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Your perspective strikes me as lacking self-awareness. You critique another argument by arguing, essentially, that things are because they are. It's far more v

by redwood 14y ago

Your perspective strikes me as lacking self-awareness. You critique another argument by arguing, essentially, that things are because they are. It's far more valuable to try and question the assumptions we make, even if it's often fairly futile to do so. Yes, culture has evolved to where it stands...You imply this means there's no room for improvement. What a sad perspective. Consider that a first step to cultural change is the realization that things are the way they are for a reason, but that they are not set in stone. This is an important realization for people.

crazygringo 14y ago
I don't imply anything of the sort. I'm just saying that you can't blame capitalists or evil CEO's or the government for the state of affairs, which the original article strongly suggests with things like "because it makes for such a purchase-happy public" and "a culture that has been engineered to leave us tired, hungry for indulgence", and in the title, that this has all been "designed". I'm saying there is no intention, no engineering, no top-down designing, no man behind the curtain -- it's just the way most people choose to act. There absolutely can be improvement, if people want it, if a large number of them choose to act differently.
jessedhillon 14y ago
The argument is not that things cannot change. It is that they are this way because of a confluence of historical accidents and individuals pursuing optimum-seeking strategies. There is certainly room for improvement. Here's how you don't achieve those improvements: write a Durden-esque rant about how They Trickered Us and Wake Up Sheeple! The truth is simply that few people will find True Happiness following a median path in life. But, and this is what I feel this rant neglects, neither will they find happiness by reacting to that knowledge and simply picking an extreme path. The post you're reacting to only says each person will have to consider deeply whatever it is that makes them happy. That's it, no conspiracy necessary.

by redwood 14y ago

crazygringo 14y ago

I don't imply anything of the sort. I'm just saying that you can't blame capitalists or evil CEO's or the government for the state of affairs, which the original article strongly suggests with things like "because it makes for such a purchase-happy public" and "a culture that has been engineered to leave us tired, hungry for indulgence", and in the title, that this has all been "designed". I'm saying there is no intention, no engineering, no top-down designing, no man behind the curtain -- it's just the way most people choose to act. There absolutely can be improvement, if people want it, if a large number of them choose to act differently.

jessedhillon 14y ago

The argument is not that things cannot change. It is that they are this way because of a confluence of historical accidents and individuals pursuing optimum-seeking strategies. There is certainly room for improvement. Here's how you don't achieve those improvements: write a Durden-esque rant about how They Trickered Us and Wake Up Sheeple! The truth is simply that few people will find True Happiness following a median path in life. But, and this is what I feel this rant neglects, neither will they find happiness by reacting to that knowledge and simply picking an extreme path. The post you're reacting to only says each person will have to consider deeply whatever it is that makes them happy. That's it, no conspiracy necessary.