Mental Health Why bother playing the game of life when you can''t win?

[Salvinorin A]

Ever since I smoked salvia my view on the world has changed drastically. I do not fear death as it is something that must happen, but why not right now? The world is fucked, i will never win. We are all tools to big corperations and the government. They do not care about us we are simply here so they can make money off us and live their hedonistic lifestyles. They do not care about what we say or think and this is appareant. They put chemicals in our water and food, they have genetically modified our food which i see as fucked. And they constantly spread misinformation. Drugs are still illegal despite it doing nothing. This is because they dont want free thinkers They just want you as a slave in "society". Working all day for what material objects that have no real value. Land of the free my ass. America:Land of the Free*

 

[FnX]

It is a perfectly normal reaction to reject such games. Please understand though that when you can't win, you can always change the rules and what the word "to win" actually means. You can't be considered a loser if you have completely different motives than the ones who you now consider to be winners. If there was a tyrant who wrestled to himself absolute power, would you really think he was a winner somehow? Could it be possible to view him as the worst loser ever when it comes to the internal struggles we humans go through?

 

[Libby]

"They" do not care I agree, but we are not trying to make them change their decisions in ruling over us, that wouldn't free us. We should band together to take back our autonomy over our own lives. All that needs to happen is for those who have woken up to influence others to see the slavery of their (the majoritie's) condition, helping eachother co-operatively is far more efficient than rivaling each other competitively. We are many they are few, but we are fewer when we die, they orchestrate war and famine partly to thin out our numbers don't help them. Revolution does not require you do some great amazing act to change the world, it only requires that each of us do a small part, combined.

 

[herbavore]

What does it mean to "win" at life? To not suffer? To not have to work hard? To not feel emotional pain? To have wealth? These concepts all seem flawed. Life gets lived. It gets lived with gusto and appreciation or with angst and bitterness or a mishmash in between. But winning or losing at it? I don't think that is even possible.

 

[Libby]

I agree with herbavore, life shouldn't be a competition, with winners and losers. The world can sustain everyone at a good standard of living if we changed from one of competitive markets which leave billioins of people literally starving and a small group of people ridiculously wealthy, with us (you're in my class if you have a computer, and it's important to remember we aren't the biggest losers by a long shot) with enough that our survival isn't in danger but designated to doing the majority of the work in first world nations working making money for our bosses instead of ourselves. An alternative world is possible, get into political study if this stuff is a big concern to you and making you suicidal, read up on social-anarchism or marxism or etc. Personally I find Partisipism (Parecon + inclusive democracy) promising areas of further study. You can also get involved in things like occupy wall street etc... The world is not static it is ever evolving, and society is always changing. Don't forget WE are society, if we want to change it, we can.

And then we'll be able to stop focusing on making a living, and start just living, money isn't what matters most in life, but you can't focus on what has real value to you if it takes everything you have just to earn the basics of life.

 

[Corazon]

"They" do not care I agree, but we are not trying to make them change their decisions in ruling over us, that wouldn't free us. We should band together to take back our autonomy over our own lives. All that needs to happen is for those who have woken up to influence others to see the slavery of their (the majoritie's) condition, helping eachother co-operatively is far more efficient than rivaling each other competitively.

All that needs to happen is for those who have woken up to influence others to see the slavery of their (the majoritie's) condition,...

I used to think like this when I was younger. Now I work like a slave to master my discipline to get into a position to exploit the fact that I have woken up against the vast majority of the general population.

I think this is part of the problem, in that of the very small percentage who are awake, a good amount are like me and would rather use it to their favor.

I have my own justifications, and some of them are very reasonable.

The fact is that our planet is fruitful enough to have a surplus of most basic needs and to share them. Whether it's our biological nature or just a perversion of nature we rival each other competitively and the majority of people (and the majority of the planet) suffer.

 

[exists]

Salvinorin A,

I feel the same way, except I refuse to let it get me down. The primary victory that matters is the one secured in our hearts. If we admit defeat in our hearts, then those assholes ruining the world have truly won the game.

As time goes on public unrest will spread more rapidly from fringe groups to mainstream groups. With more minds working on solutions to ridding ourselves of the government/corporate plague, we will eventually overcome... hopefully without too much bloodshed.

 

[Libby]

Corazon- ok.

Other people are doing stuff like this

 

[dilated_pupils]

You are the one that chooses such a death (referring to drinking/eating such poisoned foods).

You have rights as a person to do your best to make these things better your own way. There are plenty of things that cost either nothing or very little that will change the way you eat/drink. Filtering your water, boiling it etc. make it clean, and with food you can go grow your own and pick it. You can also grow your own cattle and treat them the way you want before you eat them.

Those people who are hedonistic are the ones who will be stuck within their own consumption. You can only not be apart of what you have made for so long before you succumb to it. If you really believe the things you posted you'd be out and about voicing yourself in a crowd of people looking for something better. Just having an open mind to change is enough to move others in the right direction. You sound like where I've been in life at a point that never headed so I feel like I have to share here.

