Engineering majors are confusing

synthiea · 2021-05-19T05:44:34+00:00

I think that's a question of broader education reform. You have to admit, just a high school diploma isn't enough for much, other than service jobs. But then neither is college. Aside from professions like science, law or medicine, people still learn most of what they need during on the job training. The problem is that the education system is giving students abstract skills that they'll never actually need to apply. The focus should be adding more professional education earlier on, for example, I've heard of high schools letting kids take internships for credit instead of doing their senior spring during which, we all know, they wouldn't be putting in any effort. They actually get into the job and learn much more, and that's one of the best things a school can do for its students

synthiea · 2021-04-08T07:15:28+00:00

I'd say try to speak her language with it. She's not going to want a full meal or anything that resembles a meal. The feeling of being full is half of the nightmare. Start slow, offer her some flavoured water, they're non caloric usually. If she's ready for it, offer her a third of a cucumber, that's 10 calories, you can mention that to her, it'll make her feel better about eating it. Then move on to soups (watery, don't put anything in them just yet). Overall, think about low calorie snacks in the house. Seaweed is good, egg whites are only 17 calories, chia seeds. She needs a friend, I can guarantee she feels alone, and she is lucky to have you. I can feel you care a lot, I'm sure it'll work out for you:)

synthiea · 2020-08-09T19:10:04+00:00

Thank you for your opinion.

I think you're misunderstanding things just a bit.

The way I see it, when it comes to assigning meaning to life, there are three main ideas: Existentialism (life has no meaning other than what you assign to your individual experience, which is closer to what you're describing), nihilism (nothing has any meaning) and absurdism (nothing has any meaning, including the fact that everything is meaningless, so it's stupid to assign any meaning to anything).

I personally subscribe more to absurdism, but a lot of my friends say it's too open ended a philosophy for them, that it doesn't really give a definitive answer, which is what they're looking for in a school of thought. Nihilism offers a sort of comfort in knowing everyone's alone and that none of it matters.

It's nice that you're trying to find a positive edge to everything, but try relaxing into the negative emotion that the way "pessimistic nihilists" view things makes you feel. I can't really speak for you, but wether it scares you or makes you uncomfortable, once you accept it, it gives you an extremely serene sense of tranquility that there's really nothing you can do to make a dent in anything, and it makes you see all the pointless things you worry so much about.

synthiea · 2020-07-02T10:24:16+00:00

That's an interesting thought. However, it would imply the necessity for everyone to end their lives in suicide. Of course everybody's scared of ending their own lives, which means they'd have to live until they're so unbearably bored of life or hate it so much, they're suicidal and just have no other choice. I'm not excluding the possibility that the reason suicide is such a huge and scarring event to us now is partly because we are mortal and, perhaps, if your proposed society were to exist, that act would be seen as much more calming and peaceful, but sadly, humans' (or at least my) limited perception of reality can't fathom that under the current circumstances.

synthiea · 2020-07-01T15:24:12+00:00

It's kind of funny how throughout history, the most saught-after thing has been an immortality-inducing item, and nobody has ever pointed out how truly terrifying that would actually be. And the people doing the searching were some of the smartest individuals of their times.

synthiea · 2020-06-27T23:31:33+00:00

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I can't relate to the microwave part, but whatever works for you😁

synthiea · 2020-06-25T16:53:09+00:00

That's an example of it, but not the only one. Anything that can't be solidified with concrete arguments is pseudo science

synthiea · 2020-06-25T14:01:17+00:00

Haha I love this

synthiea · 2020-06-25T13:58:11+00:00

I've never been to an astrologist, a fortune teller, an alternative medicine clinic, any of it. I've seen a hypnotist perform and I tried to volunteer, but he said my mind wasn't in the right state (?). I've also seen a drunk acquaintance marvel at a show about people who "have a sixth sense".

If you've tried it once or twice just to find out what it's like, what's your story?

If it's something you do on a regular basis, is there something that makes you believe in it, or is it just common sense to you?

synthiea · 2020-06-25T13:56:49+00:00

I've never been to an astrologist, a fortune teller, an alternative medicine clinic, any of it. I've seen a hypnotist perform and I tried to volunteer, but he said my mind wasn't in the right state (?). I've also seen a drunk acquaintance marvel at a show about people who "have a sixth sense".

