Posts by velvetfalcon52

Since I’m running a bit low on friends lately, and honestly, things have been pretty boring, I’m looking to connect with someone—even if it just starts as a virtual friendship. Though, if we actually find we have plenty to talk about, I wouldn't mind meeting up in person too :P
I'm a guy in my mid-twenties, currently based in Washington, D.C. or the surrounding areas, though I suppose location isn't strictly everything.

I don't have any official diagnoses (at least nothing confirmed 😁), but I'm more than willing to be a listening ear for anyone dealing with their own struggles. Sometimes it's just easier to open up to a stranger, you know? I know firsthand how much it helps to just have a shoulder to lean on when things get heavy.

We can discuss everything else via private message.

urbanorca8 said:Honestly, I’m starting to think an economic collapse would actually do America a favor—it might finally clear out all those parasites holding this country back from actually moving forward.

Which parasites are we even talking about here?

I suspect the gap between the ruling elite and the average American will only end up getting wider.

Charles Lopez3 said:c) just hanging out in Times Square,
strolling right past their houses
and apartments.

honestly the best
and easiest way to handle this.

I guess I’ve never been in favor of that approach, and I don't think I ever will be; I suppose you just have to put in the work.

Jessica Kelly4 said:There’s a whole landscape of small and mid-sized companies here in America that actually turn a profit while treating their staff right. The media elite just doesn't see any reason to cover them. Your idea that you have to be shady to succeed isn't true.

That’s not to say things are perfect in the States, either. The political bureaucracy has basically suffocated this country, and I haven't the slightest clue how to break free from that stranglehold. In a twisted way, I almost find myself rooting for a total collapse—a bankruptcy so absolute it forces a complete system reset and finally kills this widespread apathy.

I suppose I agree to an extent.

But, I feel like the issue isn't really about making something; the real struggle is selling it, or rather, the distribution side of things.

I mean, you could theoretically "produce" 1,000 units of anything today, but then you're left wondering who is actually going to buy them and at what price point.

In my view, the only real option is looking toward international markets, but then again... everyone expects to get their slice of the pie.

If we're being realistic, I guess politics has certainly helped plenty of people climb the ladder.

Hello to everyone on this subforum.

Since I wasn't quite sure where this topic would fit best, I decided to drop it here in Politics. I have this feeling that the folks on this forum tend to be the most reliable voices. Now, I know how much people here either love or absolutely loathe politics... but I’m really just hoping for some objectivity...

Anyway,

the question is, does an average person actually have the chance to: a) stay right here in the US
b) move abroad, following the money wherever it leads...

Well, regarding option a)... to be honest, I think that comes down to politics. Personally, I'm starting to believe that if you want to be successful in this country, you almost have to be dishonest—you know, playing the game, maybe even dealing with political connections or stuff like that (and by success, I don't mean anything crazy, just a better life, a higher standard of living, etc.).

As I was saying, being a great engineer doesn't seem to amount to much if you aren't leveraging those political ties or similar avenues...

And then there's option b): moving overseas, trying to assimilate, working hard, and just living more comfortably...

I'd love to hear your thoughts. How difficult is it, given all the intense competition out there, to actually build those connections or get a foot in the door politically to improve your situation? Or, conversely, how hard is it to move abroad and build a decent career, perhaps settling into a solid middle-class life and living well...

I suspect that option a) might actually be even harder, though I suppose moving abroad isn't for everyone either. For me, at least, the idea of starting over in a foreign country feels pretty daunting.

Thanks.

Nicole Barrett76 said:And you, you simply ought to be a diplomat, shouldn't you? Constantly shifting your colors like a chameleon to suit the moment.

No, I don't think so. Everything is fine. It’s just... I’m not that type of person, and honestly, neither was my father. Changing who you are isn't really easy for us. I guess I'm just saying that, in many situations, it might be more effective to act like a diplomat or a politician rather than just reacting instantly to everything...

if you and everyone else on this forum are truly incapable of any diplomacy at all, then well, good for you, but...

Benjamin King17 said:Authentic. To reach a point where you aren't tethered to other people's opinions—where you actually speak your mind instead of just performing for an audience...

