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0 pointsmarknutter10y ago0 comments

> I am a particularly privileged individual because I have a choice of what labor I can do, and even how much to an extent. Most people don't have the choice of just switching careers because they feel like it, and even fewer have the option of even realizing that there is some sort of activity that would be more fulfilling than what they do to survive.

This is poisonous thinking. Programming is one of the most accessible industries on the planet that doesn't involve physical labor. If somebody has the desire, they can learn how to program and land a job for FREE.

People seem to be squarely divided into two groups in this world: those who believe life happens to them, and those who believe that they make life happen.

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TeMPOraL10y ago

> This is poisonous thinking. Programming is one of the most accessible industries on the planet that doesn't involve physical labor. If somebody has the desire, they can learn how to program and land a job for FREE.

Not when you spend 8+ hours doing a demanding but low-paying job (like most are) and then have to come home (+1-2h) to take care of the spouse/children/parents. And even without the latter obligations, there's only so much one can do after being exhausted doing the day; life is not just about working, and many (most?) people can't psychologically sustain doing only work for longer periods of time.

dwrowe10y ago

There are several aspects of life that are not fair. However, there are countless anecdotes of people psychologically sustaining to learn something new and improve their station in life.

I will say, I support opening opportunities to learn. Not everyone has a computer - help foster an environment that gets people access to one.

You cannot force someone to have the willpower to work on this, the _best_ you can do is offer opportunities.

LesZedCB10y ago

No, that's not the best you can do. What we can and should be doing is questioning the systemic inequalities and structures that cause poverty and wage dependence to exist in the first place. Whatever conclusion you come to, if you don't first put in the effort to see if there actually is a reason for existence to be this way, then yes, maybe all you can do is offer opportunities to a select few.

marknutterOP10y ago

Boy, you're right, it is hard. I guess that's good enough reason not to try.

TeMPOraL10y ago

Some people try. Some of them even succeed. It's worth to try, but let's not act surprised when the aggregate results look poorly.

Issues like this are, like it or not, best viewed globally, not locally. If you raise the bar until, say, 20% of people can't handle it anymore, then you can go and preach about willpower all day long, but it won't change the fact that every fifth person simply won't have it, and it's not really their fault.

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rmxt10y ago

It's hard to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps if you weren't born with them (and not everyone in the world is). Acknowledging reality does nothing to dissuade people from trying their hardest, but sometimes one's hardest isn't enough.

abustamam10y ago

It's a double-edged sword, IMO.

On the one hand, yes, you can get the education to become a programmer for free.

On the other hand, programming requires a semi-decent computer, which can set someone back a few hundred dollars.

And of course it's time vs money: sure, you can spend a lot of time and zero money to become a great programmer, or you can spend a bit of money and much less time to become a great programmer.

Some people can't afford that money to save the time.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsmarknutter10y ago0 comments

People seem to be squarely divided into two groups in this world: those who believe life happens to them, and those who believe that they make life happen.

0 comments

TeMPOraL10y ago

dwrowe10y ago

There are several aspects of life that are not fair. However, there are countless anecdotes of people psychologically sustaining to learn something new and improve their station in life.

I will say, I support opening opportunities to learn. Not everyone has a computer - help foster an environment that gets people access to one.

You cannot force someone to have the willpower to work on this, the _best_ you can do is offer opportunities.

LesZedCB10y ago

marknutterOP10y ago

Boy, you're right, it is hard. I guess that's good enough reason not to try.

TeMPOraL10y ago

Some people try. Some of them even succeed. It's worth to try, but let's not act surprised when the aggregate results look poorly.

1 more reply

rmxt10y ago

abustamam10y ago

It's a double-edged sword, IMO.

On the one hand, yes, you can get the education to become a programmer for free.

On the other hand, programming requires a semi-decent computer, which can set someone back a few hundred dollars.

And of course it's time vs money: sure, you can spend a lot of time and zero money to become a great programmer, or you can spend a bit of money and much less time to become a great programmer.

Some people can't afford that money to save the time.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse