Comments on: Relatively Awesome http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/ The Sweet Release of Reason Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:01:17 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: kevin quinn http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-260669 kevin quinn Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:41:25 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-260669 If you believe that the top of the corporate hierarchy is filled with people living joylesss existences and the bottom is occupied by free-spirited Wesleyan graduates, you've been at Cato too long! If you believe that the top of the corporate hierarchy is filled with people living joylesss existences and the bottom is occupied by free-spirited Wesleyan graduates, you’ve been at Cato too long!

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-260495 Will Wilkinson Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:07:03 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-260495 You suppose a graduate of Wesleyan (#10 USNWR liberal arts college)is supposed to represent "the poor and powerless?" Or does my tin ear prevent me from grasping your subtle joke. You suppose a graduate of Wesleyan (#10 USNWR liberal arts college)is supposed to represent “the poor and powerless?” Or does my tin ear prevent me from grasping your subtle joke.

]]> By: kevin quinn http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-260429 kevin quinn Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:02:52 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-260429 This is *The onion*, people. This is a spoof of the idea that the poor and powerless are really rich in what money can't buy - a perennial plank in the apologia for obscene inequality. Have you all ears of tin? This is *The onion*, people. This is a spoof of the idea that the poor and powerless are really rich in what money can’t buy – a perennial plank in the apologia for obscene inequality. Have you all ears of tin?

]]> By: kevin quinn http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-260428 kevin quinn Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:02:51 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-260428 This is *The onion*, people. This is a spoof of the idea that the poor and powerless are really rich in what money can't buy - a perennial plank in the apologia for obscene inequality. Have you all ears of tin? This is *The onion*, people. This is a spoof of the idea that the poor and powerless are really rich in what money can’t buy – a perennial plank in the apologia for obscene inequality. Have you all ears of tin?

]]> By: david http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-254375 david Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:12:31 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-254375 While I don't 100% agree with Rick, I think it pays to consider that while Braxton is happy now, it is not certain that his current choices will allow him to be happy for another 10 years or 20 years. What should we optimize: happiness right NOW, or happiness over lifespan? I have no answer, it's just a question. Second comment is that Braxton may very well have considerable parental monetary support. It's hard to say, but we cannot say with any certainty that this anecdotal article reveals much. He may be free-riding in more ways than one. While I don’t 100% agree with Rick, I think it pays
to consider that while Braxton is happy now, it is
not certain that his current choices will allow him
to be happy for another 10 years or 20 years. What
should we optimize: happiness right NOW, or happiness
over lifespan? I have no answer, it’s just a question.
Second comment is that Braxton may very well have
considerable parental monetary support. It’s hard to
say, but we cannot say with any certainty that this
anecdotal article reveals much. He may be free-riding
in more ways than one.

]]> By: josh http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-254291 josh Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:39:12 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-254291 Matt, I suppose Russianpoets are for Russian people, but probably not for Haitian people. They only get obscure Haitian poets. Matt,

I suppose Russianpoets are for Russian people, but probably not for Haitian people. They only get obscure Haitian poets.

]]> By: Matt http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-253245 Matt Thu, 12 Jul 2007 19:35:28 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-253245 But isn't part of the joke that Braxton isn't really rich (monetarily), and that he's chosen a different way of life than pursuing the "fucking brass ring"? Is your point that he can only make - or have that choice - in a land of plenty? I'm not completely sure I buy that. (Aren't obscure Russian poets also for obscure (poor) Russian people?) But isn’t part of the joke that Braxton isn’t really rich (monetarily), and that he’s chosen a different way of life than pursuing the “fucking brass ring”? Is your point that he can only make – or have that choice – in a land of plenty? I’m not completely sure I buy that. (Aren’t obscure Russian poets also for obscure (poor) Russian people?)

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-253164 Will Wilkinson Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:46:17 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-253164 <p>Rick, See my reply to Ezra just posted. Nearly nihilist? That people are able to make choices about the kind of life they want and take responsibility for it? You're being silly.</p> Rick, See my reply to Ezra just posted. Nearly nihilist? That people are able to make choices about the kind of life they want and take responsibility for it? You’re being silly.

]]> By: Will Wilkinson http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-253161 Will Wilkinson Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:39:56 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-253161 Matt, Yeah. We're free-riders. In good societies, the cost of internalizing all the benefits from production are prohibitive, so everyone gets a ton of stuff for free. Free-rider is often used pejoratively, but I mean it here as a good thing. Matt, Yeah. We’re free-riders. In good societies, the cost of internalizing all the benefits from production are prohibitive, so everyone gets a ton of stuff for free. Free-rider is often used pejoratively, but I mean it here as a good thing.

]]> By: Rick Perlstein http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-253135 Rick Perlstein Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:53:28 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-253135 All well and good. Until Braxton wants to have a child, let alone move into the kind of neighborhood with good enough schools for his son or daughter to qualify for a liberal arts degree (see Robert Frank). If Braxton is among the tiny fraction of Americans whose wellbeing can be vouchsafed living like a graduate student well into middle age - I'm part of that fraction myself - fine. Otherwise, this post is radically glib, quite nearly nihilist. All well and good. Until Braxton wants to have a child, let alone move into the kind of neighborhood with good enough schools for his son or daughter to qualify for a liberal arts degree (see Robert Frank). If Braxton is among the tiny fraction of Americans whose wellbeing can be vouchsafed living like a graduate student well into middle age – I’m part of that fraction myself – fine. Otherwise, this post is radically glib, quite nearly nihilist.

]]> By: Matt http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/comment-page-1/#comment-253105 Matt Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:35:57 +0000 http://www.willwilkinson.net/flybottle/2007/07/12/relatively-awesome/#comment-253105 Sure, overall abundance is important, but if the free-riding charge is correct, then aren't you and me free-riders, too? (Or is the point that anyone who takes a job and then doesn't work hard - to some sufficient degree - is free-riding on the labor of others?) Sure, overall abundance is important, but if the free-riding charge is correct, then aren’t you and me free-riders, too? (Or is the point that anyone who takes a job and then doesn’t work hard – to some sufficient degree – is free-riding on the labor of others?)

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