If I chatter like an idiot today, it’s because I’m trying not to think about this shit. The worst thought at a time of tragedy is, “This did not have to happen.”
None of it has to happen. But I can’t see a way to make it stop happening.
People dead are always a tragedy. But keep in mind availability bias. The first sentence for this article is “This city’s 471st homicide of 2012 happened in the middle of the day, in the middle of a crowd, on the steps of the church where the victim of homicide 463 was being eulogized.”
There were 506 homicides in one city, Chicago. And they were not tortured, but in this case that is outweighed by sheer numbers. If you’re putting effort into decreasing the number of murders in the world, do it effectively.
I’m very much aware of that, to the point that melancholic moods tend to attack me by stripping away my ability to ignore far-away events I have no control over.
Perhaps this video will put things in perspective. The other commenter is right, availability bias is at play. But just because we’ve gone far doesn’t mean we should stop, and continuing to raise our standards of what is acceptable is a good thing. My belief is that a great deal of violence is caused by political, economic, and social deprivation and inequality, so if you want to feel like you’re working against violence I would recommend working to reduce those. But that’s my personal way of dealing with badness in the world. I don’t feel totally powerless, I can’t personally stop it but I can be part of a collective effort to mitigate it. I haven’t done much research into the effective altruism community as I’m a poor college student with high future income potential if things go right, so I figure that landscape could change considerably.
The past is the past, but you are not powerless to stop bad things from happening in the future, it won’t be you alone and it won’t be clear cut, but you can definitely make the world a better place.
Yes, I already agree, and am already at least partially trying to integrate this stuff in my daily life. Unfortunately, consciously telling myself “availability bias” does not actually reduce the emotional hit.
My belief is that a great deal of violence is caused by political, economic, and social deprivation and inequality
I dispute that this is a belief rather than a fact ;-).
I assume my government has those, but I don’t generally see them. Do they show those on the news or something? Why do you watch (or read or whatever) them? Are they useful? Are they entertaining?
Why do you watch (or read or whatever) them? Are they useful?
I mostly ignore them, but the ones about significant outbursts of violence are the ones you don’t ignore if you want to avoid being a part of a significant outburst of violence.
If I chatter like an idiot today, it’s because I’m trying not to think about this shit. The worst thought at a time of tragedy is, “This did not have to happen.”
None of it has to happen. But I can’t see a way to make it stop happening.
Fuck.
People dead are always a tragedy. But keep in mind availability bias. The first sentence for this article is “This city’s 471st homicide of 2012 happened in the middle of the day, in the middle of a crowd, on the steps of the church where the victim of homicide 463 was being eulogized.”
There were 506 homicides in one city, Chicago. And they were not tortured, but in this case that is outweighed by sheer numbers. If you’re putting effort into decreasing the number of murders in the world, do it effectively.
I’m very much aware of that, to the point that melancholic moods tend to attack me by stripping away my ability to ignore far-away events I have no control over.
Perhaps this video will put things in perspective. The other commenter is right, availability bias is at play. But just because we’ve gone far doesn’t mean we should stop, and continuing to raise our standards of what is acceptable is a good thing. My belief is that a great deal of violence is caused by political, economic, and social deprivation and inequality, so if you want to feel like you’re working against violence I would recommend working to reduce those. But that’s my personal way of dealing with badness in the world. I don’t feel totally powerless, I can’t personally stop it but I can be part of a collective effort to mitigate it. I haven’t done much research into the effective altruism community as I’m a poor college student with high future income potential if things go right, so I figure that landscape could change considerably.
The past is the past, but you are not powerless to stop bad things from happening in the future, it won’t be you alone and it won’t be clear cut, but you can definitely make the world a better place.
Yes, I already agree, and am already at least partially trying to integrate this stuff in my daily life. Unfortunately, consciously telling myself “availability bias” does not actually reduce the emotional hit.
I dispute that this is a belief rather than a fact ;-).
You could just try to reduce the availability bias by not making that stuff so available. How exactly did you hear about that?
I live here. The government put out a press release.
I assume my government has those, but I don’t generally see them. Do they show those on the news or something? Why do you watch (or read or whatever) them? Are they useful? Are they entertaining?
Yes.
I mostly ignore them, but the ones about significant outbursts of violence are the ones you don’t ignore if you want to avoid being a part of a significant outburst of violence.