Why is my brother so stupid?

Darat said:
Without even reading the OP the answer is obvious to me - you got all the brains!
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Actually, that was the other brother, but thanks!

hgc said:
LiberyLady, your brother is of a youthful spirit. He's got that childlike quality of blithe invulnerability, impervious to motality. He'll enjoy life right up to its sudden end. Be happy for him.

;)
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It wears thin after the person passes 65 years old.

ponderingturtle said:
Mabey she just wants the life insurance.
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She's not that significant; they've only dated for a year.

Patsy said:
I have Celiac Sprue, which means I must avoid all wheat gluten. All. Even the teeniest bit. The effects of eating wheat are serious, painful, dangerous and long lasting for a Celiac. Even given that, I've encountered plenty of my fellow Celiacs that just aren't careful about ascertaining what is in food before they eat it. Hell, I've seen them deliberately eat stuff just because they want it, knowing they will be sick for days or weeks. Rank stupidity, just breathtakingly rank stupidity.

In speaking to others about Celiacs and how you must avoid all wheat gluten, their first comment is commonly "oh, I couldn't do that." Pointing out the serious consequences of gluten on Celiacs and how ill you are for how long after even a small accidental ingestion will usually elicit "yeah, but I still couldn't do that." Okay, at that point, I've got to wonder how they've avoided killing themselves by sticking their tongue in a light socket, but whatever turns them on.
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My brother-in-law is Celiac, and it's a miserable condition. It was only diagnosed about 5 years ago; he's been sick all his life. After the diagnosis and change in diet, he looked like a completely different person! However, it left his heart damaged. I know it's rough, but at least you work on it.

Jorghnassen said:
I hope your bro knows that pesto contains pine nuts... I learned that the hard way because I let my guard down once. It was not a pleasant experience but then, I'm not that allergic, though I always carry my Epipen. I have yet to use it after 18 years of carrying one (are they allowed on board planes?). And I tell everyone I've never had dinner with before about my allergies.
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He knows, thanks.

TV's Frank said:
And you've never done anything stupid, LibraryLady?
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Not twice! And certainly not the same thing over and over!

The stupidest thing I've ever done was get into a car the driver of which was stoned. I only did that once. No accident, no one was hurt, but I still wake up at night wondering how I could do something that idiotic. But I only did it once.
 
luchog said:
I prefer to think about it as nature's way of weeding out those with inadequate or faulty survival instincts. I feel less cynical that way. :)
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I've been having a cynical kind of day, as everyone at work was encountering problems they couldn't solve, and instead of trying to think them out, they ran around in circles going "oh noes" and wringing their hands. It is, unfortunately, my job to fix it when things go that far off the rails. You know, one of those days when you seem seriously outnumbered by the stupids.
 
LibraryLady said:
My brother-in-law is Celiac, and it's a miserable condition. It was only diagnosed about 5 years ago; he's been sick all his life. After the diagnosis and change in diet, he looked like a completely different person! However, it left his heart damaged. I know it's rough, but at least you work on it.
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I'm truly sorry to hear that it was not diagnosed until so much damage was done. I feel lucky to have been diagnosed before any serious, irreversable damage was done. I wish that people were regulary screened, or even educated about Celiac's to avoid stories like your BIL's.

It can be a terrible disease, but if you are fortunate enough to find out early on and take proper care of your diet, it doesn't have to be. The difference between prior to diagnoses and after eliminating gluten is so pronounced that it really is difficult for me to comprehend why some Celiac's don't take proper care.
 
Food has a strong effect on people causing them to do all sorts of things which are bad for their health. I mean it's sustenance and yet so much more for many people.
 
Dogdoctor said:
Food has a strong effect on people causing them to do all sorts of things which are bad for their health. I mean it's sustenance and yet so much more for many people.
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You sound like someone who eats to live rather than lives to eat. Which is cool. I'm intermediate myself.

On the other hand, there's a difference between having a high cholesterol count (if you bother to find out) and having your throat close up when you need it to breath through. Both are health issues, but ...
 
This brings up a more general question: why do people do irrational things? Most of us behave irrationally quite frequently, but most of the time the consequences are minor or trivial.

Irrational behavior when the consequenses are severe, as in your brother's case, are much less frequent, but all too common. Your brother is no doubt aware that he is vulnerable to house salad dressings, but is in denial about the likelihood of having a problem with it. As you describe it, he has had a problem only a few times in his life, and so far he has not suffered any permanent damage. He would rather take a chance than have to constantly check on the ingredients of the food that he eats in restaurants. And he can't be bothered to carry an up-to-date epipen, it's probably more trouble than it's worth, in his opinion. Some people won't wear seatbelts when they drive, no matter what the statistics show about how seatbelts lessen injury in an accident.

