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by ChrisMarshallNY 2 days ago
Hmm... the reactions to this post are rather revealing about the HN community.

One quite positive, and sharing an excellent link (thanks).

One neutral, and sharing the xkcd link I referenced (thanks).

A couple of anonymous downvotes. I assume because it says something positive about someone, and we'll have none of that, here, thank you very much.

1 comments

The concept of not feigning surprise may be related to the linked xkcd comic, but I don’t see any indication that it’s the “original”, and I downvoted several comments that seemed keen to steal thunder from the post by trying to frame it as just a rehash of a popular comic.
I sincerely wasn't trying to "steal her thunder," as my preface to the comment makes clear. Lots of people reference xkcd, myself, included[0]. It doesn't cheapen her post, one, tiny bit. I did change it, so it doesn't say "original." Good point.

It's entirely possible that people can be decent to each other. I know, I know, that's crazy talk, but I'm kind of relentlessly positive. I have had plenty of negative fuel, but I guess I'm just a Pollyanna.

[0] https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qQDAuhGvBvBlZVH2zn_V...

> It's entirely possible that people can be decent to each other. I know, I know, that's crazy talk

This is nearly comical phrasing given the topic of the page.

I provided enough context about the specific kind of comment I found to be in bad faith that I don’t understand why you felt concerned that I took offense to any mentions of xkcd.

It was meant to be comical, and, judging from some of the comment threads in the posting, I think a lot of folks are really, really uncomfortable, being positive, or seeing other folks trying to be positive.

I tend to hang with a fairly ... unkempt ... crowd, IRL. Many of them have been through serious personal trauma, and have great difficulty seeing anything good in life, or in others.

They are a minority, in society, in general, but some communities tend to gather them in greater numbers (like the one in which I participate, which is about people trying to heal from trauma, amongst other things).

It's not unusual to encounter folks that sincerely believe that expressing optimism, open-mindedness, or kindness is an expression of weakness, to be treated with contempt. They sincerely believe that these expressions of positive energy are fake -often for good reason, as they have seen plenty of fake good faith.

I have learned not to allow myself to be drawn into their world, which often means that I am treated with contempt.

I shrug it off, and continue to be positive, anyway. I enjoy Julia Evans, because she remains relentlessly positive, in a community that is often ... unreceptive ... to that kind of energy.

With respect, I think you're seeing what you're looking for.