Things for you to really think about.

[[.Higan Bana.]]

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[Niphredil Ithilmir]

Argh.. I just typed out a long post and Gaia deleted it xP

The gist of it was..

But what can we do? Seriously, think about it. Nothing that we do or say or think is going to make a difference. I know, you know, everyone knows that there are millions of people like the ones in those pictures out there, but we can't do anything about it. And you know, people are going to see those pictures and read those stories and say "oh, how terrible" then go on living their lives. I know I will, and you will. Not because we're mean or out of spite, but because it's out of sight and out of mind.. sorry for being cynical. But tis true, non?  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Niphredil Ithilmir

Argh.. I just typed out a long post and Gaia deleted it xP

The gist of it was..

But what can we do? Seriously, think about it. Nothing that we do or say or think is going to make a difference. I know, you know, everyone knows that there are millions of people like the ones in those pictures out there, but we can't do anything about it. And you know, people are going to see those pictures and read those stories and say "oh, how terrible" then go on living their lives. I know I will, and you will. Not because we're mean or out of spite, but because it's out of sight and out of mind.. sorry for being cynical. But tis true, non?

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS!! scream That's why I always copy my long post before I post them. xD There are alot of things we can do! We can donate money, and we can help out! I donated all my allowances right after I saw that, and I have decided to go teach in poor villages in China when I graduate from university. 4laugh *so proud of herself* I don't care if my family is against me, I'm going!!! scream domokun  

[Niphredil Ithilmir]

[.Higan Bana.]

Niphredil Ithilmir

Argh.. I just typed out a long post and Gaia deleted it xP

The gist of it was..

But what can we do? Seriously, think about it. Nothing that we do or say or think is going to make a difference. I know, you know, everyone knows that there are millions of people like the ones in those pictures out there, but we can't do anything about it. And you know, people are going to see those pictures and read those stories and say "oh, how terrible" then go on living their lives. I know I will, and you will. Not because we're mean or out of spite, but because it's out of sight and out of mind.. sorry for being cynical. But tis true, non?

I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS!! scream That's why I always copy my long post before I post them. xD There are alot of things we can do! We can donate money, and we can help out! I donated all my allowances right after I saw that, and I have decided to go teach in poor villages in China when I graduate from university. 4laugh *so proud of herself* I don't care if my family is against me, I'm going!!! scream domokun

But don't you see? Donations like that make maybe some difference to a few people for a little while, and I admire your ambition to go and teach in villages in China later on etc, but it's all on such a large scale that simply pouring money into it isn't going to help - there needs to be radical reform inside the countries themselves before people's lives are going to be improved in any long-term way (and by long term I mean 50, 100, 150 years). I firmly believe that we are the generation that is going to change China and bring it out of the dust (especially us overseas Chinese~) but really, we need to see the bigger picture..

((I used to always copy when I posted long posts, but haven't been around ED for a while.. xP))  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Niphredil Ithilmir

But don't you see? Donations like that make maybe some difference to a few people for a little while, and I admire your ambition to go and teach in villages in China later on etc, but it's all on such a large scale that simply pouring money into it isn't going to help - there needs to be radical reform inside the countries themselves before people's lives are going to be improved in any long-term way (and by long term I mean 50, 100, 150 years). I firmly believe that we are the generation that is going to change China and bring it out of the dust (especially us overseas Chinese~) but really, we need to see the bigger picture..

((I used to always copy when I posted long posts, but haven't been around ED for a while.. xP))

Hn...you got a point. But..but...I can't just stand there and watch.... Are us overseas Chinese really that....well great? Some of us may have learned the newer technologies or whatever in univeristies in these well developed countries....and then they can bring some differences...but an oversea turtle like me? Hell no...I'm not even sure if I can make it to univeristy.. sweatdrop And I'm not going to have jobs as engineering and stuff...so what can I do if I go back to China except teaching Chinese? So teaching in poor villages is the best I can do. xp And of course, helping a little can be good. But I think the point of the pictures is to make people appreciate what they have right now, and not wasting and complaining their lives about what they don't have. Knowing there are so many people out there living in that condition and suffering to live...  

[Niphredil Ithilmir]

[.Higan Bana.]

