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Great news. We can go on exploiting sweat shop labour and the environment by producing more and more flimsy garments that disintegrate after a few washes. Just

Great news. We can go on exploiting sweat shop labour and the environment by producing more and more flimsy garments that disintegrate after a few washes. Just trust future us to deal with the fallout, no need to take any action now. Buy buy buy.

trevyn 9y ago
For anyone reading this with an open mind -- I believe this style of cynical worldview is typically created by the following process: 1) You have an initial difficulty managing environmental stressors. 2) As a coping mechanism, you vilify individuals who possess things you desire that seem unattainable. 3) You look for broadly-supported arguments supporting this vilification -- e.g., "things aren't made like they used to be" and "I want people to be treated well". 4) You adopt and repeat these broadly-supported arguments -- nobody would give you airtime for the underlying drive of "I want your resources/rewards, give them to me." 5) This repetition leads your mind to emotionally believe isolated arguments as fact, independent of their actual merit or relevance to the situation. 6) You gradually become blind to the underlying unfulfilled desires (including reduction of environmental stressors) that started this whole process, and adjust your identity to include rigid belief in your adopted arguments. 7) You are emotionally compelled to respond to anything that threatens your belief. I'm excited that we're now able to break down the psychological mechanisms for maladaptive behavior, which inspires possible interventions. For example, I'm encouraged by current trends promoting healthy ways of managing stress early in life, and interest in mindsets of loving compassion and open investigation of authentic desires; I suspect that these approaches and similar are likely to increase overall coping skills and self-reflection, which can lead to better outcomes for humanity.
- yesenadam 9y ago
  I was initially unsure whose was the 'cynical worldview', yours or the person you were responding to. I found your initial comment breathtaking. 'For anyone reading this with an open mind' - well, anyone could write that before any comment. It's a code phrase - people who agree with you are defined as having an open mind, etc? If not then, oh, you have a closed mind. I've heard that one before. Nice work if you can get it. You talked past the person you responded to like they weren't a person at all. You are just 'excited' 'we' can treat maladapted close-mindeds like them? I can see nothing loving in that, nor healthy in your initial comment. Maybe we both (mis)understood it; I thought you must have been joking, but it seems not.
- hopefullypoetic 9y ago
  Pfft, that can't be right. _I_ claim that those that disagree with my ideological conclusions are obviously haters who are just jealous of my idols' objectively superior attributes. But this isn't a broad insult to those who disagree with the narrative of a consumerist accelerando saving us all somehow, because this problem I perceive in other people can be solved not by reorganization of our society's priorities, but by, y'know, teaching then coping skills. Because they're big babies. I dunno about the parent comment, but _I_ am excited about the chance to indoctrinate future generations more quickly and efficiently. This should cut down on needless obstruction of Progress.
  - trevyn 9y ago
    What is preventing you from creating your own society?
    - hopefullypoetic 9y ago
      I recommend engaging with the guy who took you seriously, rather than the guy who's just lampooning you.
      - trevyn 9y ago
        I wonder if negative emotions are largely driven by pessimistic interpretations of reality, which then create a self-fulfilling cycle. Perhaps one way to break the cycle is to demonstrate and maintain empirical results well beyond expectations, decreasing the validity of the pessimistic interpretation.
        hopefullypoetic 9y ago
        I think you meant to reply to another comment?
    - kiliantics 9y ago
      seriously? lots of men with lots of guns that get paid by rich people who like being in a society that keeps them rich

trevyn 9y ago

For anyone reading this with an open mind -- I believe this style of cynical worldview is typically created by the following process: 1) You have an initial difficulty managing environmental stressors. 2) As a coping mechanism, you vilify individuals who possess things you desire that seem unattainable. 3) You look for broadly-supported arguments supporting this vilification -- e.g., "things aren't made like they used to be" and "I want people to be treated well". 4) You adopt and repeat these broadly-supported arguments -- nobody would give you airtime for the underlying drive of "I want your resources/rewards, give them to me." 5) This repetition leads your mind to emotionally believe isolated arguments as fact, independent of their actual merit or relevance to the situation. 6) You gradually become blind to the underlying unfulfilled desires (including reduction of environmental stressors) that started this whole process, and adjust your identity to include rigid belief in your adopted arguments. 7) You are emotionally compelled to respond to anything that threatens your belief. I'm excited that we're now able to break down the psychological mechanisms for maladaptive behavior, which inspires possible interventions. For example, I'm encouraged by current trends promoting healthy ways of managing stress early in life, and interest in mindsets of loving compassion and open investigation of authentic desires; I suspect that these approaches and similar are likely to increase overall coping skills and self-reflection, which can lead to better outcomes for humanity.

yesenadam 9y ago
I was initially unsure whose was the 'cynical worldview', yours or the person you were responding to. I found your initial comment breathtaking. 'For anyone reading this with an open mind' - well, anyone could write that before any comment. It's a code phrase - people who agree with you are defined as having an open mind, etc? If not then, oh, you have a closed mind. I've heard that one before. Nice work if you can get it. You talked past the person you responded to like they weren't a person at all. You are just 'excited' 'we' can treat maladapted close-mindeds like them? I can see nothing loving in that, nor healthy in your initial comment. Maybe we both (mis)understood it; I thought you must have been joking, but it seems not.
hopefullypoetic 9y ago
Pfft, that can't be right. _I_ claim that those that disagree with my ideological conclusions are obviously haters who are just jealous of my idols' objectively superior attributes. But this isn't a broad insult to those who disagree with the narrative of a consumerist accelerando saving us all somehow, because this problem I perceive in other people can be solved not by reorganization of our society's priorities, but by, y'know, teaching then coping skills. Because they're big babies. I dunno about the parent comment, but _I_ am excited about the chance to indoctrinate future generations more quickly and efficiently. This should cut down on needless obstruction of Progress.
- trevyn 9y ago
  What is preventing you from creating your own society?
  - hopefullypoetic 9y ago
    I recommend engaging with the guy who took you seriously, rather than the guy who's just lampooning you.
    - trevyn 9y ago
      I wonder if negative emotions are largely driven by pessimistic interpretations of reality, which then create a self-fulfilling cycle. Perhaps one way to break the cycle is to demonstrate and maintain empirical results well beyond expectations, decreasing the validity of the pessimistic interpretation.
      - hopefullypoetic 9y ago
        I think you meant to reply to another comment?
  - kiliantics 9y ago
    seriously? lots of men with lots of guns that get paid by rich people who like being in a society that keeps them rich