5 ms·

How to leave the house

55 points by zdw 1y ago

absurdo 1y ago
Please for the love of God don’t get a dog. Recent related thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44223212 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44223212
- cwmoore 1y ago
  If you live by a dog park like the author, maybe get a dog, he liked it. The rest of the article is about sidewalks.
  - bot403 1y ago
    I can tell you stopped reading halfway through or you would have said the first third is about dogs, second third about sidewalks, and the last third is about bikes. And the conclusion is about a falafel.
- graemep 1y ago
  That article is about a specific form of dog ownership. A dog as a substitute child. This is about a dog as an additional companion, and having a dog being a social lubricant rather than a substitute for any form of human companionship or interaction.
  - Blamido 1y ago
    Which makes it even worse. A dog for getting laid vs. being your best friend
- the__alchemist 1y ago
  I've observed the trend discussed in that thread. It's not universal to dog owners, but a subset that I'm guessing is regional. I don't think it's necessarily relevant to this article beyond superficially. I think you can draw a line between general dog ownership, and the codependent relationship from the linked article. The latter is very common in women in their 30s near where I live, but I don't think it generalizes. e.g. entire personality revolves around the dog, can't leave the dog for any appreciable amount of time, cuddles with the dog in the bed, kisses the dog on the mouth, prioritizes the dog over family, friend, and romantic relationships etc.
- alphazard 1y ago
  Strong agree, we need fewer dog owners. It seems like 1 in 10 have dogs that are well mannered, meaning they respect other people and their space. Sitting on command (really in exchange for food) is not the end goal of training a dog. It needs to be calm and polite in every environment the owner wants to bring it into.
shortrounddev2 1y ago
Excellent post, I enjoyed it quite a lot. I often tell people that if they want to meet new people, get a dog. If you want to meet girls, get a puppy. When I was in college I would see other guys my age (early 20s at the time) walking a new puppy around campus and they became magnets for girls. Plus, humans were MEANT to have dogs, and dogs were meant to have humans. We grew up together; dogs are one of our first forays into genetic engineering. We created an animal which was perfectly acclimated to human companionship
- Aaargh20318 1y ago
  > If you want to meet girls, get a puppy. Since puppies turn into full grown dogs quite quickly, how often do you suggest I replace the puppy? > We created an animal which was perfectly acclimated to human companionship This is why I think having a cat is so much more satisfying. A dog loves you unconditionally, not by choice but because it was literally bred to do so. Despite this you still have to keep it on a leash. Cats by contrast stay with you because they want to, despite having every opportunity to move in with someone else.
  - plemer 1y ago
    Foster?
  - mrmincent 1y ago
    I hate to say it, but pet cats kill an estimated ~390 million animals annually (in Australia). They should also be on a leash and not allowed to roam freely.
    - kadushka 1y ago
      Cats, like any other predators, are born to kill other animals. It’s a natural order of things. My cat regularly brings back mice, birds, lizards and little snakes. I do have to get rid of them, but he makes me proud.
      - 1y ago
zetanor 1y ago
[flagged]
foreigner 1y ago
Might want to look up the history of sidewalks a bit. TL;DR: it can be argued that the existence of sidewalks is a concession that roads are only for cars, where previously they were for everyone, including pedestrians.
- gruez 1y ago
  >TL;DR: it can be argued that the existence of sidewalks is a concession that roads are only for cars, where previously they were for everyone, including pedestrians. Unless you're defining "roads" to mean "not sidewalks", then almost by definition the statement "roads are only for cars" is false, because sidewalks are part of roads, reserved for pedestrians, and therefore roads aren't only for cars. The fact that there are reserved lanes for a particular type of traffic doesn't imply there was some sort of "concession that roads are only for" some other type of traffic, any more than bus lanes, HOV lanes, or bike lanes imply that pedestrians are getting pushed out.
  - lmm 1y ago
    Obviously they're not treating the sidewalk as part of the road, and why should they? In sensible countries walking in the general traffic lanes of a regular street is be fine.
    - gruez 1y ago
      >Obviously they're not treating the sidewalk as part of the road From wikipedia: "The primary features of roads include lanes, sidewalks (pavement), roadways (carriageways), medians, shoulders, verges, bike paths (cycle paths), and shared-use paths. " Emphasis mine >and why should they? In sensible countries walking in the general traffic lanes of a regular street is be fine. I don't know what "sensible countries" you're talking about. Sidewalks are hardly some sort of concept exclusive to car-centeric America. Even bike/pedestrian friendly European countries have separate lanes for pedestrians, with some very limited exceptions such as during festivals/events.
      - 1y ago
ajkjk 1y ago
I hate that I live in a world where people get a dog because socialization is so broken and a nameless interaction at a park is among the barrel-scraping interactions people are doing to cope with it. Like if it's gotten that bad we should be having a revolution, not getting dogs.
