Late at night reading this subreddit, now I feel terrible
Posted by Comfortable-You3206@reddit | collapse | View on Reddit | 112 comments
It’s very late at night right now and I’m in a rabbit hole of societal collapse. I was already aware that societal collapse could happen, but I believed that it would not happen in my lifetime, but now I’m not so sure, everything has just scared me. I’m 19, I go to college, I’m from the USA, and I have an absolutely wonderful girlfriend. My entire life I’ve had a vision for myself, you could ask grade school me what I wanted to do with my life and I would say I want to become a programmer and live somewhere pretty and peaceful with a wife and no kids, and I still plan to work towards that, but now I don’t think I’ll be able to do any of that for very long, if at all. Is there any hope at all? I see my future lining up, but it seems as soon as it all clicks, everything will get smashed to pieces and I will not live to see half of what I want to see. Another thing that is really bothering me is that I want nothing more than to provide my girlfriend and hopefully future wife with an amazing life where she doesn’t have to worry about much, but I can’t protect her from the end of society or the world. Sure any of us can get hit by a bus or get cancer, but society keeps moving on from an outside perspective. I’m very privileged to live in the USA, and I can’t imagine how sad it must be for some people to already live in collapsed society. I guess what I’m trying to say is that through reading all these posts and new articles and such, it’s making me feel like the life I want to strive towards is a lost cause to be stopped by an external force that requires me to have a slow, sad, painful death. Is there any hope that maybe society doesn’t end with me? Is there hope that even after 80 years of life, I can still do the same things I do today like playing video games or getting fast food? Is there hope?
Decent-Box-1859@reddit
You're young (19). This is the first of many "bubbles" (childhood ideals) that will be popped in your adulthood. I don't know why we don't prepare kids better for reality.
KneeBeard@reddit
Preparing kids better for reality is classified as child abuse these days.
Ok-Zookeepergame5245@reddit
Yeah i think that it’s really stupid that parents to lie to kids so much only to have all that hope crashing down when they are older.
SensitiveRace8729@reddit
I think parents are as oblivious then their kids. Everyone is brainwashed in today society.
Ok-Zookeepergame5245@reddit
Very true. Hardly anyone has an idea of the global economy and energy crisis that we are about to go through. They are too busy focusing on the latest sports game or the latest celebrity gossip.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
What do you have to say to the fact that people have been saying this for many many years and yet we continue? Could it be we are just in a lull right now but eventually will get through it even if that means a major change to government has to be made?
Ok-Zookeepergame5245@reddit
Im not sure if you have checked the news in the last 6 weeks but we are in the worst global energy crisis in history due to the Iran War. Research about the Strait of Hormuz and how its blockage is going to effect everything from petrol prices, food prices and availability which will lead to famine, important medications, construction and inflation. What is happening right now will affect everything. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has always been a worst case scenario for economists and now it is actually happening.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I think you are thinking of an absolute worst case scenario, there is a much higher chance that gas prices and shipping will go up, but it will eventually come back down because in reality the strait will open back up. Of course the worst case scenario is possible, but I think humans are quite adaptable to scenarios like this and we eventually fix it.
Sweaty_Star_6486@reddit
Hopium won’t help you
Ok-Zookeepergame5245@reddit
Listen, I won’t argue with you about this as this is not my words, these are the words of the actual economists. If you think that you have more knowledge about this then the actual economists and the owners of the oil and gas facilities that have been destroyed and have said that it will take years to rebuild, then keep on living in delusion.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I’d be interested in which economists you’re referring to. From what I’ve seen, most are talking about disruption and higher costs, not total collapse.
freedcreativity@reddit
I mean, we don't prepare kids better for reality because their parents swallowed the same capitalist lies uncritically but outcomes were better for them! Imagine how mad some MAGA mama bear would be if we dutifully taught statistics, sociology, economics, history, and biology...
Now, imagine we actually sit down and go over statistical outcomes for late capitalism: "by definition 90% of you won't ever be 'rich' and those who are already rich, first aren't actually rich and second will continue to be rich even accounting for their (lack of) skills or educational attainment. You'll need to work harder every year to meet increasingly insane economic goals while the dollar is continuously devalued by the central bank. The semblance of global order from the 1990s was in fact based on lies, the only metric that matters is how much energy you consume and oil production peaked in 202X. Ecological degradation will make the planet increasingly uncomfortable and mass starvation is already happening across the globe. Birds, fish and insects are down 70% from when we started measuring their already degraded populations. Your political representatives are uniformly short sighted and corrupted by foreign governments, monied interests, and their wealthy fellow travelers. There is no help coming. GOOD LUCK out there kid!"
