Comments on: Symptoms and diseases

By: krantcents

krantcents — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:16:58 +0000

I try to focus on the things I can change which is generally things I do or don’t do! I do not expect our government or society in general to make any changes nor do I think they are motivated to get to the real solution for problems. I am not a pessimist, but a realist!

By: LifeAndMyFinances

LifeAndMyFinances — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:45:34 +0000

Great point. So often, people see the surface problem and try to fix that, rather than the initial cause.

I relate this to finances. If you have spent money on something dumb, don’t just promise that you won’t buy that one thing again, address your problem of over-spending as a whole!

By: bigato

bigato — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:00:52 +0000

Symptoms and diseases, e.g., cause and effect, are not only two. It’s a matter of leverage and deepness. In the case where the middle-aged man is sick because of his lifestyle, one could also argue that the lifestyle itself is also a symptom of something else. Most people have some idea about what is a healthy and what is not, but besides that choose the bad way. Why? Let’s say the middle-aged man is too worried about getting more and more money. That is the cause of his lifestyle. But why does he need to get so much money? Because he put to much value to expensive things and to social approval. You could even go deeper, maybe try to understand the historical reasons why humanity acts this way. In the end, if you wanna change some problem, it all comes down to education. You could try to change the outcome (he is sick) in any level of the situation. But, if you go deeper chasing the source of the problem, it will be easier to get results and to get better results: less effort and more results. That’s leverage.

Also one could argue that cause produces effect but effect also produces the cause. Sticking to the middle-aged man example: he is sick and now he will need even more money. It will be even harder for him to change his lifestyle. It’s simultaneous. It’s kind of a spiral of cause and effect.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:17:31 +0000

Thanks, Jacob. I now understand what you’re saying about friction.

It would be easy to avoid friction if we could recognize it right away and correct ourselves, but so many of our actions don’t have noticeable repercussions for years. You mentioned diet and exercise. Posture comes to mind for me. We slouch for 40 years, not knowing that all those years we were breaking down our spines. An ounce of prevention…

By: Jacob

Jacob — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:20:22 +0000

@Scott – Friction generates waste heat. Accelerating and braking constantly creates more friction than predicting traffic further ahead. One way to do this is to have a longer buffer zone between you and the car in front of you. This describes friction in time. There is also friction in action. Many actions that are not thought through have bad side effects. These side effects must be countered with opposing action (which also has side effects). This way many actions are taken merely to counter aspects of previous actions. Like braking and accelerating. I try to eliminate bad side effects by choosing actions carefully. When I cook, I try not to make a mess and I try to reuse utensils. For instance, my cutting board is a plate and therefore my knife is serrated. This way I have much less to clean and much less requirement for utensils. Less friction.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:01:16 +0000

Jacob, I lost you on the part about friction, but I hear you loud and clear about treating symptoms. Can you clarify what you mean about friction?

By: Marie

Marie — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 03:57:59 +0000

It seems like our social foundation is so broken that it is hard to keep ones footing. While I am on the adventure of a lifetime (sell everything and live in an RV at 50) I still struggle often with keeping my balance and values. It’s all easier said then done for many of us who don’t naturally thrive on the passion of change.

Financial independence, frugality, self-sufficiency, ecology, capitalism, and voluntary simplicity <<<< What a tapestry you weave! With a fanatical organic mother that among other things heals her eyes through food, a Quaker influence of simplicity and self-sufficancy, a democratic corporate father and genetic frugality, I can’t help but be delighted with your perspective. You feel like a long lost relative!