I'm curious what this says about me....


Off-Topic Discussions

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Just a quick scan through this forum's topic list brings up these eye-catchers:

"Is American exceptionalism a myth?"
"The Archetypal Tyrant"
"Relax: We don't have to worry about Sovergn Debt anymore!" (because we'll all be dead anyway)
"Rant..."
"Tea and Coffee parties both suXxOrs"
"Healthcare and etc..."
"need to vent...."
"Do people just not compliment others?"
"Things in Life That Suck"
"The future of your children"
"No good deed goes unpunished..."
"What are children learning in school these days?"

And that's only about halfway down. Frankly, I've come to the conclusion that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. (Nessus, to be precise.) Given the doom-and-gloom nature of news reporting that's unsurprising, and likely inaccurate - there's about half that much of threads with titles like "Good things" and "Parade of Hope" and of course "FAWTL"

No, what's surprised me is the feeling I have in response to the constant projection of imminent doom. It's not fear, it's not worry, it's not even apathy.

It's LONGING.

To be perfectly honest, I'm starting to think I'd be happier if everything suddenly went to pieces. Sure, there'd be no more internet, no more video games, no more MP3s, no more movies, no more books... and truth be told I'm fine by that. Maybe getting rid of those avenues will put some of the endless arguments to death.

Let it go. Let it all collapse. Let it BURN. Good bloody gorram riddance.
Maybe that's what we need. Maybe that's exactly what we should do.
Just break it down.
Tear it all down.
Break it apart.
Burn it all.
Leave NOTHING behind.

Then what? I dunno. Start from scratch I guess. The human race, I'm thinking, needs to be thrown back into the dark ages for a while. Maybe we have it good - too good. Or maybe that's not the right thing. I don't know.

All I know is the idea of everything I know, everything I understand, everything I see every day not being here tomorrow is not a thought that terrifies or worries me anymore. At the very least I would simply be apathetic, simply wouldn't care; at the most I'd be ecstatic.

Maybe I've lost it. Maybe too much fantasy reading and gaming has finally snapped something and I'm suffering a schism from reality. Frankly, I'd be just fine with that. I've started thinking within the past few years that I was born in the wrong time, wrong place, wrong reality anyway. Good riddance.

Or maybe this is simply the other side of despair.

Thoughts welcome.


I think it's much worse than we think.

I think I can understand wanting to see it all flush away, but I think the concern about what society, if any, comes after is a valid too.

I don't presume to know what this says about you, but I can identify with a certain hopelessness on the other side of despair.


Bitter Thorn wrote:
I think I can understand wanting to see it all flush away, but I think the concern about what society, if any, comes after is a valid too.

That's the thing. Nothing comes after. Whatever society will be there will be an echo, a shell. It's ruin. Devastation. Dark Ages, episode two.

And I'm fine by that.

And the fact that I'm fine by that is what has me wondering.

EDIT: Also, your comment brought this to mind: (language warning)

Spoiler:
Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will.
I sure could use a vacation from this

Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless f~#+ing hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any f@*~ing time. Any f!$$ing day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.

Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your car.

It's a
Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless f!$!ing hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any f~&+ing time. Any f#*#ing day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.

Some say a comet will fall from the sky.
Followed by meteor showers and tidal waves.
Followed by faultlines that cannot sit still.
Followed by millions of dumbfounded dipshits.

Some say the end is near.
Some say we'll see armageddon soon.
I certainly hope we will cuz
I sure could use a vacation from this

Silly shit, stupid shit...

One great big festering neon distraction,
I've a suggestion to keep you all occupied.

Learn to swim.

Mom's gonna fix it all soon.
Mom's comin' round to put it back the way it ought to be.

Learn to swim.

F%** L Ron Hubbard and
F!!& all his clones.
F&@# all those gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Learn to swim.

F~&+ retro anything.
F#@! your tattoos.
F!*~ all you junkies and
F!@# your short memory.

Learn to swim.

F!*& smiley glad-hands
With hidden agendas.
F#*$ these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

Learn to swim.

Cuz I'm praying for rain
And I'm praying for tidal waves
I wanna see the ground give way.
I wanna watch it all go down.
Mom please flush it all away.
I wanna watch it go right in and down.
I wanna watch it go right in.
Watch you flush it all away.

