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Everything is easy if you trivialise it enough. This is why self-help books are America's #1 genre and literary export. Real life, on the other hand, is a tad

by sph 3y ago

Everything is easy if you trivialise it enough. This is why self-help books are America's #1 genre and literary export. Real life, on the other hand, is a tad more complicated. The rule of thumb is don't waste time with people that think they have all the answers. Either they're lying to you, hopelessly naive, or have no real life experience. > Drug addicted? Treatment is available > Criminal record? Start your own business > Unhappy with your finances? Learn how to invest I mean, seriously? You forgot "poor? Become rich."

WalterBright 3y ago
I specifically wrote it wasn't easy.
- sph 3y ago
  The "it isn't easy" is the bloody important part that none of your slogans touch upon, so they're not even worth the memory they're stored in. There is no insight to be gained from any of them. Or do you truly believe that people with hardship in their lives are so hopelessly stupid that they don't know they will have to put some effort, instead of sitting around crying over themselves? Come on now.
  - WalterBright 3y ago
    > that they don't know they will have to put some effort I wrote that because the usual responses I get are that it isn't easy. Thought I'd deal with that up front. My dad used to tell me I wasn't afraid of hard work. I could lie down right next to it and go to sleep.
  - latency-guy2 3y ago
    > Or do you truly believe that people with hardship in their lives are so hopelessly stupid that they don't know they will have to put some effort, instead of sitting around crying over themselves? Come on now. I don't think that's what Bright said. Unless you're the type of person to say never take risks, because chances are you'll fail. If the world was filled to the brim with that type, then what's the point in living? Don't tell me you actually believe in that.
milesvp 3y ago
I’ve been following the poverty finance subreddit recently. One thing that stood out to me recently was how often people who know they’re poor “waste money” on things that I would never spend money on. And the threads around it all seem to come down to some variant on this is my one luxury without it I might slit my wrists. Not all the sentiments are this extreme but I think it points to something in the human condition. Being poor is hard, and if there is nothing to look forward to, like what’s the point? It’s easy to ignore morale as a need, like sleeping and eating, but it’s there. And sometimes it’s more important to fill this need than to increase your savings rate by a negligible amount.

by sph 3y ago

WalterBright 3y ago

I specifically wrote it wasn't easy.

sph 3y ago
The "it isn't easy" is the bloody important part that none of your slogans touch upon, so they're not even worth the memory they're stored in. There is no insight to be gained from any of them. Or do you truly believe that people with hardship in their lives are so hopelessly stupid that they don't know they will have to put some effort, instead of sitting around crying over themselves? Come on now.
- WalterBright 3y ago
  > that they don't know they will have to put some effort I wrote that because the usual responses I get are that it isn't easy. Thought I'd deal with that up front. My dad used to tell me I wasn't afraid of hard work. I could lie down right next to it and go to sleep.
- latency-guy2 3y ago
  > Or do you truly believe that people with hardship in their lives are so hopelessly stupid that they don't know they will have to put some effort, instead of sitting around crying over themselves? Come on now. I don't think that's what Bright said. Unless you're the type of person to say never take risks, because chances are you'll fail. If the world was filled to the brim with that type, then what's the point in living? Don't tell me you actually believe in that.

milesvp 3y ago

I’ve been following the poverty finance subreddit recently. One thing that stood out to me recently was how often people who know they’re poor “waste money” on things that I would never spend money on. And the threads around it all seem to come down to some variant on this is my one luxury without it I might slit my wrists. Not all the sentiments are this extreme but I think it points to something in the human condition. Being poor is hard, and if there is nothing to look forward to, like what’s the point? It’s easy to ignore morale as a need, like sleeping and eating, but it’s there. And sometimes it’s more important to fill this need than to increase your savings rate by a negligible amount.