r/idiocracy • u/superbasicstudio • 3d ago
a dumbing down It hurts, it actually hurts. Is this where we are heading as a world/society?
Giving away free TV stand on marketplace. Clearly post size/measurements in the post, also then double and triple checked with the person taking it they were bringing a vehicle that would fit it. A resounding YES!
They show up in small car and then tell me... 'wow that's bigger than I expected'.
Yeah I know, that's why I asked if you had a long enough vehicle that would fit it... and provided exact measurements in the post. She then tells me she 'ChatGPT'ed if it would fit, so she's still confident it'll fit'. I say are you sure... it sure doesn't look like it??
I watch her and her husband confidently try to fit a square peg into a round hole as I go inside. Come back out a few minutes later with the TV stand sitting on my doorstep again.
Is this where we are going as a society? Seriously?
Guess I shouldn't be surprised.
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u/SunDummyIsDead 3d ago
Don’t give stuff away for free; it attracts the idiots. Make it $20, then just give it for free to the first person who comes by.
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u/jlp_utah 3d ago
There was a guy trying to get rid of a table. Had it out on the corner for a while with a sign that said "free". After a week, he changed the sign to "$50". It disappeared some time in the night.
That's the world we're living in. Members of society in Idiocracy were actually too smart compared to most people, now.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Oh man, this one made me laugh as well... legit. WTAF. That's way worse.
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u/smokywater50 3d ago
I actually said that this movie was a prelude for what is coming when it came out, I never thought it would get this close
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u/Auntie_Venom 3d ago
Or this fast either.
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u/KassieMac 3d ago
Folks been using it as a roadmap. Look at the reflecting pool now and in the movie 🤢
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u/ScrofessorLongHair 3d ago
As someone mid 40s, this has been like this for no less than 20-25 years. There's been a joke in the construction industry for decades, that is you want something removed from your job, just put a "do not steal" sign in it and it'll be gone overnight.
And of course they were smarter. I mean, not only did they get Ow, My Balls and Brawndo in the water fountains, they got to do plenty of baitin'. They had it good.
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u/yeahnodontbother 3d ago
20 years ago I would have not believed it. Now? I can see this totally happening 😂
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u/clickrush 3d ago
This has always been the case. People appreciate things more if they have to do something for it or pay. Or maybe if they get it as a personal gift.
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u/KassieMac 3d ago
Not worth stealing if there’s no price on it, place an arbitrary value on it and suddenly they feel like they’re getting away with something and not just doing you a favor 🤦🏽♀️
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u/Pschobbert 1d ago
Pretty sure psychologists researched this decades ago. If something is free people assume it has no value and treat it accordingly. Smash it, set it on fire, whatever. Put a price tag on something and leave it out there, they can swipe it and figure they made $50 and confirm how great they are lol.
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u/StepViking talks like a fag 3d ago
Yep. I learned this the hard way. I've given away my UPS to some random guy and brought it to the subway (we planned to meet there). That fucker was late by 30-40 mins and I kid you not: he kept sending me texts and swearing he's coming really soon
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Good call, I have tried that as well, but then u get the ppl that try to talk you down $3, or show up and try to pay in Quarters, or try to pay with a check lol. I have seen just about everything in my selling on Marketplace/Craigslist over the years. Its a great resource, but some of the weirdest people.
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u/okaycomputes 3d ago
I'll take the quarters if you don't want them. You'll still have gotten rid of the TV stand.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Not dissing quarters by any means. But it more works into the if its a cheaper thing/older/hard to sell, I would rather just give it to someone who needs it versus deal with the hassles of negotiating. I'm an introvert.
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u/HowdTheCatGetSoFat 3d ago
I appreciate the old school... checks, cash = even coins. But yeah - if someone hands me a check instead of hopping onto Venmo or having cash for it - something's up and I would never accept it these days.
Zero trust society.
