Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The benefits of not belonging

hardfork.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 146 posts

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#121

Post by WalterBright »

Aloha wrote: post #119
WalterBright wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you noticed the hundreds of thousands of totally destitute people flowing over the border, and becoming successful in America? According to your philosophy, that should be impossible.

Yes, they're also smarter than those being left behind. We are literally stealing those countries best and brightest stars.it's generally good for us, and bad for them.

> they're also smarter than those being left behind

How do you know this?

Regardless, they apparently believe that there is opportunity in America, and you don't.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#122

Post by Aloha »

WalterBright wrote: post #121
Aloha wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, they're also smarter than those being left behind. We are literally stealing those countries best and brightest stars.it's generally good for us, and bad for them.

> they're also smarter than those being left behind How do you know this? Regardless, they apparently believe that there is opportunity in America, and you don't.

I interact with the folks 'being left behind' every day in my day job. It's direct observation. Do you have an observation of your own?

How do you draw the conclusion that I believe there is a lack of opportunity? My parent comment says I believe there is tons of opportunity, if you have the right innate skills.

If you'd read the document I linked, you'd see that my concerns have nothing to do with a lack of opportunities, but rather that we don't provide sufficient tools to people to take up those opportunities. Furthermore, we put structural barriers in front of people based on their income level to achieving a modicum of financial security.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#123

Post by Aloha »

WalterBright wrote: post #115
Aloha wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can't do any of those things if they have to work two jobs to keep a roof over their head. There is a point where if you're of average intelligence and ability you can't try harder because all of your try is consumed by just getting by . The US does indeed have tons of opportunity, I'm a high school dropout, who is now an engineer. Thats an American success story. But I'm luckier than most because I got real luc…

> you must have talent Talent is way overrated. Talent is good for 1%, the rest is training to upgrade your skills. Of course, if you never try, failure is 100% guaranteed. BTW, I know some very successful people who aren't that smart. Being smart just means you learn faster. Not being smart doesn't mean you can't learn skills that are in demand.

You must have natural gifts, talent, to sing, to act, to dance. No amount of technical training will turn a tone deaf person, or a person with a poor natural voice into a great singer.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#124

Post by mixmastamyk »

Broken_Hippo wrote: post #111
mixmastamyk wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Turn off the TV and anti-social media, take a walk in the sunshine, and voila.

I was alive before the internet. I've never really watched much tv. And I don't have the time to tell you how much that sucked. You are stuck in whatever place you happened to be, especially as a child or not having much money. If you can't find folks to accept you, you are just cast aside. I*m not sure how walking in sunshine was supposed to help me when folks assumed I was lesbian and freaking avoided me (they were…

Still need it for Vitamin D.

My post above was general advice for dealing with media negativity. It seems to have attracted folks with serious issues who may/not need professional help. If y'all thought a walk was supposed to magically fix that level of adversity, well… unfortunately you're mistaken.

That said, perspective is more powerful than your post allows.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#125

Post by mixmastamyk »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #92
Kye wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good for you. Either share how you did it and stop gloating and judging, or go away.

You're the visitor here, cowboy. Got a job, lived beneath my means. Biggest mistake was to not finish a degree first.

  s/cowboy/tough guy/

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#126

Post by dTal »

WalterBright wrote: post #57
kayodelycaon wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think there is. I think they are just speaking from their own experience. They are an authority on their own life experience and know what they've learned but that doesn't generalize. Advice is only right for the right person at the right time. > The best way to be liked is to just agree with everyone. This view is incomplete. Human relationships are build on connections. You can create those connections by agreein…

> The best way to be liked is to just agree with everyone. Maybe I'm different, but people who just agree with me are uninteresting.

Perhaps it could be rephrased:

The best way to avoid being disliked is to be uninteresting.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#127

Post by Kye »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #124
Broken_Hippo wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was alive before the internet. I've never really watched much tv. And I don't have the time to tell you how much that sucked. You are stuck in whatever place you happened to be, especially as a child or not having much money. If you can't find folks to accept you, you are just cast aside. I*m not sure how walking in sunshine was supposed to help me when folks assumed I was lesbian and freaking avoided me (they were…

Still need it for Vitamin D. My post above was general advice for dealing with media negativity. It seems to have attracted folks with serious issues who may/not need professional help. If y'all thought a walk was supposed to magically fix that level of adversity, well… unfortunately you're mistaken. That said, perspective is more powerful than your post allows.

Blaming others for reasonable reads on careless phrasing has never in the history of conversation made the situation better.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#128

Post by Kye »

Aloha wrote: post #95
Kye wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now I'm tired and still in the exact same situation. Everyone I know is still overworked, underpaid, and has no time or energy to socialize. All social activities still require driving on gas that's $3+/gallon on top of everything costing money.

This is how I felt before I moved to a place with a lower cost of living, yes, I still need to drive everywhere, but at least I'm not miserable all the time. The pace of life slowed down once I got off of the coast.

Moving costs money that's hard to get when you already can't afford life, and further isolates you until you get integrated into the new community. It's a risky proposition. A lot of people who find themselves homeless got there by moving without being prepared for the other end.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#129

Post by abdabab »

Aloha wrote: post #112
WalterBright wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The entrenched poverty problem started with the Great Society. (The poverty rate stopped declining in 1968.) The US has never had more opportunity for people than today. Example 1: anyone can get an MIT education for free on the internet. Example 2: anyone can reach a worldwide market, for free, via the internet, and using Amazon. Example 3: anyone can make a movie, and distribute it to the world on youtube, for free…

They can't do any of those things if they have to work two jobs to keep a roof over their head. There is a point where if you're of average intelligence and ability you can't try harder because all of your try is consumed by just getting by . The US does indeed have tons of opportunity, I'm a high school dropout, who is now an engineer. Thats an American success story. But I'm luckier than most because I got real luc…

You should publish it as a blog. It’s not very readable from a phone.

Re: The benefits of not belonging

#130

Post by abdabab »

WalterBright wrote: post #115
Aloha wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can't do any of those things if they have to work two jobs to keep a roof over their head. There is a point where if you're of average intelligence and ability you can't try harder because all of your try is consumed by just getting by . The US does indeed have tons of opportunity, I'm a high school dropout, who is now an engineer. Thats an American success story. But I'm luckier than most because I got real luc…

> you must have talent Talent is way overrated. Talent is good for 1%, the rest is training to upgrade your skills. Of course, if you never try, failure is 100% guaranteed. BTW, I know some very successful people who aren't that smart. Being smart just means you learn faster. Not being smart doesn't mean you can't learn skills that are in demand.

I agree with Aloha. You still need a certain level of intelligence to work in tech. I have friends who struggle with concepts that are almost too easy for an average tech worker.
Post reply on HN