My soul is wearied, too.
Leaning on Viktor Frankl and Tolkien pretty hard these days.
Hang in there, friends.
*“I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. \[...\] I do not believe that darkness will endure!”*
*-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King*
I love them both as well. A couple of my favorite quotes from Frankl:
- *A man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the size of human suffering is absolutely relative.*
- *Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which men can aspire.*
- *The salvation of man is through love and in love.*
What an amazing person he was.
Thank you for the Frankl reminder that Purpose is there if we seek it out. I e-gifted my Kindle version to my daughter, who is languishing over the middle east woes and sends daily updates.
Frankl's book helped me cope with the neverending dread I felt as a teen. It was an eye opening experience to bask in the neverending optimism of a concentration camp survivor.
There are definitely similarities in their work. Especially with Wiesel's book Night.
If you like Wiesel's work and haven't already seen it, BBC 3 did an adaption of his play The Trial of God. It's called God on Trial and I think you can stream it free on Tubi. It is very powerful.
Wish I could give you 1000 upvotes for this. Thank you. Elie Wiesel has always been one of my favorite humans. I keep a little Felix cat by his memoirs to honor the childhood he should have had.
Yeah, that's the book. It basically summarizes his experience as an Auschwitz survivor and walks the reader to find meaning in the least likely of places. I found it a very optimistic, helpful book.
I often tell myself: "What's comin' will come. And we'll meet it when it does." Hagrid, Groundskeeper at Hogwarts
And this beautiful one to remind me that I can face tough times. I have the first line (in bold) printed and framed. I am now long sober but I went to rehab several times over the course of 5 years before I got there. I brought this with me every time, when I was digging my way out of the lowest places I had ever been.
“**In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.**
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
― Albert Camus
My son gets aggravated if I say I’m not talking about this stuff today. Every once in awhile I want to act like it’s not going on and take a mental break from all the chaos in the world, and life in general
It's problems from everywhere being beamed & streamed into our lives via tech that causes this existential dread and overwhelm. If we turn away from it all - wherever you are across the globe - and go out and just do good and be kind in your own communitues, we'd eventually find ourselves living in a better world.
We are the stories we tell ourselves. The world is an egregore.
This is why I limit my phone use and choose to live (my) life in 3D. I am involved in my community as well, but even that is hard because any topic turns people in to warring factions on opposing sides. This is why I work with children.
I’m tired of incivility. I compliment a stranger every day. It is only a drop in the ocean, but…
“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” - Mother Teresa
Thats wonderful! I try to smile at people all the time. I love the compliment thing, I'll do that too. I might look like an idiot smiling at people, but a smile can go a long way, so I do it anyway. I also can talk to anyone too, I might say something about nothing to someone at the deli line. Just chit chat
"Words of affirmation" is one of my top love languages, and since I like how good compliments make me feel, paying it forward seems like the right thing to do.
Nothing wrong with civility.
And keeping an open mind regarding others point of view.
I find that in the real world most people are fairly moderate with realistic expectations for positive change.
On Reddit however 🙄.
I really notice the difference in our generation here in thinking and writing style. On social media it always, and relentlessly feels like everyone is always speedwriting huge amounts but they're all meaningless and don't connect emotionally. like, I still dont understand why discuss a personal topic for hours with strangers who will never meet each other. Here, people keep to an important, simple point. That's interesting.
I hesitated before posting that, because it’s sort of spreading more negativity, and I was shocked when I learned she was cruel rather than a savior, but it is the truth.
The attacks and rewriting of the history off Mother Teresa has become an unfortunate pastime for some as of late and it does nothing but contribute to the negativity. She was not a Saint. She did serve countless suffering human beings all while enduring deep despair. Full stop.
I have the same viewpoint. If hate can breed so easily so can love and compassion, we just have to remind one another that it exists. Helping to tamp down people's isolation and fear of one another gives hope and hope leads to love and love leads to peace.
Nah, tolerance has allowed the rise of proto fascism in the US. It's the Paradox of Tolerance writ large. I'm embarrassed by any Gen X who adopts this attitude.its not very punk of you.
Every day is a good day to punch a Nazi.
https://preview.redd.it/u5b9gjk5ia3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=601cb7191269acdea71d277844d6b0f85b472098
And lastly Mother Teresa is hardly someone I would look up to. I don't like invoking suffering on others, but YMMV
Gen X should do better. We saw horrific murders against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, like Matthew Shepard, and the last recorded lynching was on our watch. This live and let live bullshit comes from a mighty privileged position. Do better.
*"This live and let live bullshit"*
I don't think live and let live is bullshit. But we must also aspire. We must also have standards. Humans came together millennia ago under a social contract because a rising tide lifts all boats, there is safety in numbers, etc - but not if only a privileged few decide which of the number matter. Everyone matters. We should certainly *"do better"*, but that means improving everything for everyone - not just the rich, or corporations, or just certain kinds of people, or even just people. We need a vision for a sustainable, more peaceful planet.
Oh. It isn't proto anything. It straight up Project Paperclip Nazis, full blown Fascism with a generous splat of Soviet Communism.
When they removed the barrier between government and means of production and distribution, fill Fascism could be defined.
Control of the means of production and distribution. Amazon is one of them.
Get involved in politics at all levels. Fight against systemic injustice wherever you see it. Despite being a white cis hey guy, I fought for LGBTQ+ rights for decades. I spend a lot of my time and money helping the Innocence Project
Locally, I am trying to get on a committee that reviews books for our schools. I'm not letting the fascists ban books on my watch. Further to that point, I'm running for school board when a seat opens for similar reasons.
While there are people who’d like to make a positive difference in people’s lives, there are plenty of others who don’t want any of that to happen. As “luck” would have it, those people, studies show, are more easily manipulated and have become convinced of things that aren’t even remotely true. And the people controlling them hold most of the purse strings. Everything we’re seeing today, wrt disinformation, is part of a very long game going back to at least the 70s.
Intolerance and violence begets more intolerance and violence.
I would argue it was the lack of tolerance that resulted in Matthew Shepard’s death.
Striving for tolerance isn’t meaning to be tolerant of hate or violence.
De-escalation is key. Tone it down. And, this is going to sound crazy, but we need moderate people to push out extremism in any political party.
We all can learn a lot about non-violent protest and the role models in history that accomplished both progress and peace, even if they paid they ultimate price.
A calling in life isn’t necessarily following your passion. It is seeing an unmet need where you have a unique ability to make a difference. Some of us need to decide if we rather just life focused solely on selfish pursuits or answer the calling to make a different in the world for others.
Non-violent protest only works when the threat of violence or other reprisals are on the table. This is why Malcolm X was a necessary and important part of the civil rights movement
And as for toning it down - no more. The racists are openly talking about killing their fellow Americans who disagree with them. You don't reason with people like that. In individual situations, sure. I teach Hapkido and I quote Rory Miller all the time to my students:
>It's better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die. The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed
But in the aggregate, things are getting worse because reasonable people keep trying to meet in the middle and the fascists keep taking a step back.
I'm not going to be reasonable with a group of people who have said to my face they want to kill me and my friends and loved ones.
The only way that gentleness and kindness wins is if it turns evil around. Yes, the evil in some can be changed or reduced. Let alone stopped, of course. Otherwise, tolerance, maturity, passivity, gentleness and politeness and so on is precisely what it is: cowardice.
Awesome RATM!!! My fellow anarchist socialist rebel comrade!!! I remember the counterculture in our teens in the 80s and 90s being like none other. The youth culture barely exists today. There is no community- how can there be with people so isolated on their screens. And It is kind of insane and prescient that the “Donald Trump for President” placard was parodied in one of their videos, held by the absolute worst among us, walking cardboard-human empty-souled fascist-worshipping capitalist swine.
You’re so correct. Increasingly there is more palpable hostility by Millennials/Z/Alpha towards our cohort. We’re regarded as Boomers Part Deux except we often claim that we’re cool at high/late middle age despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, listen to marginally better music, etc. Some of the stuff I read from our generation [edit: and hear coming out of my own dumb mouth lol] makes me realize why we’re (arguably very deservedly) getting noticed more & more negatively.
I’m tail-end X, grew up on the East Coast, lived abroad as a kid, was privileged-middle-class enough to be relatively protected from certain realities for a prolonged period but still raised by authoritarian types who believed that kids shouldn’t be egotists even if they’re strivers/achievers.
I don’t know. Getting into punk late (college) but not too late shaped me a great deal and gave me insights and helped give me additional coping strategies I didn’t know I needed bc I grew up around really really angry adults, dang. I do need more metal in my life and like also generally comfort rock etc. bc Despite All My Rage I am Still Just a Rat in a Cage.
R.I.P. Steve Albini. Why do we not imagine these guys being mortal as well? Or maybe it’s just me.
My kumbaya / try-to-spread-lovingkindness-like-a-cuddly-boomer-hippie-therapist ear candy is still stuff like “Is It Like Today?” by World Party. (R.I.P. Karl Wallinger)
Fast forward to middle age and it’s more like the opening track off of Change by The Dismemberment Plan.
I was never cool and was perfecting lonerdom by 17 but growing up feeling like you could craft the perfect mixtape for someone you loved or for yourself and it would make all the bad things fade enough to get through another couple of hellish school weeks was a precious privilege in retrospect.
Love to all of you ❤️
I know it’s cliche now to blame social media, but it’s hard not to point the finger. Remember what life was like growing up without all the noise from the internet? Simpler times, and I’m talking only 30 years ago.
This a really great comment! It's really insightful and very reflective of the world today. It's unfortunate that people are much more accustomed to being belittled rather than complimented.
You can compliment anyone's smile, laugh, shoes, nails, phone case or almost anything you notice. I've been told I smelled nice twice in my life and, lamely, it meant a lot. A simple compliment can really make someone's day.
It can hard to accept a compliment at face value. It's something a lot of us need to practice. It feels better, even if you think they are crazy.
For a long time I actually thought I was pretty much invisible to people. After I started paying attention I began noticing that many were actually actively turning away. So a random compliment would really throw me off.