Alarmed-Badger-9950@reddit
If you have kids, you're taking a risk that they will experience extreme suffering, whether they experience the worst effects of societal collapse or not. They could be born with a genetic condition that causes extreme suffering. They could have an accident, or experience violence. I don't believe it's moral to gamble with someone else's life. The children you bring into the world can't consent to be born; you're making that decision for them. Even if there's a small chance that they grow up to be suicidally depressed, and not want to live, that is not a risk worth taking.
Let's say everything goes perfectly and your children are very lucky. You will eventually die (hopefully after a long and happy life, with the least pain and suffering possible) and your children won't have parents any more. What parents do is create children, and then leave them to fend for themselves. Just because they are adults doesn't mean it's OK. Now, those children that you create are also going to die. Even if they are lucky to die of natural causes at a ripe old age, you must realise that they are only experiencing death because of your choice to bring them into the world.
Let them stay non-existent, please. Do not condemn them to suffering and death. Do not gamble with another person's life. I know it's normalised in society, but that doesn't mean it's OK. Your rights begin and end with your own body. Your children are not property, they are not an extension of you, they are other people with their own rights and interests.
Any_Froyo2301@reddit
You’re in an echo chamber.
This comment will get downvoted for that reason.
But there is no guarantee at all that we’re heading for societal collapse. It has always been difficult to predict the future accurately, - have a look at predictions about what the 21st century would be like from people in the 20th century. Whether the prediction is optimistic or pessimistic, it should always be treated as a prediction rather than an inevitability. Yes, there might be a societal collapse. Or there might not.
diedlikeCambyses@reddit
Yes we're unravelling. But go to bed. If my 2 decades of being collapse aware has taught me anything it's this...... as long as we're here we must live our lifes.
We've been sold a big fat lie, yes. Now what?
Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.
Go to bed.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
You make a great point, nothing I can really do about it. I will always keep pushing for my dreams, I’m too determined to ever stop giving it my all, but I guess I was just looking for hope that we aren’t as screwed as I think we are. I definitely should go to bed haha.
IlReddo@reddit
The important thing is that you align your “dreams” with reality.
For example, I’m a programmer, I have been doing this job for 15 years. I wouldn’t bet it still exists in 5/7 years. And I’m in charge with deploying an AI strategy in a company that has offices in US, Europe, Australia, Singapore and India, with around 500 engineers.
If you want to be a programmer, buy a 500k home with 90% mortgage, want a nice car on debt, that might end up in a Disaster.
Having said that, the rest is achievable. Keep an eye on that is happening around you, design a frugal, resilient but happy life and you’ll be ok.
No_Candidate2195@reddit
AI? you're part of the problem
BBR0DR1GUEZ@reddit
Please. Your hands are just as dirty for other reasons.
No_Candidate2195@reddit
such as?
vinegar@reddit
What do you imagine you’re achieving here? Anything beyond the fun of arguing?
No_Candidate2195@reddit
???
IlReddo@reddit
Following your way of thinking, I’m also part of the capitalism problem because I’m not an hermit (yet) and I participate in a capitalist society. You don’t know me, but you are for sure very quick in judging me. Wow.
No_Candidate2195@reddit
participating in capitalism is unavoidable. you choosing to be in charge of an AI project is your responsibility. it's the internet, i'm allowed to judge you just as much as you can judge me.
IlReddo@reddit
You are allowed to judge, but it is not good for you. As per the AI project, if it wasn’t me doing it, it would have been someone else. At least I have the job security of my colleagues as a priority instead of the company profit. As I said, my example stands.
Enjoy spending your time judging other people.
Kitchen-Paint-3946@reddit
So many think things will just be there , like I have friends focused on retirement in 30 years… my bestie a few years back when I tried to get him to understand, was like I know it sucks for the future generations… I’m like no it’s about to suck before we hit 40!
It cannot go on forever like this. There has to be a point of financial decline, in these societies built on capitalism the top class continue to squeeze more and more from lower classes until the house of cards falls..
