Why is this forum so negative?

[auctionguy10]

The general source of unhappiness to me comes from people regretting the past or worrying about the future- and not ever, NOT NEVER actually trying to enjoy the present moment.(So much so that people will turn to drugs or something else out of the ordinary to actually experience living in “the moment”, because they don’t know how to escape their endless mental chatter in day to day life)

Like liberté says about the world being boring- I used to feel that way when I was way too much into my head and having a stream of mental thought over and over and over. Once I was able to let go of that- I find there’s much more joy to be found in nearly everything I do in this world. Much akin to a child being amazed when they’re at the mall- looking at all the lights and everything around them. Able to think a lot more clearly when I actually need to as well. In general I feel that people that let negativity rule their life never try to enjoy life in the first place. I don’t find the world to be full of buffoons- that’s just an ego issue when one has no humility about anything.

I don’t find everyone in this forum to be that way- but when they do(I fall into that myself)- I can see why. In a world full of people who don’t know how to enjoy anything about life, and everything is about identity and impressions- its easy to fall into that trap.

[AuthoritarianCommerc]

Which is true by definition.

Granted, but there is an internal differentiation between voluntary and involuntary egoism; the voluntary egoist does not bother with trying to find anything else other than personal satisfaction; i.e. imagining that there could