News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by neonate on Friday November 18, 2022 @04:36PM (#33662637)
We don't care for our elderly. We fear death.

If our society really cared for the elderly, they would be integrated and respected, instead of segregated and shunned. We do the latter because we fear age, sickness, and death. Fear isn't caring.

Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by rscho on Friday November 18, 2022 @04:49PM (#33662825)
> We fear death

In the US. It's perhaps the most striking difference that hit me during my stay overseas. In the Old World we occasionally get people completely panicking about their own death. In the US, seemingly _everyone_ is like that.

Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by neonate on Friday November 18, 2022 @05:27PM (#33663358)
I'd like to hear how elders are treated in these societies that don't fear death as much.
Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by rscho on Friday November 18, 2022 @05:36PM (#33663522)
I'd wager: not very differently. But not out of fear. The social isolation of old age is the same everywhere. Young people have their own lives to live.
Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by neonate on Friday November 18, 2022 @06:00PM (#33663974)
> The social isolation of old age is the same everywhere

That is certainly not true. Traditional societies and non-western societies have far different ways of relating to elders than we do, and even among western societies there are variations.

Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by rscho on Friday November 18, 2022 @06:11PM (#33664161)
Well, yes I see what you mean. What I meant was: it's the same in the US and western Europe. But certainly if you go to more "old fashioned" places, the elderly usually live with the family and are taken care of. To be fair, this still happens even in "advanced" western societies. I seem to recall this also goes together with a lot of elderly abuse.
Re:Things I've noticed while visiting the ICU by prenevikdale on Friday November 18, 2022 @07:53PM (#33665361)
I wonder if elder abuse is correlated with younger people "having their lives to live".