Not sure if that’s the reason but I heard that gnu was chosen because gnus, the animal, are essentially one herd spread across Africa. A gnu that loses its particular herd, e.g. while crossing a river, can join any other. Supposedly that’s not the same for other herd animals.
So you need ChatGPT to get a helpful answer.
MS 1 : Google 0
Nothing is necessary in particular, but a choice among options.
We desensitize people to compassion, we dogwhistle people into racism, we train people to ignore dishonesty, we make people comply with authority even if they are wrong, we make people believe in science instead of understanding it, and some more.
This is to make people accept their jobs and create the things that are needed.
In general, people don’t do stuff on their own. So overall the manipulation is needed if we want to have more than hunter gathering. This can be seen as malicious, but also as benevolent.
join-lemmy.org could show the posts from all, with a big join button at the top. The introduction page can be shown if somebody presses the join button.
There is one server implementation that shows it to its users. I forgot its name though.
Responsibility cannot be delegated. People are always responsible to keep themselves safe. But it makes sense for them to cooperate in a society to organize their safety.
The problem is that manipulation is part of society. For society to work, people must be unaware of some manipulations but then, manipulators can abuse the blind spots.
Overall it’s a cost benefit decision. Some abuse can be easier prevented by regulations, some by personal responsibility.
There is only one choice: feeling or rationality.
When you feel, you do what feels best.
When you think, you do what is the most valuable.
So no free will but that choice.
Because it represents the tipping point where America lost its dominance. Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee but an affordable access to experiencing the American way of life.
If Starbucks loses its appeal it means that people stop looking up to America. Students won’t dream of becoming a scientist in America, business men won’t long for participating in the American economy, consumers don’t care about buying American products for being American.
All American products from now on have to compete on quality and service. This changes the value of the products and the value of the work that American workers deliver.
The latter made me aware of the former.
The biggest pill was that I am not intelligent. I was just studious and invested enough time to pass exams. People not doing what they should do is not them being stupid but me not grasping the full picture.
The second biggest pill that I am still swallowing is that I am not a good person. I try to behave in a good way, but it’s manipulative and not authentic. People don’t like goodness if it doesn’t come from the heart.
Also, when you finally say “no” to them, they act as though you’re a terrible person.
To them, it looks like they are the only person to which you say no. This means that you say no because of them. People don’t like being questioned like that.
Add some assurance that the no is not personal.
They evaluate reality with other priorities. To them it seems like they are doing good.
Almost all cruelties are committed for the greater good. People just disagree on what is good.