The Existential thread

[O-tacular]

My wife and I are expecting and in light of everything that’s going on I feel an added sense of fear and hopelessness for the future. From selfish and ignorant politicians pushing to claw back carbon pricing and any meaningful action on Climate Change, to alleged sexual predators potentially being seated in the highest courts, things feel pretty bleak. Populism is rearing its ugly head and bullies and assholes everywhere are coming out of the woodwork to spew hatred and bigotry.

On the one hand I’m so excited for the birth of my child and on the other I fear for the future.

Anyone else feel the same?

[whatnext]

Isn't the very act of living in Calgary and caring about climate change an existential dilemma?

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Isn't the very act of living in Calgary and caring about climate change an existential dilemma?

you know it's possible to believe in climate change and support the oil industry right? ridiculous comment.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Isn't the very act of living in Calgary and caring about climate change an existential dilemma?

Or believing in climate change and not immediately euthanizing yourself? Good job on attempting to ruin the thread from the get go.

[scryer]

Firstly, turn off the news... especially American news.

Do it for a week. And look around what's going on in your life and really look towards your own community and see if they reflect what you are feeling now. Just un-plug for a bit and things should come together in a clearer view.

As for your soon to be child, all you will have to teach them to go through life with the economy that the current generation is giving them; that was half of the problem with the boomers is that they raised a generation based on the economy that they had.

Half the time, the news is just a conversation starter. You won't be able to protect your child from everything in the world but you can certainly guide them (when they're old enough) to be awakened individuals and to make informed choices.

Originally Posted by whatnext

Isn't the very act of living in Calgary and caring about climate change an existential dilemma?

Lol. We need an economy too.

[Acajack]

Congratulations!

We went through a pregnancy during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and of course the fallout and hysteria from those attacks.

It's a bit disconcerting but my advice would be: don't sweat it.

Everything is gonna be alright. Seriously.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Congratulations!

We went through a pregnancy during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and of course the fallout and hysteria from those attacks.

It's a bit disconcerting but my advice would be: don't sweat it.

Everything is gonna be alright. Seriously.

Yeah, those were crazy times. Thanks for the advice.

[Loco101]

American media (and to a lesser extent Canadian media) and social media can be very harmful to one's mental health. They often both create false perceptions.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

My wife and I are expecting and in light of everything that’s going on I feel an added sense of fear and hopelessness for the future. From selfish and ignorant politicians pushing to claw back carbon pricing and any meaningful action on Climate Change, to alleged sexual predators potentially being seated in the highest courts, things feel pretty bleak. Populism is rearing its ugly head and bullies and assholes everywhere are coming out of the woodwork to spew hatred and bigotry.

On the one hand I’m so excited for the birth of my child and on the other I fear for the future.

Anyone else feel the same?

I was dog-sitting for my friend J. and a dragonfly got into the house from the veranda. It did one quick buzz around the kitchen, hit a window, and immediately dropped to the windowsill on its back, legs curled, motionless. It gave up, accepted its fate. Immediately.

I got a screwdriver (only thing I could find, and touched its legs with it, and it clung on - brought it outside, and it flew away best kind. But it just immediately gave up when the first way out it saw didn't work. I recognized myself in it, , and even telling J. about it - she interrupted as soon as I said what the dragonfly did and shouted, "THAT'S WHAT I FEEL ABOUT YOU SOMETIMES!"

So, a bit of fatalist. "So, I guess this is what's happening now." Absolutely zero desire to ever have kids, ever. I cannot tolerate more than 10 minutes or so around children. I'm not as bad as that missus from the meme ("It's ONE banana, how much could it cost? $10?), but kind of close to Homer ("I have three kids and no money, why can't I have no kids and three money?").

I think that makes it easier. I did end up either being an angry asshole or crying listening to Newfoundland folk music I despise basically every other night when I lived away. I was much more existentially challenged then.

But things are best kind now. I'm truly, deeply, completely contented. As for the world... everything ends eventually. Enjoy it while you can.

Somebody just predicted
that Judgement Day is here,
This very day at midnight,
the earth will disappear;

My wife looked at me lovingly,
she said now ain't that grand,
We still got half hour left
'cause we're in Newfoundland.

Half an hour later
on an island in the sea,
She may be late, but she's still great,
she means the world to me.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I was dog-sitting for my friend J. and a dragonfly got into the house from the veranda. It did one quick buzz around the kitchen, hit a window, and immediately dropped to the windowsill on its back, legs curled, motionless. It gave up, accepted its fate. Immediately.

