Everyone is numbing out
“People try to do all sorts of clever and difficult things to improve life instead of doing the simplest, easiest thing—refusing to participate in activities that make life bad.”
Simon Sarris • Careful Technology
In America, there’s this very strong need to be hopeful and comfortable. You get the message early on that if you want to get ahead, don’t talk about the really dark stuff. If you want to have friends, don’t tell them how bleak it is. But, inviting people into their honesty can be very liberating. And letting people know they’re not alone in all th
... See moreAndrew Boyd • I Want a Better Catastrophe: Navigating the Climate Crisis with Grief, Hope, and Gallows Humor
It’s not hard to see where the pervasive numbness comes in from here, as a sort of sinister phase two. The opposite of love is not hate, but apathy. I hope it’s obvious why this is a problem, but maybe you’re still thinking so what. To put it succinctly: when you take an ironic, negative, or numb attitude to everything, you are by definition not on... See more
Catherine Shannon • Everyone Is Numbing Out
What concepts take you to this dark space of senselessness and incompleteness? How do you disrupt these patterns? What is your preferred sedative?