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Some people are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every year on maintaining a fishing line around Manhatten. This isn’t “dumbing it down”, it’s just lit

Some people are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars every year on maintaining a fishing line around Manhatten. This isn’t “dumbing it down”, it’s just literally the facts of what is going on. Explaining that there are tons more you could dig into about these peoples beliefs around the holy powers of this fishing line and exactly when they do and do not work doesn’t escape the fact that it is dumb. If someone is wearing a tinfoil hat, his lengthy explanations about the capabilities of American and Russian intelligence agencies capabilities doesn’t make it sound less dumb.

viciousvoxel 5y ago
While I agree with you that it does seem particularly wasteful and silly, I think you would benefit from some introspection into your own "dumb" culturally-motivated behaviors, or those of "normal" secular society. As just one instance, aren't engagement and weddings rings expensive and dumb by your measure?
- andrepd 5y ago
  > As just one instance, aren't engagement and weddings rings expensive and dumb by your measure? Yes...? When the time comes I'll not spend money which could otherwise buy several unforgettable vacation trips on a shiny overpriced rock, due to cultural pressure.
  - viciousvoxel 5y ago
    Great, I honestly think that's awesome, but I meant it as more of an illustrative example that we all have cultural biases and we shouldn't be so quick to label others' practices as "dumb" just because we don't understand them or practice them ourselves. If it was actively harming anyone then that would be another ethical rabbit-hole, but it's not as far as I can tell, and it's their money to spend/waste as they please. Now if we're talking about illegal eruvs (eruvim) such as steel cables or chains at ground-level that have killed motorcyclists in the past...I obviously think that's a good thing...
- schwartzworld 5y ago
  I paid $20 for my wedding ring. My best friend paid almost $1000 for his. You could switch them and nobody would know.
  - andrepd 5y ago
    Funny thing is 1000$ is "cheap" for an engagement ring

viciousvoxel 5y ago

While I agree with you that it does seem particularly wasteful and silly, I think you would benefit from some introspection into your own "dumb" culturally-motivated behaviors, or those of "normal" secular society. As just one instance, aren't engagement and weddings rings expensive and dumb by your measure?

andrepd 5y ago
> As just one instance, aren't engagement and weddings rings expensive and dumb by your measure? Yes...? When the time comes I'll not spend money which could otherwise buy several unforgettable vacation trips on a shiny overpriced rock, due to cultural pressure.
- viciousvoxel 5y ago
  Great, I honestly think that's awesome, but I meant it as more of an illustrative example that we all have cultural biases and we shouldn't be so quick to label others' practices as "dumb" just because we don't understand them or practice them ourselves. If it was actively harming anyone then that would be another ethical rabbit-hole, but it's not as far as I can tell, and it's their money to spend/waste as they please. Now if we're talking about illegal eruvs (eruvim) such as steel cables or chains at ground-level that have killed motorcyclists in the past...I obviously think that's a good thing...
schwartzworld 5y ago
I paid $20 for my wedding ring. My best friend paid almost $1000 for his. You could switch them and nobody would know.
- andrepd 5y ago
  Funny thing is 1000$ is "cheap" for an engagement ring