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R U OK?

ruok.org.au

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Re: R U OK?

#161

Post by progman32 »

ericmcer wrote: post #157
olau wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do something about it. If you work on it, it's likely you'll inspire other people. If you don't know how to start, look to others for inspiration. If we all do something to make the world a better place, it WILL be a better place. Also, say no to bad stuff as much as you can muster. You'll probably get better at it over time.

I am cynical about this because I view our current society as a kind of giant prisoners dilemma. If you sacrifice to make things better it is just allowing for others to behave worse for longer. If I take short showers to conserve water, it just opens the road for other people to use more. Until we hit a giant drought that forces people to confront the consequences they will continue watering giant lawns. Apply that…

Sometimes, not always. If I improve my temperament, or if I help get someone an education, or if I help get an unjust law changed, or I raise awareness on some issue, these actions don't cause someone to get meaner, someone to lose their education, someone to make a bad law, or someone to hide an issue.

For environmental issues, I see your point. I hope that actions on conservation don't get 100% canceled out. Even if they're 90% canceled out it still buys us a little more time.

Re: R U OK?

#162

Post by smnrchrds »

londons_explore wrote: post #160
smnrchrds wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also having your name officially recorded for this cause in a database can have negative impacts on the rest of your life, as this Canadian woman found: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/canadian-woman-refuse...

That particular woman wrote a book about her experience with depression , then wondered how the US border agent knew about it... I mean, I'm all for privacy, but if you publish something in a book I don't think you can expect it to stay a secret...

First of all, that's not much better. "Don't talk about mental health publicly or there will be consequences" is not something we should be OK with.

Second, from the article itself:

> Richardson told CBC News that border guards referenced her 2012 hospitalization, and not her book, in denying her entry into the U.S.

Third, this result is not unique to people who have spoken out:

> The Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office has received reports from more than a dozen Canadians who have been denied entry into the U.S. because their records reveal they have a mental illness.

> It’s important to note that police officers, by virtue of their role as emergency responders, are the first to arrive at the scene of a mental health crisis. They respond to the person experiencing a mental health crisis and often escort the individual to the hospital emergency department or other health care facility for medical assessment. This is the moment when the mental health police record is generated.

https://ontario.cmha.ca/news/woman-denied-entry-into-the-us-...

Re: R U OK?

#163

Post by progman32 »

eulers_secret wrote: post #151
ericmcer wrote: post #96

Something I am struggling with recently is less am I ok, but more do we as humans deserve to be ok? When I look at the freeways full of cars, streets lined with overflowing garbage cans, homeless encampments, grocery stores with row after row of cheap meat under fluorescent light. Am I supposed to feel ok? It many times feels as though we are a virus decimating our host environment. The constant flood of bad news com…

I feel the same way. Humanity is going to reap what it has sown. I think we do not deserve to be OK. Warning, my very cynical viewpoint below. We've destroyed or are destroying (not exhaustive by any means): flying insect populations by 75%, wild animal populations, coral reefs, numerous fisheries, both poles of the Earth, rain forests... Climate change is not going to stop or be stopped. Check page 8 of this PDF for…

What are your thoughts on Japan's declining population?

Re: R U OK?

#164

Post by rzzzt »

silicon2401 wrote: post #84
hackerman123469 wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right you don't sound depressed. You however, sound very very negative.

People often think realism sounds negative.

There is a theory that non-depressed people are the ones who go about their way with rose-tinted glasses on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive_realism

Re: R U OK?

#165

Post by annoyingnoob »

I tried a bunch of times to help a supervisor that was an alcoholic. He wouldn't even talk about it. Helped his family when he was in the hospital with pancreatitis. Offered everything I could. He never did get help, lost his job, lost his family, ended up dead in the street a couple of years later. Still makes me sad.

Re: R U OK?

#166

Post by kempbellt »

anm89 wrote: post #119

Remember, if you are in the US at least, and someone tells you they aren't ok, and you recommend a crisis line, and they mention anything regarding suicide, they are very likely going to be extracted from their living situation by force and end up incarcerated at very high expense to themselves. If their life was going poorly before that, it sure won't be better after. edit: as another poster mentioned, the record of…

Who cares if it costs money, or if you have a record? I get why these are worries in today's world, but neither of these matter when your life is on the line.

If you have a record for this, wear it like armor (Tyrion quote). You had the strength to do something good for yourself, and a record to prove it.

Also, if you "recommend a crisis line" to a friend, you are a shit friend. Go play frisbee with them and stop outsourcing responsibility.

Re: R U OK?

#167

Post by bagacrap »

asdffdsa wrote: post #131
ericmcer wrote: post #96

Something I am struggling with recently is less am I ok, but more do we as humans deserve to be ok? When I look at the freeways full of cars, streets lined with overflowing garbage cans, homeless encampments, grocery stores with row after row of cheap meat under fluorescent light. Am I supposed to feel ok? It many times feels as though we are a virus decimating our host environment. The constant flood of bad news com…

I guess the one thing that holds me back from acting more selflessly than I do is that we don't appreciate the efforts of goodwill of others, and we reward selfishness. I pay 45% of my income in taxes? The message is "pay your fair share". Pick up a piece of trash and put it in the garbage can? More litter will replace it when you walk by it the next time. Work extra hard to make sure a project is completed? "You're…

bad examples

buy cheap meat => die a little quicker; buy sbux every day => waste tons of money (relative to home brewing)

and who would fault someone for being paid what they're worth?

Re: R U OK?

#168

Post by wfreeborn »

srtjstjsj wrote: post #77
Gymkana wrote: post #50

This reminds me of an interesting difference in language semantics when I moved from the UK to the Bay area. In the UK it's normal to say "alright?" as if to say hello. I found people would respond "why wouldn't I be?" or something along those lines as if they looked like they weren't OK. It interests me as I find in the UK we are less likely to talk about feelings than in the US.

Can you explain what you mean?

"Alright" is a common greeting in the UK, similar to "How're you going".

Re: R U OK?

#169

Post by celticninja »

throwaway_ruok wrote: post #42

Not okay. It's a worrying time being a Chinese person. On the one hand, I don't support CCP (hence the throw away); I find the dictatorship very troubling. Furthermore, the growing patriotism and nationalism makes me anxious about the next generation of Chinese. On the other hand, many people outside tend to treat Chinese people and CCP as a whole, and denounce and dismiss everything we do. More and more people sugge…

Hey, hope you are ok. I for one do not equate CCP with Chinese people,and I try to make that point where it is needed.

Hope you are able to come through this ok.

Re: R U OK?

#170

Post by anm89 »

kempbellt wrote: post #166
anm89 wrote: post #119

Remember, if you are in the US at least, and someone tells you they aren't ok, and you recommend a crisis line, and they mention anything regarding suicide, they are very likely going to be extracted from their living situation by force and end up incarcerated at very high expense to themselves. If their life was going poorly before that, it sure won't be better after. edit: as another poster mentioned, the record of…

Who cares if it costs money, or if you have a record? I get why these are worries in today's world, but neither of these matter when your life is on the line. If you have a record for this, wear it like armor (Tyrion quote). You had the strength to do something good for yourself, and a record to prove it. Also, if you "recommend a crisis line" to a friend, you are a shit friend. Go play frisbee with them and stop out…

Do you have any data to support that incarcerating someone via forceful removal of them from their home and creating a financial burden on them is an effective suicide prevention measure? It certainly doesn't feel self evident that is and it seems quite possible that it would have the opposite effect.

So that's why one might care.

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