The reality is setting in that people simply do not care about making the world a better place. It is breaking my heart, and I do not know how to reconcile my thoughts. I’m sorry to be such a downer here but I don’t know where else to share.
Perhaps the climate catastrophe, human suffering, and inequality is so large and so much out of people’s hands that even people who care have come to a state of learned helplessness. However, there are things within people’s control that doesn’t change. At work, I listen to a coworker frustrated about a simple problem. It would be a simple change to make this person’s job much less painful, but he “just works here”. It’s just such a dumb problem to waste hours of someone’s life on. To a certain extent, I can’t blame him, because a lot of people just work to survive.
I want to make the world a better place. A world where people have all there basic needs met, live in balance with nature, and have a right to self determination. A world where humanity strives to be the best version of itself. I can’t help but get sad or frustrated when I see something wrong. I can’t help but feel like I’m a downer to my friends when I point these things out. They don’t disagree with me, but it just seems like a depressing topic. People seem generally content to live their normal lives. In the same way, I can’t blame them. It won’t build a better future, but they deserve to be happy.
Maybe my coworkers are right, and that I’m too naïve. Maybe my friends are right, and that I’m too empathetic for my own good. I am envious that they can turn off the thing in their head that worries, or wants to make things better, and that they can just enjoy life. A more utopian future is generations away, or maybe never. If I can’t effect change, maybe I should find an outlet, or stop caring, or something. idk, sorry for yapping. if you’re reading this i hope you have a good day
The only person you can control is yourself. Do what you know needs to be done, set the examples for others, but place no value on whether they see you or not. The effect of your actions will be apparent.
This reminds me of a line from the novel Popco by Scarlet Thomas: “Do what can, then stop.”
I repeat this to myself when I feel overwhelmed with the scope of a task, or when I start to let “perfect” become enemy of “good”.
For example, if you feel like you should stop eating meat but find that difficult for whatever reason, don’t throw your hands up. Do what you can, then stop. Maybe that means eating meat a few times a week instead of every day.
It applies to politics as well. I know plenty of people who refuse to engage at all because they don’t feel like it’s possible to do “enough”. Do what you can, then stop. Maybe that means spending fifteen minutes before voting day to find the least odious candidate you can vote for. Maybe it means phone banking or joining a campaign. Maybe it means running for office. Or maybe it just means talking to some friends about issues that matter to them.
Or maybe you’re trying to lose weight. I think we’ve all seen people try and fail because there seems to be no middle ground between giving up and letting it dictate your entire life. Do what you can, then stop. Maybe that just means drinking more water and less of anything else.
Don’t beat yourself up just because you can’t fix the whole world.
Agreed wholeheartedly. I’ve cut back on my meat consumption a fair bit over the last several years. I doubt I can ever go fully vegetarian, but I’ve come to enjoy lots of different kinds of veggie burgers and miscellaneous vegan alternatives. I remember being wowed a few years back when I first tried some vegan “cheese” made from fermented coconut. I dislike coconut in general, but somehow they made a really convincing, gooey cheese from it that didn’t taste or feel like regular coconut at all. Blew my mind. Goes great on a black bean burger or a veggie wrap.
Unless you own a media empire.