Read on Twitter
was talking to @politicalmath recently about this thing
I have this growing sense that if things actually do get better, there will be a *lot* of people who don't even notice
or as I saw elsewhere, "people are not emotionally prepared for the pandemic to end"
1/n https://twitter.com/MorlockP/status/1351543813031030794
I have this growing sense that if things actually do get better, there will be a *lot* of people who don't even notice
or as I saw elsewhere, "people are not emotionally prepared for the pandemic to end"
1/n https://twitter.com/MorlockP/status/1351543813031030794
(I can't find the source on that phrasing)
it's not just COVID, either; it's everything
and I have a few thoughts about this and why it irritates/concerns me
it's not just COVID, either; it's everything
and I have a few thoughts about this and why it irritates/concerns me
have you ever gone back to your hometown, or among old friends you've fallen out of touch with, or hell, even just interacted with your parents
and discovered that you fall back into dynamics with them that are absent when they're not around you?
and discovered that you fall back into dynamics with them that are absent when they're not around you?
have you ever tried to bring more of your current self (maturity, personality, preferences) into those interactions with, say, your mom, only to encounter intense resistance and distress?
have you tried engaging with someone in a new and strictly better way, only to have them push back in old or subtle ways, trying to recreate the old familiar dynamic?
that's what I'm concerned about with "doomer" rhetoric
it feels like people "want" things to keep being bad
that's what I'm concerned about with "doomer" rhetoric
it feels like people "want" things to keep being bad
not "want" in some endorsed way, where they would actually admit that they prefer the current state of affairs
but because the expectation of badness is so ingrained that even *noticing* goodness becomes distressing
but because the expectation of badness is so ingrained that even *noticing* goodness becomes distressing
I've seen a lot of rationalist friends do this thing when something distressing or dangerous happens in the world
where they talk about "alarms" or "triggers" that would act as evidence that things are getting worse and they need to take some sort of risk-mitigating action
where they talk about "alarms" or "triggers" that would act as evidence that things are getting worse and they need to take some sort of risk-mitigating action
and to be clear
that is *smart* and I wish I were better at it
but...if you can do that to potentially identify signs of bad/worse
can't you also do that to identify signs of good/better?
that is *smart* and I wish I were better at it
but...if you can do that to potentially identify signs of bad/worse
can't you also do that to identify signs of good/better?
I understand this attitude from the inside
it's a lot like the hypervigilance one develops after spending their formative years in chaos -- always watching for the next disaster
but because I understand this from the inside, I know that once that hypervigilance sets in...
it's a lot like the hypervigilance one develops after spending their formative years in chaos -- always watching for the next disaster
but because I understand this from the inside, I know that once that hypervigilance sets in...
...extra care is needed to *even consider the possibility* that things are okay
basically everyone is giving themselves hella CPTSD via a pipeline of 24/7 dopamine-optimized Fear, and we would all benefit from thinking about what it might look like if things actually got better
some maybe useful questions:
-what would you consider evidence that things are getting better in the world?
-what sorts of events might act as a "trigger" for you to take actions in the direction of optionality, play, relaxation, fearlessness?
-what would you consider evidence that things are getting better in the world?
-what sorts of events might act as a "trigger" for you to take actions in the direction of optionality, play, relaxation, fearlessness?
-imagine yourself in a strictly better future:how does it feel? do you start looking for ways that it's not actually better? do you see yourself relaxing/your set of options expanding, or do you see yourself becoming *even more vigilant* because you "must be missing something?"
another useful thing I want to tack on, here:
it may be very hard to learn to do this, and I'm not actually very good at it myself...but it is also possible to mostly-disconnect your internal sense of wellbeing from the events going on around you...
it may be very hard to learn to do this, and I'm not actually very good at it myself...but it is also possible to mostly-disconnect your internal sense of wellbeing from the events going on around you...
...in a way that *doesn't* just leave you an apathetic husk or a blind grinning fool
I have less guidance to offer, here, because, well, I'm not good at it
but this is another learnable, worthwhile skill
I have less guidance to offer, here, because, well, I'm not good at it
but this is another learnable, worthwhile skill
this all takes time, I'm not trying to berate anyone for doompoasting
the doomer thing makes perfect sense as a thing brains do
I just want to suggest some potential ways out of it, if you want
the doomer thing makes perfect sense as a thing brains do
I just want to suggest some potential ways out of it, if you want
an increase in optionality and sense of okayness, rather than guilting ppl into pretending they feel okay
this is incomplete
the last thing I might mention here needs some thought; it's subtle I'm not sure how to post it without people taking it as a negation of the rest of the thread
so, TBC, if I can figure out how to say it
the last thing I might mention here needs some thought; it's subtle I'm not sure how to post it without people taking it as a negation of the rest of the thread
so, TBC, if I can figure out how to say it
