If you've got the time and the inclination, depending on where you live and your circumstances, reserve forces can provide connection, purpose and places in spades.
Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
481–490 of 585 posts
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#482Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wish this wasn't brushed off, but when I suggest it, frequently, as a scientifically proven method of improving happiness, well, it gets brushed off. I guess it's really difficult to relate just how much it can improve your life. Some of the highlights of my entire life have been coaching 3rd/4th grade girls basketball at a YMCA. Yeah, it's a lot of work at the time, but the memories are priceless, and the benefit…
Can you share some source material for improved happiness?
Not the person you asked, but results of a quick search. I only gave each of these a quick scan, but it seems to be a well supported claim.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-21685-006
https://docs.iza.org/dp1045.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504679/
https://web.archive.org/web/20150113062433/https://www.baycr...
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#483My neighborhood. When we moved in we sat out front every evening, and made small talk with every single person who walked by. Some were caught off guard, some kinda just waved and moved on, but most stopped to talk. What's interesting is that people who had lived in that neighborhood nearly 20 years together had never talked, and met for the first time as both stopped to chat at nearly the same time. Then we started…
It's funny, in a lot of mainland Europe (i.e. not UK, also not non-rural France IME) that's completely normal. People would rather sit at the front (even if they don't have a garden/balcony/anything at the front, just sit on the doorstep or chair in the street) with a coffee/smoke and chat to neighbours or nearest shopkeeper.
In the UK I think it's probably more common not even to use your private back garden with your own family, because the neighbours are using theirs this evening!
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#484My neighborhood. When we moved in we sat out front every evening, and made small talk with every single person who walked by. Some were caught off guard, some kinda just waved and moved on, but most stopped to talk. What's interesting is that people who had lived in that neighborhood nearly 20 years together had never talked, and met for the first time as both stopped to chat at nearly the same time. Then we started…
It's funny, in a lot of mainland Europe (i.e. not UK, also not non-rural France IME) that's completely normal. People would rather sit at the front (even if they don't have a garden/balcony/anything at the front, just sit on the doorstep or chair in the street) with a coffee/smoke and chat to neighbours or nearest shopkeeper. In the UK I think it's probably more common not even to use your private back garden with yo…
Reddit.com/r/fuckcars
Reddit.com/r/suburbanhell
It’s not the sad isolating culture leading to cars it’s the reverse. Who wants to sit outside with cars driving nearby?
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#485Take matter into your own hands. "Be the change you want to see" basically. For example I organize software meetups at a nice coffeehouse. It started out with like four people a year ago, and now we average ~25-30 each month, and growing. Consistency is key. P.S. If you live in Seattle, and you're a software engineer, shoot me an email: abner at handmadecities dot com
> Consistency is key.
This 100%, but a warning, this consistency also applies to the people meeting. And that is much more difficult to encourage than anything else. Funding, organizing and advertising meetups ends up being the easy part.
I have run a LUG now for half a year now, and it has been impossible to get people to meet up more than once. This is regardless of content, free food, event weeks, high quality talks by members, encouraging social interactions, holding discussions with experts on interested topics, etc.
Mind you, the members we have are still fiercely for the LUG to continue, they do not want to see it gone, but also continue not showing up. I have worked with frequent members individually to try and find alternatives like better time slots, as many complain about being "busy", but I have now learned its really not a time issue either.
Not really sure why its so hard getting people to show, it just is, even if you give people exactly what they want plus unique spins on topics that are cheered on in the public channel when announced, but follows to nobody showing up.
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#486On IRC and in online games, and in club activities.
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#487Religion. You automatically have something in common, and religious people are usually of a high quality because they live for something more than just themselves, as opposed to secular people. Of course, there are terrible, and I mean truly terrible, people in religious communities, and you should identify them and then stay the hell away from them. But the good ones are REALLY good. As an added bonus, you get to grow, and also help build and develop a community that will be all the richer for your involvement. It's a win-win-win (you, them, the world at large). Give it a shot. What you do you have lose? ;)
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#488My neighborhood. When we moved in we sat out front every evening, and made small talk with every single person who walked by. Some were caught off guard, some kinda just waved and moved on, but most stopped to talk. What's interesting is that people who had lived in that neighborhood nearly 20 years together had never talked, and met for the first time as both stopped to chat at nearly the same time. Then we started…
It's funny, in a lot of mainland Europe (i.e. not UK, also not non-rural France IME) that's completely normal. People would rather sit at the front (even if they don't have a garden/balcony/anything at the front, just sit on the doorstep or chair in the street) with a coffee/smoke and chat to neighbours or nearest shopkeeper. In the UK I think it's probably more common not even to use your private back garden with yo…
In my experience actually Americans are a lot more up for smalltalk with strangers than we are here in Europe.
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#489Religion. You automatically have something in common, and religious people are usually of a high quality because they live for something more than just themselves, as opposed to secular people. Of course, there are terrible, and I mean truly terrible, people in religious communities, and you should identify them and then stay the hell away from them. But the good ones are REALLY good. As an added bonus, you get to gr…
> religious people are usually of a high quality because they live for something more than just themselves, as opposed to secular people
this is a very prejudiced view.
Re: Ask HN: Where have you found community outside of work?
#490Earlier quoted context omitted.
Let me ask you a direct question, and I hope you'll respond directly. Lets say all of those "transfusion alternatives" demonstrably fail, and someone has two choices left: Transfuse or Die; you might phrase that as "Transfuse or Pray", but either way... ...What then? When all other options are exhausted, the prayers aren't working, and your last chance to live involves transfusions, are they permissible?
They aren't. That's where a strong future hope comes in, and the desire to follow God's laws over all else. That doesn't make it easy, but if one truly believes something, shouldn't they be be willing to make sacrifices for it? People don't think twice about giving their life for their country, so why would somebody be any less convicted?
A country is a real thing. What if someone truly believed in Santa Claus and was ready to sacrifice their life believing that will save Santa/follow his teachings? Would you think that's ridiculous?
Now replace Santa with God, this is what atheists believe...