Time to bring it down again.
Don't just call me pessimist.
Try and read between the lines.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't
Welcome any change, my friend.

I wanna see it all come down.
suck it down.
flush it down.


Fitting, I think.


Orthos wrote:
Bitter Thorn wrote:
I think I can understand wanting to see it all flush away, but I think the concern about what society, if any, comes after is a valid too.

That's the thing. Nothing comes after. Whatever society will be there will be an echo, a shell. It's ruin. Devastation. Dark Ages, episode two.

And I'm fine by that.

And the fact that I'm fine by that is what has me wondering.

EDIT: Also, your comment brought this to mind: (language warning)
** spoiler omitted **...

Even the dark ages are a society of sorts. I don't want my grand kids (if they survive such a collapse) to grow up like that any more than the world of Gattaca.

Your quote was running through my head as I typed.


My brother's been married for a couple of years, and my sister's getting married in late spring. I can sympathize, for the nieces and nephews I may have coming in the future years.

What's got my attention is the thought that while that may not be what I want, there's an overwhelming sense that it's what we need. That such a devastating restart button will do more good for us - individually or as a conglomerate - than the alternative. That the best way for us is to make life hard again, as unpleasant as the idea may seem.

Maybe I have lost it.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 4

There's a really interesting book called The Redemption of Christopher Columbus. They talk about how if there's another Ice Age and man is knocked to the dark ages then we'll never be able to recover.

Essentially we've used up all the natural resources you could start building society from. All of the easy to find minerals in the streams and on the surface, all of the oil you could reach without massive drills.


Hey! Don't put my thread in there! ;)


I think people tend to focus on the negative because they feel a need to vent their spleen. That's why the Good Things thread was created.


Scipion del Ferro wrote:
Essentially we've used up all the natural resources you could start building society from. All of the easy to find minerals in the streams and on the surface, all of the oil you could reach without massive drills.

And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.

Liberty's Edge Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012

Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
Hey! Don't put my thread in there! ;)

But "FAWTLY TOWER IV" is a good thread. :D


taig wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
Hey! Don't put my thread in there! ;)
But "FAWTLY TOWER IV" is a good thread. :D

Chaotic good, but good nonetheless.


Treppa wrote:
taig wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
Hey! Don't put my thread in there! ;)
But "FAWTLY TOWER IV" is a good thread. :D
Chaotic good, but good nonetheless.

Ba dum tish

Sovereign Court

Scipion del Ferro wrote:

There's a really interesting book called The Redemption of Christopher Columbus. They talk about how if there's another Ice Age and man is knocked to the dark ages then we'll never be able to recover.

Essentially we've used up all the natural resources you could start building society from. All of the easy to find minerals in the streams and on the surface, all of the oil you could reach without massive drills.

Just mine the garbage pits. All the refining has been done for you.


Orthos wrote:


And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.

What you're describing would require history's greatest genocide to achieve, or natural disasters on a scale such that the outcome would be the same. So no, I don't think that a good 90%+ of the world's population needs to die. Nor that the survivors should be subjected to the kind of grinding misery that the aftermath would entail and would be entailed by the dark age you're suggesting thereafter.

If you need help, by all means go out and get yourself help. But romanticizing the destruction of billions of your fellow human beings isn't a great coping strategy.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Ditton on the second poster here.

What this thread means is that you should consider some serious professional help.


Orthos: First off, if you can afford it, make an appointment with a psychiatrist (not just a therapist). It can't hurt to have a session or two just to vent and unload your worries without any fear of judgment. If you turn out to be suffering from depression, your shrink will be well equipped and experienced to help you.

...

All of us Paizonians, in the US and abroad, are living in particularly "interesting times." Political, financial, security, and moral/ethical stressors are weighing heavily on us, some more so than others. We are all fed a never-ending torrent of more negative news all the time, so you certainly aren't the only one feeling bleak and despondent over the future. I don't mean to anyway diminish what you are feeling, but simply to remind you that there isn't something wrong with you... you are having a normal response to an insane world.

