Absurdism to the rescue!

There’s a lovely quote by Rebecca Solnit, “to hope is to accept despair as an emotion but not as an analysis. To recognize that what is unlikely is possible, just as what likely is not inevitable.”

This reminds me of the definition of bravery, too.

(Wildly paraphrased) Fear is important. It keeps us alive. True bravery, though, is being fully aware of that fear and not letting it stop you from doing what’s right.

Hope is also about perspective.

“Oh no, the world is being run by so many idiots who have no idea how anything works!” can be devastating or hopeful, depending on how you look at it.

You can either focus on the damage they can do, or you can focus on how their incompetence means they’re likely easier to unseat from positions of power than many think and that they constantly shoot themselves in the foot.

Positive Nihilism: Nothing matters and therefore everything does

My new years resolution was to be more optimistic, I may have chosen the wrong year for this resolution

as useful and important as having hope is…the title describes determination, not hope.

it’s determination to go on regardless of the likely negative outcome.

hope is the fuel for the “going on”, but the “going on” part is determination.

I found @Daojoan@mastodon.social a few months ago and started following her. She publishes some amazing articles.

Like this one:

https://www.joanwestenberg.com/we-dont-need-more-cynics-we-need-more-builders/

She applies some fantastic stoic philosophy into a format that I can understand, and gives practical advice on how to stay sane in this hellscape.

They left out nihilism. Realizing that none of the facts matter and reality sucks.

It is also realizing that there are a lot of great things in the world.

Fighting the long defeat

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