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Lives of quiet desparation

The Cat

Just a Cat who hangs out at the Crossroads
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If you watch Simpsons from the perspective that Grandpa Simpson is always Lucid, he becomes the most elaborate trickster in the show. He has learned how to play expectations and reality to his own muse.
Other people might win the argument, but he walks away with the turnips.
 

Maou

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I agree with it. Humans were not meant to live in societies like this. We dissolved the very roles which we inhabited for 1000s of years, leaving us aimless and desperate to fit in a neverending pointless group. Our evolution couldn't keep up.
 

The Cat

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Hahahahahaha Forsoothe a canary in the coal mine sings. Too late too late it tweets on high. So we might as well roll over and die. The strangest thing of all it seems is this canary has not wings!:shock:
 

batteries included

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I agree with it. Humans were not meant to live in societies like this. We dissolved the very roles which we inhabited for 1000s of years, leaving us aimless and desperate to fit in a neverending pointless group. Our evolution couldn't keep up.

Could be.

But I'm wondering if this simply romanticizes the past.
 

Maou

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Could be.

But I'm wondering if this simply romanticizes the past.

Its more like romanticizing struggle. The striggle of life is what gives you meaning, and in the past there was more fullfilling things you could dedicate your life to, be recognized, and feel as if you made an impact. Today, there is no such thing as real recognition anymore. You're just flavour of the week, and easily forgotten. Any impact you succeed in doing is trivial compared to the leaps and bounds of the past.

People need fullfillment and impact in their life to be truly happy, to feel good about themselves. Today though, we fester in our own minds with ruminations of the impossible for the average person. Like Cat said, we are all being driven mad.
 

Swivelinglight

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I think its more so birds of a feather phenomena; that is if it seems everyone around one is in despair, it's because who one surrounds themself by
 
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Is there any other way to live?

 

OptoGypsy

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People live lives of quiet desperation because they're trying to find meaning and purpose in the trivial and wrong places. Soren Kierkegaard wrote about this back in the 19th century.
 

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

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Following and participating a cause I believe in helps. The "believe in" can, admittedly, be hard to find for us skeptical NTs. It's also a great way to meet people and form relationships (not necessarily romantic ones).
 

cascadeco

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I mean, yes, this is the lot of humanity and always has been imo. I think it comes with being sentient and with having a penchant for believing there is 'something more' than 'just surviving' like the rest of the plant and animal kingdom. (not to say other animal species don't experience similar because it is possible some species do - or variants of it)

We all try to find that additional meaning and we all come up with different ways of doing it, or trying to attain it. Hence lots of philosophies, religions, beliefs throughout all of the years and cultures; different personal values, hobbies, actions, and attempts at moving beyond this feeling.

Edit: Also what ceecee said at the end.
 

???

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Sometimes I think we're all just jesters trying to play for an audience; except there is no audience, just more jesters. That does feel a bit desperate. But I jest.
 

The Cat

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Sometimes I think we're all just jesters trying to play for an audience; except there is no audience, just more jesters. That does feel a bit desperate. But I jest.

I like this.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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In my impression I tend to see people leading lives of quiet desperation when they are trapped with someone who is not treating them very well. It can be an employer, family members, a significant other, etc. The more actually trapped they are with the people, the more desperate their lives. My earlier comments about sex and money are typically related to what makes people feel trapped with humans who hurt them. If everyone was super nice and tried to be Ducky Jesus all the time, then the world would be less quietly desperate.
 

Coriolis

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For people like me who think sex is love, it's the same problem but only worse because for me it's easier to find love without it or with minimal amounts of it. I wish all people well, but I have a sense of absolute distance from most. I don't have the options that other people have for casual sex. My brain isn't wired that way.

Edit: In a general way I think a lot of people do have frustration about sex. There are a lot of single younger people with anger issues because they can't get laid. There are many sexless or nearly sexless marriages that people don't want to ruin or hurt. I think a lot of people aren't having sex because it's difficult to make it happen.
Is this such a bad thing?
 

Siúil a Rúin

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Is this such a bad thing?
Not if it's how an individual prefers life. I believe there to be a correlation between sexual suppression and aggression in cultures, broadly speaking. It has to do with channeling basic instinctual drives especially during the years people are flooded with hormonal impulses. Large scale I think it tends to be a problem, but on the individual level it can be anything from ideal to a life of quiet desperation. The individual variation possible in humanity is interesting in and of itself.
 

Scaven

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One thing I learned is that everybody has a story, and in every story is a sad chapter.
A lot of my friends and relatives are of have been suffering from depression. Even the seemingly happiest ones. And that made me wonder how many people are truly, deeply happy.
 
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