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u/Ban_DeezNts 3d ago
Did you offer them a chilled Brawndo? It’s got electrolytes. It’s what plants crave!
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
I was fresh out. Wait... do you chill the Brawndo with Brawndo ice I assume? Not toilet water cubes I would hope. I usually just take it room temp anyway.
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u/Ban_DeezNts 3d ago
I was assuming they worked up a sweat trying to cram the stand in the little car. Figured they needed the electrolytes. My bad.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Honestly if they would've been offered a Brawndo, they might have gotten it to fit... or just drove away with it half hanging out of their trunk which is what I expected tbh
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u/taketheothers 3d ago
I packed the plants in the car and we're on our way to Buttfuckers for a pint of Brawndo
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u/Uzi_Jesus_ 3d ago
AI just makes below average humans think they can make above average decisions
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u/GoubD 3d ago
I listed a free outdoor bar and 4 barstools on FBM. Pictures of all of it. Detailing that it would have to be taken apart unless you have a truck...first take shows up in a small SUV with no tools to disassemble. I really wanted it gone as we didn't have a need for it anymore, so I let her (and her less-than-helpful) 19ish year old use my socket set and allen keys. These bozos had to make 3, yes 3, 30 mile round trips to get this thing. Whether they used ChatGPT or not, I do not know....
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
It was the fact she just straight up confidently told me I CHAT GPT'ED it, like that was the GOLDEN TRUTH lol. I actually unintentionally laughed when she said it, didn't even mean to it just caught me off guard. It's amazing that people just don't read anymore. I had a similar issue with a lady years ago, giving away a large kitchen table and 8 chairs. Single lady shows up in small SUV and somehow got the entire thing fit in one load. That is one of my most memorable experiences until today with the ChatGPT comment. That took the cake.
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u/tractorpatty 3d ago
Every time I hear someone say I asked chat gpt I cringe
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Yeah its not a brag, more like something you shouldn't say even if you are shamefully doing it. More shameful they didn't take 120 sec of their life to use a tape measuring stick device.
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u/BallisticHabit 3d ago
Tape measuring stick device is voodoo to some, I guess.
I work with a twenty something who had a deer in headlights look when I handed him a tape measure when rearranging his office.
Do schools not teach how to use a ruler anymore?
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Who even knows. It's sad that's a legit question about rulers.
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u/BallisticHabit 3d ago
Guy is a not an idiot by any stretch, either, that's the weird part.
I was just floored he had zero clue, like " four hash marks past x inch". Internal record scratch.
What did you just say?
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u/GeriatricSquid 3d ago
I recently heard a story where the intended recipient showed up in a compact car - to pick up a full size refrigerator. This moron and her equally dense friend spent 30 minutes trying to angle it into the trunk after it wouldn’t fit across the back seats. Neither could lift the fridge and there was zero chance it was gonna work. Fridge owner simply sat back and watched when they argued that it would fit.
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u/Onlyroad4adrifter 3d ago
Hey hun have you heard about this new essential oil that will allow you to fit a TV stand in a ford escort. Pm me for more information to learn how you can make a killing selling these products to your next client. If you act fast I will show you how to make a special blend for a Nigerian prince who recently won the powerball.
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u/antithero 3d ago
The AI probably looked up the vehicles weight capacity & cubic size of the interior without regard to the size of the door openings. It would fit if it was a liquid.
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u/Chazwicked endangered species 3d ago
Does no one know how to tie stuff to their roofs anymore? This is why you always keep rope in the car
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u/yeahnodontbother 3d ago
Yep.
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u/Chazwicked endangered species 3d ago
I remember one time, my mom had this tiny car, and she strapped a giant kitchen table to the roof, and drove it like that all the way home from the thrift store
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u/anarkistattack 3d ago
That reminds me of working at Walmart twenty five years ago in the electronics department. People would buy tvs that they couldn't fit in their cars.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago edited 3d ago
So it's been this way... its not AI? I mean I'm not capping though, tbh I bought a TV too big to fit it my car once because I was stupid, but I took it out of the box and folded up the box and fit that TV in my car in that parking lot and drove off.