I’m sure the Roman’s thought they were to powerful and they would not collapse, and the Persians, and the Spanish, and the Germans, and the French, and the Aztecs, Incas, British, … Technology, miscalculated conflicts, and internal financial mismanagement brings about the decline
Not everyone will die but there will be major change, this time we have an insane amount of climate uncertainty, passing major tipping points all over the globe from the greed addiction of rich class.. live each day, build your community, strong bonds will survive.. gain valuable skills, When these empires collapsed, and money was losing value, anyone with skills were able to survive.
Ghostwoods@reddit
Nothing is written in stone. We may be lucky. Which, honestly, has always been the case. Live. Love. Hope. What else is there to do?
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Can’t argue that whatsoever.
diedlikeCambyses@reddit
And even if it's a catastrophe, we will not personally suffer anything worse than the long arc of history has already dished out. At a macro level it's unprecedented, but at a personal level, catastrophe is just another catastrophe. Even if we make it you might suffer that.
cannarchista@reddit
*and try to chop as little wood as possible given that's partly what got us into this mess in the first place 😭
GardenScared8153@reddit
to be fair, if you had a large enough food forest you could get by with trimming and coppicing fast growing wood trees. The problem was mainly clear cutting and ignorance.
Cultural-Answer-321@reddit
This.
Also, think of it this way: forewarned is forearmed.
No-Papaya-9289@reddit
Gassho.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
What does this mean?
Strong-Inflation-776@reddit
🙏
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Ahhh I get it.
Cronewithneedles@reddit
This is the stage where you enjoy what we have as long as we have it. Love, laugh, live with intention. Eat good food. Follow your passion. I’m making a lot of art right now and eating things I love.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
That is an amazing way to put it.
BeardedGlass@reddit
Also bear in mind that collapse is slow, it's boring, and it's unfair.
It's already here, it isn't like most people imagine is a grand apocalyptic single event, it hits those at the bottom edges first because they don't have the buffer of having money nor being in a more developed nation.
Being in the US, you're perhaps at a more stable and better position than anyone else. Especially with your current life path.
What you have now is something you can appreciate more, now that you've seen what's already happening everywhere else in the world.
We do need to enjoy what we have, especially since it's becoming more evident that things have not been able to last. Those who STILL live in comfort now are definitely the more privileged ones.
xXXxRMxXXx@reddit
Also you have to become mumb
imflipside0@reddit
If you live in the USA, from the perspective of the rest of the world, you are already living in a collapsed society. The time for a career in programming is over, AI can code faster than a new programmer can. A company needs just one experience programmer to troubleshoot the code, and it's just beginning, so you might want to choose a different career. There is always hope, you just have to be flexible and make choices based on available evidence. You'll have a future, but it just might be different than you imagined. That's not always a bad thing.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I don’t believe that the career of a programmer is over, in fact it still could be very valuable, but I understand what you are saying.
Thick-Ad5738@reddit
Old progeammer here. In the 1970's in my country being an accountant, even a not very good one was a safe profession with almost a guaranteed job. Records and statements were done by hand by dozens or hundreds of low level accountants whose work was consolidated by the next level, and so on and so on util you got the CFO signing the financial statements and tax filings. My generation implemented the computer systems during the 90s and 00s that eliminated most if those jobs.
Now we , as a profession, have managed to program ourselves out of our jobs. Talk about karma.
There are still accountants around. But there are a lot less. And the skills that take you to the top are different.
The same will happen to programming. There will be a lot less programming jobs but you might still find a way to make a career.
imflipside0@reddit
I hope you prove me wrong. Good luck!
Southern_Air3501@reddit
Part of this stage we're in now, what i call "deconstruction" (seeing the lie we've been told, as another poster said), is grief and a sense of hopelessness. It sucks but its normal and once you go through that (which will repeat some), you choose to keep going. We have to do our best and go towards our dreams imo, even if the world is degrading. Because what else are we gonna do? I tell myself this a lot lately -- its pointless and depressing to sit and wait for whatever badness, i think we can make our own bubble better, at least. All the best to you.
ActuaryKindly9143@reddit
Well just don't go down like a local store owner's son, wearing women's lingerie and eletrodes wrapped around your johnson and stuck up where the sun don't shine. Apparently it shocked his heart and he has no more worries about the end of the world.
