The alluring danger of dilettantism

Re:The alluring danger of dilettantism by walterk on Saturday January 10, 2009 @10:58AM (#427998)

But there is so much more to do than consume media. The world needs more people who can, or rather, will (there are plenty who can, few who do) solve problems from the local to the global. They don't disappear when we disappear into our games, movies, music, and books.

Indulging in these things every once in a while is fine, but the cultural status quo is to let it consume all our time barring work and family responsibilities.

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Re:The alluring danger of dilettantism by jerf on Saturday January 10, 2009 @12:43PM (#428071)

Did you read what I said, or just assume I was disagreeing?

Part of my point is that mere abundance doesn't imply a need to do nothing but consume, and I don't. Blaming the abundance is blaming the wrong thing, and wishing for poverty because you can't handle wealth is really shortsighted. The correct solution is to learn to deal with it. On the grand scale of problems, this hardly rates a kvetching.

And I posted my contrary post because everybody seems to be just smiling and nodding... "yup, cultural wealth, sure does suck..." I don't care how fashionable that attitude is, it's stupid. Along with the wealth of conumption opportunities are opportunities to produce, and a programming website of all places to not make that connection is just lame. How many of us would still be programming if cost-of-entry was $100,000?

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Re:The alluring danger of dilettantism by walterk on Saturday January 10, 2009 @01:53PM (#428168)

I may not have read it as carefully as I should have. But I insist that there is more to life than both consumption and production. There is civic engagement. There is activism, no matter what your political philosophy.

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