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What do you mean? Are you suggesting that somehow modern people have lost the drive to violently compete for resources if they became critically scarce? That se

What do you mean? Are you suggesting that somehow modern people have lost the drive to violently compete for resources if they became critically scarce? That seems unlikely to me. I think the old phrase "There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy" is as true now as ever.

josalhor 6y ago
I had never heard that phrase. Very insightful.
shaan7 6y ago
Reminds me of " Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces. Look in their eyes. " https://www.quotes.net/mquote/861326 https://www.quotes.net/mquote/861326
- iso1210 6y ago
  DS9 had a lot of commentary. When someone asks why a democracy has such inequality, I think of Rom: "You don't understand. Ferengi workers don't want to stop the exploitation. We want to find a way to become the exploiters"
blfr 6y ago
I don't know about grandparent but I do think that we have become soft and accepting of circumstances our ancestors would not tolerate. How many people live pretty sad lives distracting themselves with toys, electronics, crappy content, and self-medicating with marijuana or even opiates. There are even biological signs of this shift. Like dropping testosterone levels in men.
- sofixa 6y ago
  > How many people live pretty sad lives distracting themselves with toys, electronics, crappy content, and self-medicating with marijuana or even opiates. And how many people lived pretty sad lives being nothing more than serfs or farmers, without even the comfort of a distraction?
  - baremetal 6y ago
    Software engineer and a farmer here. distractions are overrated. i ditched mine and my life improved greatly. ive since learned that building and making things is much more fun than crappy electronics toys content or drugs. Passive entertainment is for the lazy and those that lack creativity. Try picking up a hobby like woodwork or blacksmithing. Having sampled all of those listed distractions extensively, i can say im qualified to make the assertion.
    - sofixa 6y ago
      And that's for you, not everybody is made of the same cloth, some might live for the distractions.
    - jdmichal 6y ago
      There's a huge gulf between "making things is a fun hobby" and "if I don't make things, I may not be able to eat / have shelter / clothe myself".
    - kortilla 6y ago
      “Rich person who farms for fun instead of to barely feed a family suggests farming is fun. News at 10.”
- Dudeman112 6y ago
  Lots of people throughout history lived their lives under other people's boots without fetching a stick and poking their oppressors eyes out
  - 6y ago

josalhor 6y ago

I had never heard that phrase. Very insightful.

shaan7 6y ago

Reminds me of " Let me tell you something about Hew-mons, Nephew. They're a wonderful, friendly people, as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working. But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those same friendly, intelligent, wonderful people... will become as nasty and as violent as the most bloodthirsty Klingon. You don't believe me? Look at those faces. Look in their eyes. " https://www.quotes.net/mquote/861326 https://www.quotes.net/mquote/861326

iso1210 6y ago
DS9 had a lot of commentary. When someone asks why a democracy has such inequality, I think of Rom: "You don't understand. Ferengi workers don't want to stop the exploitation. We want to find a way to become the exploiters"

blfr 6y ago

I don't know about grandparent but I do think that we have become soft and accepting of circumstances our ancestors would not tolerate. How many people live pretty sad lives distracting themselves with toys, electronics, crappy content, and self-medicating with marijuana or even opiates. There are even biological signs of this shift. Like dropping testosterone levels in men.

sofixa 6y ago
> How many people live pretty sad lives distracting themselves with toys, electronics, crappy content, and self-medicating with marijuana or even opiates. And how many people lived pretty sad lives being nothing more than serfs or farmers, without even the comfort of a distraction?
- baremetal 6y ago
  Software engineer and a farmer here. distractions are overrated. i ditched mine and my life improved greatly. ive since learned that building and making things is much more fun than crappy electronics toys content or drugs. Passive entertainment is for the lazy and those that lack creativity. Try picking up a hobby like woodwork or blacksmithing. Having sampled all of those listed distractions extensively, i can say im qualified to make the assertion.
  - sofixa 6y ago
    And that's for you, not everybody is made of the same cloth, some might live for the distractions.
  - jdmichal 6y ago
    There's a huge gulf between "making things is a fun hobby" and "if I don't make things, I may not be able to eat / have shelter / clothe myself".
  - kortilla 6y ago
    “Rich person who farms for fun instead of to barely feed a family suggests farming is fun. News at 10.”
Dudeman112 6y ago
Lots of people throughout history lived their lives under other people's boots without fetching a stick and poking their oppressors eyes out
- 6y ago