A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions
If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!
Looking for support?
Looking for a community?
~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~
First, it’s getting better, not worse. We just see and hear about things immediately before any context is added, which makes it seem 10x worse.
Second, I try to make an impact on my local world. I try to be a good leader and impact those lives around me. If everyone made a difference we’d truly be much better off altogether.
How the fuck you lie to yourself like that? Getting better?
The average global temperature this year was highest in last 125,000 years. The US is about to have an election between two pathetic old men that no one likes except mentally deranged or blissfully in denial. In fact, Republicans and SCOTUS might remove Biden from ballots under the CO ruling of 14th Amd. citing "given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof"
China is about to invade Taiwan where 80% of semiconductors in advanced products are made, and US only move is to destroy the billion dollar fabs and pause technology with 4 years of no new things like iPhones.
AI is becoming 80% accurate on predicting deaths and will soon lead to insurance companies dropping people from life and medical right when people need it, and also employers will take advantage.
Antarctica is literally falling into the ocean. Oh and don't forget 1T tons of carbon stored in permafrost.
We are now in the "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic" stage of humanity. So, roughly around step 5 to 6.
But to answer your question at the moment, nihilism. The sad reality is we’re an animal that thinks itself as the divinely chosen species on the planet, thus absolving us from any sense of responsibility for destroying others and setting it on fire.
I think about how things actually were 50 years ago, and how every generation since the dawn of written history has the same exact end times mythology and then correctly conclude that I am merely suffering from the same delusion as nearly every human prior to me.
Also I own a glock and three bullets.
Having kids helps, it's their problem now.
I strive to improve it, at least that way I did all I could
By taking what limited steps I can, and by not criticizing others if I don’t think their efforts are thorough, effective, or sincere enough (nobody likes a smug, judgmental, pedantic asshole). By recognizing that people cope in their own ways, and keeping an open mind. By generally trying to be considerate of others.
I've been reading about increasing unionization and strike activity, leading to better deals for large groups of workers. The industry-level negotiations we're already seeing are helpful in isolation; but that's also the kind of energy that can lead to economic reforms that have a real impact on quality of life. Workers seem like the little guys, until a lot of them are pulling in the same direction, and then suddenly their demands become existentially important.
About a century-ish ago Americans were worse off than they are now. That led to desire for change, which led to decades of trust-busting, unionization, and regulation. We got things like weekends off, and a livable minimum wage. And not entirely unrelated, we also got national parks, the EPA, and endangered species preservation. We've back-slid a lot since those advances. But we can get them back, and push the needle even further next time. We did it before, we can do it again.
Title mentions the world.
Body worries about the US.
Nice US defaultism.
True, but let’s be honest, a) the rest of the world has their own version of the U.S. problems to deal with and b) if the U.S. goes to shit, a lot of things go to shit globally.
We can’t really lean back and say “man you really screwed shit up, sucks to be you” and get on with our life.
Anger, I simply want to out live my enemies and shit talk them when they die. I'm waiting on Bill oriley, Glen beck, bezos, Bill gates, Rupert murdoch and the other koch brother to croak simply to shit talk them to oblivion and pass this information too my children.
I have lost all hope and am behaving as though we will all be dead within 25 years, and although that is not LITERALLY true, the actual reality is that billions will die in the coming decades and it won't be peacefully in their sleep. The famines, wars and plain savagery will be awe inspiring to witness. The die offs of all life in the oceans and the insects will doom us to a swift death.
I exist and nothing more. I have no feelings one way or the other at this point. If I get hit by a car on my way home, it would be just as enjoyable as if I watched a good movie, although if I were to die in the crash, it might be a bit better than the movie.
I only hope that I can exact some form of vengeance on those responsible before we all perish.
We're in one of the best times to be alive in history and the world is still getting better in many ways, I just try to feel grateful for that when I see something that's bad or getting worse.
There is great disorder under heaven; the situation is excellent.
Son, I got comfortable with the fact it was only gonna get worse after '74 and Ford pardoned Nixon.
Sucks being right. points Pass those beer nuts?
By reminding myself that unless some space rock suddenly hits us or the sun decides to explode super early, we're fine. And if you look at our history as a species, we'll continue to be fine. We've endured far worse things than this before and we'll do it again and again. We're good at that. Stupidly good. Whatever rough spots we're facing now is going to pass. It's always passed. Can't be bad all the time, after all. As for global warming causing a potential extinction event? It...more than likely won't happen in our life time, so, worry, but don't, like, believe it'll happen tomorrow or that we're already actually facing The Great Dying 2.0. We're maybe at the crossroads, but not there yet.
Other than that? I do as a few have already mentioned here and try and make the world just a slightly better place. Helping others in my community out, being kind and considerate to the people around me, trying to not get frustrated at drivers out on the road (this is tough NGL), that kinda thing.
There is no guarantee that as a white male you get anything.
That kind of thinking is only present in the racist concept that Europeans have always been at the top.
They haven't. Western Europeans weren't the top of anything until the Renaissance(except maybe at being mostly peaceful, having a measure of women's rights and being outright genocided and colonized by the Romans).
I have several ways I cope:
Satisfaction that the rich are going to get fucked by climate catastrophe and ecosystem collapse just as much as everyone else. The climate change deniers will starve just like the rest of us.
It's been billions of years before I existed, and potentially trillions of years afterwards. I'm incredibly lucky to be aware and thinking, so why should I complain about stuff happening after my spark of awareness has faded?
Earth will continue without humans just fine, eventually getting swallowed by the Sun. Nothing humanity has done will survive.
Celebrate being alive to experience the universe.
Nothing humanity has done will survive.
I wouldn't say nothing, after all we've sent a bunch of stuff speeding out of the Solar System and will probably send more in the future.
I focus on trying to improve my own little corner of the world, realizing that it may not make much of a difference in the grand scheme. But taking some small actions to help others, reduce my footprint, etc. does help allay some of the despair and dread. I know it's not much, but that's all I've got for you.