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There's a lack of empathy and imagination in this comment, not to mention no appreciation for irony. Is it so hard to imagine that someone's mental environment

There's a lack of empathy and imagination in this comment, not to mention no appreciation for irony. Is it so hard to imagine that someone's mental environment can turn paradise into hell? Or for that matter, hell into paradise? Imagine being born into a rich family, and knowing from day one that nothing you do really matters. Any screwups you have will be fixed immediately by daddy's money. And anything you accomplish, it'll be like "Well yeah of course they were able to do that because of their privilege." Nothing is yours, you aren't even the one responsible for your successes or failures. Life is meaningless and it's because, as the article is trying to say, there's no adversity to give it meaning.

Arainach 5y ago
"Adversity gives life meaning" is a lie pushed by people who want to encourage those in adverse circumstances to know their place. If you want to feel like "nothing you do really matters", all you have to do is take a minimum wage job at any store or restaurant where management will constantly remind you that you're a replaceable cog, that if they could pay you less they would except that it would be illegal (so they'll settle for illegally garnishing wages and asking you to come in early or stay late off the clock), and where you'll realize that there's no way to keep doing this and make rent and healthcare - much less to get ahead.
- tluyben2 5y ago
  Where do you live though? The social security makes my anecdotal poor friends have an enjoyable life while not feeling like a cog because they do not choose to work like that. It does not buy you sports cars but the social security net pays for everything so they only need money 'to live', with or without a family. This seems not at all what you are talking about; so maybe anecdotal, not US should have been more complete?
- rdiddly 5y ago
  The suckiness of being poor is a viewpoint already represented on the thread. Yeah sure, but also: my point. Repetition of yours would seem to indicate you would like only one of the two to be true, but they're both true, or as close as it comes for either of us, who I'm willing to wager have experienced neither. Nothing actually gives life meaning by the way, that's just a shorthand I used.

Arainach 5y ago

"Adversity gives life meaning" is a lie pushed by people who want to encourage those in adverse circumstances to know their place. If you want to feel like "nothing you do really matters", all you have to do is take a minimum wage job at any store or restaurant where management will constantly remind you that you're a replaceable cog, that if they could pay you less they would except that it would be illegal (so they'll settle for illegally garnishing wages and asking you to come in early or stay late off the clock), and where you'll realize that there's no way to keep doing this and make rent and healthcare - much less to get ahead.

tluyben2 5y ago
Where do you live though? The social security makes my anecdotal poor friends have an enjoyable life while not feeling like a cog because they do not choose to work like that. It does not buy you sports cars but the social security net pays for everything so they only need money 'to live', with or without a family. This seems not at all what you are talking about; so maybe anecdotal, not US should have been more complete?
rdiddly 5y ago
The suckiness of being poor is a viewpoint already represented on the thread. Yeah sure, but also: my point. Repetition of yours would seem to indicate you would like only one of the two to be true, but they're both true, or as close as it comes for either of us, who I'm willing to wager have experienced neither. Nothing actually gives life meaning by the way, that's just a shorthand I used.