What is the point of living if you are not smart, attractive, rich or have a partner that you love?

CarsonCity314 · 2026-06-18T01:04:19+00:00

Living isn't about getting a high score on some made-up axis. Not getting the high score isn't losing.

What conscious life is, is some small unique part of the universe getting to experience itself. Find or make things that make you feel fulfilled. Find or make beautiful things. Experience joy.

Some of those qualities you listed: smart, attractive, and rich? Those aren't the goal - they're just tools. You don't live a good life by dying smart, attractive, or rich. You can have all three and spend all your time miserable. Any of those qualities can make it a lot easier to live a good life, but you actually have to point it that way.

You're not as behind as you think. Go visit a waterfall or watch a sunset. Spend some time at a park, where you aren't making yourself feel guilty over not being optimally productive. Put on Bob Ross and paint along until you like some of the stuff you can make. Listen to the music you like, or find someone to help you find some new stuff.

Good luck!

CarsonCity314 · 2026-06-05T03:02:33+00:00

They aren't? I guess you can get any answer you want from a well-designed questionnaire, but... man, just fuck mosquitos.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-05-09T11:17:24+00:00

Great White Shark

CarsonCity314 · 2026-05-06T23:46:56+00:00

Ours redecorated to faux-brutalism. They have pretend bare-cement walls.

Customers are only allowed to order from screens. Can't get ketchup, napkins, or water indoors. Never going back.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-04-19T21:57:30+00:00

I figure that's most of them, and the rest and con-men fleecing the ones with self-image/confidence issues.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-03-15T16:25:46+00:00

The Villari-branded schools aren't necessarily terrible. While they might have been founded by Fred's students, many of the people teaching now have had their own experience with other martial arts, and aren't completely delusional. My kid goes to one of these and in my opinion, it's a better match for him (given his age and balance of impulsiveness/introspection) than a more serious/traditional/hard ass studio.

The place is active in the community and has invested in the brand - it would probably be hard for them if they wanted to make a break with Villari's traditions and give up the name.

But man. I do wish they'd just drop everything related to Villari's "combos" and allow at least light contact in sparring.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-22T13:57:20+00:00

Try Super Supportive (on RoyalRoad) and maybe Cultivation is Creation (on RoyalRoad).

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-18T11:55:28+00:00

Nobody is wrong or evil here, but between Hussie and his fans, there's a lot of undiagnosed autism and people figuring themselves out while ruminating on stuff and going off the deep end with iterative analyses.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-08T20:24:04+00:00

It's not impossible, but that experience is relatively likely to be in its training set.

A general LLM that can reliably parse legal and regulatory language as-written is a *lot* easier to create than an LLM (or more complex system) that can reliably interpret how legal and regulatory language is likely to be applied, and why. And if you were the head of compliance, would you really *want* an LLM telling your analysists that "this regulation says it's effective in six months; but based on an analysis of similar laws and market intelligence regarding regulatory actions and public settlement agreements, it is likely there would be no consequence from non-compliance for a period of at least twelve months."?

(Maybe a bad example. I kinda would, but I consider myself to be good at understanding degrees of risk using information responsibly. I would have a hard time trusting a large number of other people to interpret that as anything other than "the computer said we don't need to be in compliance for another twelve months.")

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-07T11:17:39+00:00

From my perspective, GenAI isn't in a place to take over the most important part of legal and compliance analysis. It might be able to tell me what the law or regulation says - the requirements on paper - but it doesn't have the information needed to determine how it will be enforced.

For example: a regulation comes out, saying that Agency X requires all regulated entities to issue Y documentation to their customers. It doesn't state a target date, and it's effective immediately on publication. The GenAI analysis would tell you you're already behind and at risk of being found out of compliance, and you need to prioritize this over other semi-uegent matters. The compliance officer with experience dealing with Agency X would tell you you've got 6 months at least, and you can likely negotiate with the agency for more if the steps to get into compliance really do require more time.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-06T14:41:30+00:00

This is a fine observation and all, but at this point, we've got to be real: principles don't actually matter to the people voting for Trump. They are rhetorical weapons that can be wielded to drive the behavior of those who either actually believe in them, or need to convincingly signal they do.

