How to handle the 2020s

Chat about Zorin
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i know this is not really zorin related, but maybe you can give me some advice because most people i know dont even understand those problems. to list some:

I do understand why most people don`t care about privacy and losing more and more freedom each day. if i look at china or north korea i get nightmares when i am thinking about whats about to come the next years. how on earth do i handle living in a world where even applying for a jobs is full of ai and scam now? everyone is rapidly becoming significantly dumber. and i am soooo tired of people using ai for everything. instead of opening specialized pages, people trust that bot nonsense that copy pastes other sources with adding some flavour text. mostly its so wrong that i can prove its false by just going to wikipedia and reading the source text (while making back up copies of important wikipedia entries as long as wiki is still not complete garbage). horrible autotune ai music haunts me at every store so that my stress level is very high by just buying something to friggin eat. also for some reason most people are becoming really deaf recently. toddlers are watching tons of tiktok while their parents play book of ra. social media was a mess 2 years ago when i deleted them. but now? how are people ok with that dumpsterfire? and then dating. online dating is just beyond repair. really WTF is going on and how to handle it?

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I once heard a psychologist who specializes in anxiety say something along the lines of, "If we could all just accept that we have absolutely no control over what happens in life, there would hardly be any anxiety. But we can't, and that's why I write and sell books."

I would encourage you to spend time unplugged, read a good book, go to a park or for a hike, get involved in a community (faith, recreational, etc.), and try not to dwell in your thoughts on the things that are beyond your control.

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While reading a good book, why not some good historical ones?
History gives us remarkable perspectives. Including how the ancient Romans complained of the days youth, as lazy know-nothings disinterested in the world.

An idea that has persisted, for a couple of thousand years, through the ages, dark or light, through the industrial revolution, up until today.

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...and along the lines of good books, may I suggest you consider reading the Good Book. For starters:

Psalm 37 (especially vv. 1–11, 23–28)
Psalm 46

Ditchingwin's advice for self-care, and Aravisian's counsel regarding perspective are wise and worth heeding. I would add further, seek interpersonal relationships - face to face interaction - regular meeting with others via something better than virtual reality - real reality. Proverbs said it well - as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Get away from the screens and the firehose of "information."

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thats litterally what i always did and do. i try to be offline but im getting more and more forced to use a phone and internet everywhere. i even refuse to go to subway, mac and kfc because they force me to use those touchscreens instead of having a conversation with the human being behind the counter. i am not some monkey and have dignity. then this "ignore it because you cant change it" is the exact source of 95% of mankinds problems today. i still use barely buy any new electronic devices (except pc parts) because its subscribtion here, account there, buttons that physicaly turn off a signal are replaced with touchscreens that can fail and cant be repaired (firehazard if its a stove), there are even frigdes that need wifi now. why? because somehow people are ok with all that nonsense. i am tired of just watching the world burn while i do next to nothing about it. i occationally even manage to change smaller things. which i guess is kind of huge, but its feels like a drop of water on a rock. faith? well i am doing good stuff because obviously doing good stuff is good. im more into philosophy because they are not claiming to be the only right belief. only phrase i love in the bible is "whos without sin shall throw the first stone" because its so damn true.

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I think many answers posted above are made out of genuine care.
Which is a bit different from a kid at school being bullied and the apathetic teacher saying, "Just ignore them."
You are right. " That is the worst answer that can be given. And you cannot just ignore things.

I am also annoyed by Wifi in the fridge, touchscreens at kiosks... I already avoid Fast Food and have since before the Kiosks took over.
Some people like them, because it absolves them of the social anxiety of dealing with some stranger.
And that is their valid perspective. Different from yours - and where examining perspectives can really help a lot.

You see, I am a nerd. I love astronomy. History. Mechanical. Physics. Books. I am a classic car mech and have a shop full of... History. Tangible, real history.
And on rare occasions, I get a willing ear when I point to the Wall of tools and say, "Many people see pieces of metal.
I see solutions to problems."

You are on the internet, right now... This is a moment of your time. Having Uplifting comments made with genuine care directed to you - across space and time(zones lol).

You are in good company. Because many of us agree that you are right.
A.I.
Invasive tech.
And it is not driven by consumer demand. It is driven by corporate greed. We did not demand this. It is being shoved at us while we protest.