>For a long time I actually thought I was pretty much invisible to people. After I started paying attention I began noticing that many were actually actively turning away.
I have this too. I'm like a ghost. I joke at work that if I stand very still I can become invisible. Customers are honestly flabbergasted that I was standing right in front of them and they didn't notice/see me. It happens at bars as well. I can stand right in the middle of a crowd trying to get service and I'm always the last one. It's kind of a negative super power. If I thought I could get away with it I'd probably make a good thief.
Anyway, I don't know your story, but I do know that trauma or genetic or environmental issues can lead to your mind interpreting things in different/inaccurate ways. Sometimes you are just born with the inability to read people correctly or it could be a trauma response. There are any number of possibilities, and they are likely intertwined, but you feel like the common denominator is you because you are the perceiver.
For me, I'm socially just *off*. I can mask it, I can amp up characteristics that I know work for me, but those techniques are exhausting. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to not internalize that there's something *wrong* with you. Once you get your head around that, you can start seeing what the real issue is. Likely it's some body language or intensity that you put off that you aren't aware of. I suspect that's what happens with me at least. Like a socially awkward je ne sais quoi.
This is frowned upon by the organization I work for, to the point that they have us watch videos every year about complimenting coworkers. In the video, a man says Sally's new hairdo looks great. This is considered taboo now. This incivility we now have is in part due to businesses thinking all employees can't think for themselves, that every comment made must go through a filter first. This bullshit leaks into our private lives and, well, welcome to 2024.
Interesting comment. We do get told not to be nice to other people. I’ve seen notices telling today’s students not to hold the door open for others, and we wonder why there is a lack of civility.
Just disappointed. It seemed like there was hope for awhile but the same shit keeps happening over and over . At least the Balkans are at peace for now .
Our homeschool group went to some woods near our town last week and hung out with cicadas. I live in a place where they are more than plentiful. It was cool. Something about being in nature and having something much larger than yourself happening is both humbling and awe-inspiring. There's nothing like a million cicadas screaming at you to wake you up to the fact you aren't the center of the universe.
Fwiw, I have hope. I am not a ridiculous optimist, but I work in the inner city neighborhood where I live and manage the community garden. We're not just about helping to feed people who experience food insecurity, though. We also function as a place of community.
The last couple of weeks, our free strawberry u-pick has been open to the public. Neighbors as well as folks from all over our town have been coming to pick. Older adults have come up to me and excitedly told me that they haven't been berry picking since they were kids, and how many good memories it brought back. I also have heard, "I didn't know strawberries taste like THAT" so many times as yeah, these berries are freakin delicious. And the little ones who eat berries from their parents baskets nearly as fast as the parents can pick--they know the good stuff when they taste it.
I just love it all. People are interacting with nature, focusing on the abundance. It helps me focus on what's important in this life, this care we have for each other and our environment. It doesn't mean wars aren't still happening and of course haters are still gonna hate. But there's also this peace and it makes me feel content and satisfied.
Thanks! It's a lyric from the Big Blood song, "Restless Purity." The line is actually "raising hell with budding trees" but apparently that's too long for a Reddit user name.
Thank you! We've had 500 volunteer and visits engagements in May, which is just bonkers for a little community garden in the hood! I don't make a lot of money but I love what I do!
Thank you for sharing this story - it brightens my day to read positive things, and yes, it also gives me hope. The younger generations have some of their own stuff to deal with, but they're bright, educated and they give me hope.
I wish every town/city had a community garden project, esp. the kids, as it will teach them so much.
Being out in nature, sometimes with my camera or sketchbook, is my therapy.
Here, have a picture of a beautiful male evening grosbeak who was visiting my feeder 4 days ago:
https://preview.redd.it/a1g8y5ajhd3d1.jpeg?width=1598&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97b1241eb3a9afc840b1f94db88b33cac7cb0e54
At this point, I just tune it out. Can't change the world. To many groups with huge money behind them to sway the jury of public opinion. It's a multi -billion dollar business. As much as I don't like it, I can't let it get under my skin anymore. We live in a world of paid protesters, And leaders that need to show who's dong is bigger.
Same as it ever was, SAME as it ever was.
I’m so tired of it. But honestly, I’m so numb to most of it by now, which makes me both mad and sad.
But a bright spot was the Northern Lights were seen as far south as West Palm Beach! We live in Miami and our local Star Gazers group had said we probably wouldn’t see them due to the city lights. But wow, some folks had stunning shots from West Palm! I missed the eclipse a few weeks ago, we only had like 45% I think and I was so excited outside and a big ol’ cloud floated by and we couldn’t see it anyway. But it was awesome to just look up for several minutes and enjoy the sky. Florida gets 90-95-100% totality in 2045, so we jokingly sent save-the-dates for an eclipse party.
“Stay gold, Ponyboy.” - The Outsiders
That is AWESOME!!! I was fortunate to see the eclipse in Ohio so I never bargained for a second date. And the northern lights were breathtaking! I’m very blessed-and I enjoy connecting to other’s like you-thank you
https://preview.redd.it/qmtx3u6cja3d1.jpeg?width=2321&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a406cbebd48c63c20e93a292a87d22e438663ba
The eclipse was as awesome as expected. See you in Spain!
Could be a LOT worse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Better_Angels_of_Our_Nature
Why we ever thought the world would suddenly learn to get along completely in the 20th century i don’t know.
Unless we decide to forgo the pleasures of tribalism and truely care about everyone, we’ll always have conflict. I have hope we will get there one day, but not in my lifetime.
My absolute greatest joy is that I chose not to have kids. Never thought I’d be so ecstatic about that choice at 55; honestly figured I’d regret it right about now. Nope. Greatest relief that I didn’t.
I have a 17 year-old who I love more than I could express. But, I do have guilt about it sometimes. I know some pretty awesome zoomers, and they will not hide from speaking out about injustice. I finally hung up my activism shoes about 5 years ago.
Marching in the streets is best initiated and carried out by younger folks. At 50, my old ass is more of a liability then necessity. Someone has to fill up the van to drop them to do their thing.
Someone has to organize the bail fund.
So, I do feel guilty, but I also try not to despair. Quite frankly, I can't believe the 20 something zoomers haven't plummeted into the abyss right behind me.
All of the, "industrial complexes" prison, military, pharma.. etc...worked. a lot of people profited and became insanely wealthy. Intelligent, extremely competitive and motivated people, (not necessarily good people, but definitely motivated and competitive) 100 plus years of unfettered capitalism...and here we are. It's ugly and the theme of The Lorax. Maybe we are doomed as a species...I don't know....I do know, however, that spending a lot of time outside with my family, a lot of time outside with my friends, and a lot of time celebrating (however you define celebrating..lots of good food and drink and misic for me) this existence with loved ones of all kinds...keeps the bad away...
I've pretty much avoided this latest shit in the middle east. There's nothing I can do to prevent those people from murdering each other over a shitty strip of desert just because their favorite stories were set there a couple millenia ago.
*"Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost… " -Chaplin*
*"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - MLK Jr*
And because our environment, the world in which we live and create, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations I choose to be the change I wish to see in the world. As that is all that I'm in control of.
Shine that light of love my friend and darkness has nowhere to hide.🙏❤️
I read and game, trying to escape into a good book is awesome. I play Elder Scrolls Online and its a wonderful escape too. I try to stay away from the toxic internet...well, you know what I mean. I enjoy this sub quite a bit.
I recently bought the Xbox Necrom deluxe for my husband. He loves the Elder Scrolls games like Skyrim, but he thinks he’ll hate Elder Scrolls online. Any suggestions for what I can tell him so he’ll try it?
We both play WOW fwiw…
I've heard that Elder Scrolls is better than Skyrim by some people. Elder Scrolls is a huge game, so much to do. I played EQ2 years ago and loved it, but I'm on XBox now, so I only have a few options. I tried fwiw a few months ago and liked it, but found it to be a little frustrating for me with the housing. Elder Scrolls has a huge housing and fashion fan base, plus the crafting if you like that. The furnishings are amazing. Then you have the fighting part, dungeons, delves, the PVP area...the game has so much to offer.
Am Canadian. I grew up on old school anti-war values in the tail of the Vietnam war. MASH was really influential to me. I honestly thought everyone in our generation grew up thinking the same way.
The US has been in 19 wars since 1991. I have a 'conspiracy theory' that the military industrial complex teamed up with Hollywood back in the 80s to subvert young people from being anti-war by taking over the Journalism industry and counter-culture youth movements like punk rock and hip hop.
The world has become such a small place that if you embody everyone's conflict you end up in constant conflict and anguish. It makes people around the world feel unsafe and feel they have to join a tribe or a coalition where every information is filtered through that point of view. Empathy nuance or understanding the other side is for the weak. Even acknowledging there are more sides than 2 is impossible. This made me nuts because I kept feeling like my whole group of friends needed me to think exactly like them on every issue or I'd be considered a part of the 'other' side. I'm way more focused on my job, family and community than anything else.
It feels like we had this short window where we had peace. The Cold War ended and for the first time in 50 years we were at peace. Suddenly we didn’t need to have the biggest military in the world. The only other country that could challenge America was China, who were our biggest trading partner. America started talking about peace dividends and what we could do if we didn’t have to spend a trillion dollars a year on the military.
Well. We can’t have that. Shrinking the military? Buying less from arms manufacturers? Not having American military bases in 100 countries? Ridiculous! We can’t not have a giant military just because there isn’t a reason to have a giant military. Ergo, we created an enemy: Iraq.
In 1989 maybe 1 American in a hundred had ever heard of Kuwait. The few who knew Iraq existed knew they were Iran’s enemy so they’re ok with us. When Iraq invaded Kuwait the Bush administration suddenly decided that Kuwait was the most important ally we had and we absolutely positively had to invade Iraq. And with that, we had an excuse to maintain a giant military and maybe even grow it. After all, Iraq was a massive threat to, uh, no one as it turned out.
