Well, we live in tines where a role model of success might be the CEO who increased profit margins on t-shirts by 1%... (by accepting that some child laborers might die in an avoidable factory fire somewhere on the other side of the planet)
Or how about the savvy investor who looks the other way when it is being revealed that one of their portfolio companies polluted the environment on a massive scale.
These people might actually be applauded for their behavior in our society, despite them behaving like sociopaths.
Our role models and our definition of success are really weird.
Those people protesting don't go to protest parties every weekend. It's not a substitute for sportsball. The fact that they don't usually protest is a clue that they're not actually doing whatever they want.
With a little empathy, that behavior makes sense. They'd rather take what they consider an indefinite but small risk of dying to gather in protest instead of taking a definite looming risk of losing everything, failing their families, and losing all self-respect.
But I understand that many people here haven't thought about that. And the news doesn't present it that way.
> Those people protesting don't go to protest parties every weekend.
Those who only think of themselves tend to pull this sort of stunt every time they feel personally affected.
Thus those people might not typically go to protest parties because a pandemic is not typical. That's about it.
> They'd rather take what they consider an indefinite but small risk of dying
That's precisely the narcissist and egotistical attitude that's being criticised.
They feel that as the disease does not affect them personally then they should just not be inconvenienced in any way. But that misses the whole point, doesn't it? The point is not about you. The point is that your wreckless behavior puts everyone around you at risk, including those who covid19 threatens their lives. You might not die of covid19, but if you catch it and pass it to your grandma or some random old man from your neighborhood then they might die. That's why you need to get your add back home and wait.
> That's precisely the narcissist and egotistical attitude that's being criticised.
> They feel that as the disease does not affect them personally then they should just not be inconvenienced in any way. But that misses the whole point, doesn't it? The point is not about you. The point is that your wreckless behavior puts everyone around you at risk, including those who covid19 threatens their lives.
Wow.
Everyone is on the verge of getting the sack right now. That means families and children going hungry. If it's a choice between certain misery or uncertain life, I would choose the latter every time. Now I do realise that decision wouldn't affect me because I'm young, which is why I'm self isolating like everybody else. But do realise that is a privilege and not something everybody can do.
Please stop pretending like these people are egotistical and narcissistic when they simply don't have any other choice.
> Please stop pretending like these people are egotistical and narcissistic when they simply don't have any other choice.
I think some of the contention here is that you believe those protesting the restrictions are the same as those who are most hurt by them. But I don't think most people here are upset that people who have no safe place to go, don't have money to buy necessities, etc. in the best of times, are facing terrible difficulties and are upset.
Maybe it's different elsewhere, but at least in my own state (Michigan), protesters seem to be people who are frustrated that they can't go about their daily life as usual. They tend to better off than many and can do things like drive to Lansing to protest, with the most vocal yelling about how they need haircuts, not being able to keep their lawns in perfect condition, and how they can't go to their cabins up north. And plenty still believe this is all just a big conspiracy and government power grab (tons at the protests didn't wear masks or socially distance at all).
People in my city (Detroit) are getting hit the hardest in the state, partially due to poverty (and race, but around here the two are inextricable). It's not those working-class people who are protesting: they're too busy just trying to survive and stay as safe as they can.
That's a fair point, I can only react on the information I'm aware of (what I have seen is that if the economic situation in gets any worse, this lockdown will be far worse than the disease itself).
What you describe does sound like an awful lack of responsibility and that I do disagree with.
I'm not sure why you were downvoted. Seems like the self-centeredness of people who are better off (kind of like that 2016 election, eh?). Programmers and developers can comfortably work from home. Most people, most people in the lower working classes, cannot. So either they starve or go homeless or they risk their lives to provide for themselves and their families. How is it even a question which of the two is preferable? Are you really asking them to starve because of the risk?
You know, if you want narcissism, look no further than the moralizers, especially the ones comfortably clacking away at their keyboards in the comfort of their own homes and making six figures.
To be honest, I would've prefaced my previous comment with "I suppose the HN bubble wouldn't get this..". It felt like an unfair thing to say but it's probably true that half the people here don't have a clue what life is like for the working classes right now.
We're not immune from this situation either. If the working classes can't.. work, then everything that keeps us comfortable falls out from underneath.
You forgot to mention they are also taking the risk of several other people dying or becoming seriously ill. But I understand you may not have thought of that.
Institutions that manage to persist for that long are fascinating.