matthewb.eth
@matthewb
here's why I believe that reddit has become a counter-signal for product reccos, with the caveat that I am not the average consumer and I am often looking for a "buy it once" type purchase. * reddit and hall monitors subreddits can be good places to find niche info. I sometimes use reddit as a jumping off point to explore a particular vertical or sub-category of product. the issue is that reddit communities attract a certain type of person and this has led to the overbearing "hall monitor" mod culture over there. most of these users—though not all—are borderline obsessed with what they would call "value." if [product A] is $57 and [product B] is $62, that is an important factor for them. for some this comes down to budget which is totally legitimate, but I would argue that it's more philosophical.
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matthewb.eth
@matthewb
* re-framing your relationship with the things you buy think about the things that you use every single day and write them down. it's really not that many. how would you go about optimizing those things such that your daily life improves as a result? reddit's answer to this question is often the equivalent to AI slop for writing. yes it does the job, but it doesn't feel good. at best it's often "okay" and deep down you know that it could be better. it's a know-it-all compromise from someone that doesn't know anything. for me, I don't want to buy anything that I'll need to replace anytime soon. if I need to wait to afford the real deal, I'll wait and buy nothing. I don't want to accumulate anything temporary or meh. give me quality or give me death. there is privilege in this approach, but it is more noble than buying slop if you don't have to.
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agusti
@bleu.eth
Get a good mattress. A good ergonomic desktop setup and seating. A fast computer. Do some light up keeping exercise daily. Eat healthy varied food. Sleep well and regularly. Nice to haves that u can rent Cars Boats Private planes
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Naomi
@naomiii
I love this. I try to do the same applied to clothes nowadays. It does mean that you think more about when to wash them (100% wool stuff you can often just air) and it forces one into also maintaining the things. But I do believe that this drastically changes our relationship with them for the better. In Japan they believe that things we use and maintain for a long time have something like a soul. Maybe it's fostered by our care - either way, it does make a difference. Also means you naturally opt out of the short trend cycle. Probably something that applies to whatever gadgets too 🤔
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wisdomlego
@daniel-hurley
A form of minimalism instantiated in the world where fake abundance and rampant marketing rein supreme. What you speak of is an antidote to this fatal modernity. I try not to confuse making a "convenient" purchase, to cover yourself so to speak, with that of thinking more thoughtfully with the purchase decisions I make; aka more minimialistically. They don't go contrary, they just exist in parallel to satisfy two things. Expedient purchases are nice. I just wanna be sure I'm aware of them and they can be easily re sold, recycled, or re engineered to fit a purpose different than that it was originally intended for.
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