If you can, take a look at what is helping fuel your feelings. If certain websites or threads are making it worse, there is nothing wrong with taking a taking a temporary break from them. If you can, pick a single particularly vexing situation (like a high-interest credit card) and work extra diligently to fix it... resolving it can go a long way to relieving some of your stress. Set small attainable goals, achieve them, and allow yourself to feel satisfaction at your successes.

And if you have any trusted friends to discuss your feelings, use them. Friends would rather you confide in them than be left out when they could've helped. If I can help by just listening, email me, ok?


I'd like to amend something here. I'd suggest to go to a Psychiatrist for the medicinal / prescription part if necessary, but go with a LISW for the therapy portion. Make sure they work in conjunction with each other, but LISWs tend to have more time available to spend with you for the purposes of therapy whereas a psychiatrist may not offer the frequency you may need.

Which reminds me....aren't you currently unemployed? Wasn't sure whether you picked up COBRA or not.


Urizen wrote:
I'd like to amend something here. I'd suggest to go to a Psychiatrist for the medicinal / prescription part if necessary, but go with a LISW for the therapy portion. Make sure they work in conjunction with each other, but LISWs tend to have more time available to spend with you for the purposes of therapy whereas a psychiatrist may not offer the frequency you may need.

Yeah, I was concerned; there a lot of people that call themselves "therapists" but lack the medical training. Make sure they have a medical psychotherapist degree.

And good luck, Orthos. :)

Dark Archive

Orthos wrote:
Scipion del Ferro wrote:
Essentially we've used up all the natural resources you could start building society from. All of the easy to find minerals in the streams and on the surface, all of the oil you could reach without massive drills.
And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.

...send the fleet into the sun; let's start from scratch.


It could mean that people might not
realize just how crappy it was to be
living in the "old days" when disease
was more rampant, hygene not so great,
no health insurance, no nothing to protect
you if something happened, no customer service,
no literacy...etc.
I don't think things are worse, its just
different and some of the same problems. Plus
information travels so fast that now we know when
joe shmoe wipes his ass, cause he puts it on things
like twitter or facebook or whatever. Now we get ALL
the worlds bad news handed to us at a faster and faster
rate. I think that makes things look very bad, when in
reality it's probably always been that BAD...or maybe worse.
Not sure, but I think we just have more scary means of destroying
ourselves now, thats something new. My number one rule in life?
Don't be a jerk to people and hopefully they will reciprocate.


Walter O'Dim wrote:
Orthos wrote:
And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.
...send the fleet into the sun; let's start from scratch.

No need to go the rBSG route, just wait for Ol' Faithful:

"Despite the very limited statistics, one could say that we may be due soon for another eruption, considering that it has been 640,000 years since the last. If one were so inclined, one could calculate the odds of such an eruption occurring each year: approximately 1 in 700,000. But, since it has been quite a while since the last eruption, it would seem that the odds are something more like 1 in 100,000 or so. Given that an average American lives to be about 70 years old, that would put each of our odds of witnessing another giant Yellowstone eruption at about 1 in 13,000. That folks, means you are far more likely witness such an eruption than you are to die in a plane crash."


Orthos wrote:
Treppa wrote:
taig wrote:
Mairkurion {tm} wrote:
Hey! Don't put my thread in there! ;)
But "FAWTLY TOWER IV" is a good thread. :D
Chaotic good, but good nonetheless.
Ba dum tish

I mean Archetypal Tyrant. :(

Although, there are some depressing posts in there, but I ignore those to try to mine insights.


Ambrosia Slaad wrote:
Walter O'Dim wrote:
Orthos wrote:
And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.
...send the fleet into the sun; let's start from scratch.

No need to go the rBSG route, just wait for Ol' Faithful:

"Despite the very limited statistics, one could say that we may be due soon for another eruption, considering that it has been 640,000 years since the last. If one were so inclined, one could calculate the odds of such an eruption occurring each year: approximately 1 in 700,000. But, since it has been quite a while since the last eruption, it would seem that the odds are something more like 1 in 100,000 or so. Given that an average American lives to be about 70 years old, that would put each of our odds of witnessing another giant Yellowstone eruption at about 1 in 13,000. That folks, means you are far more likely witness such an eruption than you are to die in a plane crash."

