2 ms·

The more interesting question is would you feel it if you didn't know any one who lived differently? Because I believe that comfort is very relative to others.

The more interesting question is would you feel it if you didn't know any one who lived differently? Because I believe that comfort is very relative to others. If you don't know anyone living better -- you're happy.

rsj_hn 5y ago
If you are as comfortable as your peers, then you are not at a disadvantage when competing for mates, and neither are your own offspring, so yeah, it's a big deal. We have evolved with the understanding that we need to compete with peers in order to be able to pass our genes on. We are not competing against trees or even our former selves, just against peers.
- dhimes 5y ago
  Yeah but sometimes when the pain in my arm causes me to wake at night I don't really give a darn what anybody else is feeling. I just want the pain in my arm to stop.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- pontifier 5y ago
  I feel I'm naturally a problem solver, and I noticed that I wasted a good amount of brain power thinking about things like unconventional air conditioning and bug control because I couldn't use power or use my building. Unconventional bathing because I had no running water(look up strigil),etc. It wasn't productive, because I can't sit around re-inventing things that work good enough in modern society.
irrational 5y ago
This is an interesting thought. I sometimes wonder about those who live in squalor, how can they be happy knowing there are people like me living in nice middle class homes? But then I think that I am happy, despite knowing that in my same city there are people living in absolute mansions. So, I know that there are people nearby that live better than I do, but for some reason I don’t take them into consideration when it comes to my own happiness.
- kgwxd 5y ago
  I feel it's way more relative to my own recent experiences, rather than what I see others having. I'm normally an absolute baby when it comes to even minor things because I'm usually quite comfortable. But for a short while after a major struggle, nothing minor bothers me.

rsj_hn 5y ago

If you are as comfortable as your peers, then you are not at a disadvantage when competing for mates, and neither are your own offspring, so yeah, it's a big deal. We have evolved with the understanding that we need to compete with peers in order to be able to pass our genes on. We are not competing against trees or even our former selves, just against peers.

dhimes 5y ago
Yeah but sometimes when the pain in my arm causes me to wake at night I don't really give a darn what anybody else is feeling. I just want the pain in my arm to stop.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
pontifier 5y ago
I feel I'm naturally a problem solver, and I noticed that I wasted a good amount of brain power thinking about things like unconventional air conditioning and bug control because I couldn't use power or use my building. Unconventional bathing because I had no running water(look up strigil),etc. It wasn't productive, because I can't sit around re-inventing things that work good enough in modern society.

irrational 5y ago

This is an interesting thought. I sometimes wonder about those who live in squalor, how can they be happy knowing there are people like me living in nice middle class homes? But then I think that I am happy, despite knowing that in my same city there are people living in absolute mansions. So, I know that there are people nearby that live better than I do, but for some reason I don’t take them into consideration when it comes to my own happiness.

kgwxd 5y ago
I feel it's way more relative to my own recent experiences, rather than what I see others having. I'm normally an absolute baby when it comes to even minor things because I'm usually quite comfortable. But for a short while after a major struggle, nothing minor bothers me.