It’s a horrendous thing. To see a person killed before their time when they didn’t have to die. Just like what happens to thousands of Americans each year who are denied coverage. If we’re actually honest with ourselves, the only reason this one is seen as a tragedy by politicians and CEOs is that there was no profit to be had in it.

edit: spelling

Ignoring the walled off stuff, can you ELI5 why pressurized vs not changes things and how so?

Lol yeah… I know it’s all fucked. Only way I’ve found to not let it completely overwhelm me with resignation or impotent rage is to look for those little “malicious compliance” opportunities. Even if only for joking around about. They’re getting rarer and harder to find though. Big sigh.

1. Get an account
2. Screw with it till you can get it to give you terrible advice
3. Sue
4. Use cash to pay off debt, take a long vacation, get actual professional help/medication/etc
5. Improved mental health

The system works

Classic George Carlin bit. Everybody going faster than you is a maniac and everybody going slower than you is an idiot.

I always kinda wonder about this. Why? If you’re alone on a highway what difference does it make to cruise in the left lane vs the middle?

“What if I’m in the middle lane and come up on someone slower than me?” You hop left, pass, and then hop back to mid.

“What if I’m in the left lane and someone comes up behind me going faster?” You hop right, let them pass, and then hop back left.

Feels identical. So why so many people cruise in the left is kinda confusing to me. Just going against the rules of the road for funzies?

Personally I zone out so I cruise in the middle in case I don’t notice the person in my rear view. Also easier to notice coming up on someone ahead of me than some speed demon in the rear view.

Hard agree. Only caveat: don’t friggin travel in the left lane unless you’re passing. Don’t care how fast or slow you’re going. Left lane is for going around. Middle/right lane is for cruising. If everyone’s obeying that rule then there’s no reason to tailgate (not that you should do that anyway. But it does induct you into the assholes club right along with the tailgater)

Whoa whoa. Never said I hated myself. That doesn’t solve anything. If anything it makes things worse by stealing focus. More like realizing that this isn’t working. We need to fix the system instead of letting people distract us with plastic straws or playing the blame game

GenX was also relatively small compared to the boomers.

I wonder if every generation will blame (maybe correctly) previous generations. So long as things are getting worse, the kids kind of have a valid argument. “Why didn’t you fix this before it got to us?”

As a millennial, I’ve been doing what I can short of going full vigilante. But in 30 years, they still wouldn’t be wrong to say “it’s still broke though isn’t it?”

Ooo. That’s nice. Gonna pocket that one

I’m always a little bummed when stoicism comes up. For some reason people always characterize it as “try not to feel things”. But first, that’s kinda twisting the intention. And second, it’s only a third of the whole philosophy.

Everywhere, at each moment, you have the option: to accept this event with humility [will]; to treat this person as [s]he should be treated [action]; to approach this thought with care, so that nothing irrational creeps in [perception];

The serenity prayer more closely resembles the core idea than what most people focus on. Compare the above quote with it.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

If something is outside of your control, don’t let it turn you bitter. If there is action you can take to treat those around you justly, you must do so. And then to do these things effectively takes knowledge, wisdom, and (I would argue) empathy.

But nah. Modern take: stoicism = real men shove emotions down. Bleh.