Feeling like you want to "change the world"

[Kratos]

I was feeling pretty bummed out the last two days. I've been reading too much news and consuming too much media outrage, politics etc. I'm American and not one who is inclined to a specific party, though I try to relate to each point of view including those with "hokier" views. Leaving out details so as not to make this a "political" discussion, I've felt disappointed by world leaders lately but even more disappointed by the way people in the world seem to be treating and judging each other based upon that someones outlook or convictions. It seems like us regular folk not running the show but just living our lives can't help but find reasons to be constantly angry and seeing the worst in each other.

 

It's times like these where I really wish I could become a superhero alter ego like we discuss here and help to "change the world", make people believe in each other and give each other a break. I'm sure many people here can relate to this feeling. I don't have a dog in any political fight. I just wish there was a way I could overnight transform the way we see each other. I love here at NF that no matter where we are from, we all have a couple of things in common: we've made life decisions that are making us unhappy and we want to change them, we love stories of heroes and we want to be like them. I think that our focus on trying to better ourselves, serve each other within this community, cheering each other on is a seriously important element to why this place feels so safe.

 

Anyway, that enough rambling on what's got me down today. Sometimes, the general anger and indifference being spouted into the world here in the US with the constant flow of drama, really makes me wish I could just grab these people and hug them and tell them I love them until they soften up. I'm already really distant from social media where the anger is most concentrated and toxic, but I'm feeling like I should  dawn the mask and cape and start acting like a super hero in my community and bring people some love and cupcakes and tell them they're beautiful (especially those that I may feel less inclined to like).

 

Holy shit what a ramble. I love all of you. I wish all of you success in your goals.

 

[Harriet]

5 hours ago, Kratos said:

I was feeling pretty bummed out the last two days. I've been reading too much news and consuming too much media outrage, politics etc.

 

Yeah it's a recipe for stress when the scope of our worries is greater than the scope of our influence, and with daily (bad) news on hand that's always the case, by a very great magnitude.

 

5 hours ago, Kratos said:

 I'm already really distant from social media where the anger is most concentrated and toxic, but I'm feeling like I should  dawn the mask and cape and start acting like a super hero in my community and bring people some love and cupcakes and tell them they're beautiful (especially those that I may feel less inclined to like).

 

Holy shit what a ramble. I love all of you. I wish all of you success in your goals.

 

You know, you might enjoy the book Diminished Democracy by Theda Skocpol, about how America has changed with the loss of its big civic organisations. One of the nice features of the old civic organisations (they weren't perfect of course) was that they grouped people by geographical location, not socioeconomic class or political leanings. So people with different interests and views had to get together and compromise to make change. They also taught political skills--letter writing, debating, etc--to people of all classes who might not have otherwise learned them. And people tended to soften their views and make more compromises as a result of face to face debates with their neighbours. On the internet, on the other hand, we tend to group ourselves by belief and value systems, and these become exaggerated and we harden against other people, partly because aggression feels more available and acceptable with the distance and anonymity of the internet. Nerdfitness is indeed an oasis in the desert.

Anyway, loving kindness and glorious victory to you.

[Kratos]

5 hours ago, Harriet said:

You know, you might enjoy the book Diminished Democracy by Theda Skocpol, about how America has changed with the loss of its big civic organisations. One of the nice features of the old civic organisations (they weren't perfect of course) was that they grouped people by geographical location, not socioeconomic class or political leanings. So people with different interests and views had to get together and compromise to make change. They also taught political skills--letter writing, debating, etc--to people of all classes who might not have otherwise learned them. And people tended to soften their views and make more compromises as a result of face to face debates with their neighbours. On the internet, on the other hand, we tend to group ourselves by belief and value systems, and these become exaggerated and we harden against other people, partly because aggression feels more available and acceptable with the distance and anonymity of the internet. Nerdfitness is indeed an oasis in the desert.

 

Thanks for the recommendation! I go to church in a passive sense, but considering what you're saying here make me want to participate more by serving the people in my community. I may look into some secular community clubs as time goes on and I have the bandwidth to spare.

 

 

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Kratos said:

Thanks for the recommendation! I go to church in a passive sense, but considering what you're saying here make me want to participate more by serving the people in my community. I may look into some secular community clubs as time goes on and I have the bandwidth to spare.

 

I highly recommend this. I started feeling very much felt the way you describe in 2016, and it intensified after the Presidential Election that year.  So I searched for, and found, a non-profit organization that works for a cause I am passionate about, and begun volunteering with this organization. We do political activism and advocacy...  we lobby our local legislators during the legislative session (which is happening right now), and we do voter outreach and get-out-the vote efforts during elections. 

 

Knowing that I am actively doing something has made a huge difference for me, and I hope you find something that helps you the same way.

 

[Harriet]

19 hours ago, Kratos said:

Thanks for the recommendation! I go to church in a passive sense, but considering what you're saying here make me want to participate more by serving the people in my community. I may look into some secular community clubs as time goes on and I have the bandwidth to spare.

Being more active at church sounds great! They're one of the few organisations that still holds communities together, at least in some places, so it could be an ideal channel for being more involved and making change.