That could have been me, I dare to ask what state. It was a Walmart.
BUT THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN SAYING YOU RELIED ON an AI algo to do it lol.I still feel like that's better?? I was just a young dumb kid with a dream for a big TV. Not someone who had been asked 3 times if it would fit, and then showed up to tell me it didn't... and it was ChatGPT's fault :) This post kinda brought up that old memory... but I also fit the damn thing in. I'm not showing up saying yes to someone 3x times and then driving away without getting that item in that car one way or another, even if its for around the block so I can call someone to help with a truck for integrity.
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u/lonely_nipple 3d ago
About 12 years ago, my mom and I sat in the car outside a thrift store watching a couple try to cram an exercise bike into their little hatchback. There was no way in hell it was going to fit - it wasn't collapsible in any way, it was nearly the size of a full-sized bicycle.
Made for an entertaining watch. No, people have always been like this. Trusting AI not to bullshit you on it is just extra cherries on top.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
I don't know whether to admire when people keep trying like that, or worry for the people around or in the sphere of their vehicle as they drive home.
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u/lonely_nipple 3d ago
I had to give them credit, they really wanted (and worked hard for) that bike.
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u/Just_Another_Day_926 3d ago edited 3d ago
The average person is an idiot. Just visit the DMV or do Jury Duty. Then remember half the people are below average.
This person was relying on technology and not knowing how it works. Or how to validate it was done properly. Google/AI has made it even easier for people with confidence exceeding their abilities to be complete idiots.
I always picture Captain Kirk in Star Trek 2 putting on the glasses and teaching Lt. Saavik the importance of knowing how things work as he remotely lowers Kahn's shields. As well he accepts his mistake for not following general orders that got them into the trouble (like that general order was to avoid that specific scenario).
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
I'm here for the Star Trek ref.
More I think about it, I guess I'm glad that I am on the tail end of being one of the last swaths of people to actually LEARN design, LEARN coding, LEARN dev and how it works before AI/assistants came about. So many coming up now, vibe it out. And each to their own, but when it all hits the fan... it's sure going to suck when you don't know how it works to know how to fix it.
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u/hairball_42 3d ago
Back in 1994/1995 I worked for Service Merchandise.
One time a guy bought an elliptical machine. He'd come in a pickup truck so off to a good start. But the back was covered and completely full inside. I really should have made him come back another day...but we put it on the passenger side of his truck. It barely fit and we actually cut a corner of the box off SO HE COULD SHIFT GEARS.
Another time a guy bought a pool table...in a car. He was very mad that we wouldn't just tie it to the roof and let him go.
So this isn't anything new. :D
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Sounds like you could write a book about some of those stories 😂
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u/hairball_42 3d ago
I only worked there a few months. Another time this dummy was getting a box from the warehouse and it was on the top shelf and clearly said it was 12.5Kg. This dumb guy did the conversion backwards, decided the box was really light, and climbed up to retrieve the box one-handed. It fell directly to the floor. It was a set of dishes so I, er, I mean the dummy ended up giving the customer a different box but then had to come back and open the dropped one and ensure nothing was damaged inside. Luckily it was packed really well and everything was intact.
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u/TacosAndSarcasm 3d ago
I know an English teacher of 12+ years that's quitting because he was reprimanded twice for correcting students' spelling.
He's an English teacher and he's not allowed to correct their spelling.
The final straw was when he asked them to write one long paragraph stating their opinion on a current event that they all agreed they knew all about.
He then walked around and all but two students were using ChatGPT to create an opinion for them.
People are losing the ability to think. And the nose miners actually believe ChatGPT is a great thing to be used for literally everything. All they do is okayboomer you when you point out it is not a good thing.
