Learn from the mistakes of others

people are stupid. stupid people especially so. but it is not entirely their fault, i guess.

our socieites are very contradictory. of course, our societies are our own creations, so we should expect them to reflect us as much as we reflect them.

the constant drive to make things as simple as possible - or at least seem as simple as possible - has some interesting consequences.

seeking to 'reduce' problems to their 'essential elements'™ often leads to oversimplification. it is easier to administer a program with clearly defined categories and criteria. but that can lead to inequities - especially for those who 'fall just outside' those neat little boxes and 'slip between the cracks'.

people, unlike objects, are not discrete units (well, perhaps in the purely physical sense most are). they don't have neatly delineated problems. issues often/usually come in layers. layers interact. and they can influence/interact with other issues. and other people's issues.

it is not possible to resolve human problems by merely addressing responses/reactions/consequences. that may alleviate immediate suffering (perhaps) but cannot provide long term solutions.

it is even more stupid to get all reactionary towards the ways in which people express their pain.



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