Killer_Method@reddit
I refer you to Herger the Joyous:
"The All-Father wove the skein of your life a long time ago. Go and hide in a hole if you wish, but you won't live one instant longer. Your fate is fixed. Fear profits a man nothing."
Mr_Again@reddit
I mean you should have been here in 2020. As you can imagine, nobody was making it out alive. Take this sub with a big grain of salt.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I had a feeling that was the case, everyone seems to be pushing back the time of collapse and nobody knows what they are talking about, but also on the contrary it’s not unrealistic what everyone’s saying.
VorgrynSW@reddit
I mean, I wouldn't take it as nobody knows what they're talking about, more just that these things are incredibly hard to predict. Even if we aren't sure about the time frame or the scale, we do know some things are going to happen.
Water, for example is going to be a major issue. There are already major cities around the world that are soon to be grappling with water shortage, even in western countries.
Take the U.S. for example. The colorado river is depleted more and more each year. At some point Civilization along the river will have to be greatly reduced if not abandoned. That is major economic and populous upheaval for the U.S. even if not collapse worthy alone.
This is only one crisis we are currently facing, though dozens more I could name from ocean acidification to current geopolitics. Either way, things are getting worse and are only going to continue in that direction.
Best advice: lice your life to the fullest extend you can while you are able and maybe consider setting aside some resources to prep for if things get bad. Not much any of us can do besides that.
s0cks_nz@reddit
AI will take your programming job before climate change does. In fact, it probably already has. Look at people trying to get entry level jobs in that field. Those jobs are disappearing.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I’d have to disagree with that statement. It’s of course possible for ai to take my job in the future but every white collar job is done if it takes mine, and also, the job market for cs majors have declined, but it’s still doing very well given the fact the overall job market is not doing so well. I’ve done a lot of research on it and I think it’s still much more likely that ai won’t take my job. And to finish it off, computer science has been my dream since a kid, I am very passionate about it. It’s what I want to do.
s0cks_nz@reddit
Sounds like things might be better in your country then. CS grads here are struggling to find jobs. Best of luck! And regardless of what your job ends up being, you can always still work on your passion :)
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Indeed I can! That’s a great point
mem2100@reddit
We are in a very, very high stakes race. On the one side, a half dozen or so would be Godfathers, hell bent on being first to reach the top of Mount Olympus. IF one of them gets there in time, technological advancement will rapidly accelerate. That acceleration will enable us to decarbonize faster and cheaper. If you want to gain a feeling for what that will be like, read up on AlphaFold(3), David Baker's custom protein lab and the creation of a "from scratch" purpose built phages, targeting antibiotic resistant e-coli. If you want to gauge rate of progress (a very difficult thing to do) learn about recursion - the process by which the AI improves itself.
On the other side, we have Big Carbon, which is determined to extract and monetize as much of their hydrocarbon assets as possible - despite the impact that is already having on planet Earth.
Obviously this isn't just a technology race. Like any war it is a battle for hearts and minds. So far, Big Carbon's disinformation crime wave has been wildly successful, and renewable adoption rates have suffered in the process.
03263@reddit
I have very mixed feelings about it
Within my lifetime, difficult, painful
Long run, good for the environment, assuming consumption drops significantly
So like, at least I have something good to sacrifice for? I guess it shouldn't matter because I'll be dead but I still somehow care about the future of the planet after my death.
dcmathproof@reddit
Seems like u have a pretty good plan. Just you will probably need to hard pivot away from programming (or entirely embrace Ai)
Mediocre-Peach6652@reddit
Hey, you are going to be okay! We are all going through this together. You have your friends, your family, your girlfriend, and the rest of the country too. We get to tomorrow through today, and what bad things we do experience will be experienced collectively. A lot of the fear of things changing comes from projecting yourself into a future where you have no agency or control, but the truth is you're here, you're okay, and you do have agency in thr present. Each day you wake up and your loved ones are in your life is a good one. Stay excited! There is no reason to think you can't have a happy, fulfilling life. There is a really incredible book called, "The Art of Loading Brush" by Wendell Berry that really changes how to think about the future. Wendell has lived a long time and seen a lot of worlds end, and it's a deeply comforting book. You will only ever live life in the present. Do what you can in the present, be there for what you're living, and you'll be okay. Things are going to change, but we can find excitement and joy in that, too. Nobody knows how it will go, only that you get to be part of that story and you're allowed to remain hopeful about how it looks.
