachers have difficulties solving highschool math problems from the 70s these days.

The excessive breadth comes at the expense of depth.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#49
I wonder if this is as causal as people might think.

The Scandinavian countries are known for their extremely lax culture especially when it comes to child education, yet same discussions are present there.

Being poor is also making you sick. I wonder if it's more to do with our interpretation of sickness than with any actual change. I would still expect our kids to grow older than we ever where, but sure it doesn't mean they will be happy.

Re: Is the Drive for Success Making Our Children Sick?

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you suggest we modulate land price if not via the current system? How is land tax going to make things any easier? The US already has property tax - you want to raise it?

I've put that in my reply above. We need to have taxes to regress speculation which will see land prices fall and will replace much of income tax. Have a read of the link or many other sites on LVT. I think we also need to deal with money creation by private banks. This has been an absolute disaster since it became effectively unconstrained with the end of the gold standard. (not that I'm a gold bug). It's the issue…

Every time this comes up, the answer I see trotted out is that increased land taxes will cause land prices to fall and rents will get cheaper.

I don't understand how this makes any sense, at all. If the town raises the property taxes on my rental, guess what, the rent is going to go up at least as much as the tax increase.

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