That’s the entire point of the phrase, as far as how I’ve always interpreted it: don’t blame people for doing what’s best for them within a system they don’t control.
this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2024
178 points (81.1% liked)
Showerthoughts
35946 readers
1876 users here now
A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.
Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:
- Both “200” and “160” are 2 minutes in microwave math
- When you’re a kid, you don’t realize you’re also watching your mom and dad grow up.
- More dreams have been destroyed by alarm clocks than anything else
Rules
- All posts must be showerthoughts
- The entire showerthought must be in the title
- No politics
- If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
- A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
- Posts must be original/unique
- Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS
If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.
Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
I can hate both. Morality is not subject to the whims of legislation. If you're a billionaire, you've done something immoral. Playing "within the rules" does not absolve you of all morality.
The reason that doesn't make sense, is billionaires are the only ones with the power to fix the economic system thru political donations.
The saying isn't meant for your example, because they're not just players. Their also the refs and the ones who wrote the rules for the game.
Like:
It is what is
That makes sense if said between prisoners about how shitty jail is. But if a prison guard beat an inmate and then said that, it doesn't make sense.
Just because it's not true 100% of the time for 100% of people doesn't mean it's worthless. By that logic no phrase should exist
I agree, I've said that about this phrase before! I can hate the player too. Not one of my favorite maxims.
If a game inevitably leads to billionaires unless you can count on all individuals being moral people, I take the liberty of hating the game that sets things up like that.
Clearly these people are unfamiliar with the prisoner's dilemma.
Legality is not the same as moral or ethical. The rules of life, civility, and good society are not preordained. Aka we make our own norms and values.
load more comments
(18 replies)
In this particular context regulatory capture and political donations is the unseen bullshit of the claim. Corporations DO make the rules
The system is large and powerful. However, it's perpetuated by individuals. Apathy is a lack of empathy...
You are literally defining the meaning of the phrase. That is not a shower thought.
Well, I thought of it while taking a shower so...
Yes.
Just like "it is what it is", that statement is a "thought terminating cliche" and that is what it's doing.
Is labeling a phrase a “thought-terminating cliche”, a thought-terminating cliche?
load more comments
(2 replies)
Yes, but the game is the problem. That's why the ecological footprint is problematic, it pushes the responsibility towards individuals rather than changing laws.
It occurs to me that a great many sayings exist for the speaker to self justify their own actions
The player's job is to play optimally; the rules dictate what is and isn't optimal play. Not just limited to capitalism, this concept is a big part of game theory.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Yup, that's why people say it. "I'm an arse hole, but what do you expect?"
My first thought after hearing that saying 20-something years ago was “the player perpetuates the game.”
If people refuse to play, there is no game to hate.
load more comments
(2 replies)
Playing the game is a choice.
Working to pay rent and stuff is a choice?
Duh. You could just lie down and die, but here you are choosing to eat and drink and sleep.
You silly goose, so fixated on surviving.
load more comments
(2 replies)
Learn to recognize systemic problems rather than personnel problems.
These are the shower thoughts I have. Got a whole ass manifesto cooking up there.
The definition of fascism at the end of the day is "fuck you, I have mine, stop complaining because you are a loser". Yes, fascism is the extreme end point of that view but ultimately that is what fascism is. Who cares what is fair, the losers are losers and the winners are winners and fascists are 0% interested in examining that any closer no matter how arbitrary or stupid the set of rules that determined the winners or losers are.
I hate the phrase "don't hate the player, hate the game". I'll hate the player too lol. You know what playing a sport where bad behavior is technically possible and in the best interests of a player to do, but a player refuses to do it because of a love of the sport and the desire to be a good opponent? It is called good sportsmanship. Sports/videogames are miserable experiences when it is just ruthlessly competitive people playing who will exploit any advantage, fair or not and have zero interest in sportsmanship. Is there a broken mechanic or rule? These types of people will exploit it over and over and over and over again and just keep saying "don't hate the player hate the game" even though it is them, the player, actively making a choice to make the experience miserable for everyone else.
I think you just made that definition of fascism up.
view more: next ›