a day ago
- The author rants about widespread apathy and lack of care in various domains, including government agencies (DMV), software development, city planning (bike lanes, street lights), and everyday social interactions (turn signals, escalator blocking, sidewalk walking).
- Examples of indifference include a poorly designed bike ramp that could have been fixed with minimal effort, harsh LED streetlights chosen without considering residents' sleep quality, and people failing to cooperate in trivial ways like letting others merge or picking up after dogs.
- The essay argues that many who don't care are not necessarily assholes but victims of systems that stifle personal agency, and that a culture of defection spreads, demoralizing those who do care.
- Contrast is drawn with Japan, where most people take their roles seriously, and with the author's own experience: a caring startup environment versus a large tech company where caring diminished over time due to incentives.
- The author once tried to spark a 'snowball of care' through community activism (dog bag dispensers, curb ramps, lobbying) but saw little change, leading to a desire to find or build a community where a supermajority genuinely cares.