This is not new. You... are not new. Across the ages, the centuries, the millennia... We have been watching the world burn. We have been watching invasions, atrocities, corruption, greed... And we have always stood against it and turned the tide.
It always looks grim.
And you cannot just ignore it.
But it will get better.

And if you need to vent in this thread once in a while - that is Ok. It's your thread.

As a terrible horrible doomed atheist myself, I get the concept. Despite my lack of divinity, however, I found wsmather's post to be a truly uplifting message.
Let's look closely at the two suggestions:

  • This says that for a while, greed, apathy and harmful acts seem to hold... Until they hold no longer. There will always be evil in the world. There is a lot of good refusing to give it purchase. So be right as you can be, live ethically and let the evil get the real rewards they set themselves up to get.
  • This one says, you are not alone. You do not face life, alone. Yes, there is pain, trauma and unrest, disaster, and sorrow in the world. Look to the Helpers. Every Earthquake, every bombing; you see humans rushing in to help, to rescue, to bring aid and comfort.

A person does not need to hold a specific form of faith - to have faith in the above. History shows it is simply... true to the cycles of a bunch of diverse humans.

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i dont mind the touchscreen stuff as long as its just optional but its forced on us so often. plus the whole anxiety thing is so common now.

there always were those people that are afraid of being with strangers but now we give them opportunity to dig even further into that anxiety by avoiding social interaction even more. which in the end harms them. or am i wrong here?

"Many people see pieces of metal.
I see solutions to problems." wasnt that from a movie?

since english is not my native language i can't package it politer then saying: just to say it will get better because it always did its pretty naïv. things will always change and there's good stuff like the fact that we finally people have realistic chances to survive cancer. and i am very thankful that 1 of my friends survived it. while i lost 2 friends to cancer 2 decades ago when the medication was worse. as well as i really appreciate that vegan alternatives became so good that i often prefer them over meat because they just taste different and awesome.

on the other hand there's stuff that we just ruined beyond repair. i wont dig deeper into that because that rabbit hole is deep and leads to nowhere.

About the venting part: well technically it indeed is kind of is venting, but really i just search for other perspectives and solutions. and i am already surprised that i got some response/advice that can actually use. thanks so far.

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That is in my Opinion not quite right. The People doesn't become dumber. They are dumb - like they ever were. The Masses are dumb and relatively easy to manipulate. In the Masses the individual Intellect isn't worth anything because the Massses relates it.

I can recommend the Book Psychology of the Masses by Gustave LeBon.

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i might give it a read. im aware of the "a whole bunch of people is not smart a single person is" concept and i mostly agree. but then you see people using fidget spinners. so what was the dumbest thing people do back in the nineties. i remember some stupid fitness products that were joked about everywhere because people knew they are stupid. some used them. and people believed popstars dont use playback. oh and kids played with toxic goo. but else then that? if i compare 90s robo dogs and furbies to todays robopets i very much prefer a furby that i at least can hack to be a pretty cool syntheziser.

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Furbie's are creepy.

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Not that I know of. But it is a general idea so easily similar to many.

I am not a psychologist.
As a Layman, I would speculate that a kiosk here or there is not enough to count as real enabling.
But many things in life, that can be called bad - in moderation are a healthy treat or moment of respite.
A banana split is a lousy daily dinner, but a great once per month treat.

Hardly. It is a strongly evidence based assertion. Mountain of Evidence is not naivete.
No one said All things and everything gets better. I was referring to cycles in society and humanity.

I vent all the time. It is a process.
And sometimes, we find a new perspective that helps.
Sometimes... We just want to be angry and be allowed to be angry and not have someone shove a solution at us, too.

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YES they are hella creepy but look at this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYLBjScgb7o

that's just cool. tell me that's awesome.

there's a shorter phrase: the dosis makes it poisonous

well as someone that loves science i'll answer "even with tons of evidence nothing is for sure". you got a point with that you didnt say everything gets better.

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Awesome ... I would call it a Monster Army and that they must die, hahaha!

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"Proof" only exists in mathematics. :wink:

Not having absolute 100% certainty does not mean, however, that we ignore evidence.
We are rational to accept a <100% certainty level.

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100%? well lets just hope you are right.

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Sorry, my comment was not very clear. I used the "Less than" Symbol: < next to 100% to indicate having a little less than 100% certainty is still rationally acceptable.

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The one escape from this ruthless world is putting on a pair of headphones and close your eyes...

:grin: