So I's sittin there in a bar when a guy comes up to me and says 'My Life Stinks'

Move along, nothing to see here!
J.O.S.H.
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Post by J.O.S.H. »

For a group of people striving to a have an independence and freedom undreamed of by almost everyone, this board is pretty whiny as of late. Can we all tone it down when it comes to the long-winded discussions of how lonely and nerdy and unpopular your lives are? If I wanted to consume media that instills a *worse* self-image, I'd watch cable.
That being said, I love you guys, and some of you are personal heroes. Let's keep it positive, though, ya know?


aussierogue
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Post by aussierogue »

Josh
i think people need to talk....and are afraid to say whats on their minds because of your type of reaction which is all to present in society.
I appreciate your positive sentiment but i think its a little off the mark...
Life is tough....its nice to have people who will listen.
if you dont like the thread read another..


J.O.S.H.
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Post by J.O.S.H. »

To clarify, the actual posts I seem to reference are mostly fine -- it's the ones with the subtle implications that worry me. I've gotten pages into a discussion before realizing it's assuming something super weird. I know Jacob's expressed concerns like this, about the warrants/hidden assumptions of discussions seeming to indicate dissatisfaction with PURE AWESOMENESS. Makes no sense to me. I mentioned the ones I did because popular media tend to bring those warrants with them.
Literally everything else I thought of to write was either (1) me trying to throw my hat in the ring on those discussions, which makes no sense, or (2) trying to berate people, which makes less sense. Let's all have discussions about reducing the skill maintenance overhead of reversing modern-life-imposed infantalism. How many hours a year would I need to spend to learn to/continue to be a master tracker? Is that even a thing? I don't know, but I bet you guys know the answer, and I would love to hear it. :) I'm pretty burnt out on thread after thread of the one-more-thread-post-and-you'll-finally-love-yourself-for-who-you-really-are meme. I have a sincere concern that enabling that is inherently self-defeating, and the people who just want someone to listen forget that the medium needs a message.


aussierogue
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Post by aussierogue »

JOSH
there is a third choice - say nothing at all and dont read the forum.
Truth is people hang around forums form reasons greater than meets the eye.
The 'purity' of the message can be guaged within a day or two...
ie I get the whole ERE thing and i got it pretty quickly...the rest is common sense.
Why then do people hang around? Community is my guess. A good old chat, some familar faces (so to speak) and its easier to do this when we have a general broadbased goal like ERE.
Its way less awkward then sayin 'im bored" or "im lonley" or "i dig you guys you are cool"...
I have ERE success, I have little to add to many discussions but the humanity of this place combined with the fact that i am on the net quite alot, combined with the fact that i am bored with watching tv, combined with the fact that i like a chat....has be hanging around.
Lifes wierd - embrace it!
Most success comes from insecurity...its a motivator. Its also awesome


LonerMatt
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Post by LonerMatt »

Belonging to a meaningful community is important and human.
I'd never berate people for sharing of themselves and, by definition, making the community a meaningful place.


george
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Post by george »

J.O S H
Perhaps you meant to say lets start a new thread with some light inspiring amusing stories of people living frugally or non frugally instead of the serious threads which some people like and others don't.
So perhaps start a new thread which says a place for inspiring amusing frugal joviality.
I think perhaps you were trying to be a bit light hearted in your first paragraph and have inadvertently hit the wrong note.


george
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Post by george »

So just following on from my post, perhaps we could laugh at ourselves and some of the situations we find ourselves in. For example i once explained that when I go to the supermarket you'll see me at the service desk in the queue with my receipt for a refund, everyone else will be over 65, but I'll be there every week. i was about 25 at the time. Well she laughed it was funny at the time


george
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Post by george »

Okay how about the time I went to a petrol station and a bogan just came up and started talking to me, i wondered why and I realised it was probably time to finally get rid of my rust bucket of a car
In case you don't have them - whats a bogan- its a 16 year old who as soon as they have enough money they buy a non quality car and hoon around in it until its stuffed
Do you need the definition of hoon?
Heres a bogan who hasn't got a car yet (he's a bit older than average)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTZyorJV ... re=related


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jennypenny
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Post by jennypenny »

@JOSH--I take your point, but you have to understand some of us are in situations where our only contact is with people who don't get it. Sometimes you have to find your peers (and for many of us that's this board), share your story, and ask "Is it me?"
edit: I love this board because we're not just cheerleaders for each other. When you ask questions like "Is it me?" no one is afraid to say "Yup--it's you."
Following George's suggestion--About 10 years ago I was checking out of the grocery store using a bucket of coupons. The guy behind me was annoyed it was taking so long and suggested they have a separate line for people who used "food stamps." I just laughed but the cashier ripped him a new one.


george
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Post by george »

Hi Jenny penny, I liked your post, the ridiculous part- I'm envious of your bucket of coupons :)


george
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Post by george »

And then theres the time many years ago, we were a big frugal family. One night someone broke the toilet seat. we were all trying to figure out how can we replace it.
Until someone made the comment we would have to go into a shop and ask if we could make a deposit on a toilet seat.
Still cracks me up.


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Ego
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Post by Ego »

By definition ERE is extreme. Going to any extreme causes at least a few problems. Dealing with those problems seems to be one of the themes here. As it should be.
That said, Josh has a point. Some of the things being discussed can be good and - in the extreme - can be very bad. Purposeful social isolation, extreme narcissism, embracing being different for the sake of being different.....
Redefining "normal". That's what we're doing for one another here. Not a bad thing when talking about a socially-created belief about work or savings or spending. It can be troubling when an unchallenged conversation/thread convinces someone on the edge to further isolate themselves because, according to the thread, that what geniuses do....


aussierogue
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Post by aussierogue »

@ego - agree


LonerMatt
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Post by LonerMatt »

What part of Australia are you in/from george?


george
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Post by george »

Hi LonerMatt
Thats a lovely question
I'm from Christchurch New Zealand.
We're a small country and often people think we're part of Australia. We're similar in some ways, But we see ourselves as quite different. The real NZ - flight of the Conchords has a lot of truth in it.
But the sheep jokes don't
I don't know if they have bogans in Australia. they have people like Jacko,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0Q5JFHrGNk
BTW apologies to Australians for this clip


dragoncar
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Post by dragoncar »

Question.
Why is it that every time I go on a message board to complain, there's already another guy on there, complaining about other people complaining?
Maaan..... FUNK DAT


george
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Post by george »

Loner Matt
I think you might be Australian, just as well we can laugh at ourselves

Hey?
Didn't mean to offend


LonerMatt
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Post by LonerMatt »

None taken, I assumed that with bogans and hoons you were from Australia (like me), didn't realise Kiwis used the same slang.


J.O.S.H.
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Post by J.O.S.H. »

There's nothing to be said about public opinion, then? I mean, God, I'm not a marketing professional, but if you want me to think of waiting in line with old people for a coupon as normal I should probably just kill myself right now and save all that energy I'm be spending on sustaining the waking death you seem to be describing. Not that that's what it is, but if we take off the ERE-blinders for a moment, you've got to be running towards something and not just away from OBJECTS and CONSUMPTION. There's some honest to God awesome stuff out there, and literally none of it is in line with senior citizens waiting for a refund on stuff you already got.
+1 to ya, dragoncar. :) Now you are 1 better, numerically speaking. OR DOES THAT ONLY FEED INTO AN ACCUMULATION MINDSET?


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