Thank you. I feel less lonely now. It sucks trying to talk about this with people and almost always being dismissed as an overthinker or an alarmist. I've seen this coming since becoming politically conscious back in the early 2000s. I finally decided last year to quit my job and move with my family to the country. The goal is to learn to be more self reliant and hopefully weather the shitshow on the horizon.
Glad to see I am not the only one looking at our current timeline and thinking the same thing. Looking forward to reading more - and even more interested in cultivating resources of fellow thinkers and doers to help each other survive this phase of 'decay'!
Yes i'm with you. I ask is there more we can do to prepare for the unfolding of this polycrisis. Where the climate allows, opening up small tracts for grain production, facilitating change with financing, technical assistance and helping to make functional organizations. We should be starting now but noone else seems to see the urgency of the situaltion.
Man, this is the stuff I mull over and feel literally every day. So much of my waking time, it gnaws at my core. I'll be at my mundane office job thinking, "What good is any of this work? It's just sucking time away from trying to do something that actually matters." Most family and friends don't understand it or won't talk about these topics. Also, it's interesting that you bring up not knowing if your anxiety is mental illness. I've been in therapy for three years, but the conversations with my therapist eventually return to issues like these, and it really becomes how do you just make space in all the commotion to just breathe? That entire list under "So let's get back to how I'm doing?" is spot on, too. (I really have no idea how people convince themselves they should have a kid these days.) The world is fracturing in so many ways. Anyway, I appreciate your writing and that you put this out there. Looking forward to reading part two.
Great thoughts. Re “I would love to be more ignorant, to “live like everything is fine until it’s not” as Bill Burr says. But I am struggling to do that right now.” — Yes! Me too. It’s the reason I started my Substack. I’m an academic and ecologist. I took to Substack to share solutions (small or large) for climate change and biodiversity loss. And I’m changing my research programme to be more solutions focused. This helps a bit with overcoming the anxiety of what’s coming down the pike.
No, it’s not a “mental illness.” No need to ever bring up that phrase unless your brain starts to veer into evidence-free irrationality, and there is only informed sense in what you say.
However, that does not mean that collapse- and corruption-awareness is a fun and breezy mental state.
The bad guys won. They are going to win even more. There is no way around this, and there never was. However, we have our consolation prizes.
Thank you. I feel less lonely now. It sucks trying to talk about this with people and almost always being dismissed as an overthinker or an alarmist. I've seen this coming since becoming politically conscious back in the early 2000s. I finally decided last year to quit my job and move with my family to the country. The goal is to learn to be more self reliant and hopefully weather the shitshow on the horizon.
Glad to see I am not the only one looking at our current timeline and thinking the same thing. Looking forward to reading more - and even more interested in cultivating resources of fellow thinkers and doers to help each other survive this phase of 'decay'!
Fantastic read.
Sometimes I wish I were not nearly as scientific and curious, it's both frustrating and frightening.
Yes i'm with you. I ask is there more we can do to prepare for the unfolding of this polycrisis. Where the climate allows, opening up small tracts for grain production, facilitating change with financing, technical assistance and helping to make functional organizations. We should be starting now but noone else seems to see the urgency of the situaltion.
Man, this is the stuff I mull over and feel literally every day. So much of my waking time, it gnaws at my core. I'll be at my mundane office job thinking, "What good is any of this work? It's just sucking time away from trying to do something that actually matters." Most family and friends don't understand it or won't talk about these topics. Also, it's interesting that you bring up not knowing if your anxiety is mental illness. I've been in therapy for three years, but the conversations with my therapist eventually return to issues like these, and it really becomes how do you just make space in all the commotion to just breathe? That entire list under "So let's get back to how I'm doing?" is spot on, too. (I really have no idea how people convince themselves they should have a kid these days.) The world is fracturing in so many ways. Anyway, I appreciate your writing and that you put this out there. Looking forward to reading part two.
Thank you very much, I'm glad this helped you feel seen. This is a difficult time to be a human.
I've written part 2 whenever you feel ready, https://yearsofgap.substack.com/p/are-you-supposed-to-be-ok-right-now-5f9
Great thoughts. Re “I would love to be more ignorant, to “live like everything is fine until it’s not” as Bill Burr says. But I am struggling to do that right now.” — Yes! Me too. It’s the reason I started my Substack. I’m an academic and ecologist. I took to Substack to share solutions (small or large) for climate change and biodiversity loss. And I’m changing my research programme to be more solutions focused. This helps a bit with overcoming the anxiety of what’s coming down the pike.
No, it’s not a “mental illness.” No need to ever bring up that phrase unless your brain starts to veer into evidence-free irrationality, and there is only informed sense in what you say.
However, that does not mean that collapse- and corruption-awareness is a fun and breezy mental state.
The bad guys won. They are going to win even more. There is no way around this, and there never was. However, we have our consolation prizes.
I’m in a similar place & of a similar understanding (and also about to publish my own blog/journal on Substack). Looking forward to more from you.
Amen. (and really cool image at the top!)