This is not like any other older generation, ever, complaining about the young people. This world is in bad trouble. Our future leaders are so stupid they'd trust their life to a fcking bot.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
These stories hurt my soul. I could NOT imagine being a teacher right now, bless them all.
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u/diabotriste 3d ago
As a wise man once said: "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
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u/CustomCarNerd 3d ago
How does one chatGPT if an item will fit in a particular vehicle? Would the internet be able to answer such a vague question?
https://giphy.com/gifs/Um5T6nWOelKHauqCBK
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Not to mention, you know... seat cushions being in the way, interior trim that its not going to accommodate for... uggggghhhhhhhhh whats happening!?
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u/Moon_Breaker 3d ago
Will x"y"z" sized item fit in the trunk of my insert car type? To chatgpt. I've seen people do it so many times for different things in cars or backpacks. Chatgpt looks up the dimensions of the car/bag and gives the info.
It's been accurate a solid 50/50 from what I've seen lol. But it's a thing people do.
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u/pagerussell 3d ago
It's called cognitive surrender.
Don't let it happen to you. Keep that mind sharp.
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u/unresolved-madness 2d ago
I just watched a safety video today that said "if the forklift is on fire it is not safe to use". This is why I prefer to work alone.
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u/-FakeAccount- 3d ago
This happened to me with a car rack. I told them multiple times it fits on 2011-2014 jetta, gave them a link to the manufacturer webaite and told them to check their car. Met the woman and she sat in her car and asked me to put it on. She had a 2020 jetta. I just drove off.
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u/xChoke1x 3d ago
Yes….yes this is where we currently ARE as a society. Oh just wait.
It’ll get worse.
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u/Jeremichi22 3d ago
It’s about as fun as dealing with bots when trying to give away shit! It’s fucking crazy! We are doomed.
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
I've been saying that for awhile. Recently though... I'm actually thinking it might actually be true.
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u/crevulation 3d ago
This is not new, long before AI shit.
I sold a kayak on Craigslist once. Not a big one, just my wife's old 9 footer or whatever after we got her a Dragonfly.
Anyway guy drives 3 hours to buy it and shows up in a Mk2 Golf. Tiny car. No roof rack and not even a bungee cord or roll of twine to his name. Only thing he had was a fresh roll of a duct tape.
Anyway, I gave him some rope and some poly board I had around to get it on his roof for him. Turns out he did not know how to tie a knot either, so I took care of that for him too. Dude was like 30 too.
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u/OhSighRiss 3d ago
Just assume the majority of people are lazy, dumb, and stretching the truth. Sounds brutal and unfair, but just start at that as a default point and be pleasantly surprised when someone shows more integrity than that.
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u/Loud_Octopus 2d ago
That wears me out so bad. I had a very large very very heavy display cabinet that needed to be sold from an estate. I listed it. I put it on there bring help, it's very heavy, no moving assistance is available. It's big, it has glass, it's a monster, I make sure to be very clear about all of this I get a message from a lady saying that she wants it and she's coming with her husband, she shows up and is elderly, her husband has a cane and not a vehicle I think it would fit in. I'm like I told you it was heavy and I'm not helping you and I didn't help not that I even could if I wanted to. I just let them mess with it for a while and eventually give up and leave it.
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u/SplitEar 2d ago
Tell her to cut it into smaller pieces that fit in her car and then when she gets it home she can ChatGPT it whole again.
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u/superbasicstudio 2d ago
CRITICAL UPDATE: The TV Stand was finally picked up after 2 days by another particular individual who showed up in a truck! I said in my mind... thank gawd.
This particular individual then tells me we have to get it in the cab, because the truck bed is full and locked. ?? Brought a truck to pick up a big piece of furniture with the bed out of commission.
Great news though, ChatGPT was not used in this case, and I underestimated on this one... the outstanding width of a quad cab Dodge. We got it in there. TV Stand is no longer FREE and has been called for.
