I enjoy Lemmy because there’s always interesting comments to read. I bet it wouldn’t be the case if we were all the same age. And… that’s why I think I fit in here for the most part: because many lemmings are like me and enjoy this small but engaged community.

I understand the big problem this technology has brought. Still, while engaging in a videogame or even a post like this one, it might be useful to remember the problem of other minds. After a brief moment of anxiety (that may return from time to time), I think many of us reach the conclusion that it is worth assuming that you’re interacting with a real being. And while many contexts might not be suitable for this assumption on the internet (e.g., comments talking about how good a product is), others as the ones I mentioned might be.

I’m not trying to say that you should be blind just because it is more convenient for your emotions. More like: there is a possibility that I am a bot, and that even in person I am a being without internal experience (maybe a simulation, a test designed for you, a hallucination/delusion, a dream, etc.). Still, our conversation can be carried out with you willing to talk as if I were real because the leap of faith is worth it in this particular interaction; also, you can act with precaution (e.g., do not believe everything you read or listen or whatever), but still read, listen, etc.

I love it, but the test would need to ask our preferences about federation and if that’s a priority. In my case, I’m in this instance because it lets me read a lot of other instances (even the infamous triad). I don’t know if we have a certain personality; I just like to lurk diverse communities.

*Mexican United States.

Also, it’s not about the name but how that name came to be. Mexican United States (Mexico) are called that way because they’re the region around the mexica territory (today part of Mexico City). They’re not ‘stealing’ the name from anyone.

The United States of America (U.S.A.) are called that way because they were the first independent states in America, the continent’s name: a well known fact at the moment. But today, most American countries are independent, so the people from the United States have been rewriting geography and even history saying there are two continents, that there isn’t a continent named America, etc. Sorry, but many countries and thousands of historical documents tell us that America was and is the name of the continent, and that it is not okay to take it for one country alone.

I imagine the outrage this would cause for centuries if France (just to name some country) tried to pull this off. “United Communities of Europe”, “we are the only Europeans 🇨🇵”, “Europe is a country”, “there’s West Europe and East Europe, the Europes, but that’s it”…

It’s not that easy… Skincare should always be adapted to you, not only in terms of products but when and even how to apply them. It’s not the same to be a professional athlete than a programmer that works at home; it’s not the same to take care of a dry skin than to take care of an oily one. Also, dermatological issues need to be taken care of.

For example, my skin is prone to acne and I suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, I stay at home, and my skin is dry. I need a light sunscreen. Mineral sunscreens are recommended over chemical ones because they’re healthier, but it needs to suit one’s skin. I need a moisturizer to deal with my dry skin without being oily and heavy because, otherwise, I may exacerbate some acne or dermatitis. And I don’t use serums, masks, etc.

I admit I often only use my moisturizer (because I know that even at home the Sun is causing damage, but I struggle to keep new habits). I add tea tree oil to my moisturizer for my dermatitis. Tea tree oil has helped me a lot with acne in my body too. It never goes directly to the skin, though, in case you try it.

And that’s what helps me. In case you are like me (dry skin that reacts negatively to heavy products), I haven’t had problems with gel moisturizers for dry skin. Also, no fragrance, hypoallergenic, etc.

There are a lot of tutorials, especially inspired by Korean routines, that are not for everyone. My advice: Keep it as simple or as elaborate as you feel your skin needs. Good luck.

Oh! The first part can be about suicide, you’re right. The second part reminds me of antinatalism, and I think it makes sense for breaking the cycle described.

More like: “It is a bad neverending cycle. Break it”.

You reminded me of something I think no one has mentioned yet:

In philosophy and rhetoric, the principle of charity or charitable interpretation requires interpreting a speaker’s statements in the most rational way possible and, in the case of any argument, considering its best, strongest possible interpretation. In its narrowest sense, the goal of this methodological principle is to avoid attributing irrationality, logical fallacies, or falsehoods to the others’ statements, when a coherent, rational interpretation of the statements is available.

From: Principle of charity.

Applying this, I think we can interpret the *independent thinking" not as thinking without conditioning factors but as what is known as “critical thinking”.

Although some feelings are malleable through thinking, but yeah, others come from (and can only be worked by) different places (including the health of our body).

This is new, after the blackout. People from the U.S. get a message when searching for things like “vagina health” or “rigged election*”. The rest of the world gets results normally.

*Edited.

I don’t understand why the people here who like TikTok aren’t on a Reddit instead.

