Are you still thinking the next few years will be okay at least. Based on your personal situation, have you made plans in case?

[Xandalan]

I admit I'm a pessimist right now.I used to be hopeful even if not for me but for others in the US and better fortunate countries. Nowadays I have closed off a lot of stupid people and told my family and friends with children to save up cause things are gonna get worse. I thought with the vaccine and new US leadership this year would be different but based on all the news today especially about abortion, another school shooting, and everything else Even I can't muster any hope. Plus the fact it's hard enough to move even if you wish too. I know this perspective is very biased. I'm not looking for a life sucks parade. Any positive things I'm ignoring? Maybe other countries have seen a great turn around? I feel like the Debbie Downer at every get together these days.

 

[entremet]

Idk.

The future is very hard to predict.

 

[ErrorJustin]

It sounds like you're stuck in a doom cycle.

Things like school shootings are terrible and they ruin my day when I read about them, too. And I'm angry and frustrated about our country's general attittude toward gun laws.

But they don't have any impact on your actual day-to-day life and won't hurt you, personally and directly (in all liklihood).

It's fine to feel things about them (I hope people never stop), but not to the point of causing you to despair about your long term future or start stashing money under the mattress.

 

[Jmdajr]

I take it one day at a time.

 

[John Rabbit]

I will be okay. My immediate family is likely to be okay. Beyond that I literally have no control so while I remain vigilant and engaged, I try not to forecast too far in advance because weird shit happens all the time.

 

[Messofanego]

Best to focus what you are in control of, and not to let things out of your control dwell on your mind too much. That's just one way to cope with things.

 

[UraMallas]

I think this disposition is unhealthy and I would suggest possibly going to therapy.

I am not being flippant or sarcastic. Genuine advice.

 

[Renna Hazel]

I'm thinking the next few years will be amazing. I've still made backup plans in case the country goes to hell.

 

[Version 3.0]

This country (USA) is fucked. We're headed towards fascism and nothing is being done that might stop it. We have a host of problems that will not be addressed, and will only get worse, as a result.

But I feel like I, personally, will probably be fine. At least for the immediate future. Despite our many large-scale crisis-level problems, this remains a pretty damn goid place/time to live.

 

[Wispmetas]

 

[Kraid]

The USA is slowly circling the drain. I'm trans, so definitely in the crosshairs. My partner is Canadian, so we will probably end up moving up there. But like, if the U.S. truly falls into a fascist, Evangelical autocracy the rest of the world is kinda fucked too? I dunno, I haven't had a lot of hope lately!

 

[Hollywood Duo]

I'm optimistic, although I live in one of the bluest areas of the country so that insulates me a lot.

 

[Xandalan]

I think this disposition is unhealthy and I would suggest possibly going to therapy.

I am not being flippant or sarcastic. Genuine advice.

Click to shrink...

I'm in therapy and trying medication. I recommend others feeling this way try it out too. I will say looking at the evidence in front of me isn't giving me confidenc.

 

[Herne]

Plans are for people with money. The next few years shouldn't see much change for me, anyway.

 

[Xandalan]

I'm thinking the next few years will be amazing. I've still made backup plans in case the country goes to hell.

Click to shrink...

That's great, I was hoping for posts like yours. I'm glad you have a future set.

 

[Capra]

It's not going to be okay, but I probably will be even if I don't really deserve it

 

[yogurt]

I suggest you take a few months off of reading the news. Like, no news at all.

 

[Xandalan]

I will be okay. My immediate family is likely to be okay. Beyond that I literally have no control so while I remain vigilant and engaged, I try not to forecast too far in advance because weird shit happens all the time.

Click to shrink...

That's great, my family is pretty much 3 people in their 70s. Trying to make sure they retire in a good way.

 

[xxracerxx]

Any positive things I'm ignoring?

Click to shrink...

You're alive and it seems like you are frequenting get-togethers with friends or family. Focus on that.

 

[ThatBigDude]

It sounds like you're stuck in a doom cycle.

Things like school shootings are terrible and they ruin my day when I read about them, too. And I'm angry and frustrated about our country's general attittude toward gun laws.

But they don't have any impact on your actual day-to-day life and won't hurt you, personally and directly (in all liklihood).

