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Comment by seanmcdirmid | Hacker News Reader

If you were 70+ then COVID was far more likely to kill your than driving. But most of us weren’t 70+ and couldn’t really empathize with those that were.

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> If you were 70+ then COVID was far more likely to kill your than driving.

I know, because I had some understanding of the risks. All without being terrified! In fact there may even have been some correlation there.

> But most of us weren’t 70+ and couldn’t really empathize with those that were.

Speak for yourself.

So, to summarize:

- you understood 1.5% 70+ who get the disease will probably die

- you empathized with them

- you weren't terrified of 10s of millions of people, possibly your loved ones, dying

You got that right. I inform myself, I empathize with people, and I don't live in fear of things largely out of my control. Millions of people including my loved ones and likely I will die of a heart attack or cancer. Millions of elderly including my loved ones are at risk of flu and other common illnesses, falls, etc. Countless young (and old) people will die of auto wrecks and violence. The sun will strip the atmosphere off the earth in a few billion years. I simply don't live my life terrified about all these things. Just because you do doesn't mean you also have to get angry at people who don't, or try and fail to shame them -- not to scare you more but it's bad for your blood pressure and stress levels.

There is a crucial difference though: you can't do anything about atmosphere being stripped but you definitely can reduce risks of getting the disease or dying once sick. And the most terrifying part for me was that maybe I could have done something to help other people but didn't

That's not a crucial difference for me when you include all my other examples. There are things you might or could have done, but it's not reasonable to think you can make perfect decisions. Life is full of ifs and buts. There might be some path in life I could take from here that would lead to malaria being eradicated. I simply don't feel the need to live in fear of any of it. Covid, malaria, driving, McDonalds, climate change. Strike 2 for attempted shaming though.

Well none of it is going to affect you personally so it makes sense. Grandma and grandpa were going to die sometime, and who cares if the grandchildren are going to have a hard existence because the world they will grow up in is much more harsher than ours? We probably won’t see substantial consequences of our actions in our lifetime, so why not YOLO? Only if there is really a God would we see any kind of punishment for this attitude.

But still, if you had some empathy for those who are older or much younger (not even born yet), their would be a lot of guilt in this thinking, the shame would be deserved.

Such a bitter angry hateful sad way to go about your life. Wishing for god to punish people for not being a mopey sad sack like you are. Lot of projecting in your comment I'm afraid, none of it applies to me despite your seething armchair psychology.

I was sincere in my comment. I don't wish punishment for anything, and I'm pretty much an atheist when it comes to God (so eternal punishment isn't waiting for anyone who doesn't "do the right thing"). I'm not projecting at all, and since you are a throwaway account, I'm pretty sure you aren't here to do much more than troll anyways. It just is what it is: some people care about the future, others just care about YOLO, just lots of self gratification I guess.

You might want to consider whether to have children though, they change the way you think about the future.

I was sincere too. Hope you manage to cheer up and stop being so scared and hateful one day and wishing for god to smite people for not being the same way you are.

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