- bluGill 1y ago
  People have always been shy and unsure about meeting others. It is expressed different in different societies but the issue is there.
  - barbazoo 1y ago
    Are you sure that people have always been shy as unsure about meeting others? I honestly can’t imagine that. That seems to be a modern thing to me but happy to be proven wrong.
  - ajkjk 1y ago
    No way. I mean, yes, but the magnitude changes. People are way less social today than they were even ten to twenty years ago.
  - rightbyte 1y ago
    There used to be this plethora of study groups, non-profit associations doing whatever, book circles etc to meet people in a somewhat formalised manner that wasn't a date. Big tech has displaced those and replaced them with nothing.
    - paulryanrogers 1y ago
      Book clubs are alive and well, my SO is part of two right now. I'm reading a book with coworkers and we'll be discussing in a few weeks. Some old traditions are now competing with a larger variety of physical and virtual activities. IMO you could blame the car as much as the smart phone.
      - 1y ago
amelius 1y ago
Huh, in a different view a dog essentially means a kind of house-arrest, as you'll always have to be around home to take care of the dog.
- JackMorgan 1y ago
  If you have a destructive dog (no way to know in advance) you either have to crate it or risk destroying a lot of your stuff. Crating a dog is pretty sad and the dog won't like it. So you're basically trapped at home.
  - nradov 1y ago
    Most dogs will become accustomed to staying in a crate with a bit of training. But certainly don't get a high-energy dog with a strong working drive if you're not going to be able to give it a lot of activity. The way to know in advance whether a dog will be destructive (after the puppy teething stage) is to buy a purebred. I know that everyone recommends adopting from a shelter, and that's a great option for many dog owners. But if you need more predictability then you can select a specific breed based on known temperament and typical behavior, then buy a puppy from a reputable breeder with good health records. https://www.akc.org/breed-selector-tool/ https://www.akc.org/breed-selector-tool/
Nekit1234007 1y ago
> Get a dog Thanks for letting me know right off the bat to not read any further :)
rich_lloyd_judd 1y ago
This article is a most welcome and generous gift. Well said Sir.
pipeline_peak 1y ago
> Suggests buying a living being as an excuse to go outside > Goes on to ridicule his own mom for the viewership of complete strangers Um, yeah……I just use meetup.com to find groups with shared interests. It was a great way to make new friends.
SonnyTark 1y ago
From the perspective of someone who just moved from a developed to a developing city, please don't get a dog out of giving up. Have/adopt a child instead. Dogs/cats are indirectly being used to hack out the desire to parent offspring in developed nations which is really sad. If you value socializing then create the opportunity for it, join a group activity or start one in your city and use social media to announce meets and eventually people will come. Shared experience is the most powerful social glue between people. If you want to date go out Thu/Fri/Sat nights and sample Bars/Clubs in your city until you find 2-3 ones you like. Then start hanging out there every week until you feel comfortable. The goal is not to talk to attractive people, but to meet peers who are in the same position as you and then start/join a guys/girls group to do things together every week. If you really like dogs and want to have a pet, then go for it. Just don't use it as a form of giving up on fundamental human needs, you're more resourceful than that.
- bevr1337 1y ago
  > Have/adopt a child instead. > Just don't use it as a form of giving up on fundamental human needs, you're more resourceful than that. This glib advice is what lands you in an uncomfortable HR meeting or is the reason you won't get invited back for game nights. This will be deeply hurtful to families struggling with fertility or adoption and to individuals who experienced the foster system. Neither apathy nor ignorance affect adoption or pregnancy. Families will be excluded by the staggering costs, marital status, employment history, disability, and gender and sexual identity. Ive written a few versions of this reply. Some included my personal background having been moved by protective services, or some emotional stories about my siblings in the foster system, some with swears, and one was simply "check yourself." The issue is deeply personal. More advocacy is always appreciated, but I implore you to tune in.
mehulashah 1y ago
Get a dog, only if you can care for it.
- mingus88 1y ago
  And care for it for the long term. A lot of people got dogs during the pandemic because they were at home 24/7 Now many of those dogs got sent to shelters because they weren’t properly socialized being isolated in the pandemic and the owners needed to go back to work
- lawgimenez 1y ago
  Get a dog if you can pick up the poop. It’s amazing how a lot of dog owners are too lazy to do this.
shove 1y ago
This is probably the least controversial thing Mike has ever written, so naturally the HN consensus appears to be universal scorn. (And for the record, I don’t even like dogs, but I’m also aware that’s a me problem.)
stogot 1y ago
> A few years ago I was reading a story about FOX News (know your enemy) and the author (who’s name I apologize for not remembering) mentioned that FOX News’ main goal was to make people afraid to leave their house This isn’t knowing your enemy. It’s admitting you knowingly read articles that reinforce your bias. Reading or watching FOX News would be to know thy enemy

