Basman

I've heard Americans strike up conversation with strangers quiet easily. North-Europeans at least tend to be quiet reserved.

I've always been averse to getting attached to inanimate objects for some reason. It feels mentally impure in a sense. I remember getting yelled at for throwing away postcards I received once.

If its just a like a small to moderate subscription, then I don't really see what fuss is all about. Of course someone spending thousands of dollars on porn within a small time frame is both ridiculous and troubling but I doubt that is the norm. I think people just find the prospect of sex work at an industrial scale very confronting. The outrage is way overblown. There is a demand for cheap sluts. Deal with it.

I don't get why you even would want to pay for porn unless its a very specific niche.

Destiny and the ambassador are right in that negotiation that concedes to Russian demands with no gain is just capitulation that leaves Ukraine vulnerable and isolated to another Russian assault. The leftist ego here is not wanting to sacrifice lives for long-term peace and stability. Its a spoiled attitude. This is what a just war is all about.

Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant. Though I don't think anyone said that Russia should concede sovereign territory (not contested) to Ukraine.

This is a false equivalency. Russia is more than willing to throw lives into the meat grinder via human meat waves and deliberate targeting of civilians. Their strategy is to throw numbers at the problem and be as brutal as possible in the process. Inflation of groceries and energy prices here in Europe and elsewhere is in part due to the Ukraine war as Ukraine was a bread basket (and Europe was energy dependent on Russia). War is no longer an isolated affair to the same extent as it used to be.

Its normal to keep objects of sentimental worth. Just ask your parents if they still have your baby clothes or shoes.

A persons core values doesn't necessarily equate neatly into high quality politics because politics is its own domain that requires years of deliberate study. Most people aren't serious about politics so why are you taking their politics seriously? It doesn't matter if someone voted Trump as much you seem to think it does. And your obviously a woman. Your understandably less willing to compromise on standards to seize an opportunity due to greater abundance and greater risks taken in a relationship. Thus checking off boxes. Its really kind of convenient if you think about it, to demand that people align with your politics. Its kind of "echochambery" and anti-diverse thought. Its arguably quiet unloving to be this partisan, especially considering how ignorance and fear drives a lot conservatism. You are not even willing to give them a chance. You live in a world where the vast majority of people are conservative at all times. Just being less critical will make you happier.

Thats what you get. You voted funny orange man thinking it was politically sound based on no actual policy. If you going to vote on vibes and not policy then at least vote relatively progressive by default (democrats). Conservatives are generally less competent politically and more corrupt, which you'll get a yummy taste of now. Let this be lesson. But don't beat yourself up over it. Consider that many of the Americans who will suffer from Trump's policy would vote for him given another go with no self-awareness.

You can tell he has a type when it comes to women. Good for him.

@Shodburrito Well, I think what is happening is essentially that after WW2, higher education started becoming more accessible and having a degree still held a lot of value for employment as higher education used to be a more gated community. Eventually degrees lost their value as more people got them so people started prioritizing employability over knowledge for its own sake. Fundamentally, most people treat education as a means to an end rather than knowledge for its own sake. Back then, a liberal arts degree was good enough to get a cushy white collar job but now that is the just the bare minimum so you didn't have to be as practical with your choice of degree. My interpretation is that the decline of the liberal arts is simply the bubble bursting. It was artificially high and most people in fact aren't interested in knowledge for its own sake. Historically, a liberal education was something that the elites of society cut their teeth on. They didn't have to worry about where their next meal came from so they could wonder why the stars are like that and why apples fall down from trees. Or if gender is a social construct or if the earth is actually round. Notice how most if not all great philosophers have been wealthy elites or where at least very comfortable (Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, etc.). My second conclusion is that we don't need that many people interested in knowledge for its own sake so its fine that the liberal arts are shrinking in my opinion. We need people to be nurses, plumbers and cops for society to function. A taste of liberal education during their compulsory schooling is really good enough for them I think.

Well, don't leave me hanging. How's society changing exactly? Don't you think the biggest factor is simply degrees not holding the value they used to?

@SwiftQuill What do you think of the current state of liberal arts degrees?

I'm all for celebrities doing out of left field shit for the shock and entertainment, like starting stupid beefs with Drake or running for president, but the problem right now is that its just not very funny.

This kind of edgy attention seeking behavior has tarnished his legacy. If it weren't for him acting crazy I'm sure he'd be remember as among the greats within hip-hop but now you can't think of Kanye without thinking of Yedolf Yitler.

I think most guys have their little thing they think about regularly. I think that I think about war and how it connects holistically with society at large, both historically and present, at least once a week. My brother does think about the Roman Empire at least once a week apparently. He'll be staring at a road or a piece of pottery and be like "wait a minute..."

I wrote a huge billion dollar check to myself on a piece of paper. I'll soon manifest my billionaire lifestyle. Law of attraction baby 😎. Have fun being poor.

Do you want to bond over your traumas? I don't think that's healthy foundation for a friendship. Friends can be supportive in your "healing" but their not therapists. That would make the relationship one-sided and its not what friends are for. A "healer type" is getting something out of talking about your traumas, like the opposite of a parasite. They are like the little birds that pick crocodiles teeth. They are not necessarily your friend if they have no interest in spending time with you otherwise.

Most people aren't interested in connecting over your deeply personal insecurities on a first base level. Socializing is a pretty casual matter for the most part and there needs to be level of trust and reciprocity before you can connect over deeper topics. If you haven't made connections where you can share more personal things I'm willing to bet you just haven't invested that much time in your friendships. I have friends with whom I can share pretty much anything with after spending 100s of hours with them.

Pedo hysteria has always seemed a bit off to me in the sense that we accept as a society that sexuality is innate and inconfigurable. Pedophilia seems to follow the same pattern but because of the obvious problematic nature of sleeping with kids the only viable solution I can see for pedophilia is treatment and medically repressing the sex drive if necessary. Witch hunting pedos is juvenile and stupid on the other hand most people seem too moralistic and caught up in group think to consider treating the issue seriously. There's a degree of catharsis in feeling like your morally justified in punching down I guess, which is probably why pedos are targeted in prison. You might be a aloholic roid rager with three baby mammas but at least your not a pedo. As long as they aren't molesting kids I don't really care if someone's a pedo. Jerk off to loli as much as you like. Its really shit luck if you think about it.

Forming friendships is part demographics, part taking interest in others. You need to be where people are and you need to lead conversations with interest in others (asking questions, commenting, making jokes, etc.). Don't try to force a connection by talking. Feel for chemistry. You can feel it if your hitting it off and becomes effortless to relate, which is when its perfect to invite people to deepen the connection (and they are more likely to accept). Its simple way of making friends is become active in an interest that has a social aspect where you meet other people, like a sport or a hobby. As you become a regular you'll end up spending a good amount of time with the other regulars who share your interest and proclivities most likely. If you join a wargaming club, you'll be exposed to a lot of barrel shaped men that enjoy pop-culture references, military history and power metal.

Interesting read. Be careful of trying to make social workers and AI into your friends. They are merely transactional/a tool. Don't go making love to a toaster.

To get that amount of wealth you have to assume so much responsibility that its hard to relate to for average people I believe. I can see experienced wellbeing dipping slightly after a certain amount due to the amount of work and stress you generally need to undertake to reach and maintain those levels of wealth.

How did you run out of money in the first place? Gambling? Drink? Lack of employment? It sounds like your an addict to be honest. Stealling your sister's shit to make a quick buck sounds like just an excuse to gamble. Your lucky she still tolerates you but that won't last if you don't shape up. Make it up to her by getting out of this mess sharp.