I truly don't believe it's possible for me to make any significant, positive difference in the world, and I'd be completely unsatisfied with anything less.
My other goals - finding someone, living in a nice, semi-wilderness area, having a meaningful career, and being safe from political and climate chaos - are likewise impossible and absurd fantasies. That leaves me with nothing. If I can never have what I want, why bother doing anything more than the bare minimum?
I don't know anything about you or your situation, health, or circumstances so my reply here is based just on the two posts in this thread.
For making a difference, what are examples of people who made a difference? Are you expecting to be Thomas Edison or Abraham Lincoln? Is the difference a doctor makes not enough? A volunteer worker? A writer who influences the thinking and personal growth of a few or many readers? Aid workers? If those sorts of things are enough, then are they all out of reach?
I made a
thread asking how we can make a difference and got many great ideas, do these things not count enough? If not, is the issue perhaps more of having unrealistic expectations of yourself? And then how come you have such lofty goals? They would be fine if you chased them, but if they just make you more depressed, perhaps they are not great goals to have.
See yungs posts, he seems like a guy who can possibly do big things, but even if he doesn't, it sounds like he truly Enjoys life, knowing all the things you know about it. Now like I said circumstances I'm sure are very different, but perspective is important as well. I know that's a lot to say to someone especially if they had challenges with physical or mental health, however it helps those that do as well. I definitely look at the world like you do (thinking we're doomed) buuuuut why let that ruin everything before it's actually ruined? And again as bad as things seem to get, climate concerns aside, things still just keep getting better for the majority of people. When first worlders largely complain that SJWs or radical feminists are amongst the biggest problems we face, then we really don't have it that bad. And we are not going to really deal with the worst of the climate issues in our lifetime, so while important to empathize and be safe for those who will be affected and future generations, why let that sadness consume our lives?
Meaningful career is tough, mostly the lucky find that most will have to settle paying the bills, but meaningful passions, hobbies, volunteer work, is that not in reach either? I personally have no idea what I'm passionate about, so I relate, but that's not because there isn't meaningful things that we can do out there.
The political chaos won't impact most people, the poor, those with health challenges, certain relations with certain people, sure, but other than the respectability of the system, the system isn't going to fully crash and burn. Sure the rich and corrupt with get richer and more corrupt, but it's not actuallllly going to go fascist and if it does, well we can all take arms up against it and that will solve the making a difference question.
Finding someone, super tough I get it, but I would say this is tied up in everything else. I knew I'd never even want to be someone when I was feeling a similar state to you, and people can tell when we are there, and it's a wall. But if you forget finding someone and focus on the other things, you may be surprised who you might stumble across.
But I'm sure you've heard all this before, and I'm no stranger to a similar perspective, which is why I start these threads, because then I get inspired by the yungs and hobby's and ElMacs and hygros and downtown's and Tims etc. that remind me that, for us first worlders life really isn't that bad and you can really make your own meaning and mark on it.