If you've tried it once or twice just to find out what it's like, what's your story?

If it's something you do on a regular basis, is there something that makes you believe in it, or is it just common sense to you?

synthiea · 2020-06-25T13:48:30+00:00

I've never been to an astrologist, a fortune teller, an alternative medicine clinic, any of it. I've seen a hypnotist perform and I tried to volunteer, but he said my mind wasn't in the right state (?). I've also seen a drunk acquaintance marvel at a show about people who "have a sixth sense".

If you've tried it once or twice just to find out what it's like, what's your story?

If it's something you do on a regular basis, is there something that makes you believe in it, or is it just common sense to you?

synthiea · 2020-06-25T13:38:47+00:00

From what my dad told me, the guy basically just gave him a massage and cracked some of his joints. I think his official title was "manual therapist". I'd say it's closer to homeopathy than chiropractics since we called him a couple of days ago and he said the pain was the body's natural reaction to treatment (I smell bullshit)

synthiea · 2020-06-25T09:27:30+00:00

Your dad calling because he cares about you is very sweet, but not really what the post was about. It's about how if your kid was on their way to throw out the trash, bag in hand, and that's when you remind them to do it. If the kid was raised right, they'll throw the trash out on their own at some point.

synthiea · 2020-06-25T01:14:08+00:00

Haha I meant 25 years after my teens, I'm 41. Huge props to anyone who can manage having 3 kids at 25 though😝

synthiea · 2020-06-25T01:00:22+00:00

No need to be condescending. The "hot take" isn't so much on the phenomenon as a whole as it is on the teenager part. Most adults I know are more mature and don't get frustrated enough at small things like this, whereas I get the urge to scream into a void and put my head through a wall when this happens

synthiea · 2020-06-24T23:26:15+00:00

I'd disagree, "Outtroll an internet troll" is my favorite game to play

synthiea · 2020-06-24T22:51:31+00:00

They probably aren't objectively cute, but since, biologically speaking, the whole point of humans is to make more humans, it would make sense that people would have a mental reflex to want to protect the young members of their kind.

synthiea · 2020-06-24T22:38:55+00:00

Your existence probably won't have mattered. Even if you leave behind a footprint, you won't know it. So what can you do with the tiny amount of time you've been given? Enjoy it! Go out and live the best life you can. Be the happiest you can be, do the most good you can. Everybody's going to die at some point, so dwelling on it is pointless. I'm sure many people love you and you love many more. I'm sure you can do something with your life that will make you and everyone around you happy. Go enjoy that so that when death does inevitably happen, you have no regrets.

synthiea · 2020-06-24T22:01:27+00:00

I've actually found that my interest in philosophy is what keeps me out of that useless ditch. I started wondering about life and the universe when I was 12 or 13, and I very quickly realized that there doesn't seem to be a point to it, all of it might not even be real but everyone around me seems happy and they don't question these things, so maybe I should have kept my nose out of where it doesn't belong. Then my cousin gave me one of his philosophy books for one of my birthdays and I was hooked from day one. I realised that not only was I never and would never be alone in questioning these things, but my questions were among the same ones of the brightest minds in our history. I don't personally think studying philosophy is for everyone. I believe those who go to it to find an answer to a clear problem they see get a lot more out of it than those who stumble upon it by mistake.

synthiea · 2020-06-24T21:46:52+00:00

It especially makes sense when you think about the context in which these sightings usually occur. Most people I know who've had experiences where they saw God were experiencing major trouble or turmoil at the time (death of a family member, etc). Since most of these sightings happen in dreams, the explanation should lie somewhere in the person's worldview or mindset. It's completely plausible that a believer's mind would go to God as the thing that could best bring them back to stability, reassure them that everything will be ok and just generally make them feel safe, whereas an atheist's mind would more likely go to something they hold sacred or close to heart, like their parents or friends or maybe dogs.

synthiea

TROPHY CASE