Well said.

Life is an exercise in hazard analysis and risk management.


Bitter Thorn wrote:

Well said.

Life is an exercise in hazard analysis and risk management.

Life is always about choices and risks. For myself, I know that I could die in my sleep, be at ground zero or be a victim of an act of terror. Plan for the worst, expect the best. I have my regrets, but I don't let them consume me. I would not be the man I am today without all the choices and life experiences. It's what I do with the time I have left that matters.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I'm ready.....are you?.


Some days things can seem depressing but one useful thing to consider is that the news media focus on the exceptional, the out of the ordinary. So if you see stories about crime leading a newscast think of it this way: it leads BECAUSE it is relatively rare and the odds any given individual will experience it are very low. Also this is possibly the best time to be alive that has ever been in the history of civilization; war, starvation, epidemics (well for developed countries anyhow) are kept at bay and since we don't have to worry about those we can turn our attention to other things. I mean from the late 40s to late 80s the world was perched on the brink of annihilation, but we did not go over that brink.


Man, this thread is totally getting me down.


Ambrosia Slaad wrote:
Walter O'Dim wrote:
Orthos wrote:
And part of me wonders, would that really be so bad? Maybe limiting things to a smaller scale is... again... what we need even if it isn't what we want.
...send the fleet into the sun; let's start from scratch.

No need to go the rBSG route, just wait for Ol' Faithful:

"Despite the very limited statistics, one could say that we may be due soon for another eruption, considering that it has been 640,000 years since the last. If one were so inclined, one could calculate the odds of such an eruption occurring each year: approximately 1 in 700,000. But, since it has been quite a while since the last eruption, it would seem that the odds are something more like 1 in 100,000 or so. Given that an average American lives to be about 70 years old, that would put each of our odds of witnessing another giant Yellowstone eruption at about 1 in 13,000. That folks, means you are far more likely witness such an eruption than you are to die in a plane crash."

There is a certain possibility of this but the US Geological Survey has examined information on the Yellowstone hotspot and concluded that although there is a possibility we will get another super eruption, since it has moved beneath the a mountain range at this point it will take a lot more power to punch through to the surface thus delaying it for a while, at the very least.


Kruelaid wrote:
Man, this thread is totally getting me down.

Well to both you and Orthos, in addition to the professional help if you think it is needed, just spend time in the actual presence of family, friends, pets and go out and enjoy the wonders of the world all around you. I'm not sure it will help, but take a look on this page at the wonders of the night sky, their beauty is there to see, and it can be inspiring


Kruelaid wrote:
Man, this thread is totally getting me down.

I'm just really glad no one has tried to convince Orthos to become religious. Aside from that, it reminds me a bit of that thread last year. Too many people knowing what Orthos should do, and not very many listening to what Orthos is saying.


Actually I agree with Orthos..and have been off the same mind for at least 25 years..the world needs a reset.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
DM Wellard wrote:
Actually I agree with Orthos..and have been off the same mind for at least 25 years..the world needs a reset.

Less people is what we need. The ranks of humanity are clogging the ecosystem. Too many resources are being depleted. Outlandish destructive methods are being employed to drag those resources to the surface. Steroid pumped beef.... pesticide laden vegetables.... over fishing.... pollution.... Too many people most of which are not contributing anything sitting at the table consuming the last rotten husks of fruit. When was the last time somebody actually accomplished something worth while? The more people sapping the planet strengths, the more we become dependent on economies of scale and corporations. Destroy old growth forests? Sure as long as paper towels prices drop 5 cents a roll at the local store.

Why do we keep congratulating people when they announce they are pregnant or have a kid on the way? Thank you for pumping out another useless mouth to feed. Thank you for putting another draw on an over strained system. Yes your little vain trophy to all your inadequacies can join us in the slaughter. Welcome to the world kiddo. Here's your axe. Start chopping.

soooooo anyone heard any good jokes lately?


Blood stained Sunday's best wrote:
DM Wellard wrote:
Actually I agree with Orthos..and have been off the same mind for at least 25 years..the world needs a reset.