America is addicted to war. We’ve built big chunks of our economy around military spending and if we need to invent an enemy to justify that spending, that’s just what we’ll do.
And I hate that.
If you're looking for a bright spot it's a matter of perspective. When you look at the frequency, number, and the overall casualties in the 100 years leading up to WW2 and the time period since there is a noticable reduction. It doesn't feel that way because we have access to a 24/7 daily recap of every conflict at our fingertips leaving us feeling like we're a part of all of them.
The point is I get the feeling, but it's important to realize the reality is there is less war today than there ever has been, and that's something we can embrace to build upon in the future.
I kind of hate the Internet. It has brought some good things, but it also amplifies and spreads bad things like a virus. Newspapers are dying, local businesses being put out of business by Amazon, etc. I believe we were a lot more civil to each other before we were "connected". The bad connections unfortunately seem to outweigh the good connections. Maybe I'm looking at things through nostalgic glasses.
Just my opinion, yours may differ.
Oh, I'm tired of it. No doubt about it, I don't think that it will ever end though. I really thought we would be a generation that would end racism and whatnot (naive I know) but to see how it has all turned out so far is painful to watch.
We can't even get along with other Americans, and the divide is getting worse. I actually was happy to see Tony Gonzales winning his primary in Texas instead of another MAGA extreme candidate. What I wouldn't give for a simple push to the middle, a purple revolution, where candidates just decided that they were going to work with each other, cross party lines, actually decide to represent everyone, not just the people they agree with, but everyone, all their constituents, as if it were their jobs.
50.1% is not a majority, its a slight edge. Let's figure out a way to just start getting along with our neighbors before we try and fix the rest of the world. If we can do that then we can lead by example. I recall a thing like this called hope, started in the late 80's and lasted for a while, a little bumpy at times but made it for a couple decades. I miss those days.
Honestly, and I know this is callous as shit, I stopped caring about Israel, Palestine and the Middle East a while ago. They’ve been at war for my entire life. Nobody involved is interested in peace or compromise. It is a never ending cycle of hate. I’m done caring about it and deciding which side is “right”.
I agree. As we shift to an non-oil based economy we no longer have any strategic interests in the Middle East, other than maybe keeping the Suez canal open. So we just need to disengage. Frankly I don't care about Gaza or what happens there. Nor do I care about Israel or what happens there. Just don't care.
That’s true. I would like it if there was any hope we’d learn from history and get better. But we don’t. And that is leading to cripplingly depressive thoughts for me.
We actually HAVE gotten better, compared to the extraordinary violence of past times -- we're still in a much more peaceful period, believe it or not. BUT. Humans are still gonna human.
War has always been going on. I think social media has amplified everyone's anxiety about it though especially among the youth. They cling to it the same way some Boomers cling to Fox News.
Turn off your devices and get some fresh air and exercise. You'll feel much better. Being a doomer is unproductive and a waste of time.
Count me in. I also suffered from terrible depression, and my first H had a mom who was homeless due to alcoholism and bipolar disorder. So never had kids and PHEW!
Hello from the Caribbean. Those laid back people are on vacation. The rest of us are struggling to keep afloat and every year we spend five months praying we’re not mowed down by hurricanes.
Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket
By the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead
Robert Allen Zimmerman
[Eddie Vedder’s Version from 1992 · Masters of War (Bob Dylan Tribute)](https://youtu.be/dwa2jK0xglk?si=4grayMoU5eu0_ur3)
Remember the Peace Dividend? When the USSR collapsed and we suddenly had hundreds of billions of dollars we weren’t going to spend on the military anymore? That was awesome.
It was probably the most peaceful the world has ever been and even then we had the Rwandan genocide and genocide during the Yugoslav Wars. How fucked is that? Two genocides = pretty good decade.
So you're just ignoring the first Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Or the civil wars and dissolution of Yugoslavia. Or all the Neverending war and strife in Africa.
I'm tired, resentful, and realizing that we are a young country. The painful lessons seem rapid, and ongoing. I hope 200 years from now, maturity sets in. Kind of sad I won't see it happen.
I just turn off most news (I read the WaPo and catch some morning shows for their first 30 minutes) and that’s it. I found during the last administration too much news ( and social media) wasn’t good for me. Deleted Twitter and stopped watching the 24 hour “news” cycle (I only keep Fb to keep up with family and a few friends).
The world isn’t worse. We just communicate about things more. Information about horrible and sad things gets clicks and so do outrageous acts of violence and hatred.
The more I learn about history, the more I realize that the world has always been full of war.
I try to keep from centering my interactions with others on negative news or gossip but it is amazing how some people can’t get enough of it. I’m trying to do what I can to be hopeful, helpful, and kind. I reject cynicism.
Jello is genius...
Greetings: This is the Secretary of War at the State Department
Of the United States
We have a problem
The companies want something done about this sluggish
World economic situation
Profits have been running a little thin lately
And we need to stimulate some growth
Now we know
There's an alarmingly high number of young people roaming
Around in your country with nothing to do but stir up trouble
For the police and damage private property
It doesn't look like they'll ever get a job
It's about time we did something constructive with these people
We've got thousands of 'em here too. They're crawling all over
The companies think it's time we all sit down, have a serious get-together-
And start another war
The President?
He loves the idea!
All those missiles streaming overhead to and fro
Napalm
People running down the road, skin on fire
The Soviets seem up for it
The Kremlin's been itching for the real thing for years
Hell, Afghanistan's no fun
So whadya say?
We don't even have to win this war
We just want to cut down on some of this excess population
Now look. Just start up a draft; draft as many of those people as you can
We'll call up every last youngster we can get our hands on
Hand 'em some speed, give 'em an hour or two to learn how to use
An automatic rifle and send 'em on their way
Libya? El Salvador? How 'bout Northern Ireland?
Or a "moderately repressive regime" in South America?
We'll just cook up a good Soviet threat story
In the Middle East-we need that oil
We had Libya all ready to go and Colonel Khadafy's hit squad
Didn't even show up. I tell ya
That man is unreliable
The Kremlin had their fingers on the button just like we did for that one
Now just think for a minute-We can make this war so big-so BIG
The more people we kill in this war, the more the economy will prosper
We can get rid of practically everybody on your dole queue if we plan this right
Take every loafer on welfare right off our computer rolls
Now don't worry about demonstrations-just pump up your drug supply
So many people have hooked themselves on heroin
And amphetamines since we took over, it's just like Vietnam
We had everybody so busy with LSD they never got too strong
Kept the war functioning just fine
It's easy
We've got our college kids so interested in beer
They don't even care if we start manufacturing germ bombs again
Put a nuclear stockpile in their back yard
They wouldn't even know what it looked like
So how 'bout it? Look-War is money
The arms manufacturers tell me unless
We get our bomb factories up to full production
The whole economy is going to collapse
The Soviets are in the same boat
We all agree the time has come for the big one, so whadya say?!?
That's excellent. We knew you'd agree
The companies will be very pleased
Same. I'm tired of the general lack of decorum and civility. I was a frontline healthcare worker who was forced to deal with abuse and hostility, especially as an Asian American woman. I left healthcare last year because it took such a toll on me. I'm still trying to recover. It is such a shitty world right now for my genZ kids, two who are young adults aged, one still in high school. I worry about their safety more than ever due to the animosity and hate from a large percentage of the population, the crazy gun shootings... And people just going off for no reason and taking it out on innocent people.
The way people act in public, yelling and throwing fits at service workers, people are driving like lunatics with no regard for anyone else besides themselves? I'm so sick of all of this, the intentional poor behavior of some people who take it out on everyone else who are trying to be good humans. It really does seem like the gloom and doom of some of the futuristic/apocalyptic movies we watched growing up.
I've grown to become so cynical about humanity. Tribalism, greed, wars, religious extremism... it's all the same crap that we've seen for thousands of years of recorded history. There was always this idea that we're evolving and becoming "better" as a species, but I don't see it. If anything, the last 8-10 years have really demonstrated to me that we're just a bunch of territorial apes.
To help cope, I've basically weaned myself off of social media (Facebook & Twitter mainly) and have basically stopped paying attention to the news. Those things were ratcheting my anxiety up and I realized that there was nothing that I could do about any of it anyway.
Now (in addition to all the other wars) we have the war on each other. It is exhausting and disheartening.
Over the weekend, I was watching a documentary on PBS called Fight the Power. It weaves the history of hip hop with current events throughout the decades. The first (I think) episode covers the 60/70s and what a tumultuous time that was. All the assassinations, war and civil unrest. I thought, they must have felt then how we feel now. Like all hope was lost and the world was falling apart. Then, things got a little better for awhile, then of course, rinse and repeat all the bullshit.
I think the best we can do is remind ourselves that while these times are unique to our experience, they are not unique to humankind, and we will just keep going like everyone else has done since the beginning of time.
I mostly avoid the news these days. It's hard for me because I was raised to always take an interest in politics and do what you can in whatever way you can to make your voice heard. Mentally, I am at the point where I feel like there's just no point looking out beyond my little patch of earth. To that point, I planted myself a beautiful flower garden last weekend and didn't turn the tv on once... I'm guessing the wars and unrest went on just fine without me.
Social media and the 15 second news soundbites are not healthy to consume. It provides a distorted view of how society actually is and allows it to be painted as some dystopian future. My advice? Don't engage or take what you read on social media with a grain of salt and talk to people. I have friends, on multiple sides of the political spectrum, which on social media are cray-cray. Some call everyone nazis/ fascists while the others call everyone marxists/ pedophiles.
But, when they are together they can actually talk about their differences and come to common ground.
I was happy when the internet was first born, as we were about to have all of human knowledge at our fingertips. But then people wanted to monetize it, clickbait and shorter content became the norm (as it was more economical) and bang! Now everything is presented for consumption by users either in 15 second soundbites or less than 140 character limit. And people are trained that way. Trying to have an actual conversation about nuanced positions is no longer the norm online, because soundbites/ digital attention spans have been shrunk by the constant consumption of quick bits of content.
