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Other People’s Problems

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Re: Other People’s Problems

#101

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

lazide wrote: post #56
kayodelycaon wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with unsolicited advice is: 1. I didn't ask for it. 2. They didn't bother to understand the problem. 3. Now I am socially obligated to talk to them. 4. I have stop everything I'm thinking about to figure out how to respond to them in a way that doesn't make them feel bad. This seems grossly unfair to me. Social norms that don't come naturally to me. They are allowed say anything they want and I'm not allo…

You could also go the ‘autistic’ route - Frown, and walk away while they’re talking. Or Deeply analyze why they’re wrong and they know it. In front of them, where they can hear you do it. You’ll get hate, but what else is new? You could also just lie, say ‘oh that’s good advice’ and then ignore it like most normal people. Or, figure out what painful personal failure they are trying to warn you about from their side,…

Yeah, but your advice is actually useful :-)

Re: Other People’s Problems

#102

Post by m463 »

jmbwell wrote: post #28

It’s true that sometimes an outsider can offer a fresh perspective. From where you sit, there might be a solution you can’t see. The nearest exit might be in the row behind you. Maybe this applies more often when the one giving advice has more experience than the one receiving it, or when the person who is stuck has habituated a narrow perspective or some form of learned helplessness. But I recoil at something I thin…

I dislike "other people's solutions", because frequently they are shallow.

It's sort of like internet relationship advice.

It tends to lack nuance, like "if you can't agree on a couch to buy, you should leave the relationship".

> But maybe don’t lead with your advice.

Unsolicited advice is a pretty big relationship friction generator.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#103

Post by WalterBright »

lazide wrote: post #84
pc86 wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it funny that everyone right of center thinks inflation is due to trillions of dollars added to the economy and everyone left of center thinks inflation is due to people in 3-piece suits and monocles wanting another boat?

Why can't it be both?

The Law of Supply and Demand.

For example, open a lemonade stand in your neighborhood. Charge $20 a cup. See how it goes.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#104

Post by ozim »

jmbwell wrote: post #28

It’s true that sometimes an outsider can offer a fresh perspective. From where you sit, there might be a solution you can’t see. The nearest exit might be in the row behind you. Maybe this applies more often when the one giving advice has more experience than the one receiving it, or when the person who is stuck has habituated a narrow perspective or some form of learned helplessness. But I recoil at something I thin…

I tend to ask in rapid succession if obvious solutions were used. It gives me warmup time to think about more detail.

Unfortunately people get annoyed when they ask for help and someone offers them 10 solutions they already have tried.

But often one of the obvious was not tried or considered so the person gets quick solution. Otherwise warmup to think more in details and ask follow-up questions why some of “obvious” solutions did not work gives great intro to get up and fix something.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#105

Post by atoav »

skybrian wrote: post #78
atoav wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As you say this can cut both ways. A good example would be the US where people constantly wonder whether $thing-that-29-out-of-30-developed-countries-do-since-decades could truly work. Yeah it works, we have seen it work, it is currently working. Now imagine you are a software developer entering the offices of a group of bueraucratic clercs that keep an intricate fax-and-scanner-based system of bullshit just barely a…

The argument from what other countries have done can often be used simplistically. Yes, it’s important to learn from other countries. However, when you look into it, it sometimes turns out that the other 29 countries have all done things in somewhat different ways, that their solutions are somewhat path-dependent and culture-specific, that they have problems too, and your country has some unique problems of its own t…

Yeah, sure. You cannot translate what works in Sweden one to one to the US and expect the same success. But here is what you could do: realize that the cultural differences between Turkey, France, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Finland, UK, Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Belgium and so on are very likely not less than the difference between the US to all of these countries. And yet, some things US citizens claim can't ever work do so in very different cultures, under various right or left wing governments and in different climate zones.

But keep on telling yourself the story that the US is so exceptional that reasonable conservative policies that work everywhere else can't work. This is likely just going to work out great in the long run.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#106

Post by WalterBright »

pc86 wrote: post #87
lotsofpulp wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where are the people that think inflation is inevitable because there is always a political push from the most active political constituency (old people/about to be old people/their beneficiaries) to keep asset prices rising to be able to fulfill their demands from labor suppliers (younger, less experienced, less politically active)? Especially entertaining with the way demographics are going. It wasn’t much of an is…

Some moderate level of inflation is a pretty basic economic principle. Too much and you cause some problems but none or negative and you see a whole host of other issues. That's like saying the fact the first couple payments on a loan are almost all interest because of a conspiracy among politically active bankers, when in actuality it's because that's how math works.

> Some moderate level of inflation is a pretty basic economic principle

The US had zero net inflation from 1800 to 1914, and fantastic prosperity.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#107

Post by lazide »

WalterBright wrote: post #103
lazide wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why can't it be both?

The Law of Supply and Demand. For example, open a lemonade stand in your neighborhood. Charge $20 a cup. See how it goes.

How about I run a bunch of fear ads and sell ammo for $20/box instead. I think we both know how it will go on that one.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#108

Post by kevindamm »

jmbwell wrote: post #98
kevindamm wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've skipped skipping avocado toast, I just look for good deals on avocado and buy limes no matter what their price is.

No matter the price? No wonder we're drowning in limeflation!

I would sooner not buy the bread and just eat avocado+lime+salt! Limeflation be damned.

Re: Other People’s Problems

#109

Post by tonymet »

There are funny videos of Swedish people advocating for immigrants and then balking when being asked to commit to taking an immigrant into their home.

I've found people are long on advice and short on actual help. When people offer me advice, I usually turn it back around on them to see if they are willing to help.

Recently I was taking care of some shared property repairs and received a lot of complaints that the cost was too high. I asked people for their help on finding a better price and , just as expected, they couldn't.

Everything seems trivial and deterministic until you actually embark on the solution. The hard part is actually completing the task.

Lesson: the world is short on help. If you want to help, pick up a broom. Lead, follow or get out of the way.

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