Discussion
Never give in to doomerism. Even when the world burns, if you can help just one other person and make their life better, it will have been worth it.
Doomerism is both lazy and egotistical. It's the belief of people who can't be bothered to do anything for others unless they can be a hero and save the world, which never happens, because they're above doing small things. So they have constructed a justification for just sitting around and moping.
"Umm actually, you're being ableist here!"
Umm actually, have you considered that I'm also on the receiving end of ableism a lot and very aware of how society frames it as a moral failing, and maybe your obvious bad-faith reading of my words is not the gotcha you think it is?
If it's unclear to you what I mean by "doomer", you can ask for clarification before picking a fight, because I didn't mean people who are unable to take action, too exhausted, too poor, or too ill.
What @CynAq said here: the "anti-activism" part here is important. I would even call it more generally "anti-action".
@aesthr you're probably right about this, but me being someone easily misjudged for waffle, prattle, and grumble … well, I get backhanded terribly. I know catastrophizing people are a pain in the ass when solutions I want to apply are relatively handy, so I have a little insight into what you're saying.
Just remind some of us muddlers to duck! 😂
@aesthr Fatalism, cynicism and defeatism help the people who are rich and/or powerful (usually both) and who need you to feel powerless so you don't try to change anything and shake their boat. Don't spread it - don't do their work for them.
@aesthr Many small hands do a lot of work -- Dutch saying. If everybody does a little, in their own family or friends group, the world already would be much better. You don't have to be Tony Stark, you just have to be Tony Stark for your environment.
@aesthr like the starfish analogy: somebody walks a beach where the sea constantely washes living starfish on the shore. The person sees another one throwing back starfish into the water and goes up to them and asks why they is doing it as it seems utterly pointless and they say: but it's not, from the viewpoint of an individual starfish
@aesthr been there. There was no malice or decision, in spite of how it may seem. You can be helping out and still be perfectly desperate about the state of things.
@aesthr not everyone who's pessimistic is selfish or up their ass. i think this assigns cruelty to a lot of people who are depressed or simply exhausted and scarred from cruelty this world offers, many of whom themselves are marginalized.
@mynameistillian I didn't say "pessimism" now, did I?
@aesthr my point stands regardless. people who feel given up and think it's over aren't necessarily malicious or selfish.
@mynameistillian your deliberately misreading what I said in order to pick a fight and I'm not here to play that little game
@aesthr I believe we probably are doomed but I try anyway because you never know.
@aesthr
Luke Skywalker: Is the dark side stronger?
Master Yoda: No, no. Quicker, easier, more seductive.
Luke Skywalker: How am I to know the good side from the bad?
Master Yoda: You will know… when you are calm, at peace… passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence… never for attack.
While objectively your statement is true, the same sentiment is also used as an excuse to not care about something that shouldn't be the way it is.
A very good example is how society (no not the system, also pretty much everyone inside it) treats disabled and chronically ill people. And if they don't get better it is blamed on their "negative thoughts". [1]
I know this is not your intention, but for many people accepting something is broken only works once they have a solution because they want to accept.
Same goes for climate change. We have stopped accepting issues we cannot solve or grasps (ourselves) because we do not trust ourselves to develop a solution to a problem we cannot solve right now. This just leads down to a fatal denial loop where the problem is never tackled.
That is why I am super allergic to the phrase "do not be a doomer". Because in many instances I experience it is used to silence legitimate concern and to stop an action.
[1] https://www.disabledginger.com/p/disabled-people-are-the-canaries
@simon_m consider that I am also disabled and chronically ill and very aware of this
@aesthr yes!!! "i can't fix everything but i can fix this" is good for the soul. also is a solid foundation for a movement that can actually fix big things.
@aesthr I don't think bout bad shit anymore. Bums me the fuck out. I just do whatevs I wanna do