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The OP is not my reality. While 2020 was extremely stressful on multiple fronts and will go down as one of the least favorite years of my life along with perhaps my thirteenth , family, friends and familiar habits have kept me grounded, even as my wife and I explore potential new adventures for the future. Our children are happy and healthy. I don't let stupid little annoyances like wearing a mask rise to the level of the potential "death of the Republic" nor do I think that I need to take up arms in response to a moderate Democrat occupying the White House for four years any more than I did when Trump was there. May I suggest professional counseling?
that's odd. because you said the following in a thread about covid:
"Because what I see in this country from people does make me terrified for when we inevitably have a pandemic with an even higher fatality rate."
seems that maybe you are a little scared and paranoid.
The OP is not my reality. While 2020 was extremely stressful on multiple fronts and will go down as one of the least favorite years of my life along with perhaps my thirteenth , family, friends and familiar habits have kept me grounded, even as my wife and I explore potential new adventures for the future. Our children are happy and healthy. I don't let stupid little annoyances like wearing a mask rise to the level of the potential "death of the Republic" nor do I think that I need to take up arms in response to a moderate Democrat occupying the White House for four years. May I suggest professional counseling?
that's odd. because you said the following in a thread about covid:
"Because what I see in this country from people does make me terrified for when we inevitably have a pandemic with an even higher fatality rate."
seems that maybe you are a little scared and paranoid.
And I still believe that roughly one-third of Americans would cut off their nose to spite their face. But unlike the OP I don't believe that has ever changed since we became a country.
Whenever I go out, I can’t help but feel the heavy, almost crushing weight of despondency in the air. It feels like the entire world is moving towards an increasingly grim and joyless dystopian future of atomized units with no meaningful relationships, no meaningful social connections or interactions, where fear rules and no one trusts anyone or anything. 8 billion people in the world, and yet the average person is more isolated than ever. All the "connectivity" with the internet, social media, etc, effectively means nothing.
Your eloquent post hits on some deeper things going on in the world. I myself have felt this heaviness that I would describe as an evil. There is definitely a spiritual element to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taggerung
It seems that with every year that goes by, the level of societal paranoia, distrust, and hysteria intensifies, whilst the level of societal cohesion and solidarity continues to plummet. Money is the one and only thing left holding us together...
You are absolutely right; I've been watching this breakdown for years. I would argue that the attempt to implement "multi-culturalism" is a core cause of this. Multiculturalism is the idea that many cultures (even ones that have inherently conflicting values) can live together in peace, harmony and cohesiveness, and that all of them should be in about equal proportions or quantities to each other. I do not believe that. There needs to be one culture who's values are commonly shared by most. This is what leads to social cohesion and trust. Note that culture is not race. Culture is a shared value and belief system, a shared moral code, a shared history, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taggerung
There has not been a Great War for several decades, yet the psychological profile of the masses is that of one who have just emerged from a Great War- trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, despair, feelings of great loss, etc.
The Great Recession, downward economic mobility, outsourcing, automation, multi-culturalism as an ideal, secularization, hyper politicization, excessive unnecessary wars, lack of respect for traditionalism, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taggerung
At least in the aftermath of the two Great Wars, there was a sense that it could all be rebuilt. What can be rebuilt in the present day techno-industrial dystopia? There has been no Great War, but the devastation is very much akin to a wartorn landscape.
People now believe it cannot be rebuilt, and they are nihilistically waiting for the destruction phase.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taggerung
"Progress" is a lie, a myth. We live in times of unprecedented material abundance, with technology that may as well be magic. What has been the result of all this "progress?" Man is less content than ever. Social relations are more thin and threadbare than ever. Not only is the massive amount of technology not preventing the descent into a grim and joyless dystopia, it's accelerating it. One thing I've noticed in the youngest generation is that they don't even have friends anymore. Not close friends.
Everything is broken. How much longer can we pretend everything is fine?
Our lives have become unspeakably empty and purposeless, as reflected by the record high drug deaths every year. The pandemic has really only accelerated this movement into an increasingly grim and joyless future.
I believe the phenomenon you are describing is due to breakdown of traditional social relations and growing secularism. There is also the increasing competition for resources, which increases social strains.
I have observed one way in which people cope with this, and I myself am guilty of the same: retreating into their social bubble, in which most of their social relations are with few people whom are comfortable to be around and where trust is highest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taggerung
The world will only become more grim, more joyless, more dystopian, more nihilistic, more distrustful, more masturbatory, more virtual reality escapist, more divided, more isolated, more atomized, more inauthentic, more unaffordable, more controlled, regulated and hypermanaged, and more censurious- until everything finally collapses. Despite the jubilations of the “utopian-progressives” ie Steven Pinker and his ilk, it seems that people today are as depressed, anxious, and fearful as they’ve ever been.