You may think that everyone is out to get you but they have been trying just as hard as you, and they work together in large places. Sometimes their mistakes look bigger because they are bigger since they effect more people. It takes a lot to make big decisions that effect many and you have to appreciate how many good things have come of large decisions over the populace. Once again you have the right to always say no and take your way. It's hard to do things alone that's why we always find ourselves looking to one another for the best advice. Just find like minds and work towards a common goal. Within that common goal there are many routes to success and you will find what works for you.

Good luck

-dp

 

[Libby]

No.
I oppose slavery, so no I cannot grow my own cattle (grow? it isn't a plant lol) nor can I treat them whichever way I want. That is the point.

If there are injustices YOU oppose in the world, then get involved in a cause too. People dont realize the difference they are capable of making.

Edit: oh i thought your comment of raising cattle was response to the vegan part of the message in the photo I posted, but you are talking to OP, sorry bout that lol.

 

[Corazon]

this

very cool

 

[dilated_pupils]

No.
I oppose slavery, so no I cannot grow my own cattle (grow? it isn't a plant lol) nor can I treat them whichever way I want. That is the point.

If there are injustices YOU oppose in the world, then get involved in a cause too. People dont realize the difference they are capable of making.

Edit: oh i thought your comment of raising cattle was response to the vegan part of the message in the photo I posted, but you are talking to OP, sorry bout that lol.

It's all good. What I meant, more in depth, is that we have a choice of how we raise the cattle that will be eaten. If you think keeping an animal in close confines just to grow & mature physically in size where it seems plausible to now kill and eat then I think you need to re evaluate how this meat treats your body - albeit to each their own.

I think if we treat our food right it will treat us right. We have much to learn from the things we ingest, and I think that we can tell a lot by how we raise our animals as well. Not only about ourselves but the world around us. How an animal reacts to certain surroundings may be a sign to us how we need to react to a situation. When all our own humanity is gone how will we be treating animals? Hopefully it will never come to such things.

-dp

 

[Poppys]

I myself am an anarchist, I agree completley with OP, and it gets me really fucking down, most of the time i just sit and get fucked up out of despair, I know i can make a difference but it always seems so insurmountable. Perhaps I am just weak. I dont know but i really hope i can get out of this rut. I used to cook for Food Not Bombs every saturday but now i spend my saturdays drinking PST and smoking weed...psh...and whats really fucked is i know that i can change this with just a simple thought, that i am in complete control of my world and my actions.

 

[RobotRipping]

why let that stuff get you down? if you know the game, learn to play it and do well at it. Embrace the corruption, the fucked up world, the brave new world and live it out, why die now? what differences does it make if it's now or later? Sure the world is fucked but why does that make a difference? If you're going to get all caught up in what is right and wrong and justice and all that relativist bullshit then you are not going to win this game.

Life is a competition in the western world (and by extension the rest of the world), it is set up that way on purpose (capitalism, Marx predicted this!!!). If you refuse to play the game, and you can, then you have limited power and financial resources. If you embrace the game, learn the nuances of it, how to manipulate it to your advantage then when you are on top dominating the game, you have the power to go make whatever little changes you think would make the world a better place. If you just suck at the game and can't figure it out, i don't think anyone is ever going to care because like any sport or game, you are the one that chooses to work hard to learn and play well or not.

Anarchism and stopping corporate greed kind of contradict each other. Who is supposed to stop corporations from doing what they want? the state? should a corporation just disband and instead, we can call them a group of people who have shit loads of power without any hierarchy? what would be the difference? Instead of getting fucked up to deal with this, you can do just the opposite. In becoming knowingly complacent you are giving up your place in this world, which is something that is systemically created by the powers at be to gain an advantage over the complacent population, in essence, you are allowing 'them' to win.

Don't let it get you down, this constant conflict is what makes life interesting, just try not to get stuck on the shit end of it.

 

[Poppys]

It's just that i guess i see more in common with hobos living on the street than i do with people in suits living in penthouses. I dont know, you are right about conflict making life interesting, but i just keep getting caught on the shit end as you put it. Whatever, life is confusing at this point and every time i want to make things better i see all the options and none seem worth it. Honestly i feel like id be happier outside of my concious body and just be a floating energy mass somewhere. i guess thats what i am right now...except i realize it right now, it would probably be nicer not to realize it. although the universe isnt built for my enjoyment so fuck it, life goes on.

 

[RobotRipping]

that's pretty much how i feel about everything as well but i view it differently; those people in suits are really no different than the hobos except they have suits and penthouses or whatever. When all is said and done though, both groups lived life and neither are taking anything material with them when they are done.

i used to sit at home unemployed drinking PST, getting high or basically doing anything to numb my own pain and had the mentality of fuck it, the world is fucked, this is how i'm going to deal with it. In reality, i was just hurting myself though. Opiates often make people very very complacent, if you want to follow your passions and get out of the rut you are in then quitting opiates is the first step. Cannabis kind of did the same thing to me but to a much smaller degree, it's always healthy to take a step back and see if you've fallen into being complacent and have given up or if you still have the drive to create a different path for yourself.