I got a screwdriver (only thing I could find, and touched its legs with it, and it clung on - brought it outside, and it flew away best kind. But it just immediately gave up when the first way out it saw didn't work. I recognized myself in it, , and even telling J. about it - she interrupted as soon as I said what the dragonfly did and shouted, "THAT'S WHAT I FEEL ABOUT YOU SOMETIMES!"

Beautiful story.

Now quickly publish it with illustrations and you'll sell a lot of children's books .

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I was dog-sitting for my friend J. and a dragonfly got into the house from the veranda. It did one quick buzz around the kitchen, hit a window, and immediately dropped to the windowsill on its back, legs curled, motionless. It gave up, accepted its fate. Immediately.

I got a screwdriver (only thing I could find, and touched its legs with it, and it clung on - brought it outside, and it flew away best kind. But it just immediately gave up when the first way out it saw didn't work. I recognized myself in it, , and even telling J. about it - she interrupted as soon as I said what the dragonfly did and shouted, "THAT'S WHAT I FEEL ABOUT YOU SOMETIMES!"

So, a bit of fatalist. "So, I guess this is what's happening now." Absolutely zero desire to ever have kids, ever. I cannot tolerate more than 10 minutes or so around children. I'm not as bad as that missus from the meme ("It's ONE banana, how much could it cost? $10?), but kind of close to Homer ("I have three kids and no money, why can't I have no kids and three money?").

I think that makes it easier. I did end up either being an angry asshole or crying listening to Newfoundland folk music I despise basically every other night when I lived away. I was much more existentially challenged then.

But things are best kind now. I'm truly, deeply, completely contented. As for the world... everything ends eventually. Enjoy it while you can.

That story is kind of beautiful. It actually helped my mood. Thank you for sharing it.

[lio45]

You should probably buy land in the MacKenzie River Delta so your kid can retire to his cottage and enjoy pleasant, temperate weather.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

alleged sexual predators potentially being seated in the highest courts

It's weird (from my point of view) that you'd say this. Is Calgary in the 51st State already? If so I missed the news.

Does Brexit worry you as much as this Kavanaugh guy? How about the Rohingyas? The list is endless.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

It's weird (from my point of view) that you'd say this. Is Calgary in the 51st State already? If so I missed the news.

Does Brexit worry you as much as this Kavanaugh guy? How about the Rohingyas? The list is endless.

Brett Kavanaugh's likely impact on Canada, whether he becomes a U.S. Supreme Court justice or not:

ZERO

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Brett Kavanaugh's likely impact on Canada, whether he becomes a U.S. Supreme Court justice or not:

ZERO

Not exactly, people here are just as polarized about it, so it's driving a wedge between the small minded Trump people and progressives.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Not exactly, people here are just as polarized about it, so it's driving a wedge between the small minded Trump people and progressives.

Polarized for no reason, which isn't existential. Hence the irony of this thread.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Not exactly, people here are just as polarized about it, so it's driving a wedge between the small minded Trump people and progressives.

Anyone who claims that the politics going on in the U.S. right now has no bearing on us as Canadians must live in a bubble. There's one bloated, blond, lard ass, Biff Tannen wannabe who is now Premier of our largest province that proves we are just as susceptible to Trump style populism as the Americans are.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Anyone who claims that the politics going on in the U.S. right now has no bearing on us as Canadians must live in a bubble. There's one bloated, blond, lard ass, Biff Tannen wannabe who is now Premier of our largest province that proves we are just as susceptible to Trump style populism as the Americans are.

Yeah but it does not matter materially to Canada if the US gets a conservative known-possible-sex-offender supreme court justice or a conservative unknown-sex-offender-status supreme court justice. Or at least it's unclear how anybody can use this to predict differences in voting patterns. Maybe Bretty Kavanaugh is really secretly a rapist but also loves Canada. Who knows?

You can choose to get upset about the injustice of this and even bring yourself to tears as some people have done, but is this good from a mental health perspective? Even if your sole concern in live is to help with sexual harrassment, surely there are more productive things you could be doing. Most people who are making a huge deal out of this are not sincerely interested in justice, they just don't like Republicans.

I second (or third..?) the "turn off the news" position. The sun will still rise tomorrow whether or not you tune in to hysterical American news media.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Brett Kavanaugh's likely impact on Canada, whether he becomes a U.S. Supreme Court justice or not:

ZERO

Untrue. His positions on cross border pollution for one will affect us. To say nothing of the impact it will have culturally on how society treats victims of sexual abuse.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Untrue. His positions on cross border pollution for one will affect us.

Much less than all the planet-destroying stuff currently going on in China, India, Africa, and everywhere else.