4 ms·

> It's amazing how some people will risk their job, their clearance, and potentially their freedom, just to impress some random dudes online for a few minutes.

> It's amazing how some people will risk their job, their clearance, and potentially their freedom, just to impress some random dudes online for a few minutes. Maybe they just feel alone, depressed, underappreciated and like nobody cares about them? Revealing it to total strangers somewhat obscures potential negative impact, while still getting them to feel important for a day.

nwallin 5y ago
As a formerly alone, depressed, underappreciated TS clearance holder who nobody cared about, there was never a moment in my life where telling classified information to the public ever seemed like anything other than a first class ticket to a tremendous amount of misery. I only speak for myself, and I no longer have a clearance. But the idea that depression excuses disclosure of classified information... that's not how depression works. That's not how clearances work. It's anathema to me. If depression is an excuse for disclosing classified information, then depression is cause for denying a person a clearance. It is cause for revoking a clearance from a person who seeks mental health assistance. No thank you. It is much better to prosecute depressed people who violate their clearance agreements and to continue to permit depressed people to gain clearances than it is deny a clearance from every depressed person. I support giving clearances to depressed people, and I support sending depressed people who violate their clearance agreements to prison.
- Talanes 5y ago
  No one was saying depression was a valid excuse for the behavior, just a reason someone might do it. Attempting to understand a motivation doesn't automatically mean excusing it.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  "I support giving clearances to depressed people, and I support sending depressed people who violate their clearance agreements to prison." I see your point, in not trying to worsen things for depressed people - but don't you think on a general base, a mentally unstable person is more liklely to disclose something? And when you are really, deeply depressed - you don't care about anything anymore, except if it makes you feel better in that moment.
  - ludston 5y ago
    I don't think you should make prejudiced generalisations or finger in the air guesses about how depression affects people's behavior.
    - hutzlibu 5y ago
      Well, maybe I do not make finger in the air guesses, but know something about the subject?
      - ludston 5y ago
        My good sir. I presume that you don't mean to be offensive, and I am not the kind of person that is offended by unintentional gaffs, but let me clarify for you why your line of speaking, is, in fact offensive. First, reread everything that you wrote, and substitute "depressed person" for some racial minority. Most of what you have said is still valid and there is a possibility that it is even true. However, you must see that this would be so offensive that your post would be flagged. Instead of fostering predjudice against people of a racial minority, you are (probably unintentionally) fostering predjudice against people with mental health problems. Do you not see why this is offensive?
        orestarod 5y ago
        Mental health problems, as said, is not a race. And not everything is prejudice. Racism is supposed to be prejudice because "You can't say there's causal relationship between the race and another specific trait". It is prejudice because it is deemed IRRATIONAL i.e. logical conclusions involving race fail at their very foundational base, race, and are thus logically incorrect. Mental instability though? It is the trait itself. It IS a valid base for logical conclusions regarding the human affected by one. You can claim one does not know enough of a mental illness to make conclusions for one's behavior. But one who does know, can then judge (not pre-judge) accordingly, and logic and truth are by definition not offensive.
        hutzlibu 5y ago
hellbannedguy 5y ago
They might hate their job. They might be disenfranchised. They might feel like no one is listening to little ole me. It's hard to keep a secret. I have never met anyone who could keep a secret, especially people in their 20's to early 30's. High school secrets usually don't hurt criminally, or financially. Almost every crime I hear about the crime that was solved someone retelling a secret. (Those Brazilian bank robbers were brilliant. The guys whom dug into the safe deposit room. They made one mistake. One of the guys wives knew to much.) So many times the secret was told to a girlfriend, or boyfriend. That secret will eventually get out. There's a terrible book called How do You Keep a Secret Between Three People-----You kill the other Two. If I ever had the nerve to pull off a caper; I would do alone.

nwallin 5y ago

As a formerly alone, depressed, underappreciated TS clearance holder who nobody cared about, there was never a moment in my life where telling classified information to the public ever seemed like anything other than a first class ticket to a tremendous amount of misery. I only speak for myself, and I no longer have a clearance. But the idea that depression excuses disclosure of classified information... that's not how depression works. That's not how clearances work. It's anathema to me. If depression is an excuse for disclosing classified information, then depression is cause for denying a person a clearance. It is cause for revoking a clearance from a person who seeks mental health assistance. No thank you. It is much better to prosecute depressed people who violate their clearance agreements and to continue to permit depressed people to gain clearances than it is deny a clearance from every depressed person. I support giving clearances to depressed people, and I support sending depressed people who violate their clearance agreements to prison.

Talanes 5y ago
No one was saying depression was a valid excuse for the behavior, just a reason someone might do it. Attempting to understand a motivation doesn't automatically mean excusing it.
hutzlibu 5y ago
"I support giving clearances to depressed people, and I support sending depressed people who violate their clearance agreements to prison." I see your point, in not trying to worsen things for depressed people - but don't you think on a general base, a mentally unstable person is more liklely to disclose something? And when you are really, deeply depressed - you don't care about anything anymore, except if it makes you feel better in that moment.
- ludston 5y ago
  I don't think you should make prejudiced generalisations or finger in the air guesses about how depression affects people's behavior.
  - hutzlibu 5y ago
    Well, maybe I do not make finger in the air guesses, but know something about the subject?
    - ludston 5y ago
      My good sir. I presume that you don't mean to be offensive, and I am not the kind of person that is offended by unintentional gaffs, but let me clarify for you why your line of speaking, is, in fact offensive. First, reread everything that you wrote, and substitute "depressed person" for some racial minority. Most of what you have said is still valid and there is a possibility that it is even true. However, you must see that this would be so offensive that your post would be flagged. Instead of fostering predjudice against people of a racial minority, you are (probably unintentionally) fostering predjudice against people with mental health problems. Do you not see why this is offensive?
      - orestarod 5y ago
        Mental health problems, as said, is not a race. And not everything is prejudice. Racism is supposed to be prejudice because "You can't say there's causal relationship between the race and another specific trait". It is prejudice because it is deemed IRRATIONAL i.e. logical conclusions involving race fail at their very foundational base, race, and are thus logically incorrect. Mental instability though? It is the trait itself. It IS a valid base for logical conclusions regarding the human affected by one. You can claim one does not know enough of a mental illness to make conclusions for one's behavior. But one who does know, can then judge (not pre-judge) accordingly, and logic and truth are by definition not offensive.
      - hutzlibu 5y ago

hellbannedguy 5y ago

They might hate their job. They might be disenfranchised. They might feel like no one is listening to little ole me. It's hard to keep a secret. I have never met anyone who could keep a secret, especially people in their 20's to early 30's. High school secrets usually don't hurt criminally, or financially. Almost every crime I hear about the crime that was solved someone retelling a secret. (Those Brazilian bank robbers were brilliant. The guys whom dug into the safe deposit room. They made one mistake. One of the guys wives knew to much.) So many times the secret was told to a girlfriend, or boyfriend. That secret will eventually get out. There's a terrible book called How do You Keep a Secret Between Three People-----You kill the other Two. If I ever had the nerve to pull off a caper; I would do alone.