My family had a healthy idea of limits, closer to the “free range” philosophy, before such a term was required.

Our neighbors across the street, however, were the prototype for helicopter parents.

While my sibling and I gained confidence and navigational skills by biking around our confusing neighborhood before the days of GPS, the neighbor’s kids weren’t allowed to go down the street unsupervised. My siblings and I stood alone on the corner bus stop, but the neighbor’s mom sat in her car and only released her kids when the bus had arrived.

At the time, my parents made fun of theirs for holding such a tight leash. We also pitied the kids because they panicked about being “lost” when my siblings brought them on a walk around the block.

But now I see kids sitting in cars at bus stops as the norm. And of course, stories like the above article go to show that the helicopter style has won (for the time being.) The people who were raised to fear everything outside their front yard are now parents themselves.

Elon Musk is a once in a generation business leader

That’s not a compliment, that’s a prerequisite to becoming everything Musk currently is. If “a generation” of people had been afforded even one percent of the privilege he’s received, Musk would’ve been outshined by more competent people long ago.

Goddamn, way to make me flashback.

There was a point in my life where I was facing homelessness, was constantly job searching but hearing nothing back, and had to count coins to make sure I could afford to eat each day. Not only that, but the closest family member, who had invited me to stay with them if things went tits up, had just died two days before in a sudden and tragic way.

And my then-bf dragged me to a bar, where he and all his friends told me to “just let it go” and “loosen up” as if the basement rock of my world hadn’t just eroded out from under me. I sure as shit couldn’t afford bar prices, and not a single one of the group offered to get me anything, leaving me stone sober while they all got shitfaced. I ended up crying alone in the bathroom for an hour, and when I came back out, “bf” was getting a fucking lap dance from his friend’s fiancee.

That wasn’t even the worst part of the night. It definitely got darker before the light returned.

I’m okay now, over a decade later, in an infinitely-better place with supportive friends and partners. But man, what a journey.

The absolute worst are the micro-managers. They don’t want to do work, but they also don’t want to delegate.

Instead they opt for that limbo between, where the only “work” they do is redundant at best, and every employee under them feels like a vole being tracked by a hungry hawk.

So you mean, he’s probably already screwed?

You will find that if you lead with that, you’ll be perceived as negative. If you lead with all negative and no positives, you’re going scare everyone away. People who are cynical and negative are offputting. Positivity is a choice. Think about the people in your life. Are they positive or the “well ackshually” types? You may see it as a honest, but if you’re not showing your good side too, you are giving a dishonest picture. Give only as much negative as you give positive. Be honest when things come up. Trust is important.

@Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world The first paragraph here is key.

You sound very familiar to me. If my hunch is correct, then most of the above post probably doesn’t speak to you. Avoiding the overwhelming task of driving, being a quiet observer who can write better than they can speak, these aren’t matters of “eco friendliness” or “shyness” - these are aspects of yourself that have always distinguished you. I also share quirks that lead people to misunderstand the roots of my decisions.

Which is why I hope you will take note when I say, that first paragraph is solid advice that should best be heeded.

I have had to learn a lot of social skills the hard way. The amount of times I screwed up, but nobody had the guts to actually explain to me what I was doing wrong, made it so much harder to correct my mistakes. The above poster is providing that rare bit of honest feedback that can keep a person like you or me from having to learn a painful lesson the hard way.

Being positive is easier said than done, but it starts in small ways. For example, consider how conscientious you may be when writing. As long as you’re putting in the effort, it’s worth it to go back and see what can be re-phrased. Sometimes I re-read and edit my own writing over and again trying to get the tone right. (Which is much easier than controlling my tone when speaking.)

Ultimately, if you want things to get better, you’re going to have to put the work into it. I know nobody wants to hear that, but I also know that most attempts to help someone with a defeatist attitude are going to be brushed off. I simply hope that hearing from a like-mind that’s been there can help you see that it doesn’t have to be this way.

It’s interesting how he somehow manages to have money when he “banks” one way, but constantly overdrafts when he “banks” another way. It honestly sounds like he has difficulty with money management when the money’s in an abstract form, such as a checking account. Having physical cash on hand is a lot easier to keep track of.

I, too, have dealt with that problem. But my solution was to carry a limited amount of cash on me and leave my debit card at home. I mean, I’m glad he found a method that works for him. I’m just concerned he’ll be SoL when the transition to digital-only games renders physical GameStops obsolete.

While getting started it felt positively gross the amount fo personal questions it was asking. Why is all that necessary?