Less people is what we need. The ranks of humanity are clogging the ecosystem. Too many resources are being depleted. Outlandish destructive methods are being employed to drag those resources to the surface. Steroid pumped beef.... pesticide laden vegetables.... over fishing.... pollution.... Too many people most of which are not contributing anything sitting at the table consuming the last rotten husks of fruit. When was the last time somebody actually accomplished something worth while? The more people sapping the planet strengths, the more we become dependent on economies of scale and corporations. Destroy old growth forests? Sure as long as paper towels prices drop 5 cents a roll at the local store.

Why do we keep congratulating people when they announce they are pregnant or have a kid on the way? Thank you for pumping out another useless mouth to feed. Thank you for putting another draw on an over strained system. Yes your little vain trophy to all your inadequacies can join us in the slaughter. Welcome to the world kiddo. Here's your axe. Start chopping.

soooooo anyone heard any good jokes lately?

...and they say I'm bitter. ;)


Disenchanter wrote:
Kruelaid wrote:
Man, this thread is totally getting me down.
I'm just really glad no one has tried to convince Orthos to become religious. Aside from that, it reminds me a bit of that thread last year. Too many people knowing what Orthos should do, and not very many listening to what Orthos is saying.

It wouldn't matter much anyway. Orthos is already very religious.


Why worry we'll all be gone on 21st December 2012 anyway..


Steven Purcell wrote:
I'm not sure it will help, but take a look on this page at the wonders of the night sky, their beauty is there to see, and it can be inspiring

This is why I want to move out of Phoenix metrozone and back to smaller-town living eventually. I miss the night sky.

That first one is now my desktop.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32

Blood stained Sunday's best wrote:
Why do we keep congratulating people when they announce they are pregnant or have a kid on the way? Thank you for pumping out another useless mouth to feed. Thank you for putting another draw on an over strained system. Yes your little vain trophy to all your inadequacies can join us in the slaughter. Welcome to the world kiddo. Here's your axe. Start chopping.

You many be overstating things. Yes, overpopulation is driving all the other problems.

But, having a child is not "in itself" a bad thing. People should have fewer children, and should do more to avoid "accidental" children.

Humanity needs fewer (and better raised) children - but not having any kids wouldn't be a good idea either.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Bitter Thorn wrote:


...and they say I'm bitter. ;)

Yeah I'm great fun at parties. Get me going on false freedoms, why I believe the American way of life is a vast system of slavery, chains, and cloaked plantation masters and you'll soon find out why my wife gives me a script of approved sentences to regurgitate when we interact with her friends.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Lord Fyre wrote:

But, having a child is not "in itself" a bad thing. People should have fewer children, and should do more to avoid "accidental" children.

Yes I am certainly using some inflammatory exaggerations to hammer home my point. Any extreme in population whether decline or growth could be harmful. As a race we need to start leaning deeply into a decline stage. I want to say....they need to do something about population. But who the hell is "they"? I can only do what I believe which is too adopt.


Blood stained Sunday's best wrote:
Lord Fyre wrote:

But, having a child is not "in itself" a bad thing. People should have fewer children, and should do more to avoid "accidental" children.

Yes I am certainly using some inflammatory exaggerations to hammer home my point. Any extreme in population whether decline or growth could be harmful. As a race we need to start leaning deeply into a decline stage. I want to say....they need to do something about population. But who the hell is "they"? I can only do what I believe which is too adopt.

I wish you luck with adoption. I tried seven times. The first six brought me a world of pain and disappointment as well as pretty much destroying me financially.

The seventh time is a charm I reckon.


