CoffeeJunkie
I think the weird-ass names are an attempt not for the parents to be different, but a generally severely misguided desire for their kids to appear different in a "Wowee, that's special" kinda way. Everyone else has a 'normal' name. But not my kid; my child is so different and special and s/he's going places, s/he's gonna get out of here & do important things or be a famous athlete.
As we know, oftentimes that's simply not the case...and it's just a nightmare for the rest of us (and that child) to spell, say, etc. I find it incredibly frustrating, even though I know this wasn't their choice, but their parents'. If their last name is weird shit, I politely ask for the first name. If the first name is also weird shit, I politely make a best guess phonetic whatever & move on.
Fun fact, it's not exactly ghetto made-up name territory, but Oprah Winfrey.....isn't Oprah. Her given name is Orpah, named after a biblical figure in the book of Ruth. Very obscure, ancient name! Nobody knew how to spell or pronounce it properly, and they started calling her Oprah instead. ๐ Now...we've got Oprah.
I was wondering why the HBO Dwight Schrute meme was making the rounds again. I swear this is the corporate equivalent of changing your pronouns every month.
I'm going to preface this statement by saying you don't need to be a believer or religious to benefit from religious things, or musings of religious people. Your questions relate to philosophy, morality, virtue. These are things religions have pondered for centuries. Millenia. Perhaps we should at least consider what they have to say. I'm also going to preface this with...I think I misinterpreted your first question. But I like what I whipped up & I think you will, too, so I'm keeping it. ๐
Pope Saint John Paul II once said, โfreedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.โ Now I really like this definition because it implies that real, lasting, quality freedom of the individual still comes with some responsibilities & even obligations. In the same way "being nice" is multi-faceted, it's got layers to it, it's using your freedom, abilities, powers, & assets to do good things for others. To build others up.
Now on to what I think your questions are, but I'm going to answer in reverse because I think it flows better in convo: there are absolutely huge differences between acting nice & actually being nice. A big one is motivation. Are you nice to help others? Or are you being nice in a bid to gain favor, look good, or get something for yourself? Are you altruistic & trying to help others? Or are you just in it for yourself? In Rick & Morty, I liked the wedding toast where Rick says being nice is something stupid people do to hedge their bets. Some people are nice just to help themselves.
We all have an opportunity to become better, or "be good", and it doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering. It's the cumulative effect of making good choices, the right choices, every single day when we're presented with the opportunity. Will Durant, when summarizing Aristotle's philosophy, remarked, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
It's hard to define "a point where someone stops being nice"; I don't view humans as one-dimensional. It's got to exist somewhere. I go back to a person's focus & intention, some people are "not nice" on purpose & then I'm sure there are lots of people with glaring character flaws, who are themselves unaware and/or they don't personally view those characteristics as flaws. "Being nice", itself, is open to interpretation. Personally, I would define being nice (to others) as seeking out & prioritizing their needs, especially without obligation or compulsion. Maybe a person stops being nice when the bad is significant, or outweighs the good. Honestly this probably plays like the guy presented in comic, but I think different people can have different relationships with the same person. There's a difference between a man & his boss, a man & his guy friends, a man & his wife, a man & his children, a man & idk people he doesn't like. It's the same guy. I think how a man treats somebody he owes nothing to says a lot about "niceness" & character.
It gets messy when people act like God has an active hand in every single little thing that happens. It's right up there with "everything happens for a reason". You know, rape happens for a reason. You just don't know why yet.
I like to frame it as free will & sometimes things just...happen. Accidents happen. Free will principle. Sometimes bad things happen because of bad people, sometimes bad things happen because you're stupid...it just seems to make more sense than an overly involved god.
That's the woman. Who, ironically, couldn't adequately cover Trump's body mass. ๐
There are multiple factors to work, muh both sides, but MGTOW is very much a thing. You can rabbithole for weeks. 45% of young Gen Z men aged 18-25 have never approached a woman in person for a date. It can be argued that is an active choice, not even approaching women.
I remember early 2010s, people were making funny videos yelling "YEET" & throwing things super far.
Then there's 26, when in the US you get kicked off your parents' insurance & you can go fuck yourself! ๐ค
Saint Michael Knowles recently discussed this on his show, and I really like (but disagree with) his answer. Paraphrasing:
"The surgeries we do now are designed to correct a deformity, or defect, or restoring normal functionality that is missing or has been lost. It brings up what is broken & fixes it. These surgeries they're trying to do now will allow humans to surpass human limitations, to become superior, to be more than human. And I don't think that's right or good."
Now coming from a deeply religious man, who likes to keep things natural & doesn't like tampering with stuff. Praises the human form, really celebrates humanity...sure. He's pretty consistent in character & I can see where he's coming from, kind of.
I say, why the hell not become more than human? Why not see what greatness we are capable of, when augmented with cyber implants, robotics, and AI? The people are willing to become more, let them become more. See what happens. I think the good will outweigh the bad, and if there's a god that has a big problem with that, well let him come down & say so. Until such a time occurs...let it play out. I want to see what we can do. ๐
The phrase "hat on a hat" doesn't quite capture what I want to say about this, but...if the phone more or less requires an external battery pack from point of sale, that's a bad phone. Failure by design. Not suitable for most regular users.
There is no shame in admitting ultra-slim tech just isn't a reality yet & scrapping the project; there is shame in...whatever the hell this is.
They might go ahead & release it, but we shouldn't buy products that fail by design.
I love Key & Peele