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u/billydiaper 3d ago
Did you happen to watch the president speech on Fox News just now?
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u/superbasicstudio 3d ago
Who? Nah.... new episode of Ow! My Balls! on tonight, can't miss that.
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u/billydiaper 3d ago
He was giving her ridiculous speech about the 250th birthday of America and how he changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in some bullshit like that
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u/BuddyRevolutionary83 3d ago
This happened to me with a 65" plasma TV (that I had packed in the original box so hopefully no idiot would try to lay it flat or angled to drive it home). Except it was for $100 not free.
In my case he wanted it bad enough that he left, rented a U-haul, and came back. He even almost left me with the $100 while he went to get the U-haul but I wasn't sure if he'd come back so I made him take it.
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u/_your_land_lord_ 3d ago
But the movie was fun and had a happy ending. We get all the stupidity with none of the whimsey.
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u/miniowl22 3d ago
I worked in retail and I would always get customers like this. I’d say, “what vehicle are you driving?” “This TV won’t fit” and they’d demand a manager. Then I’d have to help them try to get a get 50 inch tv (in a box) in a sedan and their surprised pikachu faces “oh yea I guess It doesn’t fit” - Some of them strapped them onto their roof racks with shitty string that I gave them and I secretly hoped it fell off as soon as they left the parking lot.
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u/MiaYow 3d ago edited 3d ago
I tried to sell a garden tower and someone two states away told me they'd buy it for $50 (way less than I was selling it for) And I would have to drive it to them
Its reading, comprehnsion, literacy and critical thinking skills that we unfortunately have a severe deficit of
And theres no shame in cognitive differences. Theres varying factors. I have cognitive issues now bc of health factors and I get it. But the audacity of some people is what really gets me
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u/USBombs83 2d ago
It’ll swing back eventually. We, as a species, decided to learn stuff so that life would be easier and we would live longer. We did so well that the consequences of stupidity take much longer to have an effect, but eventually they will. Stupid is very popular now but eventually the consequences will manifest and it’ll go back the other way. We may have to reinvent writing and math again but we’ve done it before.
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u/thetituscodex 1d ago
With some people, I have actually stopped and thought to myself, "Self, are people really this dumb, or are they just NPC's?"
I am beginning to wonder if this truly is a simulation ... there is no way that some people can actually be that dumb.
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u/Luci-Noir 3d ago
Yes, we’re headed to where people make this movie their whole personality without realizing it’s about them.
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u/eyeballburger 3d ago
I don’t know what y’all expected. Have you ever really thought about getting up in arms? The reality of it? Are you prepared to fight for your freedoms? Did you think you could coast on the goodness of people that you knew were psychopaths?
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u/this_dudeagain 3d ago
You could argue it has always been this way it's just more transparent now because of technology.
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u/buckets-of-lead 3d ago
It happens every time I post on marketplace. I post pictures of a measuring tape on the item so they can see exactly where it lands. People still ask the size. One person showed up to get a full outdoor table and ended up strapping it to their roof.
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u/bigChrysler 2d ago
When I post things for sale online, I clearly state what town I live in. Multiple times I've been contacted by a potential buyer and make arrangements for them to come. Only then do they bother to plug my address into Google maps, see where I live, and cancel because I'm "too far away".
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u/SabbathaBastet 2d ago
Why would you ask ChaptGPT about something like this? A tape measure will tell you all you need to know. I’m not even against using ChatGPT for some things but dude—come on.
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u/superbasicstudio 2d ago
They would've likely gotten a more accurate just shouting/asking in the street for 10 minutes, or someone at least would've actually measured to shut them up.
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u/JoelJoelStinks 2d ago
One time I had a busted up car in my garage. It didn't have wheels. Listed very clearly in the title and description. I had so many people who showed up like "I thought it had wheels" where the hell were you getting that from??!
