When I think about the past and how shit it was for most of humanity, I think we’ve made progress in a lot of ways. Hell, even when I look at crime rates in my city, it was so violent when I was a kid, bands wouldn’t come here because they got beat up, there was just a lot of violence. It’s so much calmer and safer now. I think we take 2 steps forward and one back, we are in the “one back” now, but the tide of history moves slowly in the right direction.
I feel that. Like, so far half my life was “paradise” compared with what’s to come. Many won’t get that much.
Destructive forces tend to create their own counter. They are only temporary, and since the best revenge is a life well lived, build something that will outlast them.
One day Trump will be dead.
There was a period between Bush and Obama where everyone had finally come to terms with how stupid Bush was and it even seemed like you could talk about it with Republicans.
I don’t think that can happen with Trump. I couldn’t go like 2 sentences without dunking on them.
Trump is 78 years old. The average life expectancy for males in the US is 74.8 years.
I’ll cheers to that
The world population is expected (by the UN) to level off and even start declining this century.
The end of explosive population growth is critically important to stabilizing the world.
Given that much of the ecological damage is being done by only a billion or so of today’s 8 billion but the other 7 (then 8, then 9) billion are all planning to live like them, is it reasonable to think we can achieve a soft landing? I’m not a pessimist by nature but I wrestle with this obvious conundrum.
There’s not going to be anything soft about our landing.
That does seem to be the most likely scenario. But nothing about the future is certain. There was an article just last week about the philosophy of “hopeful pessimism”. Obviously it should really be rebranded “hopeful realism” but otherwise it’s quite persuasive. There are always ways to make things better than they otherwise would have been. And, again, the worst scenarios, or even just bad scenarios, are absolutely not inevitable. For example, on the climate issue, there has been a lot of progress in green tech, and the temperature projections are now a bit less bad than they were a decade ago. Not a lot of people know this! Still bad of course, and climate is only one threat among a whole bunch, so optimism is clearly dumb. But nothing is inevitable and so being hopeful is not dumb at all.
That’s a long article. I didn’t fully read it. But I agree with the idea to reject pessimism. If there nothing to be optimistic about, you can at least not be pessimistic. Why? Because it sucks to be pessimistic. And also, moping has never helped anybody. We learn that as kids, but we seem to have forgotten that as adults.
Completely agree on all counts.
Guess I’m doing my part! You’re welcome all.
My kids are developing into outstanding adults. They’ll be out of college and ready to help rebuild the US when our current political nightmare is over. One is strong in empathy and caring, highly motivated to become the teacher that inspires the next generation. The other is strong in fairness, justice, building teams to achieve. Strong in mind, strong in athletics, reaches out across languages and cultures
Been listening to the stories of how people saved, supported and fought for others during the Holocaust, even risking their own lives.
I’m not taking away from the tragedy of the loss suffered by so many. I’m saying we can take some hope that human nature is complex enough and good enough that we must not lose sight of that in the face of evil.
My wife has finished her BSc, we are both healthy, I’ve found a chill job that pays the bills, and the city is finally building a decent bicycle path on my commute.
(try to focus on things in your vicinity if you want to keep your sanity)
The Earth will survive after all the humans are dead
One day, we might invent a time machine that can undo all this mess.
I’ll go back, and slowly make my way into politics.
I’ll take over one of the most powerful nations and rule by decree.
I’ll be the most benevolent leader ever.
I’ll have Unlimited Rice Pudding
And anyone attempting to stop my benevolent goals are evil and shall face summary execution
Removed by mod
You don’t need to announce to the world that you are blocking someone, you know. You can just do it in silence like the rest of us.
Why would you do that? That’s like going to a restaurant and not posting about it on Instagram. e.i. a complete waste of time. /s
Good to know, thanks.
Quit watching me creep. Im obviously here for my own amusement, not yours. Lol. Months!!!
Edit: This is why it’s important to block people. There are literally people in these spaces stalking you.
Also recommend purging your account from time to time. OP may just end up stalking me again someday lol.