Corrosion Of Conformity
Vote With A Bullet lyrics (language):
The number in nations
The god in their hearts
The justice in swine
The devil in God
VOTE
This long hand that breaks our backs
Still casting shadows on all that we see
Unjustified...mercy killing is just a feeling
To keep our numbers from being free
(Chorus)
Prison for praise is not worth thinking
Sin is still in and our ballots are shrinking
So unleash the dogs - the only solution
Forgive and forget, f*ck no
I'm talking about a revolution
The prophet man's got a needle in his hand
Draws his dreams from your soul - bleeding
minds into sand
The year of the fear has arrived decades too late
And our right to stand and fight is now
solely sealed in fate
(Repeat first chorus)
One last chance mission with a vision
'cos our lives are just cards i their stack
Our time is short but theirs is shorter
How much longer can they hold us back
(Chorus)
Prison for praise - the obvious answer
Once had power mad - living disaster
Don't f*ck with me 'cos I'm on a freedom train
That bears no name - this time
I'm voting with a bullet
This view they once knew made our nooses too tight
This justice in swine
This devil in god
So God bless my soul - I've got total control
And the crosshairs lined up dead in my sight
I'm voting with a bullet


Quite frankly, when society needs a reboot... generally mankind will find a way to give it to it.

But countries have expanded to a point where the environment in certain areas is struggling to support it. Giant cities are in areas without water supplies, for one. etc etc etc

Frankly, nothing's permanent. It could all burn and be destroyed, and somehow somewhere things would go on. I find comfort in it... the thought that as bad as things are now, at one point they were worse and at some point they'll be better. Example, as horrid as it sounds: the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, WWII, Vietnam, Oklahoma City Bombing, Columbine, 9/11

"I have learned in all things to be content."

"Worry not for tomorrow. Each day has sufficent trouble for itself."

My two cents.


Orthos . . . I agree about seeking professional medical care.

I used to be very positive. My motto was "Situation Difficult but not Impossible".

I think the world condition is approaching Impossible. Never before have so many armies been so well armed, with so many natural resource, political, religious, and ethnic issues at hand.

In the US, certian segments of population have really gotten hammered in the recent economic collapse, like the building trades. Plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc . . .all have borne the brunt of the current economic collapse. It's started to spread to other trades and industries as well.

Anyways, I do what I can, where I can. I've kept a few people off the street and although they lost thier homes, they did not lose thier lives. Stopped some projects because they were backed by politicians and injurious to children. One suggestion was adopted by a Congressman and I got a Patient Right to Know law passed in the Virginia. I am planning to see one of the last Shuttle flights, the end of US manned space flight in my lifetime. . . .the US will have to depend on the Russians and I doubt the Ares rocket will ever be built.

I do see a time of civil unrest coming in the US. If you follow the recent news about threats to US Congressmen and Senators, you know what I mean. Sides are going to 'arm up'.

I feel I am watching the twilight of the Roman Empire. I feel sorrow for the little children today. I think, when they are old, they won't think too kindly about what we, as a global society, failed to do, and failed out of our own narrow interests.

All that being said, I do find comfort and inspiration in music. A friend recently gave me a disk with the theme songs to Superman and Indiana Jones on them, though I prefer Right Now by Van Halen instead.

Dark Archive

I make no apologies for the content of this message -

Maybe it can all just be attributed to the decline of Western Civilization? The last 100 years could just be a symptom; the neurosis which precedes necrosis. Sometimes - at least in the States - sometimes I think we are do for one. An big ending or a small one. Seems like people either hate each other or are 100% introverted and don't give a crap beyond their immediate personal needs. We live in a completely divided, hateful and most importantly isolated society. Isolated and insulated.

Maybe it's alright if it all ends, don't drug yourself because you are speaking your mind about your perception of the world, and what could/should happen to it. If you can't function that's one thing, but people don't like what they hear sometimes, so they have to shut it off, shut you off. It's your thought process, no one can take that from you - be it flowers & puppies or mushroom clouds over cities. Personally I don't think you're crazy, just a person who is getting inundated with garbage.
And sometimes the thought process is right, it could be a good time for a real reset. I don't think you or anyone here can really grasp the weight of that, but maybe it needs to happen. It'll happen eventually, why not now? Lol.

I can't pretend to tell you what to do or how you should think. I don't know you. I do have similar thoughts about the destruction of this society, this world and what that entails. It does feed into a negative cycle.
What I do for myself, not that anyone cares - search for some kind of inner peace and gain a perspective on life. What have I done to help others, what have I accomplished on a personal level to improve my life and the lives of those around me. Work on that, that helps.

Then again sometimes it's ok to shave your head, put on the boots and see where the night takes you.


