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If you have something of value and you cannot protect it, someone will take it from you. That is just how the world works. So how will you protect yourself? Yo

If you have something of value and you cannot protect it, someone will take it from you. That is just how the world works. So how will you protect yourself? You cannot just convert eveyone to zen buddhism. You will have to find a way to protect yourself, so you can say: here is the limit that you cannot cross. Peace can only exist when a powerful entity enforces it.

stedaniels 5y ago
That isn't "just how the world works", that's how a subset of people in the world behave.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- Engineering-MD 5y ago
  Unfortunately it is a selected for behaviour. The fewer who do it, the higher the rewards.
- ithkuil 5y ago
  Yes, the vast majority of people doesn't behave like that. Game theory is a discipline that studies the consequences of a even a small number of actors defecting norms that would otherwise be beneficial to everyone.
- VortexDream 5y ago
  It's because of this subset that the world works the way it does. This subset is larger than you'd think and looking at countries beset with racial or ethnic or religious strife, it seems to me that nearly everybody has the potential for it. You are fortunate to likely live in a country where your existence isn't dependent on limited resources which have to be defended, so you can easily say "well, not everybody fights over resources or because they hate each other".
cnorthwood 5y ago
Sometimes people build things of value and want others to take it. For example, open source.
- GDC7 5y ago
  > Sometimes people build things of value and want others to take it. For example, open source. And it's always suboptimal for the person who does it. Want to compare the bank account/quality of life of Linus with the one of Larry Ellison or Bill Gates? People rebut that given the geographical constraints and the "winner take all" market that is software Linus played his hand in the best way possible because there would have been no space to fight Microsoft, Apple or Oracle on a for-profit basis. If that is true then it's not a real rebut, because it ceases to be altruism . It's just the same mental process experienced by entrepreneurs who decide to be at the helm of for-profit organizations. Except it has virtue signaling baked in it to sell it in a better way and capture a niche of people who are politically charged or hate big for-profit organizations.
  - distances 5y ago
    I'd assume Linus has much better quality of life than Gates or Ellison. He's pretty well off, but doesn't have to suffer from recognazibility and billionaire problems.
    - GDC7 5y ago
      > suffer from recognazibility and billionaire problems It's a mistake to assume that all people are socially anxious just because one is posting on HN or reddit. Recognazibility is lit and so are billionaire problems (btw what billionaire problems? Failing to win the America's Cup? G650ER mantainance fee?)
      - vladTheInhaler 5y ago
        Having your children abducted and held for ransom. People wanting to kill you because they think you put microchips in their bodies through a vaccine. Not knowing if people you meet are just trying to extract money or publicity from you.
EMM_386 5y ago
> Peace can only exist when a powerful entity enforces it. We have this. Certain civilizations can wipe us out at the push of a button. The players who aren't in that same realm have to hope those that are do the right thing. Fighter jets aren't going to help.

stedaniels 5y ago

That isn't "just how the world works", that's how a subset of people in the world behave.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Engineering-MD 5y ago
Unfortunately it is a selected for behaviour. The fewer who do it, the higher the rewards.
ithkuil 5y ago
Yes, the vast majority of people doesn't behave like that. Game theory is a discipline that studies the consequences of a even a small number of actors defecting norms that would otherwise be beneficial to everyone.
VortexDream 5y ago
It's because of this subset that the world works the way it does. This subset is larger than you'd think and looking at countries beset with racial or ethnic or religious strife, it seems to me that nearly everybody has the potential for it. You are fortunate to likely live in a country where your existence isn't dependent on limited resources which have to be defended, so you can easily say "well, not everybody fights over resources or because they hate each other".

cnorthwood 5y ago

Sometimes people build things of value and want others to take it. For example, open source.

GDC7 5y ago
> Sometimes people build things of value and want others to take it. For example, open source. And it's always suboptimal for the person who does it. Want to compare the bank account/quality of life of Linus with the one of Larry Ellison or Bill Gates? People rebut that given the geographical constraints and the "winner take all" market that is software Linus played his hand in the best way possible because there would have been no space to fight Microsoft, Apple or Oracle on a for-profit basis. If that is true then it's not a real rebut, because it ceases to be altruism . It's just the same mental process experienced by entrepreneurs who decide to be at the helm of for-profit organizations. Except it has virtue signaling baked in it to sell it in a better way and capture a niche of people who are politically charged or hate big for-profit organizations.
- distances 5y ago
  I'd assume Linus has much better quality of life than Gates or Ellison. He's pretty well off, but doesn't have to suffer from recognazibility and billionaire problems.
  - GDC7 5y ago
    > suffer from recognazibility and billionaire problems It's a mistake to assume that all people are socially anxious just because one is posting on HN or reddit. Recognazibility is lit and so are billionaire problems (btw what billionaire problems? Failing to win the America's Cup? G650ER mantainance fee?)
    - vladTheInhaler 5y ago
      Having your children abducted and held for ransom. People wanting to kill you because they think you put microchips in their bodies through a vaccine. Not knowing if people you meet are just trying to extract money or publicity from you.

EMM_386 5y ago

> Peace can only exist when a powerful entity enforces it. We have this. Certain civilizations can wipe us out at the push of a button. The players who aren't in that same realm have to hope those that are do the right thing. Fighter jets aren't going to help.