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Cake day: June 22nd, 2023

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  • One answer could be for you to learn and practice philosophy alongside your learnings of world news. In particular, stoicism and stoic philosophy can allow you to watch these external events and consider them as they are, but with the understanding that these things reside outside of your control which preserves your feelings and self from being affected by them. It really brings more power to you through anything you go through or experience.

    Philosophers Who Addressed This Question

    1.) Albert Camus

    • Work: The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)

    • Argument: Camus argues that life is absurd, meaning it is full of suffering and chaos without inherent meaning. However, he suggests that one can resist despair by embracing life with defiance and by finding meaning through action and creativity.

    • Example: Camus likens human existence to Sisyphus, who is condemned to roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down. Camus proposes that we must “imagine Sisyphus happy,” finding joy in the act of persistence itself rather than in outcomes.

    2.) Martha Nussbaum

    • Work: Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions (2001)

    • Argument: Nussbaum defends the idea that emotions like compassion and anger can be powerful motivators for justice but need to be tempered with rationality and self-care to avoid burnout. She advocates for a philosophy of practical engagement, where one maintains emotional investment in the world while creating boundaries to protect one’s mental well-being.

    • Example: Nussbaum might suggest that instead of being overwhelmed by global problems, you focus on one specific issue you can influence—channeling compassion into tangible actions.

    3.) Viktor Frankl

    • Work: Man’s Search for Meaning (1946)

    • Argument: As a Holocaust survivor, Frankl emphasizes the importance of finding purpose even in the face of suffering. He argues that meaning can be found in how we respond to suffering, whether through action, creativity, or how we endure hardships.

    • Example: Even when facing immense global crises, Frankl might suggest asking, “What specific actions can I take to create meaning and contribute positively, no matter how small?


  • I appreciate your take on this and the fact that you’re considering more perspectives here. No doubt a take like this that isn’t immediately all in support of Mr. Luigi without thinking of anything else of is going to attract immediate down votes, but I feel like this is a pretty realistic view on why what happened, happened. We’re all doing what we can with what we have to survive. I think if any of us were in a bad spot and saw an opportunity to take action, and it had to be immediate, and in that moment before the opportunity passed, we would take it. If it wasn’t there, he could’ve been caught or found accused of this in some other capacity. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone try and consider what the McDonald’s worker situation was or what kind of people he was responsible for caring for. Him choosing to be the one this time may very well have saved some lives in his world as well.
















  • OK so you wanna go back to it then. Let’s say your three months in on a new rental home. Landlord may be averages $100-$200 per month profit, so reasonably they’ve only collected $600 in total profit from you. AC now breaks and needs a $10,000 replacement. Who pays? Have they collected enough money from you so that you are paying for it?

    At that point, you might as well start arguing that every business ever pays for things because of money, they’ve collected in their patrons. Same reason how you, assuming you’re a W-2 worker, get paid by your business. They collect a profit from the service or product they provide.


  • Yes, you are certainly right about that. The landlord or rehab investor making a profit was never part of my argument. Operating rentals or investing in real estate is a business like any other, and thus needs to turn a profit in order to continue operations. In order to address the point you are making, I see what you’re saying about the flow through and how that gets used to repair properties. However, you may agree that we would both look at a $10,000 capital expenditure on a new AC unit differently if we were renting a home, which is generally for shorter terms (perhaps 2 years in Austin, TX on work assignment) than resident ownership for life.

    If you are not someone who needs a rental home, or a rental apartment, then don’t use one. These types of businesses exist, however because they serve a need in society, hence their ubiquity. I invite you to consider the possibility that there is a valid reason for rental homes in many situations and areas that are beneficial for the right people. Yes, there are scummy landlords and yes, the landlord intends to make a profit, but this is not always at the sole detriment society.