It's people telling me what is good for me that is another reason I left.

I didn’t leave voluntarily, miss a lot of things but I absolutely don’t miss this.

Then why haven't you left HN? ;)

I wish people here would stop telling me what's good for me too.

I think they said “the environment”.

Whether that’s important to you is - as always - completely up to you in this country. I don’t understand the animosity between different states; we can all go wherever we fit best and that’s a great thing.

Nothing wrong with wanting a big house, but also nothing wrong or coercive with mentioning it has environmental impacts

What they actually said was "for you or the environment" without knowing anything about the op, it is hard to say that a lawyer house was bad for him. Maybe he had a family of four living in a small two bedroom. As far as the environment, almost everything we do is bad for the environment. We should try to minimize or impact, but just because something is "bad for the environment"didn't mean we should stop.

Well, the USA was supposed to be a union of states where they could more or less govern as they see fit based on their own ideology but come together when they need to. But unfortunately the Federal government has gotten involved in far too many things that should have been left up to the states and so there isn't as much diversity or tolerance for other ways of life anymore.

Can you paint a clearer picture of the mechanism for federal intervention being the driver of intolerance?

When something happens at the federal level it affects everyone. Someone in Texas who is conservative is going to be upset about a law that is forced on them that they don't like. However, if that law is only happening on CA and has no effect on them, then they don't care and they can be tolerant of it.

When something affects you personally because it is forced on you it is much harder to be tolerant.

If it only affects the people who want that law then it is much easier to just say "I do me, you do you".

Different states are supposed to have different ways of life based on different value systems. That way people can move to the states that are most in alignment with their values. Laws at the Federal level take that freedom away.

I see what you mean, but I think we have different definitions of tolerate

> Yeah having a house 3x the size is not great for you or the environment, given that people don’t use most of their houses ;-)

Who are you to cast stones?