I suppose I try to live by those values, though I have to admit, I agree with you to an extent—it feels more like chasing an impossible ideal than anything else.

But if I’m being honest, my biggest struggle is just... I can't seem to stay quiet when I hear lies or just plain stupidity. So, I speak up. I give my side of things, I point out when someone is wrong, and so on. And the result? Well, we all know what that is. Aside from a little bit of internal peace, what do I actually gain? It usually just ends up causing trouble...

Nicole Barrett76 said:Why not take a moment to look through books, news outlets, or online articles to see just how profound the impact can be when changes are driven by those without any formal training—say, people who haven't even finished eighth grade? Conversely, consider the sheer scale and magnitude of the shifts possible when those changes are spearheaded by high school graduates, or even more significantly, by university-educated professionals.

When I speak of "change," I am not necessarily referring to the pursuit of immense wealth or peak professional status, though those metrics certainly exist. Rather, I am thinking about the capacity to navigate life's complexities, such as managing family crises, handling the necessity of moving away from home, or resolving deep-seated conflicts within one's family, workplace, or circle of friends.

Now, I think we're heading in a different direction here, but I suspect that education is actually a byproduct of something else entirely—namely, a more modern worldview or perhaps just a shift in societal structure. For instance, the United States is a perfect example, as is Western Europe, where it’s considered perfectly normal to completely reinvent your life even when you're in your 40s... so, in my view, it’s largely a matter of circumstance. It seems that people who are striving for something greater or better (and of course, societies that encourage such movements) tend to pursue higher education and beyond as part of that drive.

But then again, society plays such a massive role in this. Take, for example, a group of people or a single family back in the mid-70s who moved from a small rural town near a major hub to a suburb of a large American city—not even the big metropolis itself, just a suburb—and everyone ended up getting advanced degrees, attending universities or colleges... The question is really just whether they would have made those same moves back then, or even now in America, if they were only 20 years old instead of being in their 30s.

So, based on what I’ve gathered from the discussions here—since I haven't really jumped into the fray from the start—is the conclusion that we just have to accept who we were born to be?
Or is that not quite it?

I mean, how difficult is it really to actually change? Is it even possible to undergo a total transformation, or is any kind of change just a mask we put on to hide our true selves?

First off, hello everyone...

I hope I've landed in the right spot here.

Since this forum brings together such a diverse group of people—all with different perspectives and unique life experiences...

I find myself wondering about what kind of person one should strive to be in general. Is that character something we're just born with, or is it something we can actually reshape and change over time?

I mean, I'm talking about everything, really. Especially how we ought to treat others. From what I've seen, there are people who are just consistently unkind, even when others are being decent to them. Then you have those who genuinely care about people—the type who might stay up late or go out of their way to be mindful of others. It seems to me, though, that those more selfless individuals often seem to struggle more throughout their lives. At least, that's my impression of things in general.

Since everyone carries their own unique philosophy, I'm hoping you might be willing to share yours.

I don't really intend for this to turn into a heated debate where people feel pressured to chime in, nor do I want anyone to feel like their input is being shut down or dismissed by me or anyone else.

Please, feel free to share your thoughts.😁

So, I finally stumbled upon this thread. It was actually pretty gripping at first, but things have slowed down a bit—come on, keep it going.

In my eyes, Nikola Tesla is hands down the greatest genius to ever live. I have an immense amount of respect for him...

That said, I personally feel like there’s a fair amount of hype surrounding certain aspects of his life—some of which might have even been exaggerated by him. For instance, the stories about how he lived a carefree lifestyle after his father passed away without needing much in the way of basic supplies, or even the tales of his fame in NY and his refusal to shake hands or his aversion to pearls... I truly respect him, but I think there are falsehoods mixed in there, sometimes coming from Tesla himself.

Regarding these images, I have a bit of a theoretical question for the experts here: what if we consider that he didn't mention or experience these things until well after he turned 20? Could the sudden appearance of all these visual phenomena perhaps be linked to the extreme sleep deprivation Tesla practiced after arriving in Graz? Just a thought.