Risk is usually defined as the probability of something happening times the consequences if it does happen. Many people routinely take risks where the likelihood of damage is very low, even if the consequences are very high. It seems that frequently, people don't evaluate risk rationally. If an event is sufficiently unlikely, many people ignore it even when the consequences are extreme (like sudden death, for example). Many of us aren't able to properly evaluate risk, it seems. Probability is a foreign concept to many.
 
Patsy said:
..... The difference between prior to diagnoses and after eliminating gluten is so pronounced that it really is difficult for me to comprehend why some Celiac's don't take proper care.
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I made significant brownie points with someone who has Celiac's by finding some recipes in the 1975 Joy of Cooking that were gluten free. One particular favorite that I made from that was the gingerbread that used a combination of rice flour and cornstarch.

By the way, from the very few Celiac's that I know... they were often affected differently. But my knowledge is severely limited...

But one thing I have learned: Rice flour makes excellent lump free gravy.
 
I am going to go full bore and defend the stupid brother. He does have a sister that does not know how stupid she is.
4. It would be very rare for him to have to worry about nuts. He has gone many decades and it has not killed him yet so what is the problem?

3. If he is killed by eating nuts that will not be hit problem so why should he take precautions?

2. Yelling at him only damages the relationship with your brother.

1. I am overdue for bed.

Hope you had a good laugh at my expense.
 
Hydrogen Cyanide said:
I made significant brownie points with someone who has Celiac's by finding some recipes in the 1975 Joy of Cooking that were gluten free. One particular favorite that I made from that was the gingerbread that used a combination of rice flour and cornstarch.

By the way, from the very few Celiac's that I know... they were often affected differently. But my knowledge is severely limited...

But one thing I have learned: Rice flour makes excellent lump free gravy.
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I have several gluten free cook books, and subscribe to a couple gluten free magazines that publish recipes. I'd be happy to share any recipes I have with anyone who wants them. I'm also lucky enough to be quite near a Wild Oats store; they carry lots of gluten free bread, cake, pizza dough, and cookie mixes as well as gluten free pastas. It makes it a lot easier to cook.

Celiacs disease is an auto-immune disorder. While the more minor symptoms may very from person to person, the effect on the lower intestines it the same. Celiacs damages the lining of the intestine. You haven't lived until you are constantly sloughing and excreting the lining of your own intestines :jaw-dropp . If untreated you are constantly suffering from malnutrition due to maladsorbtion of the nutrients in your food. I personally suffer severe headaches, fatique and depression, and joint pain as well as all the classic symptoms listed below from any accidental ingestion of gluten.

Here is a snippet from Celiac.org regarding the symptoms of Celiacs disease.

Classic symptoms may include:
  • abdominal cramping, intestinal gas, distention and bloating
  • chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
  • steatorrhea -- fatty stools
  • anemia - unexplained, due to folic acid, B12, or iron deficiency (or all)
  • weight loss with large appetite, or weight gain
Other symptoms:
  • dental enamel defects
  • osteopenia, osteoporosis
  • bone or joint pain
  • fatigue, weakness and lack of energy
  • infertility - male/female
  • depression
  • Aphthous ulcers
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is skin manifestation of celiac disease characterized by blistering, intensely itchy skin. The rash has a symmetrical distribution and is most frequently found on the face, elbows, knees and buttocks. DH patients can have gastrointestinal damage without perceptible symptoms.
 
Patsy said:
I...Celiacs disease is an auto-immune disorder. While the more minor symptoms may very from person to person, the effect on the lower intestines it the same. ....
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One person I knew may have also had an allergy, because when he encountered gluten he also broke out in a rash.

His desk was near mine at work over 20 years ago. He got a celiac newsletter by snail mail... so he shared lots of information. I also know he did not have a problem with chocolates, because he manage to consume most of the box I brought back from the Netherlands!

It used to be only the health food stores had the gluten-free bread, but I noticed some at the higher end grocery stores (Whole Foods). Also there seem to be restaurants that claim to be gluten and casein free... but they seem to be full of nuts (the tree kind, because they are also vegetarian).
 
Hydrogen Cyanide said:
One person I knew may have also had an allergy, because when he encountered gluten he also broke out in a rash.
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Could be a milder manifestion of dermatitis herpetiformis. Or an allergy, as you say. How unlucky would you have to be to have Celiacs AND a gluten allergy? At least I don't have any of the skin manifestations, oh, how that would hurt my vanity :o .
 
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