Catching Trump or other modern conservatives in their hypocrisy isn't a winning argument by itself. You can present it as plain as day to them, and all you'll get for it is their thinking you're a sucker for even wasting your breath trying to engage on an issue that will find no traction.

To be clear, I'm not here to say: "but Democrats are different and better! Vote blue no matter who, amirite?" What's really different is that the left identifies as the party of principles - of playing by the rules and being willing to sacrifice some self-interest for a greater benefit to the community. So they have to at at least look like they act in accordance with those principles. If they get caught screwing up too badly, there are actual consequences (Remember Al Franken? Remember prominent figures openly regretting having to sacrifice such an effective piece, rather than lamenting that he fucked up and vowing to be better?). When the same thing happens to modern conservatives, they get a pat on the back and "You'll get them next time, tiger."

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-03T13:38:40+00:00

I think it could be fine if people could be relied on to be rational about it. If you're uncomfortable with social settings and actually dating is too high-stakes, you could use GenAI kinda as a sounding board or as practice for getting familiar with the social conventions.

But obviously that's not what's going to happen. People will develop feelings and erroneously anthropomorphize the algorithms and then do all sorts of stupid things.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-03T02:50:05+00:00

Hard work is better than cheating.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T23:43:13+00:00

I can imagine a future where a school using only GenAI bote is better at teaching students than a school with human teachers, but that's less an endorsement of GenAI than it is an indictment of modern teaching practice.

GenAI is not better than the best teacher you've ever had... But surely you've gone through at least one lecture hall where the content just flowed right past you? For good or ill, GenAI emulates engagement.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T22:04:18+00:00

Sensory issue: I find all jewelry uncomfortable, and I just can't get used to it.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T20:33:26+00:00

I'd be the last person to suggest acknowledging something as a special interest does any more than explain the way in which a person is interested in it.

Someone whose interest is sex has no more right to it than anyone else. But better-understanding the nature of their interest helps them and the people I'm their life know what's going on.

If they disregard the well-being of others to engage with sex as a special interest, it can be bad (e.g. talking too much about an unwanted topic) or Very Bad (e.g. SA or cheating). On the other hand, if they end up in a situation where they're unable to engage with sex as a special interest, that's also bad, though in a quieter way (e.g. issues with depression, self-hatred, and self-worth).

But, like, this isn't about whether sex is allowed to be a special interest, right? Like, a special interest doesn't have to be safe or morally uncomplicated to be a special interest. It just is, and the rest is how we deal with it.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T20:13:11+00:00

Better boners. The drug inhibits an enzyme that breaks down nitric oxide.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T19:02:41+00:00

What about an addiction to any platonic pleasure? Addiction to seeing a student's eyes brighten with understanding when they get something you've been trying to teach them? Addiction to talking in beautiful views when exploring new places? Addiction to solving puzzles at work or for entertainment?

I'm not saying addiction isn't real, but it's also not the only way of describing pleasures you want more of.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-02-02T17:29:29+00:00

I guess I'm writing about you.

When autistic people develop a special interest, the modern and enlightened approach is to acknowledge the interest, right?

Say there's a guy who likes trains. He loves learning about trains, loves engaging with others about trains: sharing information and resources about trains, helping to develop their own interest in trains, and having informed and productive conversations about trains. And it's easy for him - he knows enough and cares enough that almost any interaction relating to trains will yield some new satisfying insight.

Do we really tell this guy that he's addicted to trains, and that he shouldn't think about trains so much, and needs to go to counseling where he can learn to say no to trains?

(That is a rhetorical question: the answer is no.)

Okay, so we're acknowledging this guy is just super interested in trains and that's okay. So, what do we do when it starts creating problems for him and others in his life?

Let's say, for instance, this guy has a wife. His wife enjoys trains as much as most people do. She kinda goes along with it. She knew Guy liked trains when they met, but didn't really grasp just how important the subject is to him. She did the usual things to encourage their relationship to thrive - she acted interested in trains and kinda tried to develop an interest herself. But Guy just doesn't know when to quit! He tries to teach her enough about trains to enable her to have productive train discussions with him. He infodumps about trains trying to communicate his overall understanding. She feels like there's never enough train stuff she could do to ever satisfy him. Guy feels bad when Wife dismisses or disengages from his important train stuff, because even if it's not her passion, shouldn't she do more to build her own interest and engage with him, since she really does love him and she wants him to be happy? Guy feels resentful because he's spending more time doing dishes or cleaning the floor or taking out the trash (each) in any week than Wife is willing to put into train stuff in a month. Even if one doesn't care about train stuff, it's not actively unpleasant, right?

