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To send what message? You can keep your alarmist apocalypse messages to yourself, the world doesn't need more of those. How about a message that everything is

To send what message? You can keep your alarmist apocalypse messages to yourself, the world doesn't need more of those. How about a message that everything is just peachy, for a change?

zamalek 10y ago
Realist: there are problems. Optimist: everything is peachy. Pragmatist: let's fix these problems. There's a big difference between solving problems (which means communicating about them) and getting upset with problems. Changing the world for the better is inspiring, not depressing. Whether you get upset with the message is a choice that you have made.
- majewsky 10y ago
  Optimist: We will be able to fix these problems. FTFY "Everything is peachy" is just wishful thinking.
  - jdimov10 10y ago
    It's not wishful thinking, it's the ONLY right way of thinking. Everything IS peachy. Fixing problems is the opposite of what life is about. It's fine as a hobby, albeit a rather dull one (I can think of a thousand other things I'd rather be doing, but hey, whatever rings your bells).
    - zamalek 10y ago
      I don't think any rational argument can be made once you bring in the subjective perspective of how a person chooses to lead their life, but I'll play along in any case. In purely hypothetical terms imagine that within 30 years climate change becomes severe enough that it unavoidably affects my life. For example sake, let's assume that I live in Dubai and Dubai becomes uninhabitable[1]. This would limit me on a daily basis and I wouldn't be able to do the things that I want to do. If that's not your concern, that's perfectly fine. It's also perfectly fine that I discuss these problems with other people who care about them. If you don't care about this discussion it's always trivial to ignore it. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-heatwaves-could-push-gulf-climate-beyond-human-endurance-study-shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-...
TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
I believe Steven Pinker has something to say about this, let me see if I can find it. Ah yes, here it is: Also distorting our sense of danger is our moral psychology. No one has ever recruited activists to a cause by announcing that things are getting better, and bearers of good news are often advised to keep their mouths shut lest they lull people into complacency. Also, a large swath of our intellectual culture is loath to admit that there could be anything good about civilization, modernity, and Western society. It seems he was right in this instances as well, as evidenced by the down votes being applied to your comment. Actually, everything, at least in my local area, is pretty good. There's no food shortage, we have medicine and vaccines, I voted recently and, at the polling booths, there was no one with guns telling me where to mark the ballot paper. The employment rate is pretty good. I feel safe and secure in my home and on the street. What is it with everyone trying to scare the crap out me everywhere I turn. Sure, things could be better, but I don't recall the last time the marauding hoards of barbarians came through and took all the women and children and burned all the crops, so can we all just relax for a moment? We might get along better that way. We're a pretty persistent pest, we've even learned to write things like "Deliberate concentration and inhalation of contents of can may prove harmful or fatal" on the back of cans of fly spray - that's pretty impressive for a species who posses The Bomb. We'll make it through these troubling times, just like we've made it through the past, what? 40,000 years? Just chill the <expletive deleted> out.
- jdimov10 10y ago
  This ought to be obvious, yet you're the only person on HN (or anywhere) who has ever agreed with me on this stuff. Where can I send you money?
  - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
    Free* money? Sure I'll take it. Contact details in profile. *Conditions apply, nothing is free
    - jdimov10 10y ago
      Thanks. PayPal-ed you. And "nothing is free" is a stupid belief. Lots of things are free. Pretty much everything that matters IS free.
jsprogrammer 10y ago
>How about a message that everything is just peachy, for a change? That should only happen when things are actually "just peachy". It might be a while before then. Several years at least.

To send what message? You can keep your alarmist apocalypse messages to yourself, the world doesn't need more of those. How about a message that everything is just peachy, for a change?

zamalek 10y ago

Realist: there are problems. Optimist: everything is peachy. Pragmatist: let's fix these problems. There's a big difference between solving problems (which means communicating about them) and getting upset with problems. Changing the world for the better is inspiring, not depressing. Whether you get upset with the message is a choice that you have made.

majewsky 10y ago
Optimist: We will be able to fix these problems. FTFY "Everything is peachy" is just wishful thinking.
- jdimov10 10y ago
  It's not wishful thinking, it's the ONLY right way of thinking. Everything IS peachy. Fixing problems is the opposite of what life is about. It's fine as a hobby, albeit a rather dull one (I can think of a thousand other things I'd rather be doing, but hey, whatever rings your bells).
  - zamalek 10y ago
    I don't think any rational argument can be made once you bring in the subjective perspective of how a person chooses to lead their life, but I'll play along in any case. In purely hypothetical terms imagine that within 30 years climate change becomes severe enough that it unavoidably affects my life. For example sake, let's assume that I live in Dubai and Dubai becomes uninhabitable[1]. This would limit me on a daily basis and I wouldn't be able to do the things that I want to do. If that's not your concern, that's perfectly fine. It's also perfectly fine that I discuss these problems with other people who care about them. If you don't care about this discussion it's always trivial to ignore it. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-heatwaves-could-push-gulf-climate-beyond-human-endurance-study-shows https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-...

TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago

I believe Steven Pinker has something to say about this, let me see if I can find it. Ah yes, here it is: Also distorting our sense of danger is our moral psychology. No one has ever recruited activists to a cause by announcing that things are getting better, and bearers of good news are often advised to keep their mouths shut lest they lull people into complacency. Also, a large swath of our intellectual culture is loath to admit that there could be anything good about civilization, modernity, and Western society. It seems he was right in this instances as well, as evidenced by the down votes being applied to your comment. Actually, everything, at least in my local area, is pretty good. There's no food shortage, we have medicine and vaccines, I voted recently and, at the polling booths, there was no one with guns telling me where to mark the ballot paper. The employment rate is pretty good. I feel safe and secure in my home and on the street. What is it with everyone trying to scare the crap out me everywhere I turn. Sure, things could be better, but I don't recall the last time the marauding hoards of barbarians came through and took all the women and children and burned all the crops, so can we all just relax for a moment? We might get along better that way. We're a pretty persistent pest, we've even learned to write things like "Deliberate concentration and inhalation of contents of can may prove harmful or fatal" on the back of cans of fly spray - that's pretty impressive for a species who posses The Bomb. We'll make it through these troubling times, just like we've made it through the past, what? 40,000 years? Just chill the <expletive deleted> out.

jdimov10 10y ago
This ought to be obvious, yet you're the only person on HN (or anywhere) who has ever agreed with me on this stuff. Where can I send you money?
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
  Free* money? Sure I'll take it. Contact details in profile. *Conditions apply, nothing is free
  - jdimov10 10y ago
    Thanks. PayPal-ed you. And "nothing is free" is a stupid belief. Lots of things are free. Pretty much everything that matters IS free.

jsprogrammer 10y ago

>How about a message that everything is just peachy, for a change? That should only happen when things are actually "just peachy". It might be a while before then. Several years at least.