No offense, but this is exactly the kind of active pessimism that this post is trying to combat. The only mindset that creates positive change is active optimism. In other words, hope for better and taking action to try and get there.
Note that this is not to be confused with inactive optimism. “Everything will just work out on its own”. That also doesn’t work.
Active pessimism is the most damaging mindset, though, because it actively drains others of their will to make things better. Feeling hopeless is real and understandable, I’ve been feeling it, too. Spreading it around and shutting down those who are trying to do better isn’t the way to process it, though.
And that single release, equivalent to two years of human output, is the tip of the spear.
Hope police want to argue that if we are calm about things and don’t point out the dire situation we’re in, we’ll somehow manage.
It’s the same argument as telling a passenger in a car driving towards a cliff at 50 mph, close enough that seconds matter, to not yell ‘CLIFF! BRAKE!’ Because it would demoralize the driver, and should instead calmly inform the driver that we might have some problems if they don’t stop applying pressure to the gas.
Okay. But every minute we can delay reaching that threshold will be worth it.
To me it’s the same as the US democracy right now. Yes it’s far too late to see no ill effects and we are already facing the consequences, but every act of resistance to unlawful, immoral and unconstitutional orders slow them down, and with enough co-ordination may slow them down enough before Trump and the oligarchs become truly unstoppable.
For any issue that effects our world’s existence, stand boldly and take action. Don’t let the fear of the inevitability of it consume you.
Above a certain threshold there will be no discernible difference in the outcome to our civilisation.
The planet is fine. The people are fucked. G. Carlin was and is right.
No offense, but this is exactly the kind of active pessimism that this post is trying to combat. The only mindset that creates positive change is active optimism. In other words, hope for better and taking action to try and get there.
Note that this is not to be confused with inactive optimism. “Everything will just work out on its own”. That also doesn’t work.
Active pessimism is the most damaging mindset, though, because it actively drains others of their will to make things better. Feeling hopeless is real and understandable, I’ve been feeling it, too. Spreading it around and shutting down those who are trying to do better isn’t the way to process it, though.
Fucking hope police with their unscientific view that honest assessments and factual information are less important than optimism.
The OP’s tweet is wrong.
This is undeniable.
There are certain limits past which feedback loops kick in and after which our actions won’t matter.
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Carbon capture and nuclear winter won’t do a goddamn thing if the clathrate gun goes boom, and it is looking like it has:
https://english.elpais.com/climate/2025-02-12/massive-methane-leaks-detected-in-antarctica-posing-potential-risks-for-global-warming.html
And that single release, equivalent to two years of human output, is the tip of the spear.
Hope police want to argue that if we are calm about things and don’t point out the dire situation we’re in, we’ll somehow manage.
It’s the same argument as telling a passenger in a car driving towards a cliff at 50 mph, close enough that seconds matter, to not yell ‘CLIFF! BRAKE!’ Because it would demoralize the driver, and should instead calmly inform the driver that we might have some problems if they don’t stop applying pressure to the gas.
deleted by creator
Except that this is the argument that hope police give to people screaming to pull the brake. Not just to people black pilled.
Okay. But every minute we can delay reaching that threshold will be worth it.
To me it’s the same as the US democracy right now. Yes it’s far too late to see no ill effects and we are already facing the consequences, but every act of resistance to unlawful, immoral and unconstitutional orders slow them down, and with enough co-ordination may slow them down enough before Trump and the oligarchs become truly unstoppable.
For any issue that effects our world’s existence, stand boldly and take action. Don’t let the fear of the inevitability of it consume you.