55 points by zdw 1y ago

Please for the love of God don’t get a dog. Recent related thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44223212 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44223212

cwmoore 1y ago
If you live by a dog park like the author, maybe get a dog, he liked it. The rest of the article is about sidewalks.
- bot403 1y ago
  I can tell you stopped reading halfway through or you would have said the first third is about dogs, second third about sidewalks, and the last third is about bikes. And the conclusion is about a falafel.
graemep 1y ago
That article is about a specific form of dog ownership. A dog as a substitute child. This is about a dog as an additional companion, and having a dog being a social lubricant rather than a substitute for any form of human companionship or interaction.
- Blamido 1y ago
  Which makes it even worse. A dog for getting laid vs. being your best friend
the__alchemist 1y ago
I've observed the trend discussed in that thread. It's not universal to dog owners, but a subset that I'm guessing is regional. I don't think it's necessarily relevant to this article beyond superficially. I think you can draw a line between general dog ownership, and the codependent relationship from the linked article. The latter is very common in women in their 30s near where I live, but I don't think it generalizes. e.g. entire personality revolves around the dog, can't leave the dog for any appreciable amount of time, cuddles with the dog in the bed, kisses the dog on the mouth, prioritizes the dog over family, friend, and romantic relationships etc.
alphazard 1y ago
Strong agree, we need fewer dog owners. It seems like 1 in 10 have dogs that are well mannered, meaning they respect other people and their space. Sitting on command (really in exchange for food) is not the end goal of training a dog. It needs to be calm and polite in every environment the owner wants to bring it into.

shortrounddev2 1y ago

Excellent post, I enjoyed it quite a lot. I often tell people that if they want to meet new people, get a dog. If you want to meet girls, get a puppy. When I was in college I would see other guys my age (early 20s at the time) walking a new puppy around campus and they became magnets for girls. Plus, humans were MEANT to have dogs, and dogs were meant to have humans. We grew up together; dogs are one of our first forays into genetic engineering. We created an animal which was perfectly acclimated to human companionship

Aaargh20318 1y ago
> If you want to meet girls, get a puppy. Since puppies turn into full grown dogs quite quickly, how often do you suggest I replace the puppy? > We created an animal which was perfectly acclimated to human companionship This is why I think having a cat is so much more satisfying. A dog loves you unconditionally, not by choice but because it was literally bred to do so. Despite this you still have to keep it on a leash. Cats by contrast stay with you because they want to, despite having every opportunity to move in with someone else.
- plemer 1y ago
  Foster?
- mrmincent 1y ago
  I hate to say it, but pet cats kill an estimated ~390 million animals annually (in Australia). They should also be on a leash and not allowed to roam freely.
  - kadushka 1y ago
    Cats, like any other predators, are born to kill other animals. It’s a natural order of things. My cat regularly brings back mice, birds, lizards and little snakes. I do have to get rid of them, but he makes me proud.
    - 1y ago

zetanor 1y ago

[flagged]

foreigner 1y ago

Might want to look up the history of sidewalks a bit. TL;DR: it can be argued that the existence of sidewalks is a concession that roads are only for cars, where previously they were for everyone, including pedestrians.

gruez 1y ago
>TL;DR: it can be argued that the existence of sidewalks is a concession that roads are only for cars, where previously they were for everyone, including pedestrians. Unless you're defining "roads" to mean "not sidewalks", then almost by definition the statement "roads are only for cars" is false, because sidewalks are part of roads, reserved for pedestrians, and therefore roads aren't only for cars. The fact that there are reserved lanes for a particular type of traffic doesn't imply there was some sort of "concession that roads are only for" some other type of traffic, any more than bus lanes, HOV lanes, or bike lanes imply that pedestrians are getting pushed out.
- lmm 1y ago
  Obviously they're not treating the sidewalk as part of the road, and why should they? In sensible countries walking in the general traffic lanes of a regular street is be fine.
  - gruez 1y ago
    >Obviously they're not treating the sidewalk as part of the road From wikipedia: "The primary features of roads include lanes, sidewalks (pavement), roadways (carriageways), medians, shoulders, verges, bike paths (cycle paths), and shared-use paths. " Emphasis mine >and why should they? In sensible countries walking in the general traffic lanes of a regular street is be fine. I don't know what "sensible countries" you're talking about. Sidewalks are hardly some sort of concept exclusive to car-centeric America. Even bike/pedestrian friendly European countries have separate lanes for pedestrians, with some very limited exceptions such as during festivals/events.
    - 1y ago

ajkjk 1y ago

I hate that I live in a world where people get a dog because socialization is so broken and a nameless interaction at a park is among the barrel-scraping interactions people are doing to cope with it. Like if it's gotten that bad we should be having a revolution, not getting dogs.

