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0 pointsthegeomaster11y ago0 comments

I agree with the gist of your comment, especially the clause that someone who's not passionate about a field shouldn't be forced into that field. However, I'd like to address some other points.

>I chose computers because [...] they interested me more than most other things (sports, history, friends, ...)

This sounds very sad to me. How do you mean that computers interested you more than friends? I don't see how anyone could come to say this.

>social perceptions about geeks are changing, thanks to shows like Big Bang Theory

I think TBBT is doing more harm than good to the "geek culture", whatever you want to call the "geek culture". What it's doing is enforce and rehash the stupid "nerd stereotypes" of the old, but somehow present it as "being cool". The world doesn't need that. All cultures need less poseurs, not more.

I didn't think I'd ever cite Maddox on HN, but I agree with him spot on. Take a look: http://thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=youre_not_a_nerd

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lsc11y ago· 2 in thread

>This sounds very sad to me. How do you mean that computers interested you more than friends? I don't see how anyone could come to say this.

"Your values are different from mine, and that is sad, because my values are better than your values."

thegeomasterOP11y ago

I said that it "sounds sad to me". You escalated it pretty quickly into "my values are better than your values". Did you even read that one-line comment you just cited?

And I'm not talking about casual acquaintances, nor superficial "friendships". I'm talking about real, deep friendships with other human beings. The human race is a social species. This means that it is in our very nature to spend time with other humans and develop bonds with them. Being without friends i.e. lonely can even be detrimental to your physical health [1][2]. Kids at various ages react largely positively to close interaction with other kids [3]. Lack of friendship was also shown correlated with other life problems and behaviors [4].

This is not an issue of being introvert or extrovert. Saying that "computers interest you more than friends" just sounds very cruel and uncaring of others. It is in our nature to empathize with other humans: extreme lack of empathy is often understood as one of the primary symptoms and grounds fro diagnosis of psychopathy [5]. Of course, not to say anything close of the parent comment, but if you really do care about computers more than you do about your friends (and, I assume, implicitly about other human beings), it is maybe wise to think about why is that the case.

[1]: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/conditions/07/27/moh.heal...

[2]: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/study-dont...

[3]: http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/do_kids_need_friends

[4]: http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-importance-of-friendship/000...

[5]: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/j...

lsc11y ago

> I said that it "sounds sad to me". You escalated it pretty quickly into "my values are better than your values". Did you even read that one-line comment you just cited?

Yes.

Did you read the rest of your comment? you go on to cite a bunch of sources supporting your assertion that you should value friends above all else; then you go on to imply that people who have different values may be psychopaths.

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