Illness of Despair
It’s hard to tackle this subject without sounding too gloomy. Truth is that most of us don’t understand the dynamics that have lead us here, and thus stand solidly on a tile of confusion. This is probably the case with me, but this short phrase, this somewhat simple concept, is beginning to process in my mind.
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Illness of Despair
Maybe it’s best not to confuse this with nihilism or with cynicism per say, but more to outline a tendency at a macro scale. In other words, populations, people who've lost meaning and thus can’t seem to find themselves anymore.
We could sit here and blame all sorts of things, and truthfully there’s a good chance we will be correct in plenty of the causes for our social downtrend. But, they seem to be working in coordination, even though such idea is nonsensical.
There’s been countless books written about the human struggle, the need for that fight and how it fuels us with meaning. It's not unreasonable to talk about a spectrum of despair that is not only normal, but possibly needed. However, it seems like the balance is being broken, but in a way nobody could have predicted.
You see, these are new problems, so new that we’ve yet to identify them as such. The cost is steep and our social cohesion is suffering. We’ve become the most connected yet apathetic civilization in history. We may have the ability to talk to someone on the other side of the planet, but lack the strong foundation for caring enough about our communities and neighbors.
The fact that plenty of people do all their socializing online and feel completely fine with never interacting face to face, is probably a sign of the path we are taking. The media, the news, the politicians have maybe subconsciously identified this trend and have learnt to exploit our disconnectivity, have learnt to exacerbate our differences to leverage support, financial or political, or both.
The concept of happiness may be personal, and it also may be a Utopian idea, but the pursuit is truly what matters. It’s probably there, in that quest, in the loss of the north, that we’ve fallen into these destructive behaviors.
An elderly couple committing suicide because their medical bills are eating them up, and they do not want to be a burden for their family sounds like fictional story, but yet it’s real report in an online publication.
The illnesses of despair, they are not physical, at least not initially, but they end up manifesting in the most tragic of ways.
MenO
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts @meno
A lyric from one of my latest songs reads...
I sometimes sleep in Sundays
When it's warm in my head
The raindrops patter down my plans
But I'm alive still
Is that the best one yet
There's a few metaphors in there for my daily struggles, but you know what my friend?
We have a 100% record of getting through a tough day.
Stay strong, stay true and keep on being YOU.
Thanks
DC 🎼💪🏃
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So true: "We’ve become the most connected yet apathetic civilization in history. " Important thoughts to ponder.
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the pic says a thousand words just by itself
Greetings friend @meno.
It is a sad panorama that you are drawing here.
True, people are moving away from each other, I mean emotional distance. In many cases an online interaction is more common than a simple conversation enjoying coffee together.
Families that meet at the dinner table and where everyone has their phones next to the food plate. Nobody raises their faces or converses, there is an absence of humanity despite being so close.
A person can fall into despair, depression or despair and make a tragic decision, when he may have sought the opinion of a loved one, family member or friend.
There are many things to reflect and so many things to do. The moment is now.
All best, Piotr.
Hello @meno
One of the reasons I've been posting less is because in all honesty I kind of reached the bottom and then slipped again and it was a long way down. It was something I could not help, though I'm usually clear and objective I just found myself sad and ill, both physically and emotionally. Though there is a physical root that is being taken care of, it was the emotional blow who tumbled me maybe for the first real time ever. Been working hard since. It's selfcare summer :/
By the way I posted a tribute to The Dark Crystal, no need to vote on it, but it's first post in a while and I know you like the movie, I'm just curious of your opinion, I think you'll appreciate the geeky experiment :)
hope you're right, reach us on discord or ig or twitter, a quick update!
Blessings
So good to hear from you my friend.. I'll go listen right now
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Thanks Meno, well it has been a bit shaky here but on the mend. Aw great hope you like it, I know you like Dark Crystal too