Niphredil Ithilmir

But don't you see? Donations like that make maybe some difference to a few people for a little while, and I admire your ambition to go and teach in villages in China later on etc, but it's all on such a large scale that simply pouring money into it isn't going to help - there needs to be radical reform inside the countries themselves before people's lives are going to be improved in any long-term way (and by long term I mean 50, 100, 150 years). I firmly believe that we are the generation that is going to change China and bring it out of the dust (especially us overseas Chinese~) but really, we need to see the bigger picture..

((I used to always copy when I posted long posts, but haven't been around ED for a while.. xP))

Hn...you got a point. But..but...I can't just stand there and watch.... Are us overseas Chinese really that....well great? Some of us may have learned the newer technologies or whatever in univeristies in these well developed countries....and then they can bring some differences...but an oversea turtle like me? Hell no...I'm not even sure if I can make it to univeristy.. sweatdrop And I'm not going to have jobs as engineering and stuff...so what can I do if I go back to China except teaching Chinese? So teaching in poor villages is the best I can do. xp And of course, helping a little can be good. But I think the point of the pictures is to make people appreciate what they have right now, and not wasting and complaining their lives about what they don't have. Knowing there are so many people out there living in that condition and suffering to live...

You do have a point about remembering the people who are less fortunate when we complain about our own lives etc. But tbh, is it really going to stop you saying "I HATE my french teacher, she's so mean" etc etc? Should it stop you saying things like that?

What I meant about overseas Chinese was that we are the people who can see both sides of the coin - both the western ideals of freedom, democracy, etc etc (which, for all the cynicism in the world, are actually good ideals) and the Chinese side of being loyal to one's country etc etc.. we're the people who will find a way to merge the two 3nodding  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Niphredil Ithilmir

You do have a point about remembering the people who are less fortunate when we complain about our own lives etc. But tbh, is it really going to stop you saying "I HATE my french teacher, she's so mean" etc etc? Should it stop you saying things like that?

What I meant about overseas Chinese was that we are the people who can see both sides of the coin - both the western ideals of freedom, democracy, etc etc (which, for all the cynicism in the world, are actually good ideals) and the Chinese side of being loyal to one's country etc etc.. we're the people who will find a way to merge the two 3nodding

Well if the french teacher is REALLY HORRIBLE, then I guess you have a reason to complain, and I don't think you should stop. rofl But notice one of the description says "无病呻吟", it means complaining for no reason. So yeah.....for example....you have an xbox, but you want the newest version of the xbox and your parents don't buy you one. So you start bitching and complaining about it...that's 无病呻吟, which I hate the most~~~ scream How do we "merge" the two? Work for the government and change the old policies or something? lol  

[Niphredil Ithilmir]

[.Higan Bana.]

Niphredil Ithilmir

You do have a point about remembering the people who are less fortunate when we complain about our own lives etc. But tbh, is it really going to stop you saying "I HATE my french teacher, she's so mean" etc etc? Should it stop you saying things like that?

What I meant about overseas Chinese was that we are the people who can see both sides of the coin - both the western ideals of freedom, democracy, etc etc (which, for all the cynicism in the world, are actually good ideals) and the Chinese side of being loyal to one's country etc etc.. we're the people who will find a way to merge the two 3nodding

Well if the french teacher is REALLY HORRIBLE, then I guess you have a reason to complain, and I don't think you should stop. rofl But notice one of the description says "无病呻吟", it means complaining for no reason. So yeah.....for example....you have an xbox, but you want the newest version of the xbox and your parents don't buy you one. So you start bitching and complaining about it...that's 无病呻吟, which I hate the most~~~ scream How do we "merge" the two? Work for the government and change the old policies or something? lol

There's gotta be ways.. what I (and others like me) am frustrated about is the mindset of Chinese society right now.. everything is done for show, or to keep up relations with people, or to make money. Everything, and I mean literally EVERYTHING, from adverts to newspapers to what people say is so FAKE. There is no honesty like in the west, which is why, ultimately, I prefer living over here however much I love China. If only mentality developed as fast as economy..

I completely agree about the xbox thing~

It needs time, I think.. 1.3 billion people won't change so easily..  

[tamcharles]

There's nothing that we can do. I say that because in the human world, animal world, plant world, microbial world... the world is not a fair place and has never been a fair place. "There is no just world for good things do not come to good people."

