GRcade

I've just come back from holiday and after 20 minutes on twitter I feel angry, amazed, dumbfounded and scared at the state the world is currently in.

- Our next Prime Minister is the likely candidate behind a plot to oust our ambassador to the US due to the latter's criticisms of Trump

- ICE is opening three new concentration camps for children on the US/Mexico border

- Tommy Robinson fans mob police in broad daylight as he's (rightfully) convicted of breaking the law

- Farage and his goons creep up in popularity.

- 3 Labour peers quit the party accusing it of institutional anti-Semitism as they continue to slip in the polls.

- A billionaire linked to the British Royal Family and both US political parties accused of child sex trafficking.

And this is just what I saw this morning. I had to step away and regather myself and now I've this weird lump in my chest that I think is something approaching genuine fear. I tend to hyperbolise and catastrophise sometimes but the deluge of gooseberry fool news never seems to stop and has become rather overwhelming lately.

How is everyone else dealing with this stuff? I find myself almost constantly with something on in the background to distract me: podcasts, TV shows, games, movies... a lot of conversations tend to err towards politics and get super depressing super quickly so I've found myself not wanting to go out as much as I used to as well. It's really affecting my life at the moment and I'm not really sure what to do.

Get off social media, for starters. It's either an echo-chamber or a gaping chasm of negativity, either one is bad for you.

As for how I cope, I usually just get my wife to make me some nice boiled potatoes.

I tend to consider the fact that in the grand, cosmic scale of things none of it matters one jot and that sooner or later the planet will explode, scattering all our atoms across the Universe where we will become part of something else.

I actually find that comforting, because as a species we've built our entire civilisation on the assumption that all our bullshit is somehow important. So whenever the day to day state of the human race gets to me, I reflect on that and I just feel better.

EDIT: I think it's called Optimistic Nihilism. But I may be wrong.

Preezy wrote:As for how I cope, I usually just get my wife to make me some nice boiled potatoes.

Boiled? It truly is the end times! Get yourself on the roasties

It feels like we are on the cusp of something really bad happening.

It's hard to watch.

Mystical Ninja Starring Danmon wrote:

Preezy wrote:As for how I cope, I usually just get my wife to make me some nice boiled potatoes.

Boiled? It truly is the end times! Get yourself on the roasties

Best roasties are boiled first.

I've now reached the point where I'm convinced that actively fighting the forces that control 2019 civilisation is futile and the only option is to wait for the inevitable pendulum swing back in the other direction.

TBH there's always a lot of terrible gooseberry fool happening in the world, there's a lot of evil out there. It can be depressing, I occasionally remind myself that it's out of my control and I can't really do much about it. Sometimes you've just got to pick your battles or simply step back from everything for a bit and take care of yourself if it's feeling overwhelming. Taking a break from social media and politics for a while can be healthy.

If you've identified you have a problematic tendency to hyperbolise and catastrophise, get off twitter. It's notorious for it. Try getting the news from a reliable passive source, rather than one actively seeking to engage you and keep you there longer. I like bbc radio 4 for that reason. It's a concise daily bulletin, not an uncurated stream constantly pouring out from your notifications.

There are plenty of serious problems with the world at the moment, but each of us is limited in our power to effect change, so do what you can there and don't overly concern yourself otherwise as there is no practical benefit but a clear mental cost. What we need is to value reason, and reason should tell you to be pragmatic in the burdens you place upon yourself.

Getting off Twitter is an obvious move, but I need it for work. Coming away is not an option at the moment. I've tried to minimise my exposure to politicial news by unfollowing and muting certain news providers but obviously given the other people I follow it all leaks through regardless.

It's pretty clear that the internet and social media in particular have given horrible bastards previously not easily able to communicate and collaborate, the opportunity to do so with liberating simplicity. This has had a really gooseberry fool impact on a lot of things.

I agree with Garth that there's always a lot of evil going on. It seems obvious that it always has been, just not as visibly as it is now.

I don't use social media, pay little attention to the news, have no interest in politics and only really hear stuff through here. When I get home I spend time with my wife, write music and play games. Works for me.

You should retreat into incomprehensible 19th-century philosophy and emerge with unrealistic, unachievable demands for revolution

Ad7 wrote:I don't use social media, pay little attention to the news, have no interest in politics and only really hear stuff through here. When I get home I spend time with my wife, write music and play games. Works for me.

And yet the bubbling contempt and disdain for your fellow humans remains close to boiling point

Yeah I pretty.much seek out stuff to moan about because I've got strawberry float all else to complain about.

The state of me amirite

Oblomov Boblomov wrote:I agree with Garth that there's always a lot of evil going on. It seems obvious that it always has been, just not as visibly as it is now.

That’s true to an extent and social media does amplify the negative stuff.

But the West is in a much more precarious position than it has been since WW2. The rise of populism, the alt-right and a renewed and unfriendly Russia make it a dangerous time.

Despite all my moaning I am usually an optimist and have a tendency to think “it’ll be alright in the end”. But I’m sure people in the mid/late 1930s also thought that.

Have a wank

My mood lifted once I strawberry floated off Facebook and Twitter and Instagram over 12 months ago.

Also started gardening and listening to Planet Puffin podcast https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07881qf

I watch Polar Bear Cafe if I'm feeling down.