3 ms·

Although I'm not the original commentator, I think selfish is a fair characterization. When you have kids you should want to give them the best opportunities po

Although I'm not the original commentator, I think selfish is a fair characterization. When you have kids you should want to give them the best opportunities possible. If they end up wanting to make the choices the author made, that is fine, but at least they would have the option of living differently too. I'm not saying that it's impossible they will have those opportunities, but it's less likely than if they had access to the best schools - which the article states they don't. Maybe the author tries to make up for this in other ways, but IMO it's unlikely to afford the same opportunities. Plus, as GP mentions, there's no mention in this article of any of that. > None of those kids that I know of have done especially poorly. Most of them have turned out very different from their parents, from becoming social media celebrities to getting involved with MLM-like schemes. Getting involved in MLM sounds like doing poorly to me. At least it is morally questionable. Maybe they're doing well financially.

vintermann 4y ago
As I said in the other comment, I think this guy knows his own situation (which is probably very different from yours) well. He's giving his kids an upbringing that is good in its own way, that gives them experiences and opportunities not many others have. It's very questionable if "prestigious schools before the age of 18" is as optimal as you think in Sweden. It's good to have strengths not many other have. My "social media star" friend is a school nurse who connects extremely well - and constructively - to the youth generation she serves through her job. I would think that her uncommon background (including a lot more younger siblings than is common in this country, and all with an individualistic streak) prepared her somewhat for that job. I'm sure that if she had instead been given what you and the person I replied to see as an "optimal" background, she would be less prepared for it. As for the MLM guy, to be fair, I don't know if he's still into that, he just pitched some questionable cell phone provider once when we were in engineering school together. I do know he's better off than me materially today. I mentioned him to illustrate that the apple can fall further from the tree, too.
- low_tech_love 4y ago
  The whole article is absurd; he has 1500 dollars of monthly income without having to pay rent. He will spend maybe 200 in groceries a month. His government provides him free health care and free education to his children. He has public transportation and bike infrastructure literally everywhere. I'd say this article makes me sick in the stomach but unfortunately I have gotten used to this.
  - marssaxman 4y ago
    What is absurd about it? Sounds like a pretty good life.
    - low_tech_love 4y ago
      Exactly.
      - marssaxman 4y ago
        I don't understand, then: why did you say that the article was absurd, and that it would make you feel sick, if not for the fact that "unfortunately I have gotten used to this"?
        emptystation 4y ago
        I think what angers many people in the comments is the fact that OP is not poverty-stricken, he's a downshifter. Nothing wrong with that, just no reason to conflate the two. Downshifting is a completely different situation and lifestyle.
        low_tech_love 4y ago
        Because the article is supposed to talk about poverty.

vintermann 4y ago

As I said in the other comment, I think this guy knows his own situation (which is probably very different from yours) well. He's giving his kids an upbringing that is good in its own way, that gives them experiences and opportunities not many others have. It's very questionable if "prestigious schools before the age of 18" is as optimal as you think in Sweden. It's good to have strengths not many other have. My "social media star" friend is a school nurse who connects extremely well - and constructively - to the youth generation she serves through her job. I would think that her uncommon background (including a lot more younger siblings than is common in this country, and all with an individualistic streak) prepared her somewhat for that job. I'm sure that if she had instead been given what you and the person I replied to see as an "optimal" background, she would be less prepared for it. As for the MLM guy, to be fair, I don't know if he's still into that, he just pitched some questionable cell phone provider once when we were in engineering school together. I do know he's better off than me materially today. I mentioned him to illustrate that the apple can fall further from the tree, too.

low_tech_love 4y ago
The whole article is absurd; he has 1500 dollars of monthly income without having to pay rent. He will spend maybe 200 in groceries a month. His government provides him free health care and free education to his children. He has public transportation and bike infrastructure literally everywhere. I'd say this article makes me sick in the stomach but unfortunately I have gotten used to this.
- marssaxman 4y ago
  What is absurd about it? Sounds like a pretty good life.
  - low_tech_love 4y ago
    Exactly.
    - marssaxman 4y ago
      I don't understand, then: why did you say that the article was absurd, and that it would make you feel sick, if not for the fact that "unfortunately I have gotten used to this"?
      - emptystation 4y ago
        I think what angers many people in the comments is the fact that OP is not poverty-stricken, he's a downshifter. Nothing wrong with that, just no reason to conflate the two. Downshifting is a completely different situation and lifestyle.
      - low_tech_love 4y ago
        Because the article is supposed to talk about poverty.