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I wouldn't say it's pathetic. People try and get power/control/ a sense of meaning anywhere they can. This man probably didn't have a great life and found his o

I wouldn't say it's pathetic. People try and get power/control/ a sense of meaning anywhere they can. This man probably didn't have a great life and found his only refuge and belonging to be in IRC. The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone.

sharkjacobs 4y ago
"pathetic" means pitiable, from the greek "pathos" > This man probably didn't have a great life and found his only refuge and belonging to be in IRC. The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone I think this fits the bill
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
the_only_law 4y ago
> The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone. God I wish more would.
- Loughla 4y ago
  Why? I don't understand what you're getting at.
  - clnq 4y ago
    Most people are much too self-important. If you think at the global scale, each of our existence (except those in position of extraordinary decision-making power) is pretty unimportant/inconsequential outside of the realm of chaos theory. I think that understanding this is the first step of putting yourself in a position of power. Self-importance is very blinding.
Loughla 4y ago
It's exactly like Reddit power mods, or that one guy that edits half of wikipedia or whatever the statistic is. It's pathetic to some people, sure, but if it isn't hurting anyone and the person chooses that life, not simply falls into it for lack of options, what's the harm? It's power in a place they are comfortable with. The issue is when that impacts actual human relationships, or is turned for purposes that are (for lack of a better way to quantify it) bad. Power mods using their influence to make sure the subreddits follow the individual sub rules, and ensuring that nothing nefarious slips into the general consciousness- it gives that person a sense of worth and meaning. Great! Power mods using their influence to sell products, market products surreptitiously, squash stories they don't personally agree with, or otherwise abuse said power - bad bad bad. Not Great!
- clnq 4y ago
  > It's pathetic to some people, sure, but ... what's the harm? Hmm, pathetic doesn't mean harmful. It's closer by meaning to "feeble", which I agree with in the case of Reddit moderators. I don't think they are very influential at all.
  - lupire 4y ago
    Do you think schoolteachers are pathetic? They have much less influence than a reddit mod.
    - clnq 4y ago
      No influence makes a moderator feeble and ineffective because it is the purpose of their job to have and apply influence to conversations. A schoolteacher's job is different. However, I suppose some could be called pathetic at it, just as workers in any discipline.
- lmm 4y ago
  > It's exactly like Reddit power mods, or that one guy that edits half of wikipedia or whatever the statistic is. It's pathetic to some people, sure, but if it isn't hurting anyone and the person chooses that life, not simply falls into it for lack of options, what's the harm? In my experience even the "respectable" cliques are like this too. Artists, journalists, the honest-to-god English aristocracy. Any scene of "cool" people ends up being kind of pathetic once you get close enough to see the details, however many drugs they're taking or pictures they're putting up in galleries or whatever.
austhrow743 4y ago
>This man probably didn't have a great life and found his only refuge and belonging to be in IRC. The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone. That sounds quite pathetic to me.

sharkjacobs 4y ago

"pathetic" means pitiable, from the greek "pathos" > This man probably didn't have a great life and found his only refuge and belonging to be in IRC. The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone I think this fits the bill

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

the_only_law 4y ago

> The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone. God I wish more would.

Loughla 4y ago
Why? I don't understand what you're getting at.
- clnq 4y ago
  Most people are much too self-important. If you think at the global scale, each of our existence (except those in position of extraordinary decision-making power) is pretty unimportant/inconsequential outside of the realm of chaos theory. I think that understanding this is the first step of putting yourself in a position of power. Self-importance is very blinding.

Loughla 4y ago

It's exactly like Reddit power mods, or that one guy that edits half of wikipedia or whatever the statistic is. It's pathetic to some people, sure, but if it isn't hurting anyone and the person chooses that life, not simply falls into it for lack of options, what's the harm? It's power in a place they are comfortable with. The issue is when that impacts actual human relationships, or is turned for purposes that are (for lack of a better way to quantify it) bad. Power mods using their influence to make sure the subreddits follow the individual sub rules, and ensuring that nothing nefarious slips into the general consciousness- it gives that person a sense of worth and meaning. Great! Power mods using their influence to sell products, market products surreptitiously, squash stories they don't personally agree with, or otherwise abuse said power - bad bad bad. Not Great!

clnq 4y ago
> It's pathetic to some people, sure, but ... what's the harm? Hmm, pathetic doesn't mean harmful. It's closer by meaning to "feeble", which I agree with in the case of Reddit moderators. I don't think they are very influential at all.
- lupire 4y ago
  Do you think schoolteachers are pathetic? They have much less influence than a reddit mod.
  - clnq 4y ago
    No influence makes a moderator feeble and ineffective because it is the purpose of their job to have and apply influence to conversations. A schoolteacher's job is different. However, I suppose some could be called pathetic at it, just as workers in any discipline.
lmm 4y ago
> It's exactly like Reddit power mods, or that one guy that edits half of wikipedia or whatever the statistic is. It's pathetic to some people, sure, but if it isn't hurting anyone and the person chooses that life, not simply falls into it for lack of options, what's the harm? In my experience even the "respectable" cliques are like this too. Artists, journalists, the honest-to-god English aristocracy. Any scene of "cool" people ends up being kind of pathetic once you get close enough to see the details, however many drugs they're taking or pictures they're putting up in galleries or whatever.

austhrow743 4y ago

>This man probably didn't have a great life and found his only refuge and belonging to be in IRC. The alternative may have been to confront harsh reality and realize you're nobody to noone. That sounds quite pathetic to me.