Flaccidchadd@reddit
I want, I want, everyone wants everything, the collective result is a race to the bottom, it will only get worse from here. overshoot, pollution, resource depletion, Inflation, war, extinction. Unfortunately you spawned into this party a little late for all of your American dreams to come true but plenty have had it much worse and nothing is ever fair. We all just keep working without ever really considering what exactly we are working toward, the destruction of our environment, soon we will work ourselves right out of a job, but for now keep plugging away, every dollar spent brings us closer to our goal. So buy that new car, remodel that kitchen, drop that bomb, and don't forget to post it online and tell yourself what a good boy am I
vinegar@reddit
I can’t tell if you’re lamenting the human condition or specifically mocking OP.
Flaccidchadd@reddit
Both, bro wants to play with computers and eat fast food but also live in a beautiful non collapsing world. I guess the problem is, so does everyone else
arko_iris@reddit
I was around your age when I found the sub and became collapse-aware, almost 15 years has gone by since then. Don't give up on your own life and goals. Just try to live fully and maintain adaptability (my 2 cents, anyways). It's probably not going to go Mad Max overnight.
FrownsRUs@reddit
If I were giving advice to my younger self, I'd say: talk to your gf about this stuff. Find out if she has goals and resiliences and strategies for coping that you don't know about. Maybe you can learn from her instead of imagining she needs you to make everything perfect and not so scary.
In my many decades, I've learned we have better lives, better futures, and better mental health outcomes when we strengthen our connections with our most important people. That never happens through shouldering burdens alone. We need to get real, welcoming over loved ones in to really see us, while making space and really seeing them. Build community one person at a time.
PurpleMuskogee@reddit
r/CollapseSupport might be a good sub for you!
DestroyTheMatrix_3@reddit
Doesn't seem to be any less fear mongering tbh.
vinegar@reddit
When you say fearmongering…
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Ah I see, I’ll check it out, but tomorrow, sleep might help.
terrierhead@reddit
Sleep tight! I need to do the same.
Anonymous_exodus@reddit
Remember our power is within what we can control via our own actions.
This is why writing things out on paper and preparedness is important. Prioritize by importance. Budget with dedication & purpose. I.e. Water Long shelf life food, importance on vitamins and minerals. Shelter and durable clothing, with sewing kit. Security. Skills. Being capable of very long walks. Community/ relationships
JackBlackBowserSlaps@reddit
Haha not happen in your lifetime, and you’re only 19? The majority of your life (depending on how long that may be in the future) will likely be in a collapse state.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Yeah I’m aware of that
gentlyrotting777@reddit
I recommend exploring alternative lifestyles that could make you and your loved ones less dependent. There is a growing movement around self sufficiency, off grid life and intentional communities and all of them are connected in showing ways of life that can be meaningful after we crash
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
That is possible for me in my future. The one concern I have with that is food, I have ARFID, which is an eating disorder that is basically an extreme version of being a picky eater, and with a societal collapse the food I like will not be available, so I’d have a lot of adapting to do. That alternative lifestyle could work, but part of me does enjoy being dependent sometimes.
tellox@reddit
There are treatments for ARFID. If you have the resources now (especially insurance from your parents), seek treatment now. It wont be easy, not at all. But think of how much harder it will be as your safe food options slowly disappear from shelves / become unaffordable, and you don't have a mental health professional guiding you.
Bonus: here's an account I follow that documents a young girl's own ARFID treatment journey. You may find comfort knowing that if she can do it, you can too!!
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I’ve already been working on it, but thank you!
2xtc@reddit
Fast food wont exist in a couple of decades. They rely on intricate supply chain networks to bring costs down by orders of magnitude - as a bad example if you wanted to make a BigMac entirely from scratch (including raising cows, growing wheat and salad, and actually having the tools to process and distribute it consistently) it would probably cost millions of dollars. Once the legs start getting kicked away regularly (crop failures, Amazon burnoff stopping beef exports etc)
The fast food abundant life we have now will be one of the first big changes IMO, because prices are already stretched to the point a lot of people don't bother, so imagine the demands when prices triple or more
OkDurian5478@reddit
The things you listed at least seem pretty easy, playing video games and fast food would likely be possible even in a total collapse
Correctthecorrectors@reddit
I’m not going to sugar coat it. yes the world is ending. How do you deal with it? Keep your self on a path that helps you get employed with a decent job, that way you can live in an apartment/house with good insulation and air conditioning so you can extend your lifespan a bit longer before it gets too hot outside for food to grow.
