3 ms·

So it's "be a good person," but with then absolutely no follow-through or obligation attached: don't offer help, respond like an LLM when someone says something

So it's "be a good person," but with then absolutely no follow-through or obligation attached: don't offer help, respond like an LLM when someone says something negative about the company that just sacked them, and don't even feel compelled to continue the conversation that you started if the person replies. Sounds to me like these goodbyes are more for the personal feelings of moral rectitude of the person making them, rather than anything related to the person who is departing. So it's really how to pretend to be a good person well enough to fool someone looking casually, a.k.a. instructions for being a passing sociopath.

tgv 1y ago
Cultural issue, perhaps? Americans can say "we must have diner sometimes," while meaning "let's not meet again."
- theodric 1y ago
  Well, I'm American, although I've been in W. Europe longer than I lived in the USA at this point. Regardless, I don't see the value in lying about your intentions while framing it as performing a social good. Deceive someone into thinking you might be a friend, or friendly, but then ghost them if they attempt to engage. For whose benefit? In that case, just leave me alone. I will figure out the next steps on my own without having to take on the burden of trying to decide if the person messaging me is worth caring about.
  - tgv 1y ago
    I don't see it either when taking it literally. So that made me think: perhaps there's some cultural signal I'm not getting. Something that cannot be said out aloud.
kmoser 1y ago
Considering many people in general, and tech people in particular, admit to being socially awkward and having difficulty connecting with other humans, why is a guide to suggested socially acceptable behavior a bad thing?
- acureau 1y ago
  Because this behavior is not socially acceptable. It's perfectly alright not to contact laid off co-workers you didn't have a relationship with. Feigning care is either misguided or self-serving.
asacrowflies 1y ago
Saccharine LLM talk reminds me of newspeak.Double plus ungood.

tgv 1y ago

Cultural issue, perhaps? Americans can say "we must have diner sometimes," while meaning "let's not meet again."

theodric 1y ago
Well, I'm American, although I've been in W. Europe longer than I lived in the USA at this point. Regardless, I don't see the value in lying about your intentions while framing it as performing a social good. Deceive someone into thinking you might be a friend, or friendly, but then ghost them if they attempt to engage. For whose benefit? In that case, just leave me alone. I will figure out the next steps on my own without having to take on the burden of trying to decide if the person messaging me is worth caring about.
- tgv 1y ago
  I don't see it either when taking it literally. So that made me think: perhaps there's some cultural signal I'm not getting. Something that cannot be said out aloud.

kmoser 1y ago

Considering many people in general, and tech people in particular, admit to being socially awkward and having difficulty connecting with other humans, why is a guide to suggested socially acceptable behavior a bad thing?

acureau 1y ago
Because this behavior is not socially acceptable. It's perfectly alright not to contact laid off co-workers you didn't have a relationship with. Feigning care is either misguided or self-serving.

asacrowflies 1y ago

Saccharine LLM talk reminds me of newspeak.Double plus ungood.