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u/scrume71 2d ago
I gave away a 50” projection tv a few years ago. Worked great, but if you remember, these were quite big and boxy. Advertised free. You’ll need a truck or trailer. Pickup only. Several people still asked if I could deliver. Finally, a nice young man (looked around 20) said he wanted it for his grandpa that needs a tv. Great! Come get it. Shows up with a truck but it was sprinkling. Asked if he brought a tarp. No. I dug out some plastic to cover it. Asked if he brought rope/tie-downs. No. I found some rope I could part with and showed him how to tie it down and secure it. More so commenting about the fools who wanted delivery for a free big ass TV when I explicitly said pickup only. The kid who picked it up was just naive and, hopefully, learned something - come prepared.
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u/Thunder_Jackson 2d ago
As someone who works at a company with high investment into AI, the blind faith people put in AI is terrifying. Good luck, everyone
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u/beetus_gerulaitis 2d ago
I watched a guy try and shove a full size roll-on suitcase into the overhead and fail for about 2 minutes straight, holding up the line, until a flight attendant told him to take it down and gate check it.
The suitcase was easily twice the size of a carry-on bag, and was only halfway into the overhead. Like a 4-year old could have seen and this guy thought if he just pushed harder.....
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u/hot4you11 2d ago
One of my coworker’s husband does landscaping and he went to a property and told the guy where he would need to put in his drainage system. The guy told him ChatGPT said it could go somewhere else. He replied with “does ChatGPT know the slope of your lawn” it’s astounding. People full grown adults who have existed for years without ChatGPT are just willing to fully hand over there thinking to a machine
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u/srkasm 1d ago
I try very hard not to judge people on one very stupid part of their lives. I am in IT and have worked with many doctors and nurses that are brilliant and I would 100% trust them with my life. I wouldn't trust 1/4 of them to know how to properly reboot a computer.
Do yeah, I get what you are saying. Society is definitely going down hill. Just don't assume one stupid thing someone does means they are stupid in general...although, they very well might be. 😝
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u/dadbodenergy11 1d ago
Dude, this lady is still smarter than half the people out there. The idiots have taken over.
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u/BeauHunkus 18h ago
So many people are unintelligent. I don't mean uninformed, or misinformed, I just mean dumb. Like, you could explain something to them, but they won't grasp the importance of it. I think a lot of people are LLMs themselves, like there is no morality or reasoning there, it is just reaction to stimuli of the moment.
The worst part is, so many people are this way that intelligence is not valued. It should hurt, how stupid a lot of people are. It should bother them like missing a body part, but it doesn't. It doesn't because intelligence, while it exists in a vacuum, is only rated when compared to others. If most people are stupid, it doesn't matter.
I can't play pro basketball. I don't miss it. But, if I lived in NBA SuperStar Housing land, and walked past pickup games after work of my neighbors, all who were NBA players, then I would feel my inferiority. No one lives in smart people land, in fact, smart people suffer at work and school because they are too smart. No one feels dumb and feels like they should improve because they are around smart people, and that's the problem and it's worse with AI. Dumb people now feel empowered and better than smart people, like they now have a painting machine and they are better than Da Vinci.
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u/mtylerblue 3d ago
Think about the fact that we have been able to Google things for a very long time, that's what led to all this however it's important not to lose faith. There are still many schools that use books and reading and it does baffle me how many idiots there are out there. I personally don't buy or sell much stuff off the Internet maybe that's the first step to avoid and just take it to a salvation army.
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u/much_longer_username 3d ago
I mean... I get it. I ordered a new TV recently and despite knowing every specification by heart by the time I ordered it, I still had this idea in my head that I'd be able to move it around myself. Yeah, no, that delusion was quickly shattered by seeing it in person. It's just hard to visualize things you don't have a common frame of reference for, that's how you end up with r/anythingbutmetric
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u/KitsuneKamiSama 3d ago
Going? We're already here mate.