False_Raven@reddit
Funny enough, I like to scroll through this subreddit before going to sleep, knowing that the world as we know it will end, brings me immense serenity and peace.
HolymakinawJoe@reddit
Cheer up, most of the world will be absolutely fine. It's only the USA that will collapse.
Yay!
TimberBiscuits@reddit
All you can do is control your own world. Why not try to be the best you as possible while the world changes.
Get 8 hours of sleep each night. Screens off 1 hour before bedtime. Have a wind down routine. Exercise at least 3-5x per week. Eat mostly veggies/berries/whole/grain/lean meat. Do some kind of wellness routine daily like walking/yoga/meditation etc.
Just a few days of this and you’ll be feeling a whole lot better.
Ginsdell@reddit
The programmer thing…probably no. Maybe learn how to use AI? Or start a business? Or learn a trade.
The whole point of life is the journey. So move forward. If the nukes come or aliens invade or things just go to shit…the memories you make now will comfort you. So make memories.
coffeevodkaaddict@reddit
I discovered this sub two years ago when I was around your age and also spiralled. 2 years later society is still around. So it may not be as urgent as it seems
JacksGallbladder@reddit
You're not designed to consider the end of the world 24/7. You gain nothing but dread past a certain point.
Remember to go touch grass, look at flowers, be nice to your neighbors, ect and you'll be just fine.
People have predicted the end of days since the beginning of days. There is no use in not living your life just because you know it will end.
ampliora@reddit
You look marvelous!
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Not sure how to respond
ampliora@reddit
Don't. You'll ruin it.
fedfuzz1970@reddit
You will have to be flexible and nimble to live well in the future. I just read an article which reported that 43% of graduates have been unable to find entry level jobs. Be prepared to take a job that isn't exactly what you wanted but that may lead eventually to where you wish to be. Experience is the thing and you've got to start somewhere to get it. As for climate, you must have reliable sources to tell you the truth as to what is happening and what that information means for life where you are. You may need to relocate due to heat, lack of water, storms or whatever. Be ready to be self-reliant, educate yourself on survival, climate, economic and weather preps. Stay ahead of everyone else because as the situation worsens, it will be rough and options may disappear.
Tetraphosphate_@reddit
I'm a little bit older than you but feel the same. Just graduated from college myself and trying to figure out what to do with my life. I can't help but feel ...how do I put it, like our generation was deprived of the chances that previous ones had. It's tempting for me to spiral into nihilism, but I've managed to find solace in music. Music seems to give me motivation to (try to) live my best life (or at least a purposeful life) in this uncertain world.
Enjoy the small things in life, I'd say.
I'm a metalhead and it so happens that my fave bands often write about Collapse topics (e.g. check out this and this lyrics), so I play their songs to cheer me up. It's my coping mechanism I guess. Feels cathartic that other people also recognise these issue and are speaking out about it. On the flip side, these same bands post pics on Instagram of themselves goofing around and having a good time, so I try to take a leaf out of their book and not let the worry about societal collapse get in my way of living my life to the full. Easier said than done lol.
Dunno if this is helpful, but hopefully it was somewhat encouraging :)
flynneoin@reddit
First, I'm very sorry for you.
Second, at the risk of sounding arrogant, but in a sincere attempt to validate your feelings: I'm an expert in this area. I completely understand your feeling. I feel it too.
It's one of those areas where, the more you learn the more hopeless things can seem. The term for this is depressive realism. It's very common with scientists and other experts in certain fields.
However, there is some hope. However slight. I've been researching sustainability for decades now. There are things that can be done as a society to minimise the mess we're in. There are also things you as an individual can to genuinely help but also to help you feel like you have some control again.
You may have seen some of the essays I've linked to on this subreddit. They are, thus far, highlighting issues only. But I have many, yet to be released, that explain how we can change things for the better, with practical steps.
I'd be happy to share advanced details of some of it with you before I post the essays online if it would help restore some hope in you.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
You are definitely not being arrogant whatsoever, and I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think I need anything shared with me beforehand, I do feel concerned for the world and am little sad for it, but alas that doesn’t stop me from living the best I can, even without much hope. As of right now, I’m overall a happy man.
flynneoin@reddit
i respect your ability to balance your outlook!
