The Batlord

Yeah but it also lays bare all the problems with being human that you can't afford to think about when you're worrying about your next paycheck. Because, again, humans evolved to live in scarcity, and once that scarcity is gone all the flaws in the evolution of the human brain come to the fore.

I'm not saying being poor is better. I'm saying that if you stop being poor then you better come up with another alternative to living because human society has largely failed to do so.

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jwb

there goes elph's theorem on hipsters not repping bluegrass.

Frownland

I'm such a triple reverse hipster that my favourite bluegrass album is the soundtrack to a popular film.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

The Batlord

That **** is definitely tight though.

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jwb

I think scarcity is a rather universal mindset. Middle class people tend to live beyond their means and thus strive earn more. Rich people tend to strive to be richer.

But the lower you go on the economic ladder the more life and death this game starts to feel.

As for existential angst... I experienced it even being poor. That's more of a matter how much you read etc than money. Most poor people are just stupid.

jwb

=0

You poseur

jwb

Well there is happy poor people and miserable poor people just like any group. Some people are just better adjusted than others.

But there's definitely unhappiness caused by lack of money. And a lot of it. Where as unhappiness caused by lack of poverty... Not so much.

jwb

I mean I can't help but point out the irony that I'm trying to make the case to the resident communists that poor people's lives would on average be improved if they had more money

The Batlord

It's like you didn't read anything I said and just restated what you already thought.

Or course scarcity is a universal mindset. It's what all of humanity evolved to live in. So of course it will always be what drives us and will always be what drives us to accumulate more no matter how much we have. So therefore accumulation is a mechanic of humanity and not an end goal. Once you have accumulated "enough" you must therefore find a way to satisfy that mechanic differently because it will still be your driving instinct regardless of whether or not it is necessary.

Happiness is a temporary emotion that was never an evolutionary thing meant to last. It's a carrot to encourage humans to strive, it is not an end goal. No human society will ever solve unhappiness because unhappiness is a feature and not a bug.

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OccultHawk

We’re gonna Huxley our way out of unhappiness