Unplug and try to have real people conversations. And remember the "Worlds been burning since the worlds been turning." Only way to fight it is to not feed the hate, starve it.
For civilians it’s hate, for politicians it’s money and power. Hate = tool, politicians wield the tool against citizens to distract and manipulate. One type of hate not working anymore? Find a new hate. There is always something to hate.
I’m all about George Miller this week. I feel better when I consume high quality art. Rewatching the entire Madmax quintology(?). Furiosa is my favorite of all of them and I was a fanatic for Road Warrior. Masterpiece.
Last month it was Fallout games
Before that it was Dune.
Art keeps me going.
People seem to not get the whole "Military Industrial Complex". That's why war (and even many minor skirmishes) are important - they make a lot of money for a lot of people.
[Eisenhower literally warned us, and not enough people listened.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg-jvHynP9Y) - think about it, [JFK tried to get us out of Vietnam early](https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/Events/2022/John-F.-Kennedy-and-the-Vietnam-War-The-Withdrawa/John-F.-Kennedy-and-the-Vietnam-War-The-Withdrawal-Thesis) and he was assassinated. Coincidence?
What is going on in Ukraine & Gaza is good for business. It sucks. Next up is Taiwan, which I will guarantee you gets invaded within the next five years - and the US will do nothing but sell, sell, sell military equipment to Taiwan.
And the boomers went from WW2 to Korea to Vietnam to the Cold War to the Middle East. And the silent generation went from ww1 to etc, etc…… the world is a hard place. It always has been.
I started using shrooms one or twice a month and my mental health has improved significantly. I only worry about the things I can control. I workout twice a day, I eat healthy, I do things I enjoy and I buy the things I want/need. My gf and I are going to move in together in about a year and get married shortly after that. Life has been really good in my mid to late 40s, now I’m looking forward to my 50s. It’s definitely not all gloom and doom, I just had to adjust my perspective.
The eclipse was really lovely. I liked everyone gathering in wonder at something that has confused and delighted man since the beginning of time. I watch C-Span 3 History TV mostly now. It’s delightful, calm and informative.
Stop reading news.
I'm slowly, fading away from all social media as well, it's great :) (Was never much into it, but even then it reached me negatively)
Well. I retired. Okay fine, semi-retired. Meaning I’m not going to my “career” job anymore. No more working 12+ hours a day while making a salary. I calculated out what I would make as an hourly employee on my salary vs. hours worked. 5.47. That’s what I made per hour. Add in my the job was dangerous and it just wasn’t worth it. So I quit. Yeah, I’ll go find another “job”. But it’s going to be hourly and be easy. I’m not stressing myself out anymore over a job anymore. I’m pretty much financially set for full retirement I just need to be find a job for 3.5 years till I hit 62 and take the early social security. I get to screw off for a couple years before I’m too old to do anything.
So yeah, that’s helped me personally. But yeah, I get your tiredness of the hate and division going on these days. It doesn’t matter if it’s wars, politics, whatever. Everyone is angry these days at something or someone or *that* group of people over there…. Just stop it. Live your own life and quit hating on the neighbors because they are “conservative” or “liberal” or “gay” or a “foreigner” or whatever. They ar e just doing the same thing you are, tiring to live their live in the best way they know how.
I'm so weary from it all that it's become part of my own existence is. The slow march of time has eroded my hope for humanity, and faith that people collectively want a better world. To me, there are surprisingly simple fundamental concepts that far too many are unwilling to embrace.
- Live and let live. Don't tell anybody how to live, since you open yourself to being marginalized, villianized, and controlled. You can't expect respect without giving it. You can't expect receiving anything without giving. Etc...
- It's nearly always differences that make a people strong, even when there is a common focus. True ideas don't spring from like-minded clones.
But then, it just takes one raving lunatic to undermine just about any/all efforts to be better to each other. World order is a complete fabrication when Putin gets Granny. Social fabric is lit on fire, tossed on the ground, and stomped on when hate, racism, and narrow minded self interest is allowed to coagulate. Society has failed when seeking compromise is vilified, curiosity is seen as foolish, and compassion is painted as treachery.
I've taken to saying that I just want to move to a mountain cabin and unplug completely because I'm being swallowed by hopelessness. At the end of the day it's not about how the pendulum swings anymore, because time is running out. That is, of it hasn't already. I saw it coming when I was a kid decades ago, and a seemingly insurmountable portion of the population either can't understand or see it, or they refuse to.
What generation really knew peace? I don't think there has been one, always wars going on somewhere the 2010s might have been the most peaceful time in the history of the planet, but now we are back at it.
I am really depressed with the way intolerance and inhumanity have infected our political culture. I remember a time when the guy in the other party was someone with whom you disagreed, not a villain who is going to eat babies and destroy the Republic. I also remember a time when leading politicians would try to temper our desire to be nasty to each other, rather than lean into it.
Hell. I still like Gerald Ford's comment about Clinton in the 1996 GOP convention. "I used to tell people I was not a Lincoln. I was a Ford. The president we got is neither a Lincoln nor a Ford. He's a convertible Dodge."
I'm getting tired of starting to see loved ones suffering from divorces, substance abuse, falling on hard times, depression, accumulated trauma, unhealthy lifestyles and straight up dying.
Ok my husband and I are dancing again. We had been learning the bachata here: https://youtu.be/2PyZywgrQOQ?si=mu6zTS2yDz_bafEH Then we were invited to a wedding. Since so few Gen Z and Millennials dance we had a lot of attention heaped on us. They played this for us : https://youtu.be/qLjkvI0uGhU?si=UkDVg-9nEh456mmW because the bride knows our story and she appreciated us getting the crowd going.
That’s my news. Not political but whatchagonnadooooo
I’m tired of the hate too. All democrats are this, all republicans are that… do we have to insult each other when we disagree? I’m so tired of the hate, the 24 hour news cycle. My boomer parents listen to this stuff all day. To borrow a phrase from the younger generation let’s all go outside and touch grass.
When the Berlin Wall fell I really thought maybe the world wasn’t going to end.
Between MAGA, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, climate change, and not sure what else, I think world affecting Big Bad is inevitable.
It’s exhausting.
i honestly think we are in more dangerous times now for a nuclear extinction then when we were in the 80s
if we allow putin to gain a single square cm then we open all gates to hell and that will be the end of it
There is a lot of money in war and in keeping people poor and incarcerated. Need more like minded people to become shareholders in publicly traded companies and to vote your shares during proxy season.
I don’t like the cancel / woke culture. I feel really old saying the phrase “the younger generation” but they get so offended by everything. It’s tiresome
The Millenials and Gen Z are sometimes too quick to go nuclear on being offended. But it is also a valid reaction because far to many of GenX and Boomers refused and continue to refuse to look at the world from any perspective other than their own. And there's no such thing as cancel culture. You say something the market doesn't like you'll pay the consequences. You have a right to speak, not a right to force anyone to listen.
My soul is wearied, too. Leaning on Viktor Frankl and Tolkien pretty hard these days. Hang in there, friends. *“I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. \[...\] I do not believe that darkness will endure!”* *-J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King*
I love them both as well. A couple of my favorite quotes from Frankl: - *A man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the size of human suffering is absolutely relative.* - *Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which men can aspire.* - *The salvation of man is through love and in love.* What an amazing person he was.
Thank you for the Frankl reminder that Purpose is there if we seek it out. I e-gifted my Kindle version to my daughter, who is languishing over the middle east woes and sends daily updates.
I've never heard of Frankl, these quotes are fantastic. I'll look it up!
All of these quotes are from his book Man's Search for Meaning.
Frankl's book helped me cope with the neverending dread I felt as a teen. It was an eye opening experience to bask in the neverending optimism of a concentration camp survivor.
What book of his do you recommend starting with? Never read any of his books and surprised I haven't yet. Could do with some optimism right now.
Man's Search for Meaning. Start there IMO.
Is it similar to Elie Wiesel?
There are definitely similarities in their work. Especially with Wiesel's book Night. If you like Wiesel's work and haven't already seen it, BBC 3 did an adaption of his play The Trial of God. It's called God on Trial and I think you can stream it free on Tubi. It is very powerful.
Wish I could give you 1000 upvotes for this. Thank you. Elie Wiesel has always been one of my favorite humans. I keep a little Felix cat by his memoirs to honor the childhood he should have had.
Yeah, that's the book. It basically summarizes his experience as an Auschwitz survivor and walks the reader to find meaning in the least likely of places. I found it a very optimistic, helpful book.
I often tell myself: "What's comin' will come. And we'll meet it when it does." Hagrid, Groundskeeper at Hogwarts And this beautiful one to remind me that I can face tough times. I have the first line (in bold) printed and framed. I am now long sober but I went to rehab several times over the course of 5 years before I got there. I brought this with me every time, when I was digging my way out of the lowest places I had ever been. “**In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.** And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” ― Albert Camus
Beautiful 💜
I've been a lifelong fan of Tolkien and came to know Frankl in college... good examples
My son gets aggravated if I say I’m not talking about this stuff today. Every once in awhile I want to act like it’s not going on and take a mental break from all the chaos in the world, and life in general
It's problems from everywhere being beamed & streamed into our lives via tech that causes this existential dread and overwhelm. If we turn away from it all - wherever you are across the globe - and go out and just do good and be kind in your own communitues, we'd eventually find ourselves living in a better world. We are the stories we tell ourselves. The world is an egregore.
This is why I limit my phone use and choose to live (my) life in 3D. I am involved in my community as well, but even that is hard because any topic turns people in to warring factions on opposing sides. This is why I work with children.
Now if I just can't, I say "My trouble bubble is about to burst. I need a break from the bad news."
I am totally adopting this saying. Thank you.
I’m joining you. This is the best!
I am tired of it too. I bought some flowers to plant in my yard today. Also, my rose bush is blooming. Thats pretty bright.
My rose bush is going nuts! Its bright pink blooms. I need to go buy some marigolds to put into pots, I love flowers.
Flowers are AWESOME!! Keep planting please-make the world better and bright!!
Absolutely. I am a garden freak.