Reddit is not as leftist as I’d like it to be. Reddit app is garbage while Sync is awesome. I left in solidarity the day they banned third party apps.

I like the idea of decentralized social media and I trust you tech savvy lemmings about its importance, but I also have a weakness for nice communities and TikTok has/had one.

No, the users wanted to paint a big “🖕” to the U.S. government for banning the app. A user made a video saying: “they underestimated our level of pettiness”. Some were also uninstalling apps like Instagram.

I am not a better human being, but I’m combating my irritability one cause at a time. Firstly, treating physical conditions that cause irritability (as much as money has let me): hormonal issues, sleeping issues, etc. Secondly, addressing psychological and psychiatric problems (I had to learn a lot of these topics because I wasn’t able to afford specialists all the time and it was an interest of mine anyway). Finally, fixing external or environmental causes, e.g. working on changing toxic relationships.

It is still a work in progress, but my life is getting calmer and calmer as I am ticking the boxes in that list. At some point, you get to a place where you can search for your own answers, existentially speaking, and that also helps. Here I mean exploring philosophy and your own ideas; your feelings, your passions, etc.

Be patient. Be compassionate with yourself (and others).

I hope he doesn’t hear about the Gulf of California. He is not going to understand that the Californias were Mexican and, thus, the Gulf is still named after the fact. He’s going to claim some wacky s*it like “the name indicates it belongs to one of our states”, “Mexicans are trying to steal California’s assets”, or something like that.

It is nowhere near South America. The Gulf of Mexico is in North America, touching Mexico, the United States, and Cuba.

The name makes sense because, technically speaking, it is an ocean basin. Most of the basin goes towards Mexican territory; not meaning the touching of the borders but that it covers what would be Mexican territory. It “pushes” or “delves” more towards Mexico. (I hope I’m explaining myself, lol).

It has been called “the Gulf of Mexico” for about five centuries and it made even more sense less than two centuries ago before the United States stole a big chunk of northern Mexican territory.

I agree. And censorship is not the way. I’d only criticize that it goes both ways, as he seems to disregard the hypotheses that support transgender views with equal dogmatism or lack of rigor.

Practicing critical thinking.

Many here have already recommended reading and, particularly, reading philosophy. That’s a great way to practice critical thinking and to practice thinking outside of our comfortable or familiar ways. I’d add not to skip reading about logical fallacies and cognitive biases.

Many good things come from being a little cautious with apparent knowledge. To keep a reasonable doubt is also to keep our curiosity going, to keep asking questions, to imagine different ways, to discover new things, to avoid stagnant beliefs, etc. Critical thinking makes us not only less gullible but also flexible. This is valuable to understand everything, including one another, and perhaps in doing so, giving us better relationships and better societies.

Philosophy and some sciences, but I’m not very knowledgeable. I know people say you don’t need to be an expert in order to enjoy things, and I agree, but then those aren’t special interests either, right? I love my music, but I know few bands. I love singing, but I lack technique. I like horror stuff, but I’m pretty picky. I’d like to be fit and practice sports, but my health is an issue. I like some beauty topics, but I’m not interested in applying them. I enjoy eating, simple food though. Some games are fun, but I mostly repeat the same ones. I like mountains and forests, but just for a day or two. I’d like to read more…

I’m really a master of none.

Instagram reels.

Exactly, these users want a relatively efficient app with an algorithm that shows interesting content without the effort of looking for it.

I personally love the things TikTok puts on my feed (philosophy, science, arts, political opinions, medical advice…). I don’t think I would have been able to find a lot of those things on my own. For instance, it’s been amazing to understand some of my health conditions: a video about a random symptom (and how to address it) sometimes shows on my feed and it’s like: “Wow! I didn’t know that! Thank you”.

So… it’s not just laziness, not in my case. I hate that algorithms have been radicalizing my parents politically. I love that my algorithm helps me with advice (for me, my cat, my home…) and it connects me with similar people. It’s a bittersweet technology, I guess. Anyway, without it, Loops might not be a solid alternative.

Honestly? I don’t think it’s ready for the migration that’s going to take place in January (supposedly, January). The USA will ban TikTok and people still debate in the comments what should be the new short videos platform. I really want to spread the message about Loops, but I was unable to create an account just a few days ago. It won’t work for thousands and thousands of people that want something efficient and do not appreciate the Fediverse effort as we do.

Mastodon itself couldn’t compete against BlueSky. I think Loops has a month to be a real TikTok alternative or it faces the same destiny as Mastodon (or Lemmy).