The world is [not] ending? (circumlunar.space), 01/16/2020
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All  my life,  I've  been exposed  to various  "the  world is  ending"
messages. These have come from at least the following sources:

* Religion:  Christianity is rife with  end-of-days messaging. Perhaps
the main  premise is that Christ  came, and will come  again, and that
his coming will be preceded by a great destruction.

* Politics: As a kid, 1980's politics (from a child's perspective) was
heavy  with Russian  invasion,  and nuclear  extinction messaging.  My
1950's  parents added  in  their  fear of  nuclear  power, plus  their
distaste for the draft, peak oil and inflation concerns, etc.

  As  an   adult,  environmental  concerns  and   continued  terrorism
  messaging (with new bad guys) means the effect persists.

*  Media:   We  humans   are  obsessed  with   simulating  end-of-days
situations. We fear  it, so we create experiences with  it that we can
manage and control. We sensationalize it. Those with means profit from
the  fixation. From  the  post- apocalyptic  dystopian  novel, to  the
modern blockbuster,  world-ending stories are  an easy sell,  and have
been for generations.

* Economics: Supply  and demand, resource scarcity. Earth  is a closed
system.  Population  growth,  pollution.  Developed,  developing,  3rd
world.

  Consumerism- all of this leads to  consumerism, at least in the USA.
  Things  are bleak,  we're  constantly  on a  knife's  edge, and  the
  solution  is to  spend every  dime  we make.  Things are  wonderful,
  unemployment is  down, we should  spend every dime  celebrating, and
  raise rents through  the ceiling. I just feel like  there is no real
  solution, and  at least cyclically,  I believe economics is  part of
  the problem / influence / message.

Perhaps more could be added to this list.

***

Currently, I'm feeling a bit  of resentment in relation to end-of-days
thinking. My  desire to pursue  long-term goals, I feel,  is hampered,
and that's making me  mad. I don't want to be mad,  so I'm hashing out
my feelings here on gopher (the best place to hash out feelings.)

Here's are the things that are getting me riled up:


RELIGION

Religion  wants to  claim that  the end  is near,  but they  have been
claiming that for centuries. Even if  one chooses to believe (and it's
always just a choice), There is  no clear indication of *how near* the
end is, so a person is left to  feel like it could be any second. That
is anxiety inducing.  In my limited experience,  religion teaches that
you should do your best and carry  on, doing as much good in the world
as possible. Somehow you're supposed  to be this amazing person, while
this axe is hanging over your head.

Don't get  me wrong, that's a  beautiful message, if you  think about 
it. But, it's a *stressful* message, and stress saps joy out of life. 
Life is  about joy. Without  being fully  aware, I believe  I've been 
balancing that stress  for all these years. Is religion  at fault, or 
am I at fault for my                                                  
[mis]understanding of religion?


POLITICS

Why does  a population need  to be kept  in constant fear  of imminent
destruction? Our  thoughts are constantly  bent on war.  The messaging
is, perhaps,  more subtle  than it  was in the  1980s. But  it's still
there.

***

I'm going to have to pursue this  line of thinking more, so I can live
without resentments.  Something inside  tells me that  this is  a good
line of thinking to be on, for me right now.