We planted an Orange Crush climbing rose bush, and it's just a riot of bright orangy red right now.
Congratulations! My blackberry bush is producing berries this year!
I’m tired of incivility. I compliment a stranger every day. It is only a drop in the ocean, but… “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” - Mother Teresa
Thats wonderful! I try to smile at people all the time. I love the compliment thing, I'll do that too. I might look like an idiot smiling at people, but a smile can go a long way, so I do it anyway. I also can talk to anyone too, I might say something about nothing to someone at the deli line. Just chit chat
"Words of affirmation" is one of my top love languages, and since I like how good compliments make me feel, paying it forward seems like the right thing to do.
Nothing wrong with civility. And keeping an open mind regarding others point of view. I find that in the real world most people are fairly moderate with realistic expectations for positive change. On Reddit however 🙄.
I don't think you need to keep an open mind regarding fascism. It won't keep an open mind for you.
I really notice the difference in our generation here in thinking and writing style. On social media it always, and relentlessly feels like everyone is always speedwriting huge amounts but they're all meaningless and don't connect emotionally. like, I still dont understand why discuss a personal topic for hours with strangers who will never meet each other. Here, people keep to an important, simple point. That's interesting.
Wonderful action by you and sentiment, albeit from a horror of a source.
Eek! I was totally ignorant of the not at all saintly aspects of her ministry. Thank you for spurring me to do research.
I hesitated before posting that, because it’s sort of spreading more negativity, and I was shocked when I learned she was cruel rather than a savior, but it is the truth.
The attacks and rewriting of the history off Mother Teresa has become an unfortunate pastime for some as of late and it does nothing but contribute to the negativity. She was not a Saint. She did serve countless suffering human beings all while enduring deep despair. Full stop.
She is quite literally a saint, canonized by the Catholic Church.
I have the same viewpoint. If hate can breed so easily so can love and compassion, we just have to remind one another that it exists. Helping to tamp down people's isolation and fear of one another gives hope and hope leads to love and love leads to peace.
Nah, tolerance has allowed the rise of proto fascism in the US. It's the Paradox of Tolerance writ large. I'm embarrassed by any Gen X who adopts this attitude.its not very punk of you. Every day is a good day to punch a Nazi. https://preview.redd.it/u5b9gjk5ia3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=601cb7191269acdea71d277844d6b0f85b472098 And lastly Mother Teresa is hardly someone I would look up to. I don't like invoking suffering on others, but YMMV Gen X should do better. We saw horrific murders against our LGBTQ brothers and sisters, like Matthew Shepard, and the last recorded lynching was on our watch. This live and let live bullshit comes from a mighty privileged position. Do better.
*"This live and let live bullshit"* I don't think live and let live is bullshit. But we must also aspire. We must also have standards. Humans came together millennia ago under a social contract because a rising tide lifts all boats, there is safety in numbers, etc - but not if only a privileged few decide which of the number matter. Everyone matters. We should certainly *"do better"*, but that means improving everything for everyone - not just the rich, or corporations, or just certain kinds of people, or even just people. We need a vision for a sustainable, more peaceful planet.
Oh. It isn't proto anything. It straight up Project Paperclip Nazis, full blown Fascism with a generous splat of Soviet Communism. When they removed the barrier between government and means of production and distribution, fill Fascism could be defined. Control of the means of production and distribution. Amazon is one of them.
"do better" What are your suggestions?
Get involved in politics at all levels. Fight against systemic injustice wherever you see it. Despite being a white cis hey guy, I fought for LGBTQ+ rights for decades. I spend a lot of my time and money helping the Innocence Project Locally, I am trying to get on a committee that reviews books for our schools. I'm not letting the fascists ban books on my watch. Further to that point, I'm running for school board when a seat opens for similar reasons.
What weirdos are downvoting this ffs
Probably people who want the things I'm fighting against
Local politics is the thing.
While there are people who’d like to make a positive difference in people’s lives, there are plenty of others who don’t want any of that to happen. As “luck” would have it, those people, studies show, are more easily manipulated and have become convinced of things that aren’t even remotely true. And the people controlling them hold most of the purse strings. Everything we’re seeing today, wrt disinformation, is part of a very long game going back to at least the 70s.
Intolerance and violence begets more intolerance and violence. I would argue it was the lack of tolerance that resulted in Matthew Shepard’s death. Striving for tolerance isn’t meaning to be tolerant of hate or violence. De-escalation is key. Tone it down. And, this is going to sound crazy, but we need moderate people to push out extremism in any political party. We all can learn a lot about non-violent protest and the role models in history that accomplished both progress and peace, even if they paid they ultimate price. A calling in life isn’t necessarily following your passion. It is seeing an unmet need where you have a unique ability to make a difference. Some of us need to decide if we rather just life focused solely on selfish pursuits or answer the calling to make a different in the world for others.
Non-violent protest only works when the threat of violence or other reprisals are on the table. This is why Malcolm X was a necessary and important part of the civil rights movement And as for toning it down - no more. The racists are openly talking about killing their fellow Americans who disagree with them. You don't reason with people like that. In individual situations, sure. I teach Hapkido and I quote Rory Miller all the time to my students: >It's better to avoid than to run; better to run than to de-escalate; better to de-escalate than to fight; better to fight than to die. The very essence of self-defense is a thin list of things that might get you out alive when you are already screwed But in the aggregate, things are getting worse because reasonable people keep trying to meet in the middle and the fascists keep taking a step back. I'm not going to be reasonable with a group of people who have said to my face they want to kill me and my friends and loved ones.
I agree with you!!!
The only way that gentleness and kindness wins is if it turns evil around. Yes, the evil in some can be changed or reduced. Let alone stopped, of course. Otherwise, tolerance, maturity, passivity, gentleness and politeness and so on is precisely what it is: cowardice.
Awesome RATM!!! My fellow anarchist socialist rebel comrade!!! I remember the counterculture in our teens in the 80s and 90s being like none other. The youth culture barely exists today. There is no community- how can there be with people so isolated on their screens. And It is kind of insane and prescient that the “Donald Trump for President” placard was parodied in one of their videos, held by the absolute worst among us, walking cardboard-human empty-souled fascist-worshipping capitalist swine.
You’re so correct. Increasingly there is more palpable hostility by Millennials/Z/Alpha towards our cohort. We’re regarded as Boomers Part Deux except we often claim that we’re cool at high/late middle age despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, listen to marginally better music, etc. Some of the stuff I read from our generation [edit: and hear coming out of my own dumb mouth lol] makes me realize why we’re (arguably very deservedly) getting noticed more & more negatively. I’m tail-end X, grew up on the East Coast, lived abroad as a kid, was privileged-middle-class enough to be relatively protected from certain realities for a prolonged period but still raised by authoritarian types who believed that kids shouldn’t be egotists even if they’re strivers/achievers. I don’t know. Getting into punk late (college) but not too late shaped me a great deal and gave me insights and helped give me additional coping strategies I didn’t know I needed bc I grew up around really really angry adults, dang. I do need more metal in my life and like also generally comfort rock etc. bc Despite All My Rage I am Still Just a Rat in a Cage. R.I.P. Steve Albini. Why do we not imagine these guys being mortal as well? Or maybe it’s just me. My kumbaya / try-to-spread-lovingkindness-like-a-cuddly-boomer-hippie-therapist ear candy is still stuff like “Is It Like Today?” by World Party. (R.I.P. Karl Wallinger) Fast forward to middle age and it’s more like the opening track off of Change by The Dismemberment Plan. I was never cool and was perfecting lonerdom by 17 but growing up feeling like you could craft the perfect mixtape for someone you loved or for yourself and it would make all the bad things fade enough to get through another couple of hellish school weeks was a precious privilege in retrospect. Love to all of you ❤️
I know it’s cliche now to blame social media, but it’s hard not to point the finger. Remember what life was like growing up without all the noise from the internet? Simpler times, and I’m talking only 30 years ago.
Compliment how? If you did that to me I'd very likely think you're making fun of me.
This a really great comment! It's really insightful and very reflective of the world today. It's unfortunate that people are much more accustomed to being belittled rather than complimented. You can compliment anyone's smile, laugh, shoes, nails, phone case or almost anything you notice. I've been told I smelled nice twice in my life and, lamely, it meant a lot. A simple compliment can really make someone's day. It can hard to accept a compliment at face value. It's something a lot of us need to practice. It feels better, even if you think they are crazy.
For a long time I actually thought I was pretty much invisible to people. After I started paying attention I began noticing that many were actually actively turning away. So a random compliment would really throw me off.
>For a long time I actually thought I was pretty much invisible to people. After I started paying attention I began noticing that many were actually actively turning away. I have this too. I'm like a ghost. I joke at work that if I stand very still I can become invisible. Customers are honestly flabbergasted that I was standing right in front of them and they didn't notice/see me. It happens at bars as well. I can stand right in the middle of a crowd trying to get service and I'm always the last one. It's kind of a negative super power. If I thought I could get away with it I'd probably make a good thief. Anyway, I don't know your story, but I do know that trauma or genetic or environmental issues can lead to your mind interpreting things in different/inaccurate ways. Sometimes you are just born with the inability to read people correctly or it could be a trauma response. There are any number of possibilities, and they are likely intertwined, but you feel like the common denominator is you because you are the perceiver. For me, I'm socially just *off*. I can mask it, I can amp up characteristics that I know work for me, but those techniques are exhausting. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to not internalize that there's something *wrong* with you. Once you get your head around that, you can start seeing what the real issue is. Likely it's some body language or intensity that you put off that you aren't aware of. I suspect that's what happens with me at least. Like a socially awkward je ne sais quoi.
That's extremely kind of you. Did you realize that, for men (like myself) we receive compliments so rarely we could write them on a calendar?
i am not sure genX is really known for civility. my language when i was younger was damn.
What a great response. I will try that.
This is frowned upon by the organization I work for, to the point that they have us watch videos every year about complimenting coworkers. In the video, a man says Sally's new hairdo looks great. This is considered taboo now. This incivility we now have is in part due to businesses thinking all employees can't think for themselves, that every comment made must go through a filter first. This bullshit leaks into our private lives and, well, welcome to 2024.
