Arguably, though we are primarily discussing interpersonal conduct in this thread. I will additionally quibble by pointing out that while violence itself is often necessary, the threat of violence is a separate concern; and one I myself find unpalatable in interpersonal relationships.

I always waved back.

All communication is attempted manipulation. That’s not bad. Manipulation is about changing someone else’s behavior. There are unethical ways to do this (eg. threat of violence, extortion) and there are ethical ways to do this (education, presenting factual evidence, positive reinforcement) and some that are more situational (deception, disincentives, horse trading).

Avoiding manipulation is neither practical nor particularly virtuous. It just makes you a doormat, a mugwump, a fence-sitter. We all affect those around us every day, and acknowledging that is the first step in making sure those interactions are a positive force in the world and the lives of those around us.

Welcome!

No, I really don’t. We’ll always have war buffs.

Pick whatever instance best suits the topic of the community. If you wanted a community about shovelling snow, midwest.social is an obvious choice. A mini about bicycle-powered computing? Consider slrpnk.net or one of the tech instances.

According to Plato, we only interact with memes through caves, and have no way of knowing if the what the meme means to us is what it actually signifies, or even if it signifies anything at all. It’s all shadows on the wall of a cave and our minds do the rest.

Nihil nova sub sole.

That old enough for ya?

My teenager offspring has extremely strong opinions on this and recently wrote an entire essay on how likely they are to actually enjoy pepperoni pizza given the original species involved.

But sadly, I don’t remember the actual breeds involved, just that in the latest version they’re all distinct species.

Argentina, but I think Cabo Verde was the most interesting team this year.

Edit: Misread the question, sorry.

I sometimes use it to mean “I don’t think you read what I wrote” or “I don’t think that’s relevant” in one-on-one discussions, but it has to be pretty egregious, since I upvote anyone who replies to me by default and simply not voting is my version of the downvote in that situation.

It’s the mark of one of the secret societies I’m in. For obvious reasons, I can’t say more.

Get amped!

Favorite: Philip K. Dick’s Galactic Pot-Healer and I’m rereading it right now

Another favorite is Stephenson’s Zodiac, and I reread it every couple years

Also reading right now: RF Kuang’s Katabasis (sadly, not nearly as good as Babel) and
Sanderson’s Mistborn series (definitely recommend the first trilogy and books four and five)

I used to teach, now I wait tables. I’ve also been a computer tech, event security, summer camp counselor, and lay minister.

I’m thinking about switching it up again. Maybe electrician?

cycling

I do digital download for most artists. A lot of my favorite acts sell vinyls with a digital download code included, so I do that sometimes too.

I’m a natural skeptic. Everything I believe is up for reëxamination and debate.

Waiting tables. Now it’s my main hustle.

Amélie Farren — “Unsweetened Lemonade” (Dark Pop)

Dar Williams — “Alleluia” (Singer-Songwriter)

Aleks & the Drummer — “I Want to Melt His Eyes” (Experimental Rock)