4 ms·

If recognizing that society is unfair is an indictment, might I suggest opening a history book, or even spending some time reading about the current affairs and

If recognizing that society is unfair is an indictment, might I suggest opening a history book, or even spending some time reading about the current affairs and policy news from literally any part of the globe? Human existence is unfair. Arguably, the mere fact we exist is a series of random occurrences that align to a local optimum for natural incentives evolving to our current state of existence. Randomness is an expression of the basic entropy of the universe and touches on the individual lives of not just humans, but every atom in every living and non-living entity on this planet (and beyond). This sometimes expresses it in the unfairness encounter in some person's life. It is hardly an indictment of society.

gnz11 3y ago
Since you are making book suggestions (or not), I would suggest then that you open this [1] book up. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything
- tristor 3y ago
  Thanks for the recommendation, I will definitely check it out. I really liked "Debt: The First 5000 Years" and "Bullshit Jobs" by the same author.
  - sixstringtheory 3y ago
    I’m about halfway through TDoE and it’s pretty reactionary and disorganized. They do provide many interesting pieces of information but so far have not woven them into a compelling narrative. In fact they often fleetingly admit that their examples could be counter to their hypothesis or that it’s simply impossible to know. I do eventually also want to read Debt, but unsure I need to spend any time on Bullshit Jobs, as my assumption is that it’ll be myopically focused on the idea that some wizard behind the curtain has made the world economy the way it is, instead of it being an emergent phenomenon; an interconnected web of Chesterton fences that the author, in his usual condescending way, will be all too happy to burn, while providing no meaningful alternative. I mean I’ve had some jobs that felt like BS but I don’t need to spend my precious free time being preached to about it. It comes off as pandering, just more high brow than the tract material you find for cults and religions that seem to zero in on their target population’s biggest qualms with society and offer the promise of a better way.
jncfhnb 3y ago
If you’re willing to appeal to the intrinsic randomness of the universe at the atomic level then you’re basically arguing that every nuance is random and meaningless. And if you’re not, then you’re just cherrypicking things that suit your fancy. The universe has sufficient structure to observe its properties even if the underlying mechanisms are random.
mrguyorama 3y ago
>This sometimes expresses it in the unfairness encounter in some person's life. It is hardly an indictment of society. Except that's crap, because the vast majority of suffering in the developed world is entirely unnecessary.

gnz11 3y ago

Since you are making book suggestions (or not), I would suggest then that you open this [1] book up. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_of_Everything

tristor 3y ago
Thanks for the recommendation, I will definitely check it out. I really liked "Debt: The First 5000 Years" and "Bullshit Jobs" by the same author.
- sixstringtheory 3y ago
  I’m about halfway through TDoE and it’s pretty reactionary and disorganized. They do provide many interesting pieces of information but so far have not woven them into a compelling narrative. In fact they often fleetingly admit that their examples could be counter to their hypothesis or that it’s simply impossible to know. I do eventually also want to read Debt, but unsure I need to spend any time on Bullshit Jobs, as my assumption is that it’ll be myopically focused on the idea that some wizard behind the curtain has made the world economy the way it is, instead of it being an emergent phenomenon; an interconnected web of Chesterton fences that the author, in his usual condescending way, will be all too happy to burn, while providing no meaningful alternative. I mean I’ve had some jobs that felt like BS but I don’t need to spend my precious free time being preached to about it. It comes off as pandering, just more high brow than the tract material you find for cults and religions that seem to zero in on their target population’s biggest qualms with society and offer the promise of a better way.

jncfhnb 3y ago

If you’re willing to appeal to the intrinsic randomness of the universe at the atomic level then you’re basically arguing that every nuance is random and meaningless. And if you’re not, then you’re just cherrypicking things that suit your fancy. The universe has sufficient structure to observe its properties even if the underlying mechanisms are random.

mrguyorama 3y ago

>This sometimes expresses it in the unfairness encounter in some person's life. It is hardly an indictment of society. Except that's crap, because the vast majority of suffering in the developed world is entirely unnecessary.