Dieing is easy, living is hard, but the most important thing is to find a focus to anchor yourself amongst the turmoil, whether it is personal, local or global in nature. It could be as simple as waking up in the morning to take a walk, finding some type of regular exercise, a hobby, roleplaying, etc. Work on things you can control.

There is always going to be someone that is better off than you, and someone that is worse off, so all of us must find balance.

Understand, that changes happen in small steps, in regards to our personal lives.


Ambrosia Slaad wrote:


...
All of us Paizonians, in the US and abroad, are living in particularly "interesting times." Political, financial, security, and moral/ethical stressors are weighing heavily on us, some more so than others. We are all fed a never-ending torrent of more negative news all the time, so you certainly aren't the only one feeling bleak and despondent over the future...

No, the people of Somalia are living in "interesting times." The people of North Korea are living in "interesting times." The people in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia and the Black Plague epidemics were living in "interesting times." Anyone posting on this board has had it better than 99.99% of the people who ever lived on this planet, even if they are posting from a crack house.

I'm beginning to think that guy in the Matrix was right. I can't remember the details of his little speech, but basically what he said to Neo was that we humans are hardwired for pain and suffering and angst. Put us in paradise and we just can't handle it.


Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Obbligato wrote:


No, the people of Somalia are living in "interesting times." The people of North Korea are living in "interesting times." The people in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia and the Black Plague epidemics were living in "interesting times." Anyone posting on this board has had it better than 99.99% of the people who ever lived on this planet, even if they are posting from a crack house.

I have boiled your argument down to a rather rudimentary paraphrase. "Yea, well its been worse before and kids are starving in Third World Country X, so suck it up." In my opinion this is the argument of the slaver. The argument to keep the unhappy in their place because at least they have half a straw to grasp. Sure the whip bites and you can't escape but at least you have food. And all the people who lived a hundred years ago are now dust too so be content with your lot. The desire to live a financial stable, sustainable, secure existence is not fulfilled by pointing at suffering and saying, "Well at least we ain't them."

We shouldn't look at the lot below us wallowing in poverty, make a quick comparison, and go about our way satisfied that though our employer may lay us off, our pensions may vanish into the maelstrom of piss poor financial markets, and commodity prices may strangle our quality of life, we are living better than most.

We should seek to better the lot of the most rather than derive some callow satisfaction that we somehow exceeded the residents of a cardboard box shanty town nestled in a dump.


Alright, I have to chime in with my opinion. We are all role-players, used to very active fantasy lives. It's only natural that we project that fantasy not only into our games, but occasionally also into real life. What if I talked to that cute girl? What if I told off my boss? What if zombie-ninjas suddenly attacked?

Fantasizing about massive destruction/death is NOT (necessarily) a bad thing. As opposed to wactively working for that goal, say. Becoming obsessed with the idea might be pretty bad too. But just because you wonder what if, and then extend the fantasy to try to predict whether "society" would be better off if that fantasy came true is not a reason to dash off to the head-shrinkers.

Others have suggested or hinted at what I think is a reasonable deduction - that fantasy is a good excuse to examine your own life and feelings (and you can do that on your own; drugs and couches are not necessarily required). To whom are you connected, and why? How do you feel about yourself and your perceived place in the world? How do those feelings mesh with your goals? How do they mesh with your fantasized self?

If you have trouble working out those thoughts, or have violent urges and trouble controlling them, then by all means seek professional help. But simply recognizing the dark side of rationality does not indicate something is wrong with you.

For my own dimestore psychoanalysis, th elonging is probably related to something I have seen in many of my friends or associates today. With all the improvement in communications, we sometimes don't connect. All our conversations begin to feel superficial, especially when we twitter, facebook, email, message etc. so efficiently, but have trouble meeting face-to-face. A friend of mine was really frustrated when he moved to a new city because he made friends so easily online, but couldn't get anyone to actually meet and go do something.

So again, it's perfectly normal to have dark fantasies. If they bother you, examine why. Likely you can figure out yourself far more easily and rapidly (and cheaply) than a psychiatrist/social worker who doesn't know you.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

I think it says you want to have sex with your mother.


Mine's cremated, so can you spare yours?

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