bluGill 1y ago
People have always been shy and unsure about meeting others. It is expressed different in different societies but the issue is there.
- barbazoo 1y ago
  Are you sure that people have always been shy as unsure about meeting others? I honestly can’t imagine that. That seems to be a modern thing to me but happy to be proven wrong.
- ajkjk 1y ago
  No way. I mean, yes, but the magnitude changes. People are way less social today than they were even ten to twenty years ago.
- rightbyte 1y ago
  There used to be this plethora of study groups, non-profit associations doing whatever, book circles etc to meet people in a somewhat formalised manner that wasn't a date. Big tech has displaced those and replaced them with nothing.
  - paulryanrogers 1y ago
    Book clubs are alive and well, my SO is part of two right now. I'm reading a book with coworkers and we'll be discussing in a few weeks. Some old traditions are now competing with a larger variety of physical and virtual activities. IMO you could blame the car as much as the smart phone.
    - 1y ago

amelius 1y ago

Huh, in a different view a dog essentially means a kind of house-arrest, as you'll always have to be around home to take care of the dog.

JackMorgan 1y ago
If you have a destructive dog (no way to know in advance) you either have to crate it or risk destroying a lot of your stuff. Crating a dog is pretty sad and the dog won't like it. So you're basically trapped at home.
- nradov 1y ago
  Most dogs will become accustomed to staying in a crate with a bit of training. But certainly don't get a high-energy dog with a strong working drive if you're not going to be able to give it a lot of activity. The way to know in advance whether a dog will be destructive (after the puppy teething stage) is to buy a purebred. I know that everyone recommends adopting from a shelter, and that's a great option for many dog owners. But if you need more predictability then you can select a specific breed based on known temperament and typical behavior, then buy a puppy from a reputable breeder with good health records. https://www.akc.org/breed-selector-tool/ https://www.akc.org/breed-selector-tool/

Nekit1234007 1y ago

> Get a dog Thanks for letting me know right off the bat to not read any further :)

rich_lloyd_judd 1y ago

This article is a most welcome and generous gift. Well said Sir.

pipeline_peak 1y ago

> Suggests buying a living being as an excuse to go outside > Goes on to ridicule his own mom for the viewership of complete strangers Um, yeah……I just use meetup.com to find groups with shared interests. It was a great way to make new friends.

SonnyTark 1y ago

From the perspective of someone who just moved from a developed to a developing city, please don't get a dog out of giving up. Have/adopt a child instead. Dogs/cats are indirectly being used to hack out the desire to parent offspring in developed nations which is really sad. If you value socializing then create the opportunity for it, join a group activity or start one in your city and use social media to announce meets and eventually people will come. Shared experience is the most powerful social glue between people. If you want to date go out Thu/Fri/Sat nights and sample Bars/Clubs in your city until you find 2-3 ones you like. Then start hanging out there every week until you feel comfortable. The goal is not to talk to attractive people, but to meet peers who are in the same position as you and then start/join a guys/girls group to do things together every week. If you really like dogs and want to have a pet, then go for it. Just don't use it as a form of giving up on fundamental human needs, you're more resourceful than that.

bevr1337 1y ago
> Have/adopt a child instead. > Just don't use it as a form of giving up on fundamental human needs, you're more resourceful than that. This glib advice is what lands you in an uncomfortable HR meeting or is the reason you won't get invited back for game nights. This will be deeply hurtful to families struggling with fertility or adoption and to individuals who experienced the foster system. Neither apathy nor ignorance affect adoption or pregnancy. Families will be excluded by the staggering costs, marital status, employment history, disability, and gender and sexual identity. Ive written a few versions of this reply. Some included my personal background having been moved by protective services, or some emotional stories about my siblings in the foster system, some with swears, and one was simply "check yourself." The issue is deeply personal. More advocacy is always appreciated, but I implore you to tune in.

mehulashah 1y ago

Get a dog, only if you can care for it.

mingus88 1y ago
And care for it for the long term. A lot of people got dogs during the pandemic because they were at home 24/7 Now many of those dogs got sent to shelters because they weren’t properly socialized being isolated in the pandemic and the owners needed to go back to work
lawgimenez 1y ago
Get a dog if you can pick up the poop. It’s amazing how a lot of dog owners are too lazy to do this.

shove 1y ago

This is probably the least controversial thing Mike has ever written, so naturally the HN consensus appears to be universal scorn. (And for the record, I don’t even like dogs, but I’m also aware that’s a me problem.)

stogot 1y ago

> A few years ago I was reading a story about FOX News (know your enemy) and the author (who’s name I apologize for not remembering) mentioned that FOX News’ main goal was to make people afraid to leave their house This isn’t knowing your enemy. It’s admitting you knowingly read articles that reinforce your bias. Reading or watching FOX News would be to know thy enemy