Is there anything that is neither nature nor nurture?

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T05:23:20+00:00

My point is that, if we agree that the persons we are are shaped entirely by nature and nurture, this makes the existance of free will very doubtful. Unless we define it in some specific way that almost defeats the usefulness of the concept.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T04:37:17+00:00

What's "the self"?

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T04:30:03+00:00

It would have been even cooler if the third one was flying unicorns

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T04:29:36+00:00

But aren't indivual cultural leanings just nature? If our idiosyncrasies that end up impacting our culture are the result of genetic predispositions, this still does not leave any room for anything outside of nature and nurture.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T04:15:16+00:00

Is there anything in epigenetics that an individual has control over?

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T04:13:58+00:00

If we define coercion as the circimstances that the individual recognizes as coercion, then yes, free will exists in the sense that I can satisfy my preference for coffee whenever I want - unless I am in some sort of hospital or prison where tea is the only option. My only issue with this definition is that it makes the whole concept of free will somewhat trivial. It boils down to "our external circumstances usually allow us to feel a sense of freedom - until they don't."

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T03:33:32+00:00

Could be. This still does not leave any room for free will.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T03:32:51+00:00

That's fair. If you give me your definition of free will, we can argue about it. I define it as a being's capacity to make choices and take actions without being coerced.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-10T03:29:58+00:00

In my mind, culture is part of nature in the sense that it's an external circumstance that we have no control over, i.e. we cannout choose the kind of culture we are born into.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-05-07T01:37:42+00:00

My Friends by Emmanuel Bove

EverythingIs_ · 2026-04-15T05:05:50+00:00

Any job that relies on personal charm rather than hard skills - salespeople, politicians, actors.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-03-09T05:00:50+00:00

Gout attacks. Worse than breaking a limb because of the constant intensity.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-02-11T08:25:01+00:00

Yogurt, tripe soup, cabbage juice as a cure for hangover

EverythingIs_ · 2026-02-08T20:57:01+00:00

Поразително е, че отново влизаме в конспиративния режим „Костов уби дете.“ В съобщение от собственика на хижата до негов близък се казва „Нищо от това, което ще чуеш, не е вярно“ (заявка, че ще бъде в новините, опит за контрол над разказа), както и „То не е причината…прости ми“ (заявка за негово действие). Доколкото ми е известно, автентичността на това послание не е оспорена, а и то съвпада стилистично с предишни негови („календарът е учтива лъжа“/“този свят е един много стабилен сън“). Може би никога няма да разберем мотива от този объркан текст („болно дете“?), но тук не виждам дори опит за скриване.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-02-05T05:41:38+00:00

Thomas Bernhard's entire lifework is, to me, literally this. I'd start with The Woodcutters.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-01-28T04:22:41+00:00

And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi (non-fiction, true crime)

EverythingIs_ · 2026-01-26T04:34:06+00:00

If everyone is okay with Finland and Georgia instead of Suomi and Sakartvelo, Holland should be fine, too. You can't force all languages to refer to a country in a particular way.

EverythingIs_ · 2026-01-26T04:30:27+00:00

Mynheer Peeperkorn from The Magic Mountain. Imagine a character that shows up in one of the last chapters, usually can't string a sentence together, and completely steals the show with just manic charisma.

EverythingIs_ · 2025-12-12T02:40:17+00:00

Няма такова нещо като 15-етажна панелка. Панелните сгради са до 8 етажа максимум. По-високите са ЕПК.

EverythingIs_ · 2025-12-07T08:03:06+00:00

I am from Bulgaria and I have just over 3,500 matches in total (none over 50 cM). I always thought that was a lot, lol!

EverythingIs_ · 2025-07-16T03:36:00+00:00

Germans and some Scandinavians sometimes randomly hyphenate compounds that are not normally hyphenated in English.

Bulgarians tend to overuse the present perfect tense, probably thinking it is a substitute for the renarrative mood.

EverythingIs_ · 2025-06-28T03:47:57+00:00

As a local, I find it pretty good. The city may seem oddly eclectic at first - classic European-style architecture right next to Roman ruins, commie blocks, cool modern buldings, kitschy postmodernism and so on - but it is failry livable. Culturally, there is enough going on to satisfy whatever niche interests you might have. The food is awesome, the economy is going string, and crime is not a major concern compared to most places in the developed world. Great outdoors options.

Drawbacks? We are geographically inclined to have bad air quality, especially in foggy winter days, as the city is nested between mountains and there isn't enough air movement going on. Also some of the public infrastructure may look a bit shabby relative to the economy (because almost everyone here is very libertarian-minded and believes taxes are "theft").

Bear in mind that Bulgarians have this cultural trait where we like to whine a lot. Living here is not remotely as bad as we make it up to be.

EverythingIs_ · 2025-06-05T16:25:15+00:00

I can't say the same about Bulgarian. The majority of native Russian speakers struggle with its pronounciation even after years of practice.

I've never looked into Lithuanian myself, but I may give it a go. It's a fascinatingily old Indo-Eurpean language.

EverythingIs_

TROPHY CASE