It's fine to feel things about them (I hope people never stop), but not to the point of causing you to despair about your long term future or start stashing money under the mattress.

Click to shrink...

Yea. I'm sure the 4 dead kids would enjoy that it didn't have any impact on their day to day lives. Sorry but all this shit directly impacts you and me whether you can see it or not.

 

[Xandalan]

Click to shrink...

As a sad Sonic fanboy. This post speaks to me.

 

[Xandalan]

This country (USA) is fucked. We're headed towards fascism and nothing is being done that might stop it. We have a host of problems that will not be addressed, and will only get worse, as a result.

But I feel like I, personally, will probably be fine. At least for the immediate future. Despite our many large-scale crisis-level problems, this remains a pretty damn goid place/time to live.

Click to shrink...

Yea I don't believe in the voting public. I agree I wouldn't wanna be here 60 years ago. I'll be fine if I don't die from alcohol.

 

[Sec0nd]

As bad as some things may seem, things used to be a whole lot worse for a bunch of things.

 

[NinjaScooter]

As terrible as these things are I do feel like its possible to get too hung up on them as it relates do just living day to day. Most of this is out of your control and the best you can do is adapt and try and find things that are going to fulfill you, and, honestly, sometimes its a good idea to disconnect, especially in the era where everyone and everything is constantly connected, and not surround yourself with these negative aspects (which the connected world we live in now has a financial interest in force feeding you) all the time. Thats not to say the issues you are talking bout aren't important, but dwelling on them isn't actually going to do anything. There is also the reality that, as nice of a thought as it is, actually getting up and moving to another country is incredibly difficult, especially now. Not to sound harsh but to put it bluntly unless you already have the means and the money, most countries probably don't want an influx of people.

 

[Xandalan]

The USA is slowly circling the drain. I'm trans, so definitely in the crosshairs. My partner is Canadian, so we will probably end up moving up there. But like, if the U.S. truly falls into a fascist, Evangelical autocracy the rest of the world is kinda fucked too? I dunno, I haven't had a lot of hope lately!

Click to shrink...

Id be terrified being trans anywhere. I'm happy you have someone that can help you get to Canada. I wish the best for you both!

 

[BringBackSonics]

I think the next few years will be okay. We are in a politically fairly liberal state (washington state)

Both my wife and I have Jobs with good benefits and pay. Our kids are doing okay

We are just going to have to take each as it comes honestly.

 

[Xandalan]

It's not going to be okay, but I probably will be even if I don't really deserve it

Click to shrink...

If you try to make the world better and not hate that goes a long way.

 

[SquirrelSaysNuts]

Search online for "good news" and get a dosis of some heart-warming news to keep going.
There is plenty to be horrified over all over the world, but there is also a lot of progress happening.

Yea. I'm sure the 4 dead kids would enjoy that it didn't have any impact on their day to day lives. Sorry but all this shit directly impacts you and me whether you can see it or not.

Click to shrink...

If you perceived every horrible news story as if you were personally involved then it would be impossible to live life.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I suggest you take a few months off of reading the news. Like, no news at all.

Click to shrink...

This. Stay off social media as well, including Twitter. Break the addiction.

I find the general mindset online is far more negative than the "real world" that I experience daily with interactions with others, working, talking with people, attending events, etc.

 

[DPT120]

Where would I go, OP? Uprooting your life and moving to another country is harder than it sounds. I don't have the money or resources to move elsewhere. I'm stuck here for now.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

I generally don't think too far ahead to be perfectly honest, and that kinda leaves me mentally flexible.

When I do start to contemplate what my life will be like many years later, I do get extremely pessimistic.

Obviously, I opt to stay in the moment more often than not.

 

[Fatoy]

This isn't one of those "think how much worse it could be!" things, but with the benefit of hindsight you could put yourself at any number of different points in the 20th century and feel very similarly to how you feel today, but about different things. That's not to trivialise everything that's happening right now, but when you're living it, the world always seems irredeemable even if, with a longer-term perspective, it's probably not.

 

[Xandalan]

You're alive and it seems like you are frequenting get-togethers with friends or family. Focus on that.

Click to shrink...

