I think it has always been like this. We have always been on the edge of progress or total destruction. You may want to watch the Oppenheimer movie as the fears we have now about end of the world, were the same then, maybe even worse.

Throughout history people have worried about the end and while they are not wrong to have concern as there are just so many vectors to take us out, some self inflicted, we have survives and thrived. Fearing the doom scenario seems normal but we have been doing for so long despite doing so well on so many key metrics overall that I think this reality needs to be the focus. Although, I did read a paper once that said worry is just mother-natures way of ensuring we avoid bad things by making them uncomfortable. Maybe we all need to lean into the uncomfortableness as it will come to us sooner than later anyways.

(insert astronaut meme) never has been

Jokes aside… This is my personal philosophy & probably won’t align with everyone’s. As someone who started science quite young, I realized quite early that beyond societal issues, literally nothing is “meaningful”… If Earth itself will be gone in a few billion years, might as well practice some optimistic nihilism and do some stuff with whatever life I have. There’s still stuff to do even if society doesn’t prioritize ppl like me

What else you gonna do, lay down and die? Life is a short amount of time anyways. Just make best with what you got. YOLO

Try to find meaning in whatever works for you. A lot of people find this in things like relationships, family, hobbies, interests and activism. Essentially, don’t let the bastards grind you down. Existential philosophy may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it can be helpful in navigating these kinds of issues.

Yes and shutup we’re fixing shit.

Rich people don’t want to sell their stocks yet. So we all can’t act like adults and admit everything is fucked or their fake assets will start to lose value before they’ve convinced you to become so invested in the charade that you’re willing to buy them.

Every single action you take ripples outwards to the people around you and on in to future generations. You matter just as much as every living thing on earth and in the universe. If you accept the suffering that is inherent in existence and aim towards being the most innate and true version of yourself, you will get the most meaning and consciousness out of life. We are an interconnected, trippy, murderous, loving, intelligent, massive group of apes all experiencing each other’s psyche together. The world wants and needs you to love yourself.

Less “world” and more private life, and everything begins to have sense.

The world is pretty fucked up, it always has been and so it will continue to be.
And none of it really matters either, it’s all just a tiny flash of light in the darkness that will soon fade away to nothing.

However, here we are, living in a beautiful planet that was blessed with life, so many different plants and animals, sounds, smells and tastes, music and art, being able to talk with others, laugh, cry, love. We’re only microscopic creatures that live on the tiniest spec of dust imaginable, but to our tiny eyes there is plenty of beauty to be found. And for as long as we are able to see that beauty, there is a point to it for us, we can try our best to enjoy what we have for the little time that we have it, before we finally become one with the universe.

Why bother? Don’t bother! What can you do about climate change? What can you do about animals going extinct? What can you do about the economy?

Nothing!

So if you can’t do anything about it, it’s not worth fretting about. You should worry about your life! Care for your family. Care for your friends. Do your best at school or work. Try to grow in life by learning new things. Try to gain as many new experiences as you can. Set a goal (not too big) and work towards that. Set a new goal and work towards that.

The point I’m trying to make is to stop worrying about the big problems in the world and focus on the little things, because the little things are what matter. You can still support Greenpeace or XR, you can vote, you can donate, but there’s not much more you can do. If you waste your life worrying about things you can’t influence and wither away in depression, everybody looses.

There was never any point. Find your own meaning and don’t give up.

I mean… I just found Lemmy. So there’s that. 🤷

"It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted in a profoundly sick society " - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Life has always been what you make it. If you’re looking for purpose to come to you naturally then you’ll be waiting just long enough to die.

I wonder about this sometimes. Things aren’t great and will get worse before they get better at the very least.

I figure that even if the world is ending and there’s nothing I can do about it, I can still do small kindnesses whenever possible. The question is how small to go for maximum effect. If you could be a little more ambitious and definitely succeed it follows that you’re not doing enough, so the optimal amount of ambition must have some risk of failure.