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Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

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Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#31

Post by Afforess »

I like the story, but I feel it's important to mention that the authors stated opinion on Karma is terrifying.

Karma is essentially the worst sort of belief, in that superficially it seems to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. This appeals to a lot of people because of its clear "carrot/stick" mentality and overall simplicity. This is the "Just-World" hypothesis.

In reality, this kind of thinking means that if you believe in Karma, you can ignore less-fortunates because clearly they screwed up their lives on their own. Conversely, you can get away with being a jerk to people, because they probably deserved it anyway. It is a self-reinforcing bias of the worst sort.

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#33

Post by flyinRyan »

Afforess wrote: post #31

I like the story, but I feel it's important to mention that the authors stated opinion on Karma is terrifying . Karma is essentially the worst sort of belief, in that superficially it seems to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. This appeals to a lot of people because of its clear "carrot/stick" mentality and overall simplicity. This is the "Just-World" hypothesis. In reality, this kind of thinking means th…

Not to mention arguably the worst aspect of Karma belief: that the successful deserve it. This kind of belief is what causes so many people in America to vote squarely against their own interests for their entire lives.

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#34

Post by Udo »

seldo wrote: post #10

Remember kids, if you work hard, sacrifice, and have parents with a spare house in Tahoe they can lend you rent-free indefinitely, you too can make it as a programmer.

Who your parents are and who you know is a big determinant of what you're going to do with your life. I don't see anything wrong with using these resources if they're available.

Also, as a European, I am continually amazed by the low, low real estate prices in some parts of the US. There are very nice big rural properties that even I could afford without a lot of hassle.

I must admit I've actually toyed with the idea of buying one, but to make it full circle with the article, decided against it because I thought it would be utterly unfair to my cat (she suffers enough absences as it is) - I realized that she has very little time left and that we're going to make the best of it :)

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#35

Post by anigbrowl »

There are probably a lot of people out there who balk at the idea of personal sacrifice for a dog. It’s easy to spot these people, however. They are cat people.

I spent $1000 last month so one of my cats could get an abcessed tooth removed on Memorial day, out of about $2500 that I took in. You're not special.

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#36

Post by Spearchucker »

Afforess wrote: post #31

I like the story, but I feel it's important to mention that the authors stated opinion on Karma is terrifying . Karma is essentially the worst sort of belief, in that superficially it seems to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. This appeals to a lot of people because of its clear "carrot/stick" mentality and overall simplicity. This is the "Just-World" hypothesis. In reality, this kind of thinking means th…

Philosophical perspectives on karma notwithstanding, I'm not sure I agree. You can ignore the less fortunate whether you believe in Karma, god or other imaginary friend.

Second, at times it should be your obligation to be a jerk to others. Not saying always, but where not doing so puts you into a worse place than you would otherwise be, you should.

To explain (followed by an extreme example): consider the most important things you need to accomplish in life (remember also that these will vary depending on what you intend to achieve with your life) -

1. Stay alive. You can't do squat if you're dead.

2. Love unconditionally, but take no crap.

3. And so on.

If being an arse to someone keeps you alive then this may give you the opportunity to save your child's life. There are many less-extreme scenarios that are just as valid. Why, for example, does the FAA suggest putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others?

PS. Everybody can be successful. Ref. Wallace D. Wattles' vol 1: The Science of Getting Rich

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#37

Post by eshvk »

flyinRyan wrote: post #33
Afforess wrote: post #31

I like the story, but I feel it's important to mention that the authors stated opinion on Karma is terrifying . Karma is essentially the worst sort of belief, in that superficially it seems to reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. This appeals to a lot of people because of its clear "carrot/stick" mentality and overall simplicity. This is the "Just-World" hypothesis. In reality, this kind of thinking means th…

Not to mention arguably the worst aspect of Karma belief: that the successful deserve it. This kind of belief is what causes so many people in America to vote squarely against their own interests for their entire lives.

The problem with a flowery eastern concept misinterpreted and adopted in the west is that the original meaning gets distorted. Karma is merely a way of understanding "cause and effect".

> This kind of belief is what causes so many people in America to vote squarely against their own interests for their entire lives.

That is patronizing. There is a wide spectrum of reasons why one might say vote for lower/higher taxes between "they worked hard, so they deserve it" and "fuck you, I want mine".

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#38

Post by drewcoo »

seldo wrote: post #10

Remember kids, if you work hard, sacrifice, and have parents with a spare house in Tahoe they can lend you rent-free indefinitely, you too can make it as a programmer.

Your point is really snarky. I also don't like that he tried to externalize his decisions, though. His dog made him do it? Oh, look - I'm being snarky now, but that's what I got out of it.

I actually respect him for explaining his motives and position even if I don't agree with him. Everybody acts irrationally and we rarely admit it openly.

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#39

Post by Heliosmaster »

seldo wrote: post #10

Remember kids, if you work hard, sacrifice, and have parents with a spare house in Tahoe they can lend you rent-free indefinitely, you too can make it as a programmer.

I can't understand the general hostility toward getting (financial) help from your parents or living with them until you are financially independent, even after 18/25/30.

I know I am biased as an italian (and pretty much adhere to the true stereotype) but I can't find anything wrong from getting help from the people that brought you in this world and which probably love you more than anyone else on the planet (and therefore have more reasons to do so). There's no shame in getting helped.

Re: Sacrificing everything for my dog. How I became a programmer

#40

Post by akiselev »

eshvk wrote: post #37
flyinRyan wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention arguably the worst aspect of Karma belief: that the successful deserve it. This kind of belief is what causes so many people in America to vote squarely against their own interests for their entire lives.

The problem with a flowery eastern concept misinterpreted and adopted in the west is that the original meaning gets distorted. Karma is merely a way of understanding "cause and effect". > This kind of belief is what causes so many people in America to vote squarely against their own interests for their entire lives. That is patronizing. There is a wide spectrum of reasons why one might say vote for lower/higher taxes…

I don't know if my American history books were particularly biased (although I had a great and seemingly unbiased one in AP US History), but expressing aspiration through voting has been a long common thread through US history. For example, slaves were expensive so only a small small minority owned them. The vast majority supported it because (or at least some of the primary reasons cited by my history books) it a) established someone lower on the social ladder than them and b) they all aspired to the "American dream" which at that time was owning slaves and didn't want to end it before they even became wealthy.
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