5 ms·

Author seems rather self-aware, article is filed under /outbursts/.

verylittlemeat 9y ago
If you don't like to exercise just don't do it. You don't need to come up with a cultural conspiracy to feel secure about not liking the gym. I've run into people like this before who feel personally attacked because they "don't understand" why person likes X. It's always invariably something they think their culture is saying is good so they have to fire preemptive strikes against others (who are just trying to have a good time) for the sake of their own ego. Rather than shitting in other people's cornflakes why not just find something you do enjoy?
- te_chris 9y ago
  No one forced you to read it.
  - verylittlemeat 9y ago
    I read it because the title seemed interesting and I was willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. What does that have to do with my criticism of it?
  - zaarn 9y ago
    "Don't like, don't read" and similar statements aren't a counter argument. (I usually do see them on fanfiction websites though) Criticism of an article is totally valid, there are plenty of frontpage HN posts where people disagree with an author in the comments. And that's good, the author put out this article precisely because they wanted someone to read it and think about it (even if they disagree afterwards) (atleast most proper blog authors and journalists do that for think-pieces and commentaries)
    - te_chris 9y ago
      "If you don't like to exercise just don't do it. You don't need to come up with a cultural conspiracy to feel secure about not liking the gym." I agree with you, I was merely replying to absurdity with absurdity. Parent's criticism challenged the existence of the piece, not the substance.
      - verylittlemeat 9y ago
        The substance of the article is so thin it would be hard to criticize it without questioning its existence. I wasn't being facetious, the author seems to really believe that exercising at the gym is a moralizing corporate conspiracy. Why should anyone take that premise seriously when every school age child knows that humanity has valued athleticism and fitness since at least the time of Ancient Greece?
- apatters 9y ago
  The article is ranty but I thought she made an interesting point. I'd like to exercise more but fitness fanatics--OK I'll be polite, enthusiasts take it all really, really seriously. The gym is not fun to me, all the structure is not fun, if I say this a lot of fitness enthusiasts will turn up their nose and basically suggest that I'm an inferior life-form who should just MAN UP and do the work(out). I work enough as it is, can I do a playout instead? It's like one personality type has a lock on the whole habit. Maybe a more fun approach could draw in other groups of people.
  - verylittlemeat 9y ago
    I hope this doesn't come across as dismissive because I am genuinely curious: where are you interacting with these vocal fitness people? Because when I go to the gym I would say 95% of people are in their own world and wearing headphones. I've been going to the gym for 3 years and I don't think I've talked to another person there beyond "are you using this equipment" more than a handful of times.
    - stillsut 9y ago
      I think these obnoxious people are experienced outside the gym - there's one or two at your office, one of two in your wife's friends, one of two of your old college friends. When the conversation turns to what's new in their life, or how's their day going, they recount their fitness ordeals. Also outside of the classic gym - yogies, spinners, crossfitters - tend to be more social and evangelical during and after their workouts.
  - eesmith 9y ago
    My experience has been that there are many different personalities. Someone who goes to the gym to set PRs in weight lifting is going to be different than someone going spinning in winter to stay in condition for cycling in summer. Also, different gyms have different styles. One gym I went to didn't have the largest weights because the owner felt that the people interested in that level of strength training would be better served at a different gym. This was also the gym where one of the members would practice his break dancing moves. He later sold the gym to a chain, and the personality and member base changed. It went from a place I enjoyed going, with fun dance workouts, to the more "regimented dancelike experience" of licensed choreography, and their own line of exercise clothes and foods. I left that gym. So, perhaps there's another gym that better fits what you want?
- gaius 9y ago
  I've run into people like this before who feel personally attacked because they "don't understand" why person likes X. It's always invariably something they think their culture is saying is good so they have to fire preemptive strikes against others (who are just trying to have a good time) for the sake of their own ego I’m reminded of the backlash against the “beach body ready” ad.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

If you don't like to exercise just don't do it. You don't need to come up with a cultural conspiracy to feel secure about not liking the gym. I've run into people like this before who feel personally attacked because they "don't understand" why person likes X. It's always invariably something they think their culture is saying is good so they have to fire preemptive strikes against others (who are just trying to have a good time) for the sake of their own ego. Rather than shitting in other people's cornflakes why not just find something you do enjoy?

te_chris 9y ago
No one forced you to read it.
- verylittlemeat 9y ago
  I read it because the title seemed interesting and I was willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. What does that have to do with my criticism of it?
- zaarn 9y ago
  "Don't like, don't read" and similar statements aren't a counter argument. (I usually do see them on fanfiction websites though) Criticism of an article is totally valid, there are plenty of frontpage HN posts where people disagree with an author in the comments. And that's good, the author put out this article precisely because they wanted someone to read it and think about it (even if they disagree afterwards) (atleast most proper blog authors and journalists do that for think-pieces and commentaries)
  - te_chris 9y ago
    "If you don't like to exercise just don't do it. You don't need to come up with a cultural conspiracy to feel secure about not liking the gym." I agree with you, I was merely replying to absurdity with absurdity. Parent's criticism challenged the existence of the piece, not the substance.
    - verylittlemeat 9y ago
      The substance of the article is so thin it would be hard to criticize it without questioning its existence. I wasn't being facetious, the author seems to really believe that exercising at the gym is a moralizing corporate conspiracy. Why should anyone take that premise seriously when every school age child knows that humanity has valued athleticism and fitness since at least the time of Ancient Greece?
apatters 9y ago
The article is ranty but I thought she made an interesting point. I'd like to exercise more but fitness fanatics--OK I'll be polite, enthusiasts take it all really, really seriously. The gym is not fun to me, all the structure is not fun, if I say this a lot of fitness enthusiasts will turn up their nose and basically suggest that I'm an inferior life-form who should just MAN UP and do the work(out). I work enough as it is, can I do a playout instead? It's like one personality type has a lock on the whole habit. Maybe a more fun approach could draw in other groups of people.
- verylittlemeat 9y ago
  I hope this doesn't come across as dismissive because I am genuinely curious: where are you interacting with these vocal fitness people? Because when I go to the gym I would say 95% of people are in their own world and wearing headphones. I've been going to the gym for 3 years and I don't think I've talked to another person there beyond "are you using this equipment" more than a handful of times.
  - stillsut 9y ago
    I think these obnoxious people are experienced outside the gym - there's one or two at your office, one of two in your wife's friends, one of two of your old college friends. When the conversation turns to what's new in their life, or how's their day going, they recount their fitness ordeals. Also outside of the classic gym - yogies, spinners, crossfitters - tend to be more social and evangelical during and after their workouts.
- eesmith 9y ago
  My experience has been that there are many different personalities. Someone who goes to the gym to set PRs in weight lifting is going to be different than someone going spinning in winter to stay in condition for cycling in summer. Also, different gyms have different styles. One gym I went to didn't have the largest weights because the owner felt that the people interested in that level of strength training would be better served at a different gym. This was also the gym where one of the members would practice his break dancing moves. He later sold the gym to a chain, and the personality and member base changed. It went from a place I enjoyed going, with fun dance workouts, to the more "regimented dancelike experience" of licensed choreography, and their own line of exercise clothes and foods. I left that gym. So, perhaps there's another gym that better fits what you want?
gaius 9y ago
I've run into people like this before who feel personally attacked because they "don't understand" why person likes X. It's always invariably something they think their culture is saying is good so they have to fire preemptive strikes against others (who are just trying to have a good time) for the sake of their own ego I’m reminded of the backlash against the “beach body ready” ad.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]