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This may upset some people, but I think you have to come up with mental demarcation for responsibility, or you’ll go nuts. I simply cannot decide to avoid all

This may upset some people, but I think you have to come up with mental demarcation for responsibility, or you’ll go nuts. I simply cannot decide to avoid all the technology of my field because whoever designed the electrical infrastructure didn’t do it responsibly. Or because the handling of ewaste hasn’t been dealt with. Or because everyone sourced materials in unethical ways. My responsibility for most of that kinda ends at my voting behavior or trying to make reasonable personal decisions that are well within my small sphere of influence. A problem domain that I can handle. Anyone who watched The Good Place knows what I mean. It’s not absolution for my own behavior, it’s just not holding myself accountable for everything that everyone else does… badly. Otherwise there’s just no sword to fall on that’s big enough to feel at peace with the world. (Think of the snails!)

throwanem 6mo ago
You are responsible for the reasonably foreseeable consequences of your own actions. I'm not going to point to a TV show about alcoholism to substantiate that. You don't need me to. It is also why manslaughter, though a lesser crime than murder, remains a crime.
- dd8601fn 6mo ago
  You seem to have reduced the very thesis of what I was saying to the point where you excised it entirely. “Don’t get shitty drunk and then drive” fits just fine. “Be a technology person who doesn’t use technology because our power isn’t green.” potentially falls on the far side of that line of personal responsibility.
  - throwanem 6mo ago
    You don't sound too confident.
    - dd8601fn 6mo ago
      In what?
      - throwanem 6mo ago
        In your self-exculpation.
        dd8601fn 6mo ago
        Depends on the subject. Some I’m at peace with (see my original post) and some I haven’t quite worked out to my own satisfaction. The concept holds, in either case. It’s the only reasonable approach, imo.
        throwanem 6mo ago
        I hear a whole lot of "what I can't" and next to none of "what I can." Not where I'd want to be, but it's no skin off my nose, either. Good luck holding on to your soul - good luck, and I hope you end up not needing it.

throwanem 6mo ago

You are responsible for the reasonably foreseeable consequences of your own actions. I'm not going to point to a TV show about alcoholism to substantiate that. You don't need me to. It is also why manslaughter, though a lesser crime than murder, remains a crime.

dd8601fn 6mo ago
You seem to have reduced the very thesis of what I was saying to the point where you excised it entirely. “Don’t get shitty drunk and then drive” fits just fine. “Be a technology person who doesn’t use technology because our power isn’t green.” potentially falls on the far side of that line of personal responsibility.
- throwanem 6mo ago
  You don't sound too confident.
  - dd8601fn 6mo ago
    In what?
    - throwanem 6mo ago
      In your self-exculpation.
      - dd8601fn 6mo ago
        Depends on the subject. Some I’m at peace with (see my original post) and some I haven’t quite worked out to my own satisfaction. The concept holds, in either case. It’s the only reasonable approach, imo.
        throwanem 6mo ago
        I hear a whole lot of "what I can't" and next to none of "what I can." Not where I'd want to be, but it's no skin off my nose, either. Good luck holding on to your soul - good luck, and I hope you end up not needing it.