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In your original post you listed out a bunch of issues that never amounted to anything. Did it occur to you that they never amounted to anything because people

In your original post you listed out a bunch of issues that never amounted to anything. Did it occur to you that they never amounted to anything because people did shit about them? It wasn't the economy that stopped the Ozone hole from expanding. It wasn't technological innovation that brought down the Soviet Union and ended Red Scare. Did it occur to you that just because you live an insulated life, that these disasters are actually happening right now? It doesn't seem like you're as bad as a denialist, but you're worse than a geopolitical isolationist. You're an individual isolationist and your mantra seems to be, "Fuck you, I've got mine".

jerf 8y ago
"Did it occur to you that they never amounted to anything because people did shit about them?" Then you've admitted the only point I care about here, which is that getting personally panicky about those things would have been a waste of time. Doom is not certain. People do in fact do things in reaction to problems. "Did it occur to you that just because you live an insulated life, that these disasters are actually happening right now?" Read what I wrote again with an eye towards answering those questions, because the answer is there. The Earth is positively saturated with problems... but that's not actually a new state of affairs, despite what youth may think and/or certain people may have told you. You are establishing that problems exist. That is not the question I am answering. I am answering is doom inevitable? And the answer is simple: No. Do not live hopelessly. Do not plan for your future life as if we're all going to be dead in 10 years inevitably because of environmental disaster. There are many disasters in your future with non-zero probability, but living as if they have already occurred just moves them into the present with 100% probability. That's not a win. In terms of reading my mind, you'd be doing better off if you first read my text, instead of what you assume my text is going to say. Or trying to figure out which bogeyman to associate me with so you can stop thinking and start emoting. That's not a healthy psychological pattern. Who taught you to do that? What benefit do they get from it? Are you benefiting from it? (Hint: No.)
- throwaway5752 8y ago
  There is an inevitable (if nothing is done), slowly unfolding tragedy in motion right now. You are the one that is reacting irrationally, in spite of the number of words you've thrown at the problem. Your sentiment really embodies the worst kind of free-rider: "you shouldn't worry, because other people have solved problems for me in the past".
  - zaroth 8y ago
    This is a terribly uncharitable (downright hostile) interpretation of jerfs’ actually thoughtful response. It’s not about free-riding. The grandparent posted, “I read this and I am completely confused about what to do with the rest of the time I have left. Should I even bother with...” and there’s a lot in jerfs’ response which I hope GP reads and reflects on. The world is saturated with imminent disaster. Perhaps the entire universe hangs on a thread. The way we (humans) get out of it, and they way we always have, is not nihilistic defeatism. In the face of continuous doomsday prophecy, the optimal individual response is absolutely to tune it completely out and focus on becoming the best you can be at that thing that you do. And throwaway5752 you trying to moralize that jerfs is “the worst kind of free-rider” is an asinine ad hominem attack that I’d say only amplifies the underlying truth of how important it is to tune out voices like yours.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
- kerbalspacepro 8y ago
  I guess we need to define what you mean by "personally panicky". I read you saying that a person shouldn't be personally panicky as "a person should not worry." That's where my annoyance comes from. The grandparent comment's Fight or Flight instinct should be going off at ALL mentions of AGW. They need to be thinking about the next decades of their life with AGW in mind. If they live in Florida, they should seriously consider not living in Florida. If they have a house that's near a beach they need to leave. If they don't live in the developing world, they need to figure out how to get to the developed world ASAP. You're right that nobody should be brought into a crippling depression because of global warming, but we're far past being optimistic about it. Also, your "who is making money off your panic" thread is stupid and you should stop. People panic for a variety of reasons and only a small minority are "because panic was induced by a second party".

jerf 8y ago

"Did it occur to you that they never amounted to anything because people did shit about them?" Then you've admitted the only point I care about here, which is that getting personally panicky about those things would have been a waste of time. Doom is not certain. People do in fact do things in reaction to problems. "Did it occur to you that just because you live an insulated life, that these disasters are actually happening right now?" Read what I wrote again with an eye towards answering those questions, because the answer is there. The Earth is positively saturated with problems... but that's not actually a new state of affairs, despite what youth may think and/or certain people may have told you. You are establishing that problems exist. That is not the question I am answering. I am answering is doom inevitable? And the answer is simple: No. Do not live hopelessly. Do not plan for your future life as if we're all going to be dead in 10 years inevitably because of environmental disaster. There are many disasters in your future with non-zero probability, but living as if they have already occurred just moves them into the present with 100% probability. That's not a win. In terms of reading my mind, you'd be doing better off if you first read my text, instead of what you assume my text is going to say. Or trying to figure out which bogeyman to associate me with so you can stop thinking and start emoting. That's not a healthy psychological pattern. Who taught you to do that? What benefit do they get from it? Are you benefiting from it? (Hint: No.)

throwaway5752 8y ago
There is an inevitable (if nothing is done), slowly unfolding tragedy in motion right now. You are the one that is reacting irrationally, in spite of the number of words you've thrown at the problem. Your sentiment really embodies the worst kind of free-rider: "you shouldn't worry, because other people have solved problems for me in the past".
- zaroth 8y ago
  This is a terribly uncharitable (downright hostile) interpretation of jerfs’ actually thoughtful response. It’s not about free-riding. The grandparent posted, “I read this and I am completely confused about what to do with the rest of the time I have left. Should I even bother with...” and there’s a lot in jerfs’ response which I hope GP reads and reflects on. The world is saturated with imminent disaster. Perhaps the entire universe hangs on a thread. The way we (humans) get out of it, and they way we always have, is not nihilistic defeatism. In the face of continuous doomsday prophecy, the optimal individual response is absolutely to tune it completely out and focus on becoming the best you can be at that thing that you do. And throwaway5752 you trying to moralize that jerfs is “the worst kind of free-rider” is an asinine ad hominem attack that I’d say only amplifies the underlying truth of how important it is to tune out voices like yours.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
kerbalspacepro 8y ago
I guess we need to define what you mean by "personally panicky". I read you saying that a person shouldn't be personally panicky as "a person should not worry." That's where my annoyance comes from. The grandparent comment's Fight or Flight instinct should be going off at ALL mentions of AGW. They need to be thinking about the next decades of their life with AGW in mind. If they live in Florida, they should seriously consider not living in Florida. If they have a house that's near a beach they need to leave. If they don't live in the developing world, they need to figure out how to get to the developed world ASAP. You're right that nobody should be brought into a crippling depression because of global warming, but we're far past being optimistic about it. Also, your "who is making money off your panic" thread is stupid and you should stop. People panic for a variety of reasons and only a small minority are "because panic was induced by a second party".