Hi. Occasional period haver here. With all due respect, it’s possible that since the context is the menstrual cycle, questions that seem irrelevant to you (as a not-period-haver) might actually be important for the typical end user (period-havers.) Things like age, weight, diet, activity level, and more can all play a role in how someone’s period affects them. But I have no plans to download this, or any other tracker app, so I can’t independently determine the extent to which that’s the case.

Could anyone who signed up provide some specific question examples?

(Edit: Replied to the wrong post. Sorry!)

That’s gotta be rough. Those comments sound like they carry the same accidentally-condescending energy as telling a confused kid, “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll understand when you’re older.”

I mean, yes that’s probably true, but it sounds dismissive of one’s concerns and does nothing to allay the frustration they’re feeling now.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the right response would be. Or maybe there simply isn’t one?

Owl: ‘lo, Sun.

Sun: Hi, Owl!

Owl: Ugh, I forgot how cheery you always are.

Sun: Well, yeah! It’s important to look on the bright side!

Owl: Um. Sure. Anyway, I gotta go get breakfast.

Sun: Oh, have fun!

Owl: Goodnight, Sun.

Sun: … What’s “night”?

For critically-panned movies that are arguably good, I recommend a scroll through this thread: [Meme] Which movie was this for you?

It’s interesting to see what everyone’s opinions are. I’ve already downloaded a few of the suggestions out of curiosity.

Although that may be effective to some, that format is too dry and science-y to tap into the people who need to be reached.

We need the power of a human being’s impassioned words, presented in the context of a natural conversation, converted into a meme-able format. The simplest way would be to copy/paste the original comment and start sharing it on other platforms. If there is a way to make the message more succinct, without losing that crucial human touch that inspires people to relate to the message, that would be ideal.

Dating someone of equal height: you can easily kiss on the lips without anyone awkwardly bending to reach

Dating someone shorter: every hug gets a bonus motor-boating

It has to be kept simple, and packaged like a low-effort meme. Anything too wordy or think-y won’t go viral in the circles that need targeting.

Maybe we need some fake Facebook pages. Start by reposting crap you already know they’ll share. Once the audience is there, start slowly slipping actual facts into things. It’s gotta start slow, though. The “long con.”

Yes, the neglect of our nation’s mental health is screwing every facet of society. The in-fighting that’s exploded since the election results came out is heart-breaking to see. Victims blaming victims, while the rich and the politicians who’ve spent decades using their money and power to actively withhold health care, attack the educational system, and sow this distrust in the first place are, once again, getting away without blame.

Trump’s not going to fix any of that. I’m going to keep bringing the focus to him and his ilk, because as easy as it is to lash out at each other, the blame squarely falls on the powerful people who’ve created this environment.

Indeed, and it’ll get worse. Plenty of women (on popular dating sites, at least) have already been swearing off dating Republicans. Now, with a higher likelihood of a national abortion ban, don’t be surprised if straight women become even choosier. After all, every man we think of sleeping with must now also be viewed as a potential father.

Forget about casual flings or one-night-stands. Why would I risk a lifetime of supporting an entire human being just to have one night of fun?

And that’s only for straight women. Bisexual/pansexual women can choose to straight up stop dating men entirely.

In a lot of ways, lonely young men who voted for Trump just shot themselves in the dick.

Lashing out when hurt is a maladaptive behavior. Giving in to someone who’s lashing out doesn’t solve the underlying issues. Instead, it serves to reinforce the behavior - making it happen more frequently. By contrast, therapy can absolutely help with both the behavior and any illness that’s aggravating it.

Do you honestly think Trump’s regime is going to help such people get the mental healthcare they need? If so, what, specifically, has any of his party said or done that supports that argument?

It’s easy to look like they “got their shit on lockdown” when they’re straight-up copying the fascist playbook.

The blame game isn’t helpful, though. Divide and conquer is from that same fascist playbook. Blaming anyone except the Republican establishment serves only to diminish their primary role in this situation, and further divide us from each other. We have to stop attacking fellow victims and put that blame squarely where it belongs.

It sounds like we’re on the same page. I didn’t mention foreign influence, only monied influence, which is the same thing you’re saying.

My point was that these influences previously existed in the U.S. long before now. They didn’t materialize out of the blue. Anyone who’s been explicitly anti-fascist prior to the past decade knows that there was already an undercurrent pulling people in that direction.

I appreciate hearing your perspective, and you’re absolutely on point. One thing I know for sure is that things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.