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0 points_5yps6y ago0 comments

It's not true that nobody's fucking. The LGBT kids fuck to an extent, as do some of the lower achievers, but even then it's nowhere near as much as I expected.

I'm surprised to hear you compliment my writing style. I always thought it was subpar - too many clauses, a slew of unnecessary qualifiers and weasel words, no shortage of kludges for things I can't express very well. I tend to be better at it after I've been reading a book for a while and have "effective rhetoric" somewhere in my brain's cache line.

0 comments

15 comments · 6 top-level

switch0076y ago· 7 in thread

> The LGBT kids fuck to an extent, as do some of the lower achievers, but even then it's nowhere near as much as I expected.

I'm trying to be charitable and not over-interpret the juxtaposition of "LGBT" and "lower achievers". I'm surprised you have so much time to study who is having sex. Quite remarkable.

dang6y ago

"Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

kick6y ago

It might actually reflect your own prejudice a bit that you're interpreting it that way. Speaking as a rainbow myself over here, it's...not unlikely? Throw a bunch of teenagers or young adults in support groups together with the subtext that they all have the same sexual orientation with no chance of being shamed for making advances for what's effectively the first time in most of their lives, and it doesn't take a fortune teller to figure out what's probably going to be happening in greater rates for those kids.

And there's definitely evidence that lower academic investment is correlated with higher sexual activity; I've been up for dozens of hours now so forgive me for not throwing some papers in your direction, but they shouldn't be hard to find.

I don't think it's healthy for anyone to really analyze this stuff for any demographic, but acting like what he said was so awful was really out of line, and pretty clearly breaking HN's guidelines.

foldr6y ago

>Speaking as a rainbow myself over here, it's...not unlikely? Throw a bunch of teenagers or young adults in support groups together with the subtext that they all have the same sexual orientation with no chance of being shamed for making advances for what's effectively the first time in most of their lives, and it doesn't take a fortune teller to figure out what's probably going to be happening in greater rates for those kids.

Also rainbow, but I don't quite see that. The straight kids are already thrown together in all kinds of ways and for the most part know that each other are straight. On top of that, there's the issue of numbers. If there are, say, 20 out gay kids of a given gender in a high school, it's quite likely that there are no mutual attractions between any of them.

Izkata6y ago

> Throw a bunch of teenagers or young adults in support groups together with the subtext that they all have the same sexual orientation with no chance of being shamed for making advances for what's effectively the first time in most of their lives, and it doesn't take a fortune teller to figure out what's probably going to be happening in greater rates for those kids.

Honestly, I think the bigger reason is that there's no chance of pregnancy in gay relationships, so one big barrier is just gone.

switch0076y ago

The way it was written makes out they have hard evidence of who is having sex broken down by grade and orientation. I don't believe that for a second.

I guess you just need to write assertively and nobody will question it.

1 more reply

cameronbrown6y ago

Those are orthogonal concepts anyway

switch0076y ago

I know that.

kirstenbirgit6y ago· 2 in thread

Just some advice, since you said you're 16. When you get a compliment, I know it's tempting to downplay yourself and seem humble, but a "thank you" is almost more appropriate. Stand by yourself :)

Broken_Hippo6y ago

Sometimes I agree: In this case, I read it more as telling us how much he appreciates the compliment because of the fact he generally feels subpar.

I am the same when I speak Norwegian: When I get a compliment, I feel as he does.

ALittleLight6y ago

I read it as somewhat insulting to the complimenter. "You think this is good? My own standards are much higher."

Maybe that's unfair, but in the context of the author's prior description of being involved in trying to achieve, or join, or do things to stand out, the interpretation I gave feels more plausible.

It seems much more polite and appropriate to me to not react that way.

TheSpiceIsLife6y ago

> I'm surprised to hear you compliment my writing style.

Your comment had me on the edge of my seat, like a report from the trenches.

SuoDuanDao6y ago

The fact that you know more brevity would improve your style puts you ahead of some English majors I went to University with.

I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but your generation does give me optimism for the future. I believe you'll have to do more with less than your predecessors, and for my own failures in mitigating that you have my apologies. But you do make it plausible that we might just muddle through the upcoming troubles.

graphpapa6y ago

Your very articulate derision - of your own ability to articulate yourself - gave me a good laugh.

Veera_Sivarajan6y ago

Mind sharing the title of the book?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

15 comments · 6 top-level

switch0076y ago· 7 in thread

> The LGBT kids fuck to an extent, as do some of the lower achievers, but even then it's nowhere near as much as I expected.

I'm trying to be charitable and not over-interpret the juxtaposition of "LGBT" and "lower achievers". I'm surprised you have so much time to study who is having sex. Quite remarkable.

dang6y ago

"Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

kick6y ago

I don't think it's healthy for anyone to really analyze this stuff for any demographic, but acting like what he said was so awful was really out of line, and pretty clearly breaking HN's guidelines.

foldr6y ago

Izkata6y ago

Honestly, I think the bigger reason is that there's no chance of pregnancy in gay relationships, so one big barrier is just gone.

switch0076y ago

The way it was written makes out they have hard evidence of who is having sex broken down by grade and orientation. I don't believe that for a second.

I guess you just need to write assertively and nobody will question it.

1 more reply

cameronbrown6y ago

Those are orthogonal concepts anyway

switch0076y ago

I know that.

kirstenbirgit6y ago· 2 in thread

Just some advice, since you said you're 16. When you get a compliment, I know it's tempting to downplay yourself and seem humble, but a "thank you" is almost more appropriate. Stand by yourself :)

Broken_Hippo6y ago

Sometimes I agree: In this case, I read it more as telling us how much he appreciates the compliment because of the fact he generally feels subpar.

I am the same when I speak Norwegian: When I get a compliment, I feel as he does.

ALittleLight6y ago

I read it as somewhat insulting to the complimenter. "You think this is good? My own standards are much higher."

Maybe that's unfair, but in the context of the author's prior description of being involved in trying to achieve, or join, or do things to stand out, the interpretation I gave feels more plausible.

It seems much more polite and appropriate to me to not react that way.

TheSpiceIsLife6y ago

> I'm surprised to hear you compliment my writing style.

Your comment had me on the edge of my seat, like a report from the trenches.

SuoDuanDao6y ago

The fact that you know more brevity would improve your style puts you ahead of some English majors I went to University with.

graphpapa6y ago

Your very articulate derision - of your own ability to articulate yourself - gave me a good laugh.

Veera_Sivarajan6y ago

Mind sharing the title of the book?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse