With the way the world's going, is there even a point to anything anymore?
Climate is fucked, animals continue to go extinct even more, our money will be worth nothing the coming years… What motivation do I even have to care to keep going? The world is ran and basically owned by corrupt rich people, there’s poverty, war, etc. It makes me sick to my stomach the way to world is. So I ask, why bother anymore?
The point is your gained wisdom through experience. That’s what the old people always tried to tell us.
Are you going to solve any of those problems? No. Are you going to be able to join some organization or movement that solves them? Probably no. Will you be able to affect any change that the world will take notice of? Probably not.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be a part of it. Not everything that has value makes meaningful changes on the world. There was a French artist, Marcel Duchamps, who once exhibited a urinal. This was clearly not an attempt to move art in any direction, or change public perception, he was kinda just being an asshole. But it had that effect anyway. People still get pissy about it, in the form of, “Is it art?” conversations. Is it? Doesn’t matter. It was a low effort one-off idea that has lasted for decades.
Life isn’t actually a race to see how much you can achieve. And if it was that, then it wouldn’t be measured by money. It wouldn’t be measured by “legacy,” the way we use that word for rich people and sports stars. If it really was a contest, then it would be based on how much good you can manage in the face of constant depressive onslaught.
The world has never seemed like it has a point to most people. But they try their best, and they make meaningful impact on the lives of others, often without intention or even knowledge of having done so .
One of my most influential people has no idea that he did anything. He’s around somewhere, although I haven’t seen him for 20 years. All he did was treat me like a person when I was a dumb teenager (not to say all teenagers are dumb, but I was). It really wasn’t much. But I hadn’t been treated that way before, so to me it’s influential because it was something he did that he didn’t have to do.
That guy is not going to be lying on his deathbed thinking, “At least I was a good influence on scared of planes.” For all I know, he doesn’t remember me. Doesn’t matter. He spread some good into the world. That’s your job. That’s your point.
Just be a better you tomorrow than you are today, as many days as you can manage. Know that no one does that every day. And you’ll live a meaningful life that maybe has influence. Your legacy is you.
Well said. I would also add that for me, stopping my consumption of news has dramatically increased my happiness. The news outlets only spread negative fear mongering bs. Most of it you can't change. I stopped consuming negative media and its helped a ton.
OP I would read the above comment a couple times and anytime you’re feeling down. Especially the part about just being a positive influence on those around you, that’s all most of us can hope for. Be the light in the darkness, as they say.
In addition to these methods of finding some peace within, I’d also say that the world is not as bad as it sometimes seems. It’s difficult because “bad news” generates more outrage and clicks. And as you said the world is indeed run by money, so we get it shoved in our faces a lot. But there is always good too. By my estimate, I’d say about 2/3 of people just want to live a life of peace and fellowship with their neighbors, friends, and family. The other third kinda suck. But hey, they scream the loudest and seek out positions where they can abuse power, so we end up hearing about them and being influenced by them more.
The world has problems, no doubt. Climate change is real and it’s going to affect our lives for a number of generations, but it probably won’t be the end of humanity. We’ll adapt, and with any luck the technology that is being worked on today will save us from the worst of it. Species going extinct is sad, but it’s also a normal part of evolution and has happened for millions of years without our help. Our ignorance and negligence has exacerbated the problem and is directly responsible for the extinction of many species, I get it, that sucks. But we’ve also rescued many from the brink of extinction. Most folks aren’t evil, we’re just a little dumb, and greedy.
War, poverty, corruption, again big setbacks to humanity, but, whether it makes you feel any better or not, these things are consistent throughout all of human history. Remember, 1/3 of people kinda suck. However there’s an argument to be made that none of these issues are as bad today as they have been in the past. I think of all of the above as our room for improvement as a species, something to be hopeful for.
It’s important to be mindful of our shortcomings, but don’t beat yourself up by focusing on them all the time. Instead, consider all the good that we’ve accomplished. Medicine, civil rights, scientific discoveries, technology, art in its many forms, advancements for the disabled, we’re coming up on robotic limbs and hands controlled by your mind, that is simply incredible. In nearly every way the quality of life today vastly exceeds what it did even just 150 years ago, and the average person today lives better than kings of yesterday. Air conditioning? Cold, clean drinking water? A hot shower??! If I were shoved back in time and couldn’t ever take a hot shower… well I’d be very very upset.
TLDR; Yea, sometimes we suck pretty hard. But there are people doing good in the world every single day, and we have come a long way already from our worst habits and living conditions. It’s entirely fair to be optimistic about and fight for the future you want to see.
At the risk of being a dick I wanna make one point though. When Marcel Duchamp submitted "Fountain" aka a urinal, for an exhibition, he wasn't just being an asshole.
He'd joined the Dada movement and they really were unhappy with the status quo after the horrors of war. They held lots of public meetings, protest demonstrations, published art criticism etc, trying to change it.
But this kind of makes it even more supportive of your point. He was just one guy, part of something he believed in, and somehow his small act with the urinal had a huge legacy.
@yuunikki please schedule an appointment with a therapist because you are demonstrating signs of depression in your post/comment history. The internet is not qualified to be your therapist.