I stayed complacent for ~2 years (on opies/benzos), wasn't happy at all, disappointed with myself, the world, everything but you can change that perspective, often it will change anyway as you experience more and in turn your life will change. It doesn't mean giving up your convictions or beliefs or being a normal happy citizen under the domain of a regime of corrupted power. However, you will have more power and motivation to affect real change or at the least, to pursue what you want and get what you want out of life.

perhaps one day you will be a floating energy mass somewhere but that day is not that far off, so while you're here, experience everything you can and play the game, even if that means using the system to defeat itself, it can be done. That's what contemporary anarchism is all about isn't it? Responsibility and accountability with yourself is a big part of it and the lack of such things is a big part of the problem with this world.

if you want to break out of a cycle, find something you are passionate about that will also generate capital. If you can see the options out there, pick the one you are best suited for and also the one that is the most practical and put in the hard work, you'll make something of yourself and at the very least will set an example that despite the shitty hands most of us are dealt, there are ways to break through and transcend this bullshit.

 

[Poppys]

very true man, thank you

 

[Libby]

It's all good. What I meant, more in depth, is that we have a choice of how we raise the cattle that will be eaten. If you think keeping an animal in close confines just to grow & mature physically in size where it seems plausible to now kill and eat then I think you need to re evaluate how this meat treats your body - albeit to each their own.

I think if we treat our food right it will treat us right. We have much to learn from the things we ingest, and I think that we can tell a lot by how we raise our animals as well. Not only about ourselves but the world around us. How an animal reacts to certain surroundings may be a sign to us how we need to react to a situation. When all our own humanity is gone how will we be treating animals? Hopefully it will never come to such things.

-dp

I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there.
You think the problem is how well we treat other sentient beings while we use them for their bodies and bodily secretions,
rather than the problem is that we use them.
I say we do not have the right to enslave sentient beings, to steal from them, to slaughter them.
Regardless of how "humane" we may perceive our treatment of said slaves. They do not belong to us.
This is the difference between a welfarist and an abolitionist. You sound like a welfarist.
Personally I find it somewhat hypocritical to fight for ones own freedom while owning slaves, or supporting slaving buy endorsing the products of slavery.
If you had decided that I were your food, and you kept me prisoner, stole from me, and finally killed me, any free-ranging, hugs and pats, and "good girl daisy" 's you bestowed upon me could only serve to add to the betrayal. I find this this whole pretend to be your friend, gain your trust idea sick and perverse.
I am an abolitionist.
The abolitionist approach to animal rights (animal rights, not animal welfare) maintains that all sentient beings, human or nonhuman, have one right: the basic right not be treated as the property of others.

 

[Poppys]

i'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there.
You think the problem is how well we treat other sentient beings while we use them for their bodies and bodily secretions,
rather than the problem is that we use them.
I say we do not have the right to enslave sentient beings, to steal from them, to slaughter them.
Regardless of how "humane" we may perceive our treatment of said slaves. They do not belong to us.
This is the difference between a welfarist and an abolitionist. You sound like a welfarist.
Personally i find it somewhat hypocritical to fight for ones own freedom while owning slaves, or supporting slaving buy endorsing the products of slavery.
If you had decided that i were your food, and you kept me prisoner, stole from me, and finally killed me, any free-ranging, hugs and pats, and "good girl daisy" 's you bestowed upon me could only serve to add to the betrayal. I find this this whole pretend to be your friend, gain your trust idea sick and perverse.
I am an abolitionist.
The abolitionist approach to animal rights (animal rights, not animal welfare) maintains that all sentient beings, human or nonhuman, have one right: The basic right not be treated as the property of others.

yes yes yes

 

[RobotRipping]

have you ever worked on a farm libby? i see your point and i agree wholeheartedly but you are being overly cynical. In nature, these very same things happen, on a different level yes but not all humans treat their life stock like pieces of shit; many give them the most dignity possible and love them. If my ultimate end is to serve as some other beings sustenance, then i am okay with that, that is my purpose, my goal, the reason for my existence. I can accept that.

besides that, what about plant rights? i don't see how in any way possible you can deny a plant its rights while still allowing an animal its rights and even then a human its rights as well. We are all creatures of this planet, all come from the same thing and are all equal. We all work together in a system that keeps everything going, progressing, evolving. Sentient being or not, that doesn't make a difference. If you feel more empathy towards a cow than a cannabis plant then there's something wrong with that argument, both are equal, both have importance in life, both have roles, as do humans, our path is not so clear but when/if we find out what that path is, i can bet it's no different than a pig, cow, plant or any other living or non living things in this universe.

when it comes down to it we are all the same thing, we are matter and energy evolving, whatever happens is the result of energy and matter evolving, and we cannot control the path it takes, it's based on something transcendental.