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Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

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Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#251

Post by WalterBright »

kiba wrote: post #245
WalterBright wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know that some people are predisposed to addiction. It's harder for them, sure, but becoming an addict is still a choice for them. I know some who chose to get and stay clean, too, despite being predisposed. I wager that poor people are far better at recognizing addiction than non-poor. I hired a stoner once, not recognizing it. He robbed the company blind to pay his dealer. Social workers are always trying to get…

I know that some people are predisposed to addiction. It's harder for them, sure, but becoming an addict is still a choice for them. I know some who chose to get and stay clean, too, despite being predisposed. A fairly useless way to think about when it comes to solving problems in our society. At the end of the days, people's choices are determined by large number of factors, most of which we are unaware of or curre…

A seizure is not the same thing at all. Nobody can choose to have a seizure, or choose not to have one.

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#252

Post by skim_milk »

>25. That evolution happened to settle on this trick of “love” to serve the interests of evolution rather than, like, causing us to feel like we’re being burned alive every time we don’t find mates or feed our kids or whatever

I liked the article but this strikes me as strange because this is clearly not the same for everyone. Depending on who you ask there's a sizeable population of people who, because of environment and genetics, cannot focus on the "love" parts of relationships and are predisposed to focus on fears of abandonment etc to stay in relationships without lots of help and drugs.

Be happy you got a decent dice roll if you regularly feel positive about your relationships, triply so if this "positive affect" guides the majority your life decisions!

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#253

Post by adriand »

WalterBright wrote: post #239
renjimen wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Becoming one is a choice under your control To an extent. Some people are predisposed to addiction and the poor are much less likely to have the knowledge or support required to recognise or battle addiction.

I know that some people are predisposed to addiction. It's harder for them, sure, but becoming an addict is still a choice for them. I know some who chose to get and stay clean, too, despite being predisposed. I wager that poor people are far better at recognizing addiction than non-poor. I hired a stoner once, not recognizing it. He robbed the company blind to pay his dealer. Social workers are always trying to get…

A heartless and uninformed perspective that is all too common among people born into privilege (you may not have been but in my experience, most people who believe this were).

The majority of addicts are people who have experienced trauma. Often this is childhood trauma, specifically sexual, emotional or physical abuse. Of course it may also have occurred in adulthood. Veterans are one common example but there are millions of other causes.

Shit happens man. You can be an armchair judge but it’s all too easy to go off the rails in this world. Be compassionate! Instead of “you made some bad choices” maybe try thinking, “there but for the grace of god go I”.

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#254

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 »

thowaway959125 wrote: post #232
pkdpic wrote: post #176

Im thankful to have a job and a roof over my head and a little bit of savings. Not having to really worry about money still blows my mind now and then. Looking across the street every day in California and seeing the homelessness crisis in full swing is an ever present reminder of what this economy and this society can do to you if you slip up for even a second and / or have even a minor run of bad luck. Working in s…

> Looking across the street every day in California and seeing the homelessness crisis in full swing is an ever present reminder of what this economy and this society can do to you if you slip up for even a second and / or have even a minor run of bad luck. Working in software isn't always easy or fun or fulfilling but its still an incredible privilege to be working in this industry. I'm a senior software engineer wi…

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you're doing well.

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#255

Post by ronbarr »

axiolite wrote: post #225
pkdpic wrote: post #176

Im thankful to have a job and a roof over my head and a little bit of savings. Not having to really worry about money still blows my mind now and then. Looking across the street every day in California and seeing the homelessness crisis in full swing is an ever present reminder of what this economy and this society can do to you if you slip up for even a second and / or have even a minor run of bad luck. Working in s…

> Im thankful to have a job I think you've got that backwards. Everyone is thankful for money and possessions. A job is just how you happen to get them. Would you be unhappy to be very wealthy, without a job? > seeing the homelessness crisis in full swing is an ever present reminder of what this economy and this society can do to you if you slip up for even a second and / or have even a minor run of bad luck. I've kn…

I feel sad for you if you see work only as a way to make money. A good job with a team that is working together towards a goal is a very satisfying experience. I would be unhappy to be very wealthy without a job. There are many people who end up lost because they don’t have a sense of purpose, and a job helps with that.

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#256

Post by thewakalix »

noisy_boy wrote: post #246
dgb23 wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is pretty cool! Paul Stamets is worth mentioning here. One can find a ton of media presence, books and projects from him. Very interesting stuff!

For a second I thought you were referring to Stamets on Star Trek. Stamets, mycellium... tribute or coincidence?

> Stamets is inspired by a real-life mycologist of the same name.[1]

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#257

Post by alexanderdmitri »

WalterBright wrote: post #240
boplicity wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>In Seattle anyway, 90% of the homeless are either drug addicts or alcoholics That's a big claim to make. Do you have any sources?

The "Seattle is Dying" video produced by KOMO, the local TV station. "60 Minutes" also ran a segment on the Seattle homeless a couple years ago. They went in looking for people who were down on their luck. They found drug addicts and alcoholics.

Here's a write-up from Seattle's government about the root causes of homelessness in the city: https://www.seattle.gov/homelessness/the-roots-of-the-crisis

This is a take on the issue by the Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/why-are-p...

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#258

Post by [deleted] »

alexanderdmitri wrote: post #188
exolymph wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Thankfulness as an end is not necessarily valuable or positive. Yes it is; it makes me feel good.

If the inherent value is solipsistic and self-justifying, then it is more likely to be detrimental to the overall system. This would make it a net negative.

[deleted]

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#259

Post by refurb »

maroonblazer wrote: post #242
WalterBright wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know that some people are predisposed to addiction. It's harder for them, sure, but becoming an addict is still a choice for them. I know some who chose to get and stay clean, too, despite being predisposed. I wager that poor people are far better at recognizing addiction than non-poor. I hired a stoner once, not recognizing it. He robbed the company blind to pay his dealer. Social workers are always trying to get…

How much of a choice is it to be attracted to a given individual? Or to crave a certain kind of food? Or to be consumed with a specific kind of work? Or to care for your child? I.e. I think we overestimate how much of a 'choice' certain outcomes are for most people.

The choice is not the in feeling, it's in the action.

At least when it comes to addiction, there can be no recovery unless there is a conscious choice to do something about it. Nobody can save these people unless they want to be saved.

Re: Underrated Reasons to Be Thankful

#260

Post by someelephant »

ronbarr wrote: post #255
axiolite wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Im thankful to have a job I think you've got that backwards. Everyone is thankful for money and possessions. A job is just how you happen to get them. Would you be unhappy to be very wealthy, without a job? > seeing the homelessness crisis in full swing is an ever present reminder of what this economy and this society can do to you if you slip up for even a second and / or have even a minor run of bad luck. I've kn…

I feel sad for you if you see work only as a way to make money. A good job with a team that is working together towards a goal is a very satisfying experience. I would be unhappy to be very wealthy without a job. There are many people who end up lost because they don’t have a sense of purpose, and a job helps with that.

I agree with everything you're saying except for your usage of purpose. To me, life is not about doing meaningful and purposeful things. It's about satisfying yourself. With the right incentives, we can satisfy ourselves in ways that are meaningful and purposeful. Finding the right work with the right people is extremely satisfying. If you don't enjoy your work, it's likely you are not working on the right things or you have some mental health issues which are lingering beneath the surface.
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