this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2024
234 points (97.2% liked)

Asklemmy

44143 readers
1525 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

As someone in the US it’s so easy to see so many depressing issues from the ravages of capitalism, to war, imperialism, and genocide. How can one care about these issues and hope for change without allowing themselves to be affected mentally?

I’ve been considering this for the past week, connecting it with Buddhist compassion towards the world and a need for mindfulness. But it’s so easy to fall into emotionlessness.

I’ve also thought through the world has always had issues and though some are getting much worse some are getting better.

I have gone to counseling before but they just make it an individual problem when it’s the world.

Edit: doesn’t have to be US centric. Just I’m writing from that pov

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] WeAreAllOne@lemm.ee 64 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (4 children)

It's indeed very difficult and my take is that the system wants us like this. To be depressed, full of fear and hopeless. Mainly of course through media.

What I considered one solution to fight back this is to discuss current events, solutions etc with a group of similar minded people. I don't mean join a cult etc. No far from it. But finding people with same concerns by openly discussing them will bond them into bigger groups and this helps a lot. Gives a sense of fulfilment and hope.

No fear. Act.

[–] cymbal_king@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

Agreed! I get this with my Unitarian Universalist church community. UUs don't require anyone to believe a certain scripture, but we have a shared set of principles, like valuing democracy, science, and nature. The community aspect and music program are great by themselves, and our minister's sermons have been a great source of motivation to keep fighting for what we believe in.

[–] takeda@lemm.ee 19 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

You raised a very good point that I did not realize until now. In the past 8 years we actually stopped talking about politics to others, because it became so polarizing.

We absolutely need to talk about politics if we want to keep democracy. Hardliners likely won't be converted, but at least, as you said, we should talk to like minded people.

Also, there's indeed no point to worry about things outside of our control, and worry about things we can affect. Threat the things that happen, that we can't control more as an obstacle that we have to deal with. Also support people who might have control and fight (governors, congress people, lawyers, judges, government employees, etc) so they know that aren't doing it for nothing.

[–] WeAreAllOne@lemm.ee 9 points 22 hours ago

Correct. Also have in mind the all political sides, lefts, rights etc are all the same wearing different masks. True change comes from the base, from people, not from politicians placed by the system for people to vote. The base, the people when discuss and propose the most fit person to represent them , this is true democracy.

[–] jewbacca117@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

How do you find leftist groups? I've been to a couple local democrat meetings and I just can't hang. It's just older people that are okay with the status quo. And I want to break things.

[–] WeAreAllOne@lemm.ee 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

See comment above. Don't fall into the trap of lefts and rights.

[–] frisbeedude@feddit.org 5 points 21 hours ago

Don’t fall into the trap of lefts and rights

That is a very important comment, thank you! We are just being played to perfection at the moment, peak divide and conquer. If we can refuse to play these games, maybe we can all learn and evolve.

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 2 points 19 hours ago

I’m in love with Stanford Beer and his saying “The purpose of a system is what it does”.

So yes, if most of us are depressed and anxious then that is what the system is for.