Why I am an Optimist

Yep; in three years, that'll be me!

;)

Irish Ceasar, you're the only one who'll understand this since you're in Atlanta right now.

How could I not be full of hope and optimism when I got to where I am today starting by living 18 years on the wrong side of Bankhead Highway? (Or whatever they renamed it to).
 
Irish Ceasar, you're the only one who'll understand this since you're in Atlanta right now.

How could I not be full of hope and optimism when I got to where I am today starting by living 18 years on the wrong side of Bankhead Highway? (Or whatever they renamed it to).

I often use the :lol: smiley, but this is the first thing I think I've read here which actually had me laughing as hard as this little guy is.

I can only imagine how much the optimism is compounded now, since after those 18 years, you spent the next 4 at Tech... and finally got to where you are now.

(And as far as I know, it's still Bankhead, if you mean US-78.)
 
I hope this has taught you that a Liberal Arts degree = crap, CG. ;)

EDIT: I noticed you have a degree in Marine Science, why don't you look for a job in that field? :)
 
I didn't read the article (I'm a bad, bad man!) but I did skim it.

I fail to see how theorizing about past trends guarantees such trends will continue.

Can someone summarize the article for me in a short paragraph or two?
 
I didn't read the article (I'm a bad, bad man!) but I did skim it.

I fail to see how theorizing about past trends guarantees such trends will continue.

"i fail to see how learning about the past and developing models and theories will prepare me to handle situations in the future."

there isn't a guarantee per se, but there are enough people out there working to ensure it will keep up by developing theory, looking at statistics, etc etc. even your own hopes and prayers for the destruction of the world's economy help fuel people to work towards making sure that doesnt happen.
 
I hope this has taught you that a Liberal Arts degree = crap, CG. ;)
Actually, it's not crap. There arent any open possitions within my field that I am looking for.

EDIT: I noticed you have a degree in Marine Science, why don't you look for a job in that field? :)
It's an associates level degree. Plus I am not that interested in science as a carrier.

he got off civ fanatics and started looking for jobs that were suited towards his education experience. perhaps he used personal connections he made in college?
Har har, very funny. I already have a job, eventhough it pays me very little and I have no chance of transfer untill November. :rolleyes:
 
You latched on one indicator from the whole article. Nice Cherrypick. And by the way, nice of you to assume that you know that I value happiness less than money. Real nice.

I don't think anyone said that. Money is a means to be able to live the life you want to live and be happy. You sound happy doing what you're doing, working on cases in real-life issues. You take pride in your expertise and work in the Department of Justice. There's a lot of happiness to be had in that kind of life and I truly hope I can have a career that I feel proud of one day too like yours.

The broader generalization though is that in the long run of humanity, material development might not be the only component to a truly happy and functional society. You as a happy individual does not strictly equal a perfectly well-functioning, "happy" society.
 
(And as far as I know, it's still Bankhead, if you mean US-78.)

5 years...dual degree...and working 3 jobs kinda made it last longer. I got through because I dated Agnes Scott girls. Weird ones, they are.

US-78, yeah. Same one. West-End
 
And then what happened?

I graduated with a bachelor's (an associates doesn't help much). I moved up to DC, got an internship paying 10 bucks an hour, got into grad school, got a data gig for 15 bucks, then into the government for slightly more, and well...went from there. If I wasn't studying or working or at the gym (or thank god, on a date), I was applying for jobs beyond my reach...and every now and then someone would take a chance.
 
I didn't read the article (I'm a bad, bad man!) but I did skim it.

I fail to see how theorizing about past trends guarantees such trends will continue.

Can someone summarize the article for me in a short paragraph or two?

Just read the article. Narz, nothing says that past trends will continue, but nothing says they won't either. The past is the only thing we have with which to analyze, understand, and predict human behavior. Do I know how the world will work out? No. I don't know if I'll live or die each day. I certainly don't wake up each morning worried about such an outcome. Life would be rather unpleasant to have such a gloomy outlook
 
Gallego,

you QFT a quote from John HSOG which stated that I felt that money = happiness. Don't quote verbatim if you don't agree with things verbatim.

It's fairly commonly known that after some point of income, money stops being as important to one's valuation of happiness (basically, have enough to support oneself without worrying about tomorrow). Money, at this point, starts to have diminishing marginal utility. We economists know this, we're not blind to such.
 
there isn't a guarantee per se, but there are enough people out there working to ensure it will keep up by developing theory, looking at statistics, etc etc. even your own hopes and prayers for the destruction of the world's economy help fuel people to work towards making sure that doesnt happen.
Heh, I don't hope & pray for that.

Just read the article.
Ok. I won't post again in this thread until I have read it.

I certainly don't wake up each morning worried about such an outcome. Life would be rather unpleasant to have such a gloomy outlook
Depends on how you look at it. Some people find dwelling upon their ultimate demise strengthens them & keeps them from ever taking life for granted. :)
 
Gallego,

you QFT a quote from John HSOG which stated that I felt that money = happiness. Don't quote verbatim if you don't agree with things verbatim.

It's fairly commonly known that after some point of income, money stops being as important to one's valuation of happiness (basically, have enough to support oneself without worrying about tomorrow). Money, at this point, starts to have diminishing marginal utility. We economists know this, we're not blind to such.

I didn't think the thread was really about individuals or you specifically. The drift I got was whether the world as a whole was getting better and you said you were an optimist about that topic. I don't think that has anything to do with how happy certain individuals can be in this society and I absolutely apologize for any personal attachment to you that my participation had.

I agree with you that many things in the world are getting better. But I think that there's more to it than poverty numbers and wars. Basically the article is saying fewer people are suffering through poverty and wars. I applaud this, but I feel that the article quantifies "happiness" as that and nothing more for the world in general. Of course the first thing to think about for anyone is getting food and shelter before we get into social cohesion and the true mental and emotional happiness of modern life. But the topic is out there and I think that it's not enough to set the goal for world happiness at X GDP/capita and no violence. For example, you are happy because you do important, fulfilling work and have a meaningful purpose in life. There are guys making way more who are not nearly as happy. Is that more clear?
 
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