Of these four achievements, which would you want most for your child?
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@mlinksva thanks!
Are you asking why the numbers are different between the four options?
Yes, seeking minimum obligation is not often compatible with child-rearing.
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@evan wasn't really my intention to look for an explanation of the poll results (why the numbers are different) but perhaps subconciously I was -- I suppose they embed people's estimations of various life outcomes associated with each of the four paths. This is what I mean by your polls often being thought provoking.
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@mlinksva I mean, that's usually the intention. Sometimes I really want to find out how popular something is. Most of the time I'm hoping to spark thought and conversation.
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Nathan A. Stinereplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
@evan went with sports because while I'd enjoy my hypothetical child to be a left wing political leader, I would not want them to be a right wing political leader.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
@mlinksva in this case I'm collecting data for time stream manipulators so they can find children most likely to become political leaders and subtly influence them to seek another life path
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
@mlinksva Oops! That was supposed to be private!
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@evan I don't care what my kids do. All I want is for them to be happy.
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@benpocalypse which would make them the most happy?
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Nathan A. Stine last edited by
@stinerman that one's a real roll of the dice, I agree.
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@evan You left out POET, BUDDHIST MONK, and charismatic leader of the revolution.
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@evan omg, none! Those all sound like curses to me.
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@gargantua pick the least bad one.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
Wonderful discussion; thanks so much to everyone who responded.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
It feels like there's a balance that has to be met for all these roles: the intrinsic rewards (satisfaction), the extrinsic ones (power, money), the personal harm (emotional, physical) and the chance to make meaningful change in the world.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
There's also the question of what we want for our children: the agency to choose their own path, but also the chance for a fulfilling and meaningful life, and a minimization of danger, temptation to do evil.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
These are only a few of the paths a person can take in life, although in our culture they're usually considered a path to "success." Some people were pretty enthusiastic about them; others though the harms of these roles vastly outweighed any benefits.
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Evan Prodromoureplied to Evan Prodromou last edited by
Of the four, I think the life of an artist is one that can have huge impact on others and be satisfying and enjoyable. Unfortunately the chances of becoming a "superstar" are low, but a life creating art can be rewarding in many other ways. It takes a lot of personal discipline to avoid the downfalls of fame though. I think both my kids have creative minds and big personalities, so I think this one would be my choice.
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@evan I missed this when it came around but as someone who grew up with two exceptional/successful (in their own individual ways) parents who were also.. a little wrapped up in their own achievements, I think were I to consider what I'd want for a possible child, I'd look for kindness and contentedness over nearly anything else. My partner is both kind and content and it's about the best life you can imagine in a lot of ways (I like my life too and I am kind but I am rarely content)
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@jessamyn thanks! I was trying to stick with some high-intensity roles that are traditionally considered successful even though they have major downsides.