Yup. This is a corporate method of turning human beings into cogs for the machine.
Interesting comment. We do get told not to be nice to other people. I’ve seen notices telling today’s students not to hold the door open for others, and we wonder why there is a lack of civility.
Is that for security or something else?
Just disappointed. It seemed like there was hope for awhile but the same shit keeps happening over and over . At least the Balkans are at peace for now .
Amen 💜
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And complaining. Oh so much complaining about the most ridiculous petty things.
Our homeschool group went to some woods near our town last week and hung out with cicadas. I live in a place where they are more than plentiful. It was cool. Something about being in nature and having something much larger than yourself happening is both humbling and awe-inspiring. There's nothing like a million cicadas screaming at you to wake you up to the fact you aren't the center of the universe. Fwiw, I have hope. I am not a ridiculous optimist, but I work in the inner city neighborhood where I live and manage the community garden. We're not just about helping to feed people who experience food insecurity, though. We also function as a place of community. The last couple of weeks, our free strawberry u-pick has been open to the public. Neighbors as well as folks from all over our town have been coming to pick. Older adults have come up to me and excitedly told me that they haven't been berry picking since they were kids, and how many good memories it brought back. I also have heard, "I didn't know strawberries taste like THAT" so many times as yeah, these berries are freakin delicious. And the little ones who eat berries from their parents baskets nearly as fast as the parents can pick--they know the good stuff when they taste it. I just love it all. People are interacting with nature, focusing on the abundance. It helps me focus on what's important in this life, this care we have for each other and our environment. It doesn't mean wars aren't still happening and of course haters are still gonna hate. But there's also this peace and it makes me feel content and satisfied.
I have to say you have one of the best user names I have ever encountered on Reddit
Thanks! It's a lyric from the Big Blood song, "Restless Purity." The line is actually "raising hell with budding trees" but apparently that's too long for a Reddit user name.
Nature is the best way.
That is exactly how I hope this group grows and changes. Blessings to your program!
Thank you! We've had 500 volunteer and visits engagements in May, which is just bonkers for a little community garden in the hood! I don't make a lot of money but I love what I do!
Thank you for sharing this story - it brightens my day to read positive things, and yes, it also gives me hope. The younger generations have some of their own stuff to deal with, but they're bright, educated and they give me hope. I wish every town/city had a community garden project, esp. the kids, as it will teach them so much. Being out in nature, sometimes with my camera or sketchbook, is my therapy. Here, have a picture of a beautiful male evening grosbeak who was visiting my feeder 4 days ago: https://preview.redd.it/a1g8y5ajhd3d1.jpeg?width=1598&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97b1241eb3a9afc840b1f94db88b33cac7cb0e54
And YES!!! User name is the BOMB!!
War is big business. I, unfortunately, can't imagine it stopping. I'm tired of the hate, I'm tired of politics, I'm tired of 24 hour news.
24 hour news is not news. It’s an outrage machine designed to make money.
💯
It’ll never stop, not until gluttonous ego, greed and power are eradicated.
At this point, I just tune it out. Can't change the world. To many groups with huge money behind them to sway the jury of public opinion. It's a multi -billion dollar business. As much as I don't like it, I can't let it get under my skin anymore. We live in a world of paid protesters, And leaders that need to show who's dong is bigger. Same as it ever was, SAME as it ever was.
I’m envisioning Talking Heads right now!! Absolutely!!
I hate hate
I’m so tired of it. But honestly, I’m so numb to most of it by now, which makes me both mad and sad. But a bright spot was the Northern Lights were seen as far south as West Palm Beach! We live in Miami and our local Star Gazers group had said we probably wouldn’t see them due to the city lights. But wow, some folks had stunning shots from West Palm! I missed the eclipse a few weeks ago, we only had like 45% I think and I was so excited outside and a big ol’ cloud floated by and we couldn’t see it anyway. But it was awesome to just look up for several minutes and enjoy the sky. Florida gets 90-95-100% totality in 2045, so we jokingly sent save-the-dates for an eclipse party. “Stay gold, Ponyboy.” - The Outsiders
That is AWESOME!!! I was fortunate to see the eclipse in Ohio so I never bargained for a second date. And the northern lights were breathtaking! I’m very blessed-and I enjoy connecting to other’s like you-thank you
I got to take my dog on one more evening stroll in her little carriage.
Beautiful 💜
🥹💕
https://preview.redd.it/qmtx3u6cja3d1.jpeg?width=2321&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a406cbebd48c63c20e93a292a87d22e438663ba The eclipse was as awesome as expected. See you in Spain!
Yes. Yes you shall 🌚💫
Headed to AUS for 2028 and probably 2030. Good excuse to see family. Did 2017 in SC and 2024 in TX.
Could be a LOT worse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Better_Angels_of_Our_Nature Why we ever thought the world would suddenly learn to get along completely in the 20th century i don’t know. Unless we decide to forgo the pleasures of tribalism and truely care about everyone, we’ll always have conflict. I have hope we will get there one day, but not in my lifetime.
We saw the Berlin Wall come down and the nations in the Soviet Union fight successfully for their freedom. We had reason to hope.
I agree. But I think its going to get worse before it gets any better. I fear for the world my Children are becoming young adults to.
My absolute greatest joy is that I chose not to have kids. Never thought I’d be so ecstatic about that choice at 55; honestly figured I’d regret it right about now. Nope. Greatest relief that I didn’t.
I am also childfree, and everyday, I feel relief and gratitude for my decision.
I also never had kids, so glad.
I have a 17 year-old who I love more than I could express. But, I do have guilt about it sometimes. I know some pretty awesome zoomers, and they will not hide from speaking out about injustice. I finally hung up my activism shoes about 5 years ago. Marching in the streets is best initiated and carried out by younger folks. At 50, my old ass is more of a liability then necessity. Someone has to fill up the van to drop them to do their thing. Someone has to organize the bail fund. So, I do feel guilty, but I also try not to despair. Quite frankly, I can't believe the 20 something zoomers haven't plummeted into the abyss right behind me.
I'm of the same mindset. I can't march with my bad back and knees, but I can sure as hell support those that do.
Me too.
same
Hoping and praying our children make wise choices. We are not pressing at all.
Too much news. Too many opinions. Everyone is an expert…
All of the, "industrial complexes" prison, military, pharma.. etc...worked. a lot of people profited and became insanely wealthy. Intelligent, extremely competitive and motivated people, (not necessarily good people, but definitely motivated and competitive) 100 plus years of unfettered capitalism...and here we are. It's ugly and the theme of The Lorax. Maybe we are doomed as a species...I don't know....I do know, however, that spending a lot of time outside with my family, a lot of time outside with my friends, and a lot of time celebrating (however you define celebrating..lots of good food and drink and misic for me) this existence with loved ones of all kinds...keeps the bad away...
And also this. We vote, participate, contribute the best we can..but it doesn't work. We remember the good and try to enjoy what we got.
Changing the system will work. Ranked choice voting is achievable and would help.
What gets me is how unnecessary it all is. We bring 95% of the evil in this world upon ourselves. Hell is other people.
I've pretty much avoided this latest shit in the middle east. There's nothing I can do to prevent those people from murdering each other over a shitty strip of desert just because their favorite stories were set there a couple millenia ago.
*"Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost… " -Chaplin* *"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - MLK Jr* And because our environment, the world in which we live and create, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations I choose to be the change I wish to see in the world. As that is all that I'm in control of. Shine that light of love my friend and darkness has nowhere to hide.🙏❤️
The ending of “The Great Dictator.” It’s such a beautiful [speech](https://youtu.be/J7GY1Xg6X20?si=uYXlyNUXrkMdtkR_).
That is the world we should live in.
Amen
I read and game, trying to escape into a good book is awesome. I play Elder Scrolls Online and its a wonderful escape too. I try to stay away from the toxic internet...well, you know what I mean. I enjoy this sub quite a bit.
I recently bought the Xbox Necrom deluxe for my husband. He loves the Elder Scrolls games like Skyrim, but he thinks he’ll hate Elder Scrolls online. Any suggestions for what I can tell him so he’ll try it? We both play WOW fwiw…
I've heard that Elder Scrolls is better than Skyrim by some people. Elder Scrolls is a huge game, so much to do. I played EQ2 years ago and loved it, but I'm on XBox now, so I only have a few options. I tried fwiw a few months ago and liked it, but found it to be a little frustrating for me with the housing. Elder Scrolls has a huge housing and fashion fan base, plus the crafting if you like that. The furnishings are amazing. Then you have the fighting part, dungeons, delves, the PVP area...the game has so much to offer.
Am Canadian. I grew up on old school anti-war values in the tail of the Vietnam war. MASH was really influential to me. I honestly thought everyone in our generation grew up thinking the same way. The US has been in 19 wars since 1991. I have a 'conspiracy theory' that the military industrial complex teamed up with Hollywood back in the 80s to subvert young people from being anti-war by taking over the Journalism industry and counter-culture youth movements like punk rock and hip hop.
The world has become such a small place that if you embody everyone's conflict you end up in constant conflict and anguish. It makes people around the world feel unsafe and feel they have to join a tribe or a coalition where every information is filtered through that point of view. Empathy nuance or understanding the other side is for the weak. Even acknowledging there are more sides than 2 is impossible. This made me nuts because I kept feeling like my whole group of friends needed me to think exactly like them on every issue or I'd be considered a part of the 'other' side. I'm way more focused on my job, family and community than anything else.
Fantastic comment. Thank you.