Well cause of Covid and other things it's just one friend and 3 living relatives. No get together. But I'm am privileged enough to not have to worry about housing.

 

[Xandalan]

As terrible as these things are I do feel like its possible to get too hung up on them as it relates do just living day to day. Most of this is out of your control and the best you can do is adapt and try and find things that are going to fulfill you, and, honestly, sometimes its a good idea to disconnect, especially in the era where everyone and everything is constantly connected, and not surround yourself with these negative aspects (which the connected world we live in now has a financial interest in force feeding you) all the time. Thats not to say the issues you are talking bout aren't important, but dwelling on them isn't actually going to do anything. There is also the reality that, as nice of a thought as it is, actually getting up and moving to another country is incredibly difficult, especially now. Not to sound harsh but to put it bluntly unless you already have the means and the money, most countries probably don't want an influx of people.

Click to shrink...

Don't worry I wouldn't wish my bs on any country. I just hope others have the means if it becomes desperate.

 

[Relix]

Can't do shit about the future. Just enjoy what I have today and make plans going forward on how I expect things to happen. Personally I am doing fantastic so I am making plans under th assumption it'll always be like that.

 

[Kuga]

You can't let all of the day-to-day horrible things that happen get to you. Worrying about that stuff every day will do nothing but slowly grind you down. Pay attention and help where you can, but obsessing over things you can't change is pointless and actively harmful to yourself.

 

[NinjaScooter]

Don't worry I wouldn't wish my bs on any country. I just hope others have the means if it becomes desperate.

Click to shrink...

Just to clarify I didn't mean you personally, just that other countries that people would most likely want to live in aren't as open as just buying a plane ticket, getting a passport and starting a new life.

 

[BasilZero]

Focus on oneself - you worrying about what happens to the world as a whole won't help the world and you aren't doing any favors to yourself either

 

[UraMallas]

I'm in therapy and trying medication. I recommend others feeling this way try it out too. I will say looking at the evidence in front of me isn't giving me confidenc.

Click to shrink...

I'm glad to hear this. Therapy has helped me with what I think is the feeling you are talking about here.

Agree that if anybody is feeling this way they should at least try it.

 

[Xandalan]

I think the next few years will be okay. We are in a politically fairly liberal state (washington state)

Both my wife and I have Jobs with good benefits and pay. Our kids are doing okay

We are just going to have to take each as it comes honestly.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the positivity. Glad your family is well. Just wanted to know my fellow Era posters are doing okay.

 

[Xandalan]

Where would I go, OP? Uprooting your life and moving to another country is harder than it sounds. I don't have the money or resources to move elsewhere. I'm stuck here for now.

Click to shrink...

I know I wanted to see how hard it is for others.

 

[Xandalan]

This isn't one of those "think how much worse it could be!" things, but with the benefit of hindsight you could put yourself at any number of different points in the 20th century and feel very similarly to how you feel today, but about different things. That's not to trivialise everything that's happening right now, but when you're living it, the world always seems irredeemable even if, with a longer-term perspective, it's probably not.

Click to shrink...

I guess it's more depressing knowing what we have and we still mess it up.

 

[ErrorJustin]

Yea. I'm sure the 4 dead kids would enjoy that it didn't have any impact on their day to day lives. Sorry but all this shit directly impacts you and me whether you can see it or not.

Click to shrink...

I have empathy for the families. It always makes me think about my own school-age kids and makes me anxious. But if reading news about school shootings leads to this:

"I told my family and friends with children to save up cause things are gonna get worse"

I don't think that's a healthy or appropriate reaction to that specific flavor of "a horrible thing happened hundreds of miles away from me." I don't think people should be doomsday prepping as a result.

 

[Renna Hazel]

That's great, I was hoping for posts like yours. I'm glad you have a future set.

Click to shrink...

You should focus on personal positives rather than grand scheme negatives if possible. The world has pretty much always been a terrible place when viewed at large. Try to make the best of your situation and enjoy it while you can. Have a backup plan for an extra level of comfort.

 

[The Albatross]

The doom cycle is real. Algorithms promote content to you based on what you have previously been engaged by, if doom engages you, then you'll get more doom; even in non-algorithmically driven sites -- like this one -- the algorithm-driven news & community sites have conditioned us to write content in a way that makes them engaging, which tends to be doom-ful content.

