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> The farmers would talk about struggling, but have a brand new semi-tractor sitting in a barn unused 10 months out of the year. Don't you think that PERCEPTIO

> The farmers would talk about struggling, but have a brand new semi-tractor sitting in a barn unused 10 months out of the year. Don't you think that PERCEPTION is a horrible mindset? Less sympathy to people's stresses because they haven't lost their dignity. This applies to street beggars, immigrants, etc. The stuff I've heard are appalling. Formally middle class immigrants getting less empathy because they have cell phones. "Hey they should have sold the cell phone thats not a prerequisite to communication in 2017, their priorities are way too off for them to deserve any support" Back to the topic at hand, maybe thats part of the suicide!

jaredandrews 9y ago
> "Hey they should have sold the cell phone thats not a prerequisite to communication in 2017, their priorities are way too off for them to deserve any support" Not to get too off topic here but during my college years I worked at a grocery store. I found it unbelievable how many times I had to listen to a customer complain about the cell phone that the customer who was in front of them had. "I just don't understand how they can afford a cell phone if they are on food stamps!"[0] "Uh cool, would you like plastic or paper?" Keep in mind that a trac phone plan is less than $15 dollars a month and even cheaper if you are careful with it... but I wouldn't have dared tell the outraged customer that. It's always crazy to me how people think they can solve another persons life problems based on a 15 second observation. [0] In Massachusetts the food stamp cards were/are a distinct blue color and easy to spot.
- JBlue42 9y ago
  To take it further off-topic, anyone on a cell phone while checking out or delaying the line at the grocery store gets an evil eye from me. That goes for you too granny that counts out every penny! :P
jeffdavis 9y ago
Is it possible to criticize decisions and have empathy at the same time? Or is criticism not acceptable at all?
- ringaroundthetx 9y ago
  sure its possible wasn't from the people I saw, typically coworkers, friends, their parents
- musage 9y ago
  Currently, the first comment including replies makes up for 182 comments out of 312, and as far as page estate goes, it completely dominates. It's about technicalities, attachment to land, all sorts of things except depression and suicide. Though what it pushes down isn't all better, with niceties such as "the market is doing a good job at signaling that they probably need to change professions" Fucking HN. Seriously. I want textfiles back. > Is it possible to criticize decisions and have empathy at the same time? Yes, it's possible, but it's not done here. > Or is criticism not acceptable at all? Are you projecting? Whenever the glaring soullessnes in a HN thread is criticized, it's downvotes and hair splitting. Yes, it's technically possible to have empathy and also criticize, but due to the sequential nature of communication even when you do both, you have to decide what to do first. When the whole page is taken up by chatter, the empathy exists somewhere below the "More" fold, if at all. Yes, criticism is acceptable. As long as criticism of the criticism, such as calling it heartless victim blaming as I would, is also acceptable. Otherwise, the right to criticize is forfeit.
danans 9y ago
While your general observation is reasonable, it doesn't apply to the GPs example of a farmer buying an expensive piece of farm equipment that they will not use just to reduce their taxable income. In the examples you gave the cell phone is actually used.

jaredandrews 9y ago

> "Hey they should have sold the cell phone thats not a prerequisite to communication in 2017, their priorities are way too off for them to deserve any support" Not to get too off topic here but during my college years I worked at a grocery store. I found it unbelievable how many times I had to listen to a customer complain about the cell phone that the customer who was in front of them had. "I just don't understand how they can afford a cell phone if they are on food stamps!"[0] "Uh cool, would you like plastic or paper?" Keep in mind that a trac phone plan is less than $15 dollars a month and even cheaper if you are careful with it... but I wouldn't have dared tell the outraged customer that. It's always crazy to me how people think they can solve another persons life problems based on a 15 second observation. [0] In Massachusetts the food stamp cards were/are a distinct blue color and easy to spot.

JBlue42 9y ago
To take it further off-topic, anyone on a cell phone while checking out or delaying the line at the grocery store gets an evil eye from me. That goes for you too granny that counts out every penny! :P

jeffdavis 9y ago

Is it possible to criticize decisions and have empathy at the same time? Or is criticism not acceptable at all?

ringaroundthetx 9y ago
sure its possible wasn't from the people I saw, typically coworkers, friends, their parents
musage 9y ago
Currently, the first comment including replies makes up for 182 comments out of 312, and as far as page estate goes, it completely dominates. It's about technicalities, attachment to land, all sorts of things except depression and suicide. Though what it pushes down isn't all better, with niceties such as "the market is doing a good job at signaling that they probably need to change professions" Fucking HN. Seriously. I want textfiles back. > Is it possible to criticize decisions and have empathy at the same time? Yes, it's possible, but it's not done here. > Or is criticism not acceptable at all? Are you projecting? Whenever the glaring soullessnes in a HN thread is criticized, it's downvotes and hair splitting. Yes, it's technically possible to have empathy and also criticize, but due to the sequential nature of communication even when you do both, you have to decide what to do first. When the whole page is taken up by chatter, the empathy exists somewhere below the "More" fold, if at all. Yes, criticism is acceptable. As long as criticism of the criticism, such as calling it heartless victim blaming as I would, is also acceptable. Otherwise, the right to criticize is forfeit.

danans 9y ago

While your general observation is reasonable, it doesn't apply to the GPs example of a farmer buying an expensive piece of farm equipment that they will not use just to reduce their taxable income. In the examples you gave the cell phone is actually used.