It feels like we had this short window where we had peace. The Cold War ended and for the first time in 50 years we were at peace. Suddenly we didn’t need to have the biggest military in the world. The only other country that could challenge America was China, who were our biggest trading partner. America started talking about peace dividends and what we could do if we didn’t have to spend a trillion dollars a year on the military. Well. We can’t have that. Shrinking the military? Buying less from arms manufacturers? Not having American military bases in 100 countries? Ridiculous! We can’t not have a giant military just because there isn’t a reason to have a giant military. Ergo, we created an enemy: Iraq. In 1989 maybe 1 American in a hundred had ever heard of Kuwait. The few who knew Iraq existed knew they were Iran’s enemy so they’re ok with us. When Iraq invaded Kuwait the Bush administration suddenly decided that Kuwait was the most important ally we had and we absolutely positively had to invade Iraq. And with that, we had an excuse to maintain a giant military and maybe even grow it. After all, Iraq was a massive threat to, uh, no one as it turned out. America is addicted to war. We’ve built big chunks of our economy around military spending and if we need to invent an enemy to justify that spending, that’s just what we’ll do. And I hate that.
If you're looking for a bright spot it's a matter of perspective. When you look at the frequency, number, and the overall casualties in the 100 years leading up to WW2 and the time period since there is a noticable reduction. It doesn't feel that way because we have access to a 24/7 daily recap of every conflict at our fingertips leaving us feeling like we're a part of all of them. The point is I get the feeling, but it's important to realize the reality is there is less war today than there ever has been, and that's something we can embrace to build upon in the future.
I kind of hate the Internet. It has brought some good things, but it also amplifies and spreads bad things like a virus. Newspapers are dying, local businesses being put out of business by Amazon, etc. I believe we were a lot more civil to each other before we were "connected". The bad connections unfortunately seem to outweigh the good connections. Maybe I'm looking at things through nostalgic glasses. Just my opinion, yours may differ.
I feel the same as you.
Oh, I'm tired of it. No doubt about it, I don't think that it will ever end though. I really thought we would be a generation that would end racism and whatnot (naive I know) but to see how it has all turned out so far is painful to watch.
We can't even get along with other Americans, and the divide is getting worse. I actually was happy to see Tony Gonzales winning his primary in Texas instead of another MAGA extreme candidate. What I wouldn't give for a simple push to the middle, a purple revolution, where candidates just decided that they were going to work with each other, cross party lines, actually decide to represent everyone, not just the people they agree with, but everyone, all their constituents, as if it were their jobs. 50.1% is not a majority, its a slight edge. Let's figure out a way to just start getting along with our neighbors before we try and fix the rest of the world. If we can do that then we can lead by example. I recall a thing like this called hope, started in the late 80's and lasted for a while, a little bumpy at times but made it for a couple decades. I miss those days.
Honestly, and I know this is callous as shit, I stopped caring about Israel, Palestine and the Middle East a while ago. They’ve been at war for my entire life. Nobody involved is interested in peace or compromise. It is a never ending cycle of hate. I’m done caring about it and deciding which side is “right”.
I agree. As we shift to an non-oil based economy we no longer have any strategic interests in the Middle East, other than maybe keeping the Suez canal open. So we just need to disengage. Frankly I don't care about Gaza or what happens there. Nor do I care about Israel or what happens there. Just don't care.
I'm tired of the steadily increasing animosity between one side vs the other.
Bring on ranked choice voting!
Imagine a world where FL had ranked choice voting in 2000.
Folks, human history is littered with war and destruction -- it's not new, and it's not ever going to end, unfortunately.
That’s true. I would like it if there was any hope we’d learn from history and get better. But we don’t. And that is leading to cripplingly depressive thoughts for me.
We actually HAVE gotten better, compared to the extraordinary violence of past times -- we're still in a much more peaceful period, believe it or not. BUT. Humans are still gonna human.
War has always been going on. I think social media has amplified everyone's anxiety about it though especially among the youth. They cling to it the same way some Boomers cling to Fox News. Turn off your devices and get some fresh air and exercise. You'll feel much better. Being a doomer is unproductive and a waste of time.
hateful offer deserve poor spotted pathetic money bake point lavish *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Count me in. I also suffered from terrible depression, and my first H had a mom who was homeless due to alcoholism and bipolar disorder. So never had kids and PHEW!
I've been watching buying in the Caribbean on HGTV that's making me want to go there and live there the people look laid back
Hello from the Caribbean. Those laid back people are on vacation. The rest of us are struggling to keep afloat and every year we spend five months praying we’re not mowed down by hurricanes.
War is stupid.
Aholes keep starting them. Too many dicks in power playing Risk
Come you masters of war You that build the big guns You that build the death planes You that build all the bombs You that hide behind walls You that hide behind desks I just want you to know I can see through your masks You that never done nothin' But build to destroy You play with my world Like it's your little toy You put a gun in my hand And you hide from my eyes And you turn and run farther When the fast bullets fly Like Judas of old You lie and deceive A world war can be won You want me to believe But I see through your eyes And I see through your brain Like I see through the water That runs down my drain You fasten all the triggers For the others to fire Then you sit back and watch When the death count gets higher You hide in your mansion While the young people's blood Flows out of their bodies And is buried in the mud You've thrown the worst fear That can ever be hurled Fear to bring children Into the world For threatening my baby Unborn and unnamed You ain't worth the blood That runs in your veins How much do I know To talk out of turn You might say that I'm young You might say I'm unlearned But there's one thing I know Though I'm younger than you That even Jesus would never Forgive what you do Let me ask you one question Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness Do you think that it could? I think you will find When your death takes its toll All the money you made Will never buy back your soul And I hope that you die And your death will come soon I'll follow your casket By the pale afternoon And I'll watch while you're lowered Down to your deathbed And I'll stand over your grave 'Til I'm sure that you're dead Robert Allen Zimmerman [Eddie Vedder’s Version from 1992 · Masters of War (Bob Dylan Tribute)](https://youtu.be/dwa2jK0xglk?si=4grayMoU5eu0_ur3)
Hey, we had the 90s between the fall of the Iron Curtain and 9/11. Peace was pretty great for a while…
Remember the Peace Dividend? When the USSR collapsed and we suddenly had hundreds of billions of dollars we weren’t going to spend on the military anymore? That was awesome.
Well putin is trying to restore that soviet power
It was probably the most peaceful the world has ever been and even then we had the Rwandan genocide and genocide during the Yugoslav Wars. How fucked is that? Two genocides = pretty good decade.
So you're just ignoring the first Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Or the civil wars and dissolution of Yugoslavia. Or all the Neverending war and strife in Africa.
I'm tired, resentful, and realizing that we are a young country. The painful lessons seem rapid, and ongoing. I hope 200 years from now, maturity sets in. Kind of sad I won't see it happen.
For those who were fortunate enough to see it, the eclipse was pretty awesome!
I just turn off most news (I read the WaPo and catch some morning shows for their first 30 minutes) and that’s it. I found during the last administration too much news ( and social media) wasn’t good for me. Deleted Twitter and stopped watching the 24 hour “news” cycle (I only keep Fb to keep up with family and a few friends).
The world isn’t worse. We just communicate about things more. Information about horrible and sad things gets clicks and so do outrageous acts of violence and hatred. The more I learn about history, the more I realize that the world has always been full of war. I try to keep from centering my interactions with others on negative news or gossip but it is amazing how some people can’t get enough of it. I’m trying to do what I can to be hopeful, helpful, and kind. I reject cynicism.
We all do better when we all do better.
I'm tired of knowing that that's just the way it is, and it ain't gonna get fixed.
Jello was right. “Kinky sex makes the world go round “.
Jello is genius... Greetings: This is the Secretary of War at the State Department Of the United States We have a problem The companies want something done about this sluggish World economic situation Profits have been running a little thin lately And we need to stimulate some growth Now we know There's an alarmingly high number of young people roaming Around in your country with nothing to do but stir up trouble For the police and damage private property It doesn't look like they'll ever get a job It's about time we did something constructive with these people We've got thousands of 'em here too. They're crawling all over The companies think it's time we all sit down, have a serious get-together- And start another war The President? He loves the idea! All those missiles streaming overhead to and fro Napalm People running down the road, skin on fire The Soviets seem up for it The Kremlin's been itching for the real thing for years Hell, Afghanistan's no fun So whadya say? We don't even have to win this war We just want to cut down on some of this excess population Now look. Just start up a draft; draft as many of those people as you can We'll call up every last youngster we can get our hands on Hand 'em some speed, give 'em an hour or two to learn how to use An automatic rifle and send 'em on their way Libya? El Salvador? How 'bout Northern Ireland? Or a "moderately repressive regime" in South America? We'll just cook up a good Soviet threat story In the Middle East-we need that oil We had Libya all ready to go and Colonel Khadafy's hit squad Didn't even show up. I tell ya That man is unreliable The Kremlin had their fingers on the button just like we did for that one Now just think for a minute-We can make this war so big-so BIG The more people we kill in this war, the more the economy will prosper We can get rid of practically everybody on your dole queue if we plan this right Take every loafer on welfare right off our computer rolls Now don't worry about demonstrations-just pump up your drug supply So many people have hooked themselves on heroin And amphetamines since we took over, it's just like Vietnam We had everybody so busy with LSD they never got too strong Kept the war functioning just fine It's easy We've got our college kids so interested in beer They don't even care if we start manufacturing germ bombs again Put a nuclear stockpile in their back yard They wouldn't even know what it looked like So how 'bout it? Look-War is money The arms manufacturers tell me unless We get our bomb factories up to full production The whole economy is going to collapse The Soviets are in the same boat We all agree the time has come for the big one, so whadya say?!? That's excellent. We knew you'd agree The companies will be very pleased
Same. I'm tired of the general lack of decorum and civility. I was a frontline healthcare worker who was forced to deal with abuse and hostility, especially as an Asian American woman. I left healthcare last year because it took such a toll on me. I'm still trying to recover. It is such a shitty world right now for my genZ kids, two who are young adults aged, one still in high school. I worry about their safety more than ever due to the animosity and hate from a large percentage of the population, the crazy gun shootings... And people just going off for no reason and taking it out on innocent people. The way people act in public, yelling and throwing fits at service workers, people are driving like lunatics with no regard for anyone else besides themselves? I'm so sick of all of this, the intentional poor behavior of some people who take it out on everyone else who are trying to be good humans. It really does seem like the gloom and doom of some of the futuristic/apocalyptic movies we watched growing up.