In my biology experiments, many specimens have died at my hand and some didn't even get a chance to live. Those that did survive, either endured a harsh envirnoment that gave them perhaps only seconds to survive or enjoyed an environment so favourable that it would almost never occur in nature.

Human beings are no different than any other form of life on Earth. Think of two little dandelion seeds, one falls on the fertilized organic-rich soil of a manicured lawn and the other which falls on the paved-over asphalt surface of a roadway. Not very fair... but the list goes on.

It's not fair to those who have to suffer and it's not fair that there are those who do not. But like a poker game, you can only play the hand you are dealt. As individuals, we are all different. Genotypically and phenotypically... it's not reasonable in my mind to even ask for equality. I feel that because of our intrinsic nature, it's pointless to help.

Bottomline, people are naturally greedy, we naturally exploit and we naturally evolved that way. If this wasn't the case it shouldn't be so "hard" to be nice. It should be second nature. At the end of the day, there's only one truism and that is that good intentions simply do not put food on the table. confused  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Niphredil Ithilmir

There's gotta be ways.. what I (and others like me) am frustrated about is the mindset of Chinese society right now.. everything is done for show, or to keep up relations with people, or to make money. Everything, and I mean literally EVERYTHING, from adverts to newspapers to what people say is so FAKE. There is no honesty like in the west, which is why, ultimately, I prefer living over here however much I love China. If only mentality developed as fast as economy..

I completely agree about the xbox thing~

It needs time, I think.. 1.3 billion people won't change so easily..

scream THATS SO TRUE!! Almost everything, everyone is fake in China...the newspaper, media, ppl....sigh I went back to go to grd 10 for 10 months, and...the relationships between students are so complicated. Backstabbing, lying, cheating omg.....But no matter what, China is a country that I grew up in, so I'll always like China and respect it for how it is. =) btw isn't the population 13 billion? lol  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

tamcharles

There's nothing that we can do.

YES THERE IS!!

Quote:

I say that because in the human world, animal world, plant world, microbial world... the world is not a fair place and has never been a fair place. "There is no just world for good things do not come to good people."

But we are not animals or plants...we are HUMANS!! We ARE able to change the world!!

Quote:

In my biology experiments, many specimens have died at my hand and some didn't even get a chance to live. Those that did survive, either endured a harsh envirnoment that gave them perhaps only seconds to survive or enjoyed an environment so favourable that it would almost never occur in nature.

crying That's so cruel...poor animals..

Quote:

Human beings are no different than any other form of life on Earth. Think of two little dandelion seeds, one falls on the fertilized organic-rich soil of a manicured lawn and the other which falls on the paved-over asphalt surface of a roadway. Not very fair... but the list goes on.

Me disagree with you~~

Quote:

It's not fair to those who have to suffer and it's not fair that there are those who do not. But like a poker game, you can only play the hand you are dealt. As individuals, we are all different. Genotypically and phenotypically... it's not reasonable in my mind to even ask for equality. I feel that because of our intrinsic nature, it's pointless to help.

.............................I should have known you are weird...>.>;; Why are you so cold-blooded? How is it pointless? Even I can make a difference!

Quote:

Bottomline, people are naturally greedy, we naturally exploit and we naturally evolved that way. If this wasn't the case it shouldn't be so "hard" to be nice. It should be second nature. At the end of the day, there's only one truism and that is that good intentions simply do not put food on the table. confused

Maybe it is a human's nature to be greedy. But what makes us humans? We are humans because we can think, and we CAN change the world. If everyone thinks like you then I think the whole world would be doomed. sigh...  

[Tokioka]

[.Higan Bana.]

Niphredil Ithilmir

There's gotta be ways.. what I (and others like me) am frustrated about is the mindset of Chinese society right now.. everything is done for show, or to keep up relations with people, or to make money. Everything, and I mean literally EVERYTHING, from adverts to newspapers to what people say is so FAKE. There is no honesty like in the west, which is why, ultimately, I prefer living over here however much I love China. If only mentality developed as fast as economy..

