Yes and this goes for all forms of arts. It’s not too different from just knowing that music legend for one song when they have a whole library. Poets too. Often have that one or two that “everyone” knows whilst some absolutely wonderful pieces can be lost and forgotten.

It can be more personal, imo, to explore the pieces that aren’t spoken about as much, that already have a predefined narrative. That’s when you get to really organically perceive art - in whatever medium it is.

Haha as a lesbian, same. I prefer none or very little for both myself and in an attraction sense. But that’s just a preference and it’s no different than idk, preferring blondes over brunettes or something. And just like I wouldn’t point out someone blonde for being blonde instead of brunette, I wouldn’t with body hair 😅 there’s no shame in it just because some people have preferences!

The other thing is it just seems so ridiculous to me because of all the things, you really don’t see someones armpits very much 😂 like it’s really not a big deal either way but it’s not even something that is in your face. I can’t say I notice peoples armpits on a regular basis, y’know?

I don’t think it’s the removal of body hair that is seen as “new”. It’s the way it’s ridiculed like in this post when there’s a tiny bit of stubble lol and it’s worth mentioning.

Though I wouldn’t say that’s new either, it’s just more and more widespread the wider the communication methods have become. But this isn’t “new” even in the modern world for Hollywood, it’s online now with the wider reach but this stuff has existed for as long as we’ve been photographing celebrities lol.

The thing is body hair has a purpose but aesthetics has taken over that. I don’t think it’s weird either way to keep it or shave/wax it. Everyone has it because it’s the way the human body is designed and like everything else on our bodies, we get to choose what to do with it 🤷‍♀️

They kinda all play into each other.

I’ve been dealing with depression and other health conditions since I was a preteen. It took me a longggg time to recognize my mental health is always the priority but also ongoing, there’s no “destination”. If I’m the right weight, no debt, zero alcohol etc but I still want to die then there’s no point.

Of course they all intertwine but front of mind for me is keeping some semblance of a purpose and desire to want to be here. For example, I can’t work full time because I don’t cope. Took me a long time to give myself permission to just not have that as a goal. I survive by working part time, the finances aren’t ideal, but I am able to enjoy moments of life more often than when I was working full time (in and out of hospital).

Purpose is the biggest thing to find, something that gives your life meaning, everything else comes after that.

Ignorance is bliss!

That’s a great idea, love that. Out of curiosity does your ward have a good selection then? I’ve been to the psych ward (patient) and there was a shelf with games/books, etc but maybe 20 books and eh 🤷‍♀️

I think it’s a great idea for psych wards (and honestly other general wards too) to have a small, varied library and ideally, a quiet space to read.

You say cart - is yours a mobile library? That’s a very cool idea too.

I think that’s kinda the point of allegories - they are timeless and open to interpretation. People read animal farm and can apply it to various parts of society, politics, philosophy. If it was too detailed and specific it would be MORE like a history book and just about the Russian Revolution. Which would likely not have had such a wide reach as it continues to have.

😅 right some hyperbole there or what! I actually don’t disagree with the rest of that comment about nature and community but you really lose people by starting with wild statements like western culture is a disease! It’s sad because they probably had some decent points (nature, community etc) but override that with the flair of the dramatic and it’s hard to take seriously!

Green (before I read your whole post, just the question)

Yeah we actually learned very quickly about that in legal studies (high school) way back in 2000s and it was presented like a silly Americans (Australian here) kind of thing, just a quick silly case in a small box in the textbook. Wasn’t til I got older I learned the full story!

We had an Aussie silly case too, not just picking on the US 😅 ours was about some drink in an opaque bottle and someone drank it all before they could see there was some kind of bug or even a snail in the bottle? Something like that so they sued the drink company 🤢 can’t remember enough about that one to find anything on it!

Oof yeah in fairness I’m low income so I get bulk billed! The wait time can definitely vary. The thing I find is that GPs seem to spread their time over various clinics now so if you want to see a regular one (which I do due to chronic conditions) it can be a wait because they’re only in a couple of days a week! That’s frustrating.