For positive news, if you live in the US:

• The American economy has now seen the fastest economic recovery in as long as we've been tracking this data
• American productivity has now surpassed pre-COVID levels, the only major industrialized country to do so
• Unemployment is now 4.6%, one of the best unemployment rates in my life and is expected to continue to fall
• Weekly jobless claims dropped below 200,000, the lowest weekly jobless claims number since 1969, over 50 years
• US Wage growth is the highest its been in 20 years, the highest wage growth rate since before 9/11/2001
• The United States is, officially, not at war for the first time since October 2001
• 83% of US adults have at least one covid-19 shot, and today the avg vaccine administered per day rate is 1.1m/day, which is among the highest rates since June 2021
• Stacey Abrams has declared she's running for GA governor
• Democrats flipped 45 local seats in Georgia this Nov
• Charlie Baker announced he's not seeking re-election for MA Gov, which -- IMO -- basically locks the MA Gov up in 2022 for Democrats
• A majority of states (33) have legalized, decriminalized, or offer medical use of marijuana

(more but I'm up for time, will come back)

 

[Xyer]

Back up plan? If you have zero connections or a job lined up in another country, youre not just going to waltz over there and start a new life. It's unachievable for like 99% of the population.

Just have to live the best I can.

 

[Xandalan]

Just to clarify I didn't mean you personally, just that other countries that people would most likely want to live in aren't as open as just buying a plane ticket, getting a passport and starting a new life.

Click to shrink...

No issue. Part of this thread is me wishing it were despite the reality.

 

[BringBackSonics]

Thanks for the positivity. Glad your family is well. Just wanted to know my fellow Era posters are doing okay.

Click to shrink...

we're thankful that we are in much better shape than many. We have good support systems (including financial), good medical benefits for the family. It takes a ton of stress and worry off.

 

[Xandalan]

The doom cycle is real. Algorithms promote content to you based on what you have previously been engaged by, if doom engages you, then you'll get more doom; even in non-algorithmically driven sites -- like this one -- the algorithm-driven news & community sites have conditioned us to write content in a way that makes them engaging, which tends to be doom-ful content.

For positive news, if you live in the US:

• The American economy has now seen the fastest economic recovery in as long as we've been tracking this data
• American productivity has now surpassed pre-COVID levels, the only major industrialized country to do so
• Unemployment is now 4.6%, one of the best unemployment rates in my life and is expected to continue to fall
• Weekly jobless claims dropped below 200,000, the lowest weekly jobless claims number since 1969, over 50 years
• US Wage growth is the highest its been in 20 years, the highest wage growth rate since before 9/11/2001
• The United States is, officially, not at war for the first time since October 2001
• 83% of US adults have at least one covid-19 shot, and today the avg vaccine administered per day rate is 1.1m/day, which is among the highest rates since June 2021
• Stacey Abrams has declared she's running for GA governor
• Democrats flipped 45 local seats in Georgia this Nov
• Charlie Baker announced he's not seeking re-election for MA Gov, which -- IMO -- basically locks the MA Gov up in 2022 for Democrats
• A majority of states (33) have legalized, decriminalized, or offer medical use of marijuana

(more but I'm up for time, will come back)

Click to shrink...

Hey thank you so much. I really wanted an informative post. I didn't give any data.

 

[Sulik2]

Honestly, even with covid still around, we are in the calm before the storm before things get really shitty imho. In the short term we are going to have the fascists taking back control of the US government in 2022 and 2024. Roe v Wade is about to be overturned. Climate change is going to continue to make natural disasters more frequent and worse and major climate refugee issues will probably start popping up in the 2030s. The USA is still taking children from parents at the border, the seditionists in congress and Trump aren't being prosecuted. Jobs are looking up for some people, but we still don't have the mass labor organization this country needs to have any chance of survival and bring meaningful change. Long term there just aren't many bright spots right now and preparing for the collapse of the USA seems more and more reasonable every day. I would love to have some god damn hope right now, but we are sitting under the guillotine of fascism and climate change. Nothing else matters at this point if we don't do anything about those two. At least there are a lot of good video games and whiskey to keep distracted.