Talk to therapists and find a hobby. Do whatever you want. If you think something is meaningless but you like doing it. Do it. Try to live a life that bothers others the least. Help others if they ask for help.
I felt the same way, a therapist couldn’t help me either, since I was just looking at the world realistically… It helped me to consume less news and to concentrate on my immediate environment, where I actually mean my actions can change something. For me it’s mainly family, but of course it can also be a hobby or voluntary work, for example.
I did not know. I just read the story in the Wikipedia article, sounds really interesting. I also realized that compared to the time when this is set, our time is really relaxed. If you live in the western world and ignore climate change…
Identifying signs of depression is not the same as diagnosis because it includes the causes. I don't care about OP enough to find out what is causing them to be depressed.
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.
Climate is fucked, but regarding everything else the world wasn’t a utopia back then either. Poverty, war, corrupted overlords, etc have always existed.
Life has been pointless in the grand scheme of things and unfair, and been up to each individual to try and find
My parents lived with the threat of nuclear annihilation, my grandparents fought in ww2. My gg parents lived through ww1. Most of everyone before them lived in relative poverty.
I'm not sure id take any of them over the current situation. Certainly there are massive problems looming that will cause lots of suffering, but humans do find joy and purpose at all times
It’s up to you to give your life meaning. Just because things suck, doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel. Imagine the Bronze Age humans, who were getting killed over idols and and some random warlord’s whims. They persisted in the face of adversity so we exist today. Imagine the lives of the enslaved, raped, and oppressed native Americans and Africans in the face of Spanish rule in South America. They persisted with no clear future freedom in sight.
I could go on about humans facing horrible situations but my point is this: throughout history we have always faced a dark situation as a result of other human actions but we always found a reason to persist… or even fight back.
Exactly. In my current state persistence is key. The question “When do you want to give up the fight?” is a good one. Im hoping that everyone can get a world where they feel mostly happy. Things might go bad quickly but it’s important to remember the small things and create happiness for yourself, even if temporary (it always is).
Shit sucks; deal with it. Also you know be cool to people and they’ll be cool back.
Yes. There’s always a point. The world will always be unjust. That doesn’t mean we should give up and take it. Fight for what you can, enjoy what you can.
Jkjk. I think why I stick around is bc I can help others even in the smallest ways, and that brings me joy. Also, the art that people create and the knowledge to learn are big factors as well.
The thing that humans have is resilience. We can jump off the f’d up train track if we put our efforts toward that goal.
Remember the ozone hole? It’s been shrinking and almost back to normal, per scientists who watch. Pesticides put birds on the endangered list, but after that pesticide was banned, they have become abundant again. We don’t remember the wins, but they are there. Humanity will change their ways, but only when they have exhausted the other ways, first. We can ban more pesticides. We’ve done it before, we will do it again. We are on the verge of a clean energy future. The old rich fossils can hold on to the old ways for only so long, They are dying out. They will be replaced by a new ethics, who will find new ways to screw up.
The way I see it, we are fucked. With one exception, if we (the 99%) collaborate, we can help make this world a better place. If there’s one thing we have against the wealthy, its numbers. Basically my whole argument boils down to hope. If all of us hope for a better world and work to make it happen (protest, voting, striking, etc.) the world can be a better place. Call it delusional, but it helps me sleep at night.
I like the food most of us have access too. Ice cream and pizza makes me happy. Soup dumplings, ramen, Air fryer chicken. So much good food. Also, I’m waiting drive for Stranger things last season… Idk I’ve got stuff to do.
When I’m in that pit, most good advice isn’t helpfull.
What is helpful is to acknowledge that the pendulum of this cold and indifferent universe swings both ways.
When you’re deep in the shit, and you see all the walls crumbling down, and you feel how fleeting all the good things are, just remember that the bad things are just as fickle and fleeting.
The world has been ending since it began. It’s important to pay attention, notice, and do your part when the opportunity presents itself. It’s equally important to remember that none of the apocalyptic events in human history has ended humanity yet. When you can’t stop ruminating on the lowest points of your life, remember that you’ve been through all of that, and you’re still here.
Life is a struggle, and a beautiful mess. Nobody is ever “done” with the hard parts, but we’re never “done” with the good parts either.
Take a deep breath and remember that you’ll never get dealt a good hand if you cash out, and you’re never playing alone.
Also poverty and hunger are lower than ever before (considering previous eras, and it’s not yet good). More and more people are getting education. Fairness towards women and minorities used to get better.
We’re having scientific advancements every day and can easily communicate with people around the globe, and it’s even cheap and available to many people. Some people think we’ll soon invent general artificial intelligence and maybe robots will do the unattractive labor for us. Some people (i’m not sure if i trust people like Elon Musk(?)) even say science is soon going to solve things like overpopulation and climate change. They want star trek to become true. Also medicine is getting better each day, we can cure more and more things and people need to suffer less and less. Maybe there is a cure for cancer coming up in the next decade.
Is it really on the decline? Are we having less or more wars than we used to have? Can we afford more or less stuff than our parents or grandparents did? I’m not sure… Things are a bit complicated and sometimes something gets worse while other things get better. Sometimes it’s for short or longer periods. I get what you mean and it’s a problem. And too many people around the world are suffering things we could have fixed by now. But this is only half of the story.
Add comment