I find if I just just want to see anyone for something very routine the wait can be anything from a day to a week. That’s definitely got worse over the years - I remember as a kid being picked up from school sick and I’d be in with my regular GP the same afternoon 😅

Your urgent care is so much!!!? I’m in Vic. I’m not sure how it works there. Here we have after hour urgent care clinics (quite recent, they only started a couple of years ago and popping up more places slowly) and I’ve had to go to those twice and again, free. Which I think is for everyone because it’s essentially a don’t go to the ER, go to these clinics if you’re not actually dying lol. I think I waited about 1-2 hours there. The waits no fun obviously but I do like that those clinics exist now, less intense than the ER can be.

I’ve had to do hospital without private and yeah, it’s not great but I don’t know what it’s like in other countries so hard to compare there. I’ve also seen others in private and the biggest difference is getting your own room (and if you’re getting surgery obviously choice there, I’ve just never had to have serious surgery!) it still seems like a pretty awful experience.

Mental health public though is a disaster - I did it once very briefly as a teenager and then private (as a public patient, I was very “lucky”) as an adult. I’d never do either again but particularly public.

Yes and it allows people such as myself, low income earners, disability, to not have to pay for an ambulance (or an annual membership) if needed. ❤️ I think it’s a pretty decent system especially compared to others.

Australia. A broken arm no fee. General check up - no fee.

✋ autistic (woman) here and yes, this is the exact kind of thing I would have picked up on if I watched the sopranos. I watch Gilmore girls but not Sopranos. This would have my mind spinning out 😂

Autistic.

I don’t have a special interest in trains. I do enjoy the movement of them and other transport though. The movement is calming to me.

I do collect playlists on my special interests. My biggest special interest at the moment is Ireland 🇮🇪 🍀🥰

Tbh, women wouldn’t admit to doing this either - there’s absolutely a shame around women having to make friends with an AI (because we’re meant to be innately social I guess). And I don’t think that other women realize that they are contributing to the issues of women feeling shame using AI by implying it’s a male issue and all about sex and toxic masculinity.

Like as a woman who has used AI, how am I supposed to feel about admitting that I’ve done something that only asshole, horny, incels do (according to a lot of people)?

So the stigma goes all ways and none of it helps anyone. People just need to be more curious than judgemental. Someone does something you don’t understand? That’s okay you don’t understand. Ask them why. Listen. Try to see a different perspective instead of just filling in the gaps with incel, men, sex, ugly, etc. etc.

And do people really believe that women don’t talk to AI companions, in various forms, too?

I’m a woman and I spoke to one of the apps for a while because I was bloody lonely (still am 🤷‍♀️). Had zero to do with men or murder. I didn’t have anyone, of either gender, to connect with.

It’s really easy to just reduce this to a male issue, a toxic masculinity, a male violence issue. We need to go deeper than that if we actually want to understand why people, men, women, everyone, use different AI.

But threads like this, with all the judgement, aren’t going to get a lot of people who admit they use/have used/have considered using AI. By just criticising/laughing, etc at people who do it, ironically, we turn more people towards the AIs.

I think you’re making some interesting observations. I definitely agree that it’s the easy answer to just dismiss people who use AI therapists, friends, relationships are just stupid.

You’re right that it says something about the system we live in and I extend that to society in general. We have a society who criticizes people for answering “how are you” honestly, who doesn’t have time for each other, who use terms like “trauma dumping” - so personally, I can see why some people are turning to machines whether it’s therapy or connection. It’s really bloody sad and it’s not a good solution but I can see the WHY behind it - which is what I think you’re also getting at.

We do need to listen to why people turn to these services and figure out what people aren’t finding in human connection that they are, or think they are, in machines. I don’t buy that an individuals intelligence has much to do with why people turn to AI.

❤️ autistic, ADHD adult. I cried watching the movie “I swear” last night about a boy through to man with Tourettes syndrome. It’s too relatable just how hard life can be why you’re different. I liked the message of the movie though which was that the disability isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of education for society that puts up the barriers. A lot of truth in that.

I hope your son finds people who he connects with without having to change who he is.