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Comment by jlkuester7 | Hacker News Reader

I am a huge fan of highly durable equipment, but one thing to watch out for is that comfort/ergonimics are often sacrificed for the sake of simplicity and duribility. Ask anyone who has spent time in a military vehicle. Those things can take a beating and are made to be repaired quickly and sent back out for more. But a quite comfortable ride they are not.... Sometimes that no-compromise toughness is exactly what you want. In other situations there is real value in creature comforts.

For example, I have an old '97 F250 that is as basic of a model as you can possibly get. Regular cab, bench seat, manual everything from the windows to the transmission. It is a beast and will take whatever you give it. It is simple and easy to fix when something breaks, but it is also crazy loud, rough, and uncomfortable to be in. Perfect for getting work done, but for a cross-country trip with my wife and kids I would opt for the minivan any day.

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For me that's one of the selling points. Modern life is so ridiculously over engineered to be comfortable, we can all use some rough edges.

For the most part I totally agree with you. That is why I enjoy leaving the comfort if my home to go backpacking in the mountains or something. Sometimes challenging yourself can make you feel more alive!

It is just that from personal experience, a road trip with small children has enough rough edges that road/engine noise so loud that the kids can't sleep does not have to be one of them...

The way I describe it to people is like this: some folks like to feel a nicely sanded handle, and other folks like to sand down a handle so that it feels nicely sanded.

That's one of those things that sounds super fun when you're opting into it on a weekend.

Much less so on a Tuesday night after a stressful day and your goddamn window won't close even though it's raining and you can't play music because the stereo only takes cassettes and you're not gonna listen to that one fucking Hall and Oates tape again and there's no heat and your neck is sore because the headrest is made of plastic and....

Creature comforts are most important when you're not thinking about them. I don't ever want to get in my car and think, "ah, this is what it means to be human! this is REAL!"

Well, I lived my entire 20s like that. Moved to Russia, lived in a Soviet era dorm, travelled to Vladivostok in a 4th class carriage etc. So it’s not theoretical…

For a while... until it isn't. I've been very poor, and I've experienced very similar things. Traveling everywhere by bike in the freezing cold.

I think there is a romaniticization of suffering. I also wanted to show my merit, my worth in some way. I had grown up in a very cushy environment, and I was trying to prove something.

Going back in time I would advise anyone against your belief. Anyone who reads this, please don't make the mistake of living a rough life for whatever inane purpose you can think of. It will not make you a better person. It is as stupid as it sounds.

Biking everywhere in the rain is what you do if you live in Copenhagen, and it does make you a better person.

It always warms my heart to see my fellow citizens in one of the wealthiest societies in the world, walking and biking to work in the rain and wind that is Danish winter. Or when you go to the beach when the water is 12 degrees and there are already families there, splashing around. That fills me with hope.

Driving a climate controlled car 3 blocks to the shop is not the pinnacle of civilisation.

As you wish. I will then just suggest you don’t prescribe your beliefs to unwitting followers without heavy disclaimer. I think your philosophy is both harmful and unsubstantiated.

I think people here are smart enough to decide if they agree or not with me, without disclaimers.

Sigh, this sounds like a weird spiritual extrapolation from the often used specious aphorism "that which does not kill you makes you stronger", try telling that to someone who's just had a heart attack.

In what way scientifically speaking does biking specifically in the rain make you a "better person"? Biking can definitely help with your health and is certainly a good way to get around, but the rain can obstruct your vision and could cause your breaks to lock up if you had to stop suddenly.

I don’t think I’ve actually met anyone in real life that doesn’t believe that it’s better to challenge yourself and not always take the most comfortable option.

That’s why people brag about waking up at five and hiking up a mountain before breakfast, and that’s why we have all those sayings, which obviously don’t apply to heart attacks.

But maybe it’s a cultural thing, it seems a lot of Americans aren’t ashamed of driving 3 blocks to the store to get milk.

You are in a car. That is already over engineered. Get a bike or hike.

I’m not in a car though, I bike or walk.

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