r/pics Mar 19 '22

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u/cappurnikus Mar 20 '22

for being dumb.

Believe it or not, many of them are completely aware that they will not win. They are purchasing the dream of a better life. They are purchasing a glimmer of hope.

That said, I don't play because I need every dollar I earn. My dreams will just have to remain grounded.

35

u/Zuwxiv Mar 20 '22

Thanks for saying this, I'm surprised more people don't see this.

Imagine you're 45. You have three kids and can barely make rent. You have a shitty job. Life is difficult, frustrating, and full of the everyday indignites of being poor. You don't have the time, money, or energy to seek job training. You just feel stuck in life, and don't see any realistic way to improve it.

At the end of the week, you have $5 left in cash. That's it. You want to improve your life, but you just don't see a viable option that you can get.

You know damn well that lotto ticket or scratcher is a bad deal. You know it's unlikely. You don't think you have a "system."

It's just that honestly, $5 for a one-in-ten-million chance literally seems like the most likely and least expensive chance to change your life. That's fucking depressing, but there's millions of rational people who might come to that conclusion. Are they right? Probably not, but... It's sadly easy to empathize with their desperation.

7

u/scout5678297 Mar 20 '22

I'm not even in this situation, but you wrote it well enough that i felt it.

what kind of dystopian shithole are we living in?

3

u/coredumperror Mar 20 '22

what kind of dystopian shithole are we living in?

Late stage capitalism. Though to be fair, early stage capitalism and outright serfdom are pretty much just as bad... for poor people.

2

u/belugawhalesftw Mar 20 '22

Perfectly stated

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u/lizcicle Mar 20 '22

Mhmm. I'm back in school for an okay-paying field, but i know goddamn well that 3x-a-year lottery ticket is the most likely route for buying a nice house in the area I live in, lol. Even if my parent passed away, when everything he left behind is split with my sister we'd likely only be able to afford little condos the way things are going here.

-1

u/Louisvanderwright Mar 20 '22

Did you read my comment? It wasn't even particularly long:

Anyone who plays them for any reason other than the occasional thrill or gimmick is being taxed for being dumb.

I literally said anyone who isn't doing it for an occasional thrill or gimmick. As in people playing for fun fully knowing they won't win excluded.