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These people do not live where I live. Of course, my observation is a singular data point, but speaking with colleagues through the years, it seems everyone in
by readingnews 6y ago
These people do not live where I live. Of course, my observation is a singular data point, but speaking with colleagues through the years, it seems everyone in this area is of the "I will help you, but what is in it for me" philosophy. I wonder where they picked these participants from.
- arethuza 6y agoWhere do you live?
- throwaway0a5e 6y agoIn my experience people's willingness to be kind is correlated more strongly with having shared problems that nearly nobody is exempt from. Some combination of an oppressive climate and limited local wealth seems to be the ticket for maximizing people's willingness to help each other out.
- leto_ii 6y agoMy personal understanding of human nature is that it's capable of the whole range of attitudes, from violent selfishness to pure altruism. I think the society you live in and the way you're brought up matter a lot in moderating these attitudes. If you're taught that you should be selfish, that it's a dog-eat-dog world out there etc. then of course you'll lean towards selfishness and transactionalism. This however is not a direct aspect of human nature, just a consequence of nurture.
- 082349872349872 6y agoHave you circulated your CV recently? I had thought people learn to be very transactional through either (a) prison, or (b) international relations, but clearly I am wrong. (as to A, I know two prison guards. One of them is now retired, and he told me the speech he'd eventually figured out: "I don't care what they say you're in for. It's none of my business. I do care that we all stay cool. If everyone is cool, everything will be cool." Still transactional, but he claims everyone was mostly cool)