You are observing things here that are perhaps too nuanced for some. I myself also see it and feel it. One thing I would add to the list: more medicated.
And I still believe that roughly one-third of Americans would cut off their nose to spite their face. But unlike the OP I don't believe that has ever changed since we became a country.
that has nothing to do with your statement. you said you didn't live in fear, and I provided your own words in which you said you did. in other words, I win.
Wow.
Not sure where you live...but where I live it is nothing like that. Your description sounds like a grim sci-fi novel that does not correlate in any way to the reality in which I live.
But trust me, it's not that way everywhere....I have read some of your post, which seem strongly UnAmerican in their general nature. Do you live in Russia or China really? Just curious...
If you actually inhabit a place where this is the way that you feel, all I
can say is MOVE!
Life is too short to be miserable and unhappy.
If you suspect that you are just clinically depressed, do seek help immediately. It can make a world of difference.
We live in a beautiful world,full of wonder and joy -get out and explore it and know it!
If it is politics that is making you feel this way...then quit dwelling on politics so much, spend some time exploring other avenues. Politics are very temporal and change quite often, and for the most part just not worth being miserable over. They are like the weather...if you don't like how things are, stick around they will change.
Your post sounds very American. Lots of me, my, I- wonderful, and so privileged. China of course has nothing to do with America. lolol.
Your reality where you live? The matrix. The sky and sun and trees must be very blue from all those blue pills.
Of course history can never repeat and nice civilizations last forever. Of course.
Whenever I go out, I can’t help but feel the heavy, almost crushing weight of despondency in the air. It feels like the entire world is moving towards an increasingly grim and joyless dystopian future of atomized units with no meaningful relationships, no meaningful social connections or interactions, where fear rules and no one trusts anyone or anything. 8 billion people in the world, and yet the average person is more isolated than ever. All the "connectivity" with the internet, social media, etc, effectively means nothing.
It seems that with every year that goes by, the level of societal paranoia, distrust, and hysteria intensifies, whilst the level of societal cohesion and solidarity continues to plummet. Money is the one and only thing left holding us together...
There has not been a Great War for several decades, yet the psychological profile of the masses is that of one who have just emerged from a Great War- trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, despair, feelings of great loss, etc. At least in the aftermath of the two Great Wars, there was a sense that it could all be rebuilt. What can be rebuilt in the present day techno-industrial dystopia? There has been no Great War, but the devastation is very much akin to a wartorn landscape.
"Progress" is a lie, a myth. We live in times of unprecedented material abundance, with technology that may as well be magic. What has been the result of all this "progress?" Man is less content than ever. Social relations are more thin and threadbare than ever. Not only is the massive amount of technology not preventing the descent into a grim and joyless dystopia, it's accelerating it. One thing I've noticed in the youngest generation is that they don't even have friends anymore. Not close friends.
Everything is broken. How much longer can we pretend everything is fine?
Our lives have become unspeakably empty and purposeless, as reflected by the record high drug deaths every year. The pandemic has really only accelerated this movement into an increasingly grim and joyless future.
The world will only become more grim, more joyless, more dystopian, more nihilistic, more distrustful, more masturbatory, more virtual reality escapist, more divided, more isolated, more atomized, more inauthentic, more unaffordable, more controlled, regulated and hypermanaged, and more censurious- until everything finally collapses. Despite the jubilations of the “utopian-progressives” ie Steven Pinker and his ilk, it seems that people today are as depressed, anxious, and fearful as they’ve ever been.
Gotta stop watching Faux news. They're messing with your head.
A corpse of a president, inflation, covid hanging on, my yoga studio still closed down, people still masked up, my flip taking forever to finish due to labor shortages, materials taking forever to arrive, I feel you OP
A corpse of a president, inflation, covid hanging on, my yoga studio still closed down, people still masked up, my flip taking forever to finish due to labor shortages, materials taking forever to arrive, fall, the sun going away, winter, I feel you OP
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, family, friends and familiar habits have kept me grounded, even as my wife and I explore potential new adventures for the future. Our children are happy and healthy. I don't let stupid little annoyances like wearing a mask rise to the level of the potential "death of the Republic" nor do I think that I need to take up arms in response to a moderate Democrat occupying the White House for four years any more than I did when Trump was there. May I suggest professional counseling?