Ree_For_Thee@reddit
It gets better. You can get used to the idea of seeing collapse as just a part of life, and death. People die eventually. Civilizations die eventually.
Odd_Awareness1444@reddit
The goal is to balance your Collapse awareness with real time day to day functioning. Continue to have goals, relationships, save for the future, all while doing your best to not accelerate collapse. All while preparing yourself, future wife, and future kids to live a much tougher existence than your parents or grandparents did. You can be an inspiration for others.
TopZealousideal7223@reddit
One day no matter when that day is,......
You will die.
So every day up until that final moment is a good day, when you think about it.
Being 19 and asking this question about our current state of crises, I'd say makes these days that you have left, even better.
The decision to undertake this attitude under these circumstances is entirely yours as the realization requires bravery. Becoming old- is for the Brave.
Electrical-Regret-13@reddit
I think if you go into a technical field that hard skills are a must have. Rather than a computer science degree, consider computer engineering for instance. If you go into any other kind of engineering, consider developing hands-on skills in that field, like those of a technician. This makes you more marketable in the short term and gives you a skill set that will remain in demand when things are going south.
And BTW, a lot of us are much older and have been collapse aware for a long time. No one knows how fast it will happen, it could be decades. I know things are accelerating but there is a lot of inertia in the system so there is still time to prepare. I think you will have time to get a degree, develop skills, and strategically choose the place you want to live. Remember that communities will be important in the future.
bbccaadd@reddit
Do you know what "rare" in "rare earth" means?
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Please enlighten me
CorvidCorbeau@reddit
Basically: they are extremely abundant, but they are scattered. It's rare to find deposits large enough to be worth building a mine. There is a lot of lithium on Earth for example, but economically sane mining locations are few and far between
HeadAd369@reddit
If you’re posting on the internet from the USA, a lot of places are going to collapse before anything happens to you. And you were always going to die
Any-Willow520@reddit
I have heard this song lately. Maybe cheesy, but this song light up my heart. https://youtu.be/7kIgTV_P_u8?is=VvfNCLGoxmsOOnyG
PoutineItalienne@reddit
I've been collapse aware for like 10 years or so, was the same age as you.
Lesson I learned, don't let that dictate your life and enjoy life as much as you can. For the first 1-2 years it was an obsession and I fudged up my potential career in a cushy corporate office and ended up stuck in a job I didn't enjoy much, but was flexible enough to bug out whenever.
I've heard "BOE is happening" every year since, but until it actually happens then don't worry too much. Just be prepared in case, I've got cans of food, locations, and stuff ready for the eventual, but I live my life the best I can.
The only thing I'm scared of, is the current geopolitics. The instability is kinda hard to predict.
Bright_Tax628@reddit
Put your phone down
Cronewithneedles@reddit
Touch grass as they say
LeeDUBS@reddit
Fr though, this sub been crying wolf for years now
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
It’s a very sad sub, but the idea of collapse being soon has been a thing for a very long time, maybe it’s just in human nature to keep going. I’m not sure, I guess that’s what I’m anxious about.
Useful_Divide7154@reddit
Honestly there are about 20 ways that the entire world could be destroyed, some of them natural and some more human-driven. And none of them are at all guaranteed, even climate driven collapse. Just focus on what you can control and don’t take anything for granted.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Yeah I agree for sure, people (like myself) sometimes forget that technological advancement can be made before the earth creeps to the end. Technological advancement is what keeps us alive. Nuclear fusion would be a key to saving us all, and it’s definitely not an impossible task.
LeeDUBS@reddit
I mean nothin you can do is gonna stop it. Only thing you can do is get right with yourself and try to be the best person you can be
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
Fair point haha
-Ilovepokemon-@reddit
Disclaimer
Overindulging in this sub may be detrimental to your mental health. Anxiety and depression are common reactions when studying collapse. Please remain conscious of your mental health and effects this may have on you. If you are considering suicide, please call a hotline, visit r/SuicideWatch, r/SWResources, r/depression, or seek professional help. If you are seeking support please visit r/CollapseSupport. Suicidal content will be removed. Suggesting others commit suicide will result in an immediate ban.
Comfortable-You3206@reddit (OP)
I appreciate the comment, but I’m just an anxious man, I’ll never give up or anything like that, I’m too determined. I hope this comment helps someone else though!