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People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

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Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#61

Post by floren »

tristor wrote: post #38
lostcolony wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd be happy if we'd just get over this vindictive need to deprive prisoners of basic pleasures. I've seen outrage over the idea that prisoners have access to TVs, or gaming consoles, or similar, stories of wardens confiscating books and pen and paper and such. I understand there are some other concerns that may warrant keeping usage of some of those under surveillance or similar (keep a pencil from being used as a s…

> I'd be happy if we'd just get over this vindictive need to deprive prisoners of basic pleasures. I won't argue that there aren't some people who have such a vindictive need, but in most cases where I've had conversations with folks about things like this, it's more that they oppose someone having a similar (or maybe "better") quality of life to what they have, without working to pay for it, and rather being paid fo…

If the last two years have taught us anything, it's that being stuck in one place, even if it's your own house, feels pretty bad when you cannot go do something else.

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#62

Post by Ensorceled »

AlexTWithBeard wrote: post #52
simmanian wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe we should focus on separating criminals from non-criminals instead of punishing and torturing them. Give them an environment where they can thrive without being harmful to themselves and others. Let them re-join the society ONLY when they pose acceptable risk. This means violent criminals may never get to re-join the society, but that's okay given that they are still given a humane environment where they ca…

so... what do we do with non-criminals? All the small things like bike theft, not paying child support, fare evasion and urinating in the streets? For extra credit: assume the offender has no money.

Whoa. Are you defending putting these people in jail with murderers and gang members?

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#63

Post by serverholic »

quacked wrote: post #50
simmanian wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe we should focus on separating criminals from non-criminals instead of punishing and torturing them. Give them an environment where they can thrive without being harmful to themselves and others. Let them re-join the society ONLY when they pose acceptable risk. This means violent criminals may never get to re-join the society, but that's okay given that they are still given a humane environment where they ca…

I agree with you, I just think it would take a lot more money and effort to provide this environment.

Ending the war on drugs would open up some room

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#65

Post by watwut »

simmanian wrote: post #36
quacked wrote: post #2

If this is indeed true, it is yet another piece of evidence in the case for prison reform. Prisoners are universally bored, yet in many cases insufficiently protected from one another. Read accounts of any long-time convict's time in prison and you'll hear about excruciating boredom punctuated by acts of outrageous sadism.

I believe we should focus on separating criminals from non-criminals instead of punishing and torturing them. Give them an environment where they can thrive without being harmful to themselves and others. Let them re-join the society ONLY when they pose acceptable risk. This means violent criminals may never get to re-join the society, but that's okay given that they are still given a humane environment where they ca…

Basically, you suggest even longer sentences in country that already leads incarceration rates worldwide.

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#67

Post by austincheney »

I don’t know how true this is in general but upon a bit of reflection I will say I am more honest when I am bored. That is pretty extreme coming from somebody who normally has no resignations about social awkwardness from blunt honesty.

The common response to my bored honesty is typically a positive mix of bewilderment and curiosity. People tend to find the unexpected hyper criticality a bit entertaining.

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#68

Post by stcredzero »

dang wrote: post #54

I have a similar thought about flamewars on the internet, or rather about why generic discussions so often turn into flamewars: the mind resorts to indignation to amuse itself in the absence of anything more interesting. https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&sor...

I wonder if this doesn't have some survival value for Homo sapiens? If people are bored, it often means that they are secure and well off. At that point, to maximize the survival of the species, perhaps it would be of strategic value to send people off exploring to create new settlements?

From the standpoint of genes, in small settlements, there would tend to be some inter-relatedness, so this would be a way for genes to distribute copies of themselves geographically.

This could even have memetic (in the academic/generic Richard Dawkins sense) survival implications. In the same way that established villages could send out dissidents like "seeds" to start new settlements, perhaps internet forums do something analogous?

(I have another horrible sounding idea: Perhaps the penchant for little children to grab things to put into their mouths is a way for 1) the most expendable members of the community to act as inadvertent food tasters/poison detectors for the group and 2) a late filter to knock inattentive parents out of the gene pool. I know it's all evolutionary "just so stories," but it's fun to speculate.)

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#69

Post by AlexTWithBeard »

Ensorceled wrote: post #62
AlexTWithBeard wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so... what do we do with non-criminals? All the small things like bike theft, not paying child support, fare evasion and urinating in the streets? For extra credit: assume the offender has no money.

Whoa. Are you defending putting these people in jail with murderers and gang members?

I do not. But what are the alternatives? Spanking?

Re: People behave more sadistically when they’re bored

#70

Post by SavantIdiot »

> bored people will give themselves electric shocks

That's masochism, not sadism.

When I get incensed on the internet it is due to overt display of -isms, and not a desire to hurt someone (or get hurt), but more of: your attitude and behavior is hurtful to others and here is why. However, trying to change someone's attitude in non-troll way when they are entrenched in their belief system leads to a flame-wars 98% of the time. I'm always hoping for that 2%.

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