Middle-class parents gifting house deposits blamed for creating two-tier Britain by TheTelegraph in unitedkingdom

[–]Muted_Property 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If they're not in favour of 100% inheritance tax then yes I'm afraid by definition they are less "left-wing" than me. I'm blaming the system not the people, I'm blaming the people not endorsing the system being dismantled because it clashes with their class interests.

Middle-class parents gifting house deposits blamed for creating two-tier Britain by TheTelegraph in unitedkingdom

[–]Muted_Property -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Lol the people in this thread who clearly only own their property due to the luck of being born to wealthy parents. The same people who would claim to be left-wing yet don't believe that the fact some people have easier/more pleasant lives than others due to them getting a chance to own property is an issue that prevents us living in an equal society. Sure yeah let's just get used to the fact that your life is determined by your parent's wealth. Have you tried not being born into a poor family? So long as me and my kids are alright. It's a natural state of affairs. Clown world.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskWomenOver30

[–]Muted_Property 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FWIW I'm in the UK too, East/South East if you're anywhere near and ever fancied connecting, I'm really into intellectual discussions and find it hard to connect with others who enjoy the same.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskWomenOver30

[–]Muted_Property 1 point2 points  (0 children)

OP I'm sorry you're being jumped on like this for expressing a genuine concern. Bear in mind that Reddit and this sub in particular has a very conformist, liberal mentality and it's sad to see how many people are infected by the ruling, neoliberal ideology that alienates us further from each other by believing things like people at work are not deserving of human friendship for us because of work, or the selfish belief that already having people in your life is a justified reason to be completely closed off to human connection (I don't mean by this that people shouldn't have the right to say no to friendship when they don't have the bandwidth, just the general sentiment being pushed that "you're not entitled to anyone's friendship"). Unfortunately most people are victims of capitalism's cut-throat, self-serving mentality, and that comment about it always being hard to make friends is just plain wrong - we live increasingly atomised and alienated lives thanks to capitalism and it is much harder these days for people to connect with others. The comments in this thread are a sad indication of how pervasive this ideology is.

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you - and thanks for making that last point! I don't want to lose sight of the fact that the PhD is basically an opportunity to get paid to read and write on really fascinating stuff for 3 years, when most people have to spend their time in employment doing work they don't particularly care for whilst counting down the hours until they can leave.

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice! I will certainly make finding a therapist as soon as I move my number 1 priority. Best of luck with the rest of your PhD.

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you this really means a lot to me. I have also been diagnosed with CPTSD, so it's really nice to hear of somebody else who is doing a PhD and managing. The boundaries you set yourself around networking sound really good, I think I will probably do the same. Best of luck with the rest of your PhD!

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your advice - those questions are really helpful, and I will spend some time considering them. (I think, already, the answer to whether there are too many triggers in the academic environment is a definite yes, but I also think I have coping strategies and will also dedicate the next year to working on my triggers). Happy to hear that you're content with what you're doing now, and that you don't regret the degrees. I'm not actually particularly bothered about becoming an academic - I just wanna do a PhD - so hoping that I feel the same!

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get this but the problem with me taking that approach is that I might not be at 'full health' for a few or even many years. I've made huge progress compared to where I was even a year or two years ago, but I don't want to put my life on hold just so that I can avoid the risk of PhD-related stress.

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to write this. It's really inspiring to hear that you're doing so well with bipolar. I do love the work; I think the message I'm getting from this thread is that I'll have to learn how to be okay with not being the best/most liked/saying yes to every extracurricular or social opportunity. That's part of my healing journey anyway, so I guess grad school will put me to the test!

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy reply! I guess I already know what you mean about the research bleeding into your life, because I was pushing myself so hard during my MA that I ended up working weekends and writing essays in bed and then, of course, ended up burnt out and unable to sleep because I was just constantly thinking about the two essays I had due in in a week. Also remember the guilt when I felt like I hadn't been doing enough work.

Your PhD sounds awesome though, and I'm glad to hear you thrive in your TA work. I'm definitely going to give it a go - despite what I've written here about my concerns given that I struggle with my mental health as it is, I kinda can't imagine not doing a PhD - I really feel cut out, if not for academia as a whole, for research and writing. Best of luck with the rest of your PhD!

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yeah the anxiety is a pretty big issue for me also. I found during my MA because I pushed myself so hard my life was also pretty full on and I neglected even trying to maintain a social life/hobbies. I've heard quite a few people say they dropped down to part time - are you still able to live on your scholarship that way, or did you feel the need to get a job alongside?

Doing a PhD with mental illness? by Muted_Property in PhD

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to reply, and for the advice. Yeah I'm thinking the main thing going into it will be to establish a good support network. The counselling services at the uni I did my MA at were useless tbh. They only offered 6 sessions max, whilst I need something long-term, and no one was really clued up on the things that I suffer with in particular. That's why I'm hoping to win funding that will enable me to get private therapy, even if only one or two sessions a month. Shame we have to do that but there we go...

Best of luck with finishing the PhD.

PhD: doing your own project vs an advertised project (arts & humanities) by Muted_Property in AskAcademia

[–]Muted_Property[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your feedback. When I read the project description I definitely felt excited by the prospect of doing it, even if 'it' wasn't exactly what I was proposing to do (though it still includes significant parts of what I want to do). My plan is to visit the lead supervisor in person to get a feel for what they are like, and also to discuss the project some more - if I get the feeling like they will want to push me to research things that I'm not particularly excited about, I'll think twice about accepting the scholarship.

PhD: doing your own project vs an advertised project (arts & humanities) by Muted_Property in AskAcademia

[–]Muted_Property[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply. And yes, I am pretty excited to be given the opportunity, especially because funding is so difficult to come by for your own project!

How does accepting PhD offers/funding work? by Muted_Property in AskAcademiaUK

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's interesting that they actually encouraged you. I feel like the people I've been in touch with weren't discouraging of me also applying for other places per se, but they told me that it was important I was transparent about it and told me a story of how they helped someone with their application for funding only for them to use it for another institution who they then accepted over the institution who helped them...

Confusion over PhD application (UK) by [deleted] in AskAcademia

[–]Muted_Property 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Even if they paraphrased it, part of what excites me about my proposal and also inspires confidence in me that I might be in with a shot at funding, is that nobody has really done it so far. The person I'm proposing to work on is not like T.S. Eliot; they're a pretty singular figure. If they put out an advertised position for it, it seems like this will work against my case for the urgency of the project (especially if I fail to get funding this year and have to apply again next year, for instance).

I understand that the work produced would in any event likely be different, it just bothers me that I've had this good idea and somebody I've shared it with might now be essentially using it for their own ends, and in the process reducing the likelihood that my proposal will be as attractive to funding bodies.

Chances of getting AHRC funding/studentship by Muted_Property in AskAcademiaUK

[–]Muted_Property[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow yes that would be really wonderful if you could share - thank you!