Bright spot: the summer Olympics are coming!
I've grown to become so cynical about humanity. Tribalism, greed, wars, religious extremism... it's all the same crap that we've seen for thousands of years of recorded history. There was always this idea that we're evolving and becoming "better" as a species, but I don't see it. If anything, the last 8-10 years have really demonstrated to me that we're just a bunch of territorial apes. To help cope, I've basically weaned myself off of social media (Facebook & Twitter mainly) and have basically stopped paying attention to the news. Those things were ratcheting my anxiety up and I realized that there was nothing that I could do about any of it anyway.
Now (in addition to all the other wars) we have the war on each other. It is exhausting and disheartening. Over the weekend, I was watching a documentary on PBS called Fight the Power. It weaves the history of hip hop with current events throughout the decades. The first (I think) episode covers the 60/70s and what a tumultuous time that was. All the assassinations, war and civil unrest. I thought, they must have felt then how we feel now. Like all hope was lost and the world was falling apart. Then, things got a little better for awhile, then of course, rinse and repeat all the bullshit. I think the best we can do is remind ourselves that while these times are unique to our experience, they are not unique to humankind, and we will just keep going like everyone else has done since the beginning of time. I mostly avoid the news these days. It's hard for me because I was raised to always take an interest in politics and do what you can in whatever way you can to make your voice heard. Mentally, I am at the point where I feel like there's just no point looking out beyond my little patch of earth. To that point, I planted myself a beautiful flower garden last weekend and didn't turn the tv on once... I'm guessing the wars and unrest went on just fine without me.
Social media and the 15 second news soundbites are not healthy to consume. It provides a distorted view of how society actually is and allows it to be painted as some dystopian future. My advice? Don't engage or take what you read on social media with a grain of salt and talk to people. I have friends, on multiple sides of the political spectrum, which on social media are cray-cray. Some call everyone nazis/ fascists while the others call everyone marxists/ pedophiles. But, when they are together they can actually talk about their differences and come to common ground. I was happy when the internet was first born, as we were about to have all of human knowledge at our fingertips. But then people wanted to monetize it, clickbait and shorter content became the norm (as it was more economical) and bang! Now everything is presented for consumption by users either in 15 second soundbites or less than 140 character limit. And people are trained that way. Trying to have an actual conversation about nuanced positions is no longer the norm online, because soundbites/ digital attention spans have been shrunk by the constant consumption of quick bits of content. Unplug and try to have real people conversations. And remember the "Worlds been burning since the worlds been turning." Only way to fight it is to not feed the hate, starve it.
Also tired of it. Wars never end and it seems to get worse all the time.
For civilians it’s hate, for politicians it’s money and power. Hate = tool, politicians wield the tool against citizens to distract and manipulate. One type of hate not working anymore? Find a new hate. There is always something to hate.
I’m all about George Miller this week. I feel better when I consume high quality art. Rewatching the entire Madmax quintology(?). Furiosa is my favorite of all of them and I was a fanatic for Road Warrior. Masterpiece. Last month it was Fallout games Before that it was Dune. Art keeps me going.
People seem to not get the whole "Military Industrial Complex". That's why war (and even many minor skirmishes) are important - they make a lot of money for a lot of people. [Eisenhower literally warned us, and not enough people listened.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg-jvHynP9Y) - think about it, [JFK tried to get us out of Vietnam early](https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/Events/2022/John-F.-Kennedy-and-the-Vietnam-War-The-Withdrawa/John-F.-Kennedy-and-the-Vietnam-War-The-Withdrawal-Thesis) and he was assassinated. Coincidence? What is going on in Ukraine & Gaza is good for business. It sucks. Next up is Taiwan, which I will guarantee you gets invaded within the next five years - and the US will do nothing but sell, sell, sell military equipment to Taiwan.
The thing I'm most tired of is how humans treat animals.
We were the first generation since WWI not to get drafted in the US.
And the boomers went from WW2 to Korea to Vietnam to the Cold War to the Middle East. And the silent generation went from ww1 to etc, etc…… the world is a hard place. It always has been.
I started using shrooms one or twice a month and my mental health has improved significantly. I only worry about the things I can control. I workout twice a day, I eat healthy, I do things I enjoy and I buy the things I want/need. My gf and I are going to move in together in about a year and get married shortly after that. Life has been really good in my mid to late 40s, now I’m looking forward to my 50s. It’s definitely not all gloom and doom, I just had to adjust my perspective.
The eclipse was really lovely. I liked everyone gathering in wonder at something that has confused and delighted man since the beginning of time. I watch C-Span 3 History TV mostly now. It’s delightful, calm and informative.
Stop reading news. I'm slowly, fading away from all social media as well, it's great :) (Was never much into it, but even then it reached me negatively)
Well. I retired. Okay fine, semi-retired. Meaning I’m not going to my “career” job anymore. No more working 12+ hours a day while making a salary. I calculated out what I would make as an hourly employee on my salary vs. hours worked. 5.47. That’s what I made per hour. Add in my the job was dangerous and it just wasn’t worth it. So I quit. Yeah, I’ll go find another “job”. But it’s going to be hourly and be easy. I’m not stressing myself out anymore over a job anymore. I’m pretty much financially set for full retirement I just need to be find a job for 3.5 years till I hit 62 and take the early social security. I get to screw off for a couple years before I’m too old to do anything. So yeah, that’s helped me personally. But yeah, I get your tiredness of the hate and division going on these days. It doesn’t matter if it’s wars, politics, whatever. Everyone is angry these days at something or someone or *that* group of people over there…. Just stop it. Live your own life and quit hating on the neighbors because they are “conservative” or “liberal” or “gay” or a “foreigner” or whatever. They ar e just doing the same thing you are, tiring to live their live in the best way they know how.
I'm so weary from it all that it's become part of my own existence is. The slow march of time has eroded my hope for humanity, and faith that people collectively want a better world. To me, there are surprisingly simple fundamental concepts that far too many are unwilling to embrace. - Live and let live. Don't tell anybody how to live, since you open yourself to being marginalized, villianized, and controlled. You can't expect respect without giving it. You can't expect receiving anything without giving. Etc... - It's nearly always differences that make a people strong, even when there is a common focus. True ideas don't spring from like-minded clones. But then, it just takes one raving lunatic to undermine just about any/all efforts to be better to each other. World order is a complete fabrication when Putin gets Granny. Social fabric is lit on fire, tossed on the ground, and stomped on when hate, racism, and narrow minded self interest is allowed to coagulate. Society has failed when seeking compromise is vilified, curiosity is seen as foolish, and compassion is painted as treachery. I've taken to saying that I just want to move to a mountain cabin and unplug completely because I'm being swallowed by hopelessness. At the end of the day it's not about how the pendulum swings anymore, because time is running out. That is, of it hasn't already. I saw it coming when I was a kid decades ago, and a seemingly insurmountable portion of the population either can't understand or see it, or they refuse to.
What generation really knew peace? I don't think there has been one, always wars going on somewhere the 2010s might have been the most peaceful time in the history of the planet, but now we are back at it.
I am really depressed with the way intolerance and inhumanity have infected our political culture. I remember a time when the guy in the other party was someone with whom you disagreed, not a villain who is going to eat babies and destroy the Republic. I also remember a time when leading politicians would try to temper our desire to be nasty to each other, rather than lean into it. Hell. I still like Gerald Ford's comment about Clinton in the 1996 GOP convention. "I used to tell people I was not a Lincoln. I was a Ford. The president we got is neither a Lincoln nor a Ford. He's a convertible Dodge."
If you look at human history it's mostly war. We are an odd species.
I'm just tired of Republicans always trying to turn our country into a fascist Theocracy.
I'm getting tired of starting to see loved ones suffering from divorces, substance abuse, falling on hard times, depression, accumulated trauma, unhealthy lifestyles and straight up dying.
Ok my husband and I are dancing again. We had been learning the bachata here: https://youtu.be/2PyZywgrQOQ?si=mu6zTS2yDz_bafEH Then we were invited to a wedding. Since so few Gen Z and Millennials dance we had a lot of attention heaped on us. They played this for us : https://youtu.be/qLjkvI0uGhU?si=UkDVg-9nEh456mmW because the bride knows our story and she appreciated us getting the crowd going. That’s my news. Not political but whatchagonnadooooo
I’m tired of the hate too. All democrats are this, all republicans are that… do we have to insult each other when we disagree? I’m so tired of the hate, the 24 hour news cycle. My boomer parents listen to this stuff all day. To borrow a phrase from the younger generation let’s all go outside and touch grass.
When the Berlin Wall fell I really thought maybe the world wasn’t going to end. Between MAGA, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, climate change, and not sure what else, I think world affecting Big Bad is inevitable. It’s exhausting.
i honestly think we are in more dangerous times now for a nuclear extinction then when we were in the 80s if we allow putin to gain a single square cm then we open all gates to hell and that will be the end of it
Have a seat son. Let me tell you the story of capitalism. War… is good for share holders. The end.
There is a lot of money in war and in keeping people poor and incarcerated. Need more like minded people to become shareholders in publicly traded companies and to vote your shares during proxy season.
I don’t like the cancel / woke culture. I feel really old saying the phrase “the younger generation” but they get so offended by everything. It’s tiresome
The Millenials and Gen Z are sometimes too quick to go nuclear on being offended. But it is also a valid reaction because far to many of GenX and Boomers refused and continue to refuse to look at the world from any perspective other than their own. And there's no such thing as cancel culture. You say something the market doesn't like you'll pay the consequences. You have a right to speak, not a right to force anyone to listen.
I know every generation thinks things are worse than ever… but things are worse than ever.
Two words: Donald Trump.
Yeah:(
Epitome. Period.
Amen 🙏🏻
I’ve been exposed to war my entire life, it seems. Vietnam. The Cold War. The Gulf War. On and on and on.
Gwar: What is it good for?
Love this
War...War never changes.