A quotation from Thoreau

If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American philosopher and writer
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 “Economy” (1854)

More about this quote: wist.info/thoreau-henry-david/…

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Thoreau, Henry David - Walden; or, Life in the Woods, ch. 1 "Economy" (1854) | WIST Quotations

If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.

WIST Quotations

A quotation from Eric Hoffer

A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 1, ch. 2, § 10 (1951)

More about this quote: wist.info/hoffer-eric/10669/

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Hoffer, Eric - True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, Part 1, ch. 2, § 10 (1951) | WIST Quotations

A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business.

WIST Quotations

With posts going around about the Mastodon HOA, I disagree with some of the points made by some.

Should you join the Mastodon HOA and annoyingly "correct" everyone who doesn't do things the way you want them to do them?

Hell, no!

Will people do things in ways other than how you want them to?

Yes.

Is this a moral failing on their part?

No.

Does this, by itself, constitute an attack on you, or an injury to you?

No.

But what are you supposed to do about it?

Nothing. That's the hardest part for members of the HOA to accept. You don't need to do anything when you see someone do things their own way. Ignore it. Move on with your life. See also: bean soup syndrome.

To clarify and defend against some attacks the HOA has directed against me in the past:

I think alt-text on images is a good thing.
I think people should use alt-text on images they post.
I put good, descriptive alt-text on pretty much every image I post, not just "Photo of <X>".
Do I yell at people who post images without alt-text? No.
Do I boost posts containing images without alt-text? Yes, if they're worth boosting.
Do I yell at people for boosting posts without alt-text? No, of course not. See above.

If you're in the HOA, you're part of the problem. Just stop.

#HOA #MastodonHOA #Mastodon #AltText #busybody #NosyNellie #JustStop #stop #browbeat #LetItBe #MYOB #MindYourOwnBusiness #CorrectileDysfunction #BeanSoup #BeanSoupSyndrome #DoNothing #DontDoAnything #LiveAndLetLive

A quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson

You will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, poet
Essay (1841), “Self-Reliance,” Essays: First Series, No. 2

More about this quote: wist.info/emerson-ralph-waldo/…

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A quotation from Ben Franklin

The World is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet every one has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the Affairs of his neighbour.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1743 ed.)

More about this quote: wist.info/franklin-benjamin/59…

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Poor Richard (1743 ed.) - Franklin, Benjamin | WIST Quotations

The World is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet every one has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the Affairs of his neighbour.

WIST Quotations

Some people don't work, but still want to put their nose in the business of others. It's our job to tell them to mind their own business, encourage them to get a job, and focus on their own business and their own walk with God. (2 Thessalonians 3:11)

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https://apps.apple.com/us/app/idle-reporter-for-nyc-dep/id6747315971 #snitchingapp #NYCtrucks #gamification #pocketchange #busybody #HackerNews #ngated
Idle Reporter for NYC DEP App - App Store

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App Store

@BobCollins

The peculiarly USAnian institution of the Home Owners' Association (HOA) (I'm Canadian) is notoriously filled with the kind of busybody Mussolini/Franco-wannabe dictators and martinets that want nothing more than to (a) be all up in everyone else's business, and (b) be upset about it.

They get on the boards (no one else wants to be on them), and they set crazy control-freak rules [1] like:

No vehicles parked on street.
No vehicles parked in driveways outside the hours of 8am - 6pm.
No flags allowed.
No advertising allowed, including company branding on vehicles parked in the neighbourhood.
All yards must be covered with lawn consisting of approved grass seed types and be maintained between 2 and 3 inches long at all times.
All windows must have blinds or drapes that show white to the outside.
Only the colours of these three approved paint chips may be used to paint fences with.
All houses must be stucco of one of these 3 approved colours.
House numbers must be displayed in this approved font, and be between X and Y inches high.
No overnight guests without advanced approval.

... and on and on and on. And then they go around the neighbourhood looking for violators to report to the board (that they're on) for punishment and correction.

It's downright nutty.

[1] These are all examples I've seen online.

#busybody #martinet #Mussolini #Franco #dictator #control #ControlFreak

A quotation from Robert Louis Stevenson

There is an idea abroad among moral people that they should make their neighbors good. One person I have to make good: myself.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet

Essay (1888-12), “A Christmas Sermon,” sec. 2, Scribner’s Magazine, Vol. 4

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/stevenson-robert-lou…

#quote #quotes #quotation #busybody #goodperson #morality #neighbor #personalimprovement #reform #responsibility #selfimprovement #selfresponsibility #virtue

Essay (1888-12), "A Christmas Sermon," sec. 2, Scribner's Magazine, Vol. 4 - Stevenson, Robert Louis | WIST Quotations

There is an idea abroad among moral people that they should make their neighbors good. One person I have to make good: myself. Originally written in the winter of 1887-88. Collected in Across the Plains, ch. 12 (1892).

WIST Quotations

A quotation from Billings, Josh:

«
It iz very eazy to manage our nabors bizzness, but our own sumtimes bothers us.

[It is very easy to manage our neighbors’ business, but our own sometimes bothers us.]
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/billings-josh/74044/

#quote #quotes #quotation #advice #business #busybody #meddling #neighbor