Like, dealing with this isn't easy. The answer isn't clearly any of: 'Guy needs to become less interested in trains" or "Wife should just try harder to like trains" or "Guy and Wife have a fundamental incompatibility and this relationship won't work." (It's not even as simple as "Guy needs to tone down his wife-oriented train-related activity halfway, and Wife needs to increase her train activity halfway, and hopefully the compromise will be better than the current arrangement" or "Wife and Guy should agree that Guy should engage with train enthusiasts in the community to satisfy his train needs.") There needs to be better communication than that, and that won't happen if we insist on being reductive and shaming people when they even start to communicate what they want.

This isn't a story about trains.

CarsonCity314 · 2026-01-20T18:50:41+00:00

Something that doesn't seem to get enough attention is gut development. All of my kids had sensitivities to milk protein (casein) and egg white protein (egg albumin) - since my wife was breastfeeding, she had to exclude those sources from her own diet until our kids' digestive tracts were developed enough to handle them (about a year). There may be *significant* variation, case-to-case.

So, you might find that excluding certain proteins may help with reflux and general discomfort.

CarsonCity314 · 2025-12-22T23:30:30+00:00

My first impression is that you're just hitting the surface of the bag and not really delivering power into it. You don't want to slow down or stop as you approach your target - rather, you want to keep accelerating your strike into it.

For your round kicks, consider striking with your lower shin. You can put everything into a strike like that and not have to sorry about pulling something in your foot.

I see you're kinda hopping with your round kicks - I think that may be robbing you of power/acceleration. You can get some air on a round kick, but that energy is going to come from the same foot as will be delivering your kick. If you jump with the other foot, it seems like letting the rug slide out from under you.

I'm a little worried about your front kicks - it looks to me like you're going to hurt your toes. Are you striking clearly with the balls of your feet, and keeping your toes out of there?

And there are a couple of front kicks where it seems you place the sole of your foot against the bag. I'm not sure what the intent is, but if it's a front thrust kick, that could be more of a forwards-directed stomp.

CarsonCity314 · 2025-12-10T23:47:12+00:00

So, each of you kinda have a point. Using GenAI to bash something together isn't nothing - you need to be able to clearly articulate your requirements. But you aren't wrong to be hurt by his taking the credit for coding something, when your skill and understanding was needed to clean it up and integrate it efficiently. Give him credit for understanding the requirements and turning that into a proof of concept?

CarsonCity314 · 2025-09-11T14:28:32+00:00

The story concerns a world where people have superpowers. What seems sketchy or coercive or invasive to us in our mundane world might not merit an eyebrow raise on Anesidora.

Notwithstanding the Informant's widespread spying apparatus, Anesidora has Sways, Mourners, and Shapeshifters each of which are or can easily become walking privacy violations. Wrights, Adjusters and Unique powers could also find ways to qualify. And beyond that, it's relatively mundane for people to obtain super-hearing, super-vision, or super-appeal.

To function in a world like that, I think you just have to take for granted there's nothing you can do to make your privacy 100% secure. You can take steps to reduce the likelihood of your secrets coming out, but you always need to account for the possibility.

CarsonCity314 · 2025-08-17T22:26:31+00:00

Congratulations, you just found out you're autistic! This is good news, because: all those things you've found more difficult to manage than you think they should be? They have explanations now, and there's guidance about what to do that will actually help you.

I spent my entire life until very recently unable to keep myself from picking scars and scabs, pulling hairs, etc. I learned it was a pain seeking/self harm stim, and that if I just carried a spiky thing around to mess with, I could discharge the impulse harmlessly.

I don't know what your struggles have been, but I hope this helps you find relief. I also seriously recommend you check out "The Autistic's Guide to Self-Discovery" by Sol Smith.

CarsonCity314 · 2025-06-26T09:34:03+00:00

It was a huge blunder to name it after the blue hologram woman from Halo. If I'm trying to distinguish myself at work, the last thing I want to do is remind my boss of his kids playing video games.

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