I completely agree about the xbox thing~

It needs time, I think.. 1.3 billion people won't change so easily..

scream THATS SO TRUE!! Almost everything, everyone is fake in China...the newspaper, media, ppl....sigh I went back to go to grd 10 for 10 months, and...the relationships between students are so complicated. Backstabbing, lying, cheating omg.....But no matter what, China is a country that I grew up in, so I'll always like China and respect it for how it is. =) btw isn't the population 13 billion? lol

Aren't there only 6.3 billion people on the whole planet??

Anyway, I agree with tamcharles and Niphy. I think the only way that us westerners could really appreciate what the impoverished are doing for us is if we experienced their way of life first-hand. Showing pictures and videos of poor people is all fine and good, but whenever I see something like those you posted, I just shrug it off and think, 'Well, they're just unlucky that they were born into that lifestyle. Why should I be grateful for what I've got? I don't even know these people. Why should I care about them?'

Although my opinion might be a bit OTT, it's only because I've been desensitized to poverty and all those things that cause it: famines, civil wars, unfair trade, etc. The fact that the pictures are from China doesn't really faze me, because from what I've seen or read, there's an image in my mind that tells me that lots of people live like this in China - it's not an uncommon thing. I don't know much about chinese society as I haven't been expoed to it much and in a sense, seeing those pics is the same to me as if I'd seen some pics of poor african people.
In the end, I'm too lazy and uncaring to do anything about it until I become successful enough in the future to donate towards these people.  

[hip2b^2]

Ok, that took really long for me to read, but i was bawling crying and now i'm just soo angry and sick of, basically human kind! i was about to read all the other posts and everything, but, they were- ermm- long, srry, so i'm trying to focus on what i want to say; really, i just don't think human kind is ever going to change. I just can't STAND THEM anymore.. stressed ugh.. i hate them! omg.. i--arghh- can't think.. i've always simply believed that there's really no hope for anyone.. we should just all die!!
Yeah.. srry for that,but if there were no life on this planet anymore, then there wouldnt be any suffering at all.. but there's always going to be some type of conflict that exists
hmm, well my writing was just all over the place,and very cynical.. apologies*

 

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Tokioka

Aren't there only 6.3 billion people on the whole planet??

More like 63 billion..... The population of China is 13 billion, I'm sure of it.

Quote:

Anyway, I agree with tamcharles and Niphy. I think the only way that us westerners could really appreciate what the impoverished are doing for us is if we experienced their way of life first-hand. Showing pictures and videos of poor people is all fine and good, but whenever I see something like those you posted, I just shrug it off and think, 'Well, they're just unlucky that they were born into that lifestyle. Why should I be grateful for what I've got? I don't even know these people. Why should I care about them?'

That is...so cruel and selfish of you. >.>;; Yes, you might not know them. But what if they were your family? What if you were born like them? Would you still not give a crap about it?

Quote:

Although my opinion might be a bit OTT, it's only because I've been desensitized to poverty and all those things that cause it: famines, civil wars, unfair trade, etc. The fact that the pictures are from China doesn't really faze me, because from what I've seen or read, there's an image in my mind that tells me that lots of people live like this in China - it's not an uncommon thing. I don't know much about chinese society as I haven't been expoed to it much and in a sense, seeing those pics is the same to me as if I'd seen some pics of poor african people.
In the end, I'm too lazy and uncaring to do anything about it until I become successful enough in the future to donate towards these people.

Let me put it this way: In the cities, everyone is rich. But in the countryside, almost everyone is poor...some of them have never even seen lights and doesn't even know what electricity is. You can at least do something right now, even if you can only make a little difference. Can giving up part of your allowance kill you?  

[[.Higan Bana.]]

Yasuragi-chan

Ok, that took really long for me to read, but i was bawling crying and now i'm just soo angry and sick of, basically human kind! i was about to read all the other posts and everything, but, they were- ermm- long, srry, so i'm trying to focus on what i want to say; really, i just don't think human kind is ever going to change. I just can't STAND THEM anymore.. stressed ugh.. i hate them! omg.. i--arghh- can't think.. i've always simply believed that there's really no hope for anyone.. we should just all die!!
Yeah.. srry for that,but if there were no life on this planet anymore, then there wouldnt be any suffering at all.. but there's always going to be some type of conflict that exists
hmm, well my writing was just all over the place,and very cynical.. apologies*

Lol.....