this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2024
101 points (93.2% liked)

No Stupid Questions

35947 readers
922 users here now

No such thing. Ask away!

!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.

All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.



Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.

On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.

If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.



Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.

If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.



Credits

Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!

The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

There's so much doom on social media right now. The environment is collapsing. The economy will crash. Civil rights are ending. Democracy is dead.

What keeps you going? Why do you still get up and go do what needs to be done when the world seems to be ending around us?

(page 2) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

TL;DR focus on the things you can control and do literally anything to try to improve things

The thing that causes trauma isn't the bad event but the helplessness that accompanies it.

The main (and sometimes only) tactic that we are taught for dealing with problems is to find an intermediary who can do things on our behalf; seek the nearest authority who will take up your cause. Viewed that way, the fact that institutions and authorities are failing is disempowering; the problem is impossible because the schools/cops/companies/non-profits/politicians/media/etc aren't helping. The only option that perspective leaves you is to take the blows and hope you're strong enough to last until a better intermediary arrives. That shit will wear you down real fast.

We need to unlearn the dependence on intermediaries. We can't stop the bad events from happening (and boy are they happening) but we can combat the helplessness. The antidote to helplessness is exercising agency and feeling control over our actions and their consequences. Find a way you can make things a little bit better and then show up and do it. Anything is fine, if there's a cause you're passionate about then do that, but if there's not then pick something you're kinda sort of good at. Write, draw, make phone calls, create memes, cook, drive, listen, etc. Any skill, no matter how small, can be leveraged to improve the world around you if you're clever about it.

The fight is the point.

Taking action to control what you can is powerful. Maybe you'll succeed and maybe you won't but taking action is where you'll find resilience. If what you do doesn't work then learn from the experience and deepen your understanding. You're not failing to solve the problem you are building up your capacity to tackle it and that shit takes time. Pursue this as vigorously and as passionately as you are able but also know that it's okay to take breaks and step away sometimes.

Also, humans are social creatures so if what you do involves other people that's even better.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

I'm sticking around to witness the collapse, in the hopes things go full mad max. Because that would be a better existence than the one I'm currently living in.

I'm not sure if I'm half joking or being entirely serious.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago

Keeps me going? drugs and food. Life right now is just like a zombie from 6:00-15:00, and later From 15:00-3:00 life can feel good in rare occasions.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

lol "maybe she's born with it"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I have a teenage son - a wonderful kid who keeps me going.

Not sure what I'm going to do in my dead marriage after he moves out.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Having children leave the house is a re-defining moment, just like establishing a family in the first place. It's scary, but it comes with all kinds of possibilities as well.

It sounds like you did a good job on reinventing yourself as a parent, of course trusting your judgment that your kid is indeed wonderful. But the fact that you love him enough that it keeps you going probably counts as further evidence that you're not doing so bad.

You'll manage to reinvent yourself again. And if you can't do it in your marriage, there's no shame in doing it outside it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago

Personally, I turn to activism. I realized that regardless of how horrible the future will be, there's good to do in this world.

The world is full of people who are as scared as you and I are. I can make their lives a tad more positive.

The environment is collapsing? Educate and organise, think about how to build mutual aid systems and how to sustain yourself small scale.

The economy will crash? Help others, people who got thrown to the curb by the social system, homeless people, orphans,...

Civil rights are ending? I'm trans and scared. And there's so many other trans children that are counting on me to be the representation that I wish would have had when I was their age. I'm not going down without a fight.

Democracy is ending? Let's focus on preserving what we can and try to rebuild. It won't be over forever.

People being nice to and helping me often makes my day in an otherwise miserable time.I want to be that person for others.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I work in disability support. Some of the kids I am working with have gone over the last year from non speaking to using sign and are making real meaningful progress in their self care skills. They can keep going in the face of difficult times, so my problems don't seem so hard.

Also, in Australia we have the NDIS, a system for funding disability supports in a socialised manner without restricting what options someone uses too much. While all governmental systems (or any systems with money) are susceptible to grift progress is being made on catching fraudsters and prosecuting them while also closing the loopholes they exploit. The NDIS will be around for a long time to come and will help Australians with disabilities determine their own futures and make them a reality. There are problems with it but honestly it has been a game changer and I think it is a model for the rest of the world to aspire to.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Most of the stuff you read doesn’t matter. What matters is how you treat people. Eat good food and smile, enjoy the rays of the sun which burn us all equally. Bask in a hot shower. Go outside, where you can’t see any other people for a few hours, and listen to the sounds.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

In general, humanity (at least in Europe?) developed positively over the past few centuries. There were of course setbacks, but they didn't last too long and sometimes even lead to great progress. Nevertheless we must fight for progress and shouldn't give up just because the world once again seems to get even worse. Even more important when it comes to problems we have just a tiny period of time to fight against like climate change, we need to act now and can't waste ten years being (ruled by) facists.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

That's the crazy thing about all these echo chambers online. Everyone sits around convincing themselves that life is worse than it has ever been, when in reality it's better in almost every way than it ever has been. Through constant struggle, our ancestors built us a world that is vastly easier to live in than ever before, yet many of us look at what is still left to improve and instead of facing that challenge, just complain loudly about the injustice of it all.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

My friends, family, drawing, having a nice home to live in, good food and fun stuff to do ❤️ I try and avoid negativity by searching for things I'm interested in to engage with, such as art, nature photography, cat photos, and videogames. Some websites let you tailor your feed to your liking!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Fear of death.

Like its either nothing. Which is in itself terrifying.

Or there could be reincarnation, which is even more terrifying. Imagine being reborn in North Korea. Or if time isn't linear, imagine being some enslaved person in the dark ages.

Or being born in some universe that paranormal stuff are real. And evil creatures chase you all the time.

Or being in a dystopian futuristic world where every newborn is implanted with a mindcontrol chip.

Like nobody knows what happens.

Thats the only reason I haven't killed myself.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Look, If I'm going down, I'm going down kicking and screaming.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Oh I gave up like 15 years ago.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

My dog can’t feed herself. My family seems to like having me around.

Get off of social media. Other than here I really keep my news to computer stuff that interests me

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

I don't know what will happen. It is as much a curse as it is a blessing. Uncertainty is uncomfortable for me, but that very same uncertainty is why I keep going.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

There is this video that reminds me that there is no natural law that determines that things will only get better. Yet we have to find purpose. I am not hopeful, but I am happy for everyone that tries to do the right thing. We're in this together even if everything goes to shit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJaE_BvLK6U

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I am going to click this, but God dammit if this is Rick Astley

Edit: okay, thanks internet friend

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

The alternative seems really boring.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Basically it's self fulfilling if say that. You can believe all that i do too but I don't say it becomes a forgone conclusion as that will make it happen for sure. My thoughts on it are. if it's going to happen im gone to make it as hard as I can for the people that are making it happen and the closer we get to it happening the more radical my actions will become. I will help my community where I can and do my best to make the people responsible pay for their actions. I would read about community network building.

Also there is a YouTube channel Beau of the fifth column that has a lot of great advice. I know the name makes it sound like a crazy person but it's not. They put the news into perspective and talk about ways to help your community. When the government and other social structures are gone.

Also if you want to talk I would be happy to be your penpal.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Stop caring and all of the problems go away, as if by magic. The amount of emotional energy that people put into issues that they're unlikely to ever face is unbelievably wasteful.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

My partner and her cat

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Strike that. Reverse it.

My lack of motivation prevents me from ending it all.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Setting aside my depressive episodes and a few signals of impending doom, I look out my window and see a world that is still generally okay around me. That tells me I'm still in a position to go out and try to improve things.

For instance, my family and I got through COVID. To me, that's a kind of privilege, because I certainly know others who weren't so fortunate. So I'm doing my part to ensure another pandemic like that doesn't happen again, or at least isn't so impactful.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

The other night I saw the stars in the sky and thought about how little my problems actually seem.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Honestly, the fear of screwing up suicide and destroying any opportunity of improving my life. It's the only reason I'm alive today :/ if only I could just sign some papers, go to sleep, and never wake up.

So now I try so many money making schemes so I could rent an apartment without roommates who insist on doing chores in the dumbest way possible and blaming me for being unable to do anything other than housework after work.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

That there's no evidence of the existence of an afterlife. It'll be like that time I had eye surgery but without having to wake up afterwards - merciful oblivion.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

I think I may still be riding the hype of things like the JWST, and fusion energy breakthroughs. Our societies may be back sliding at the moment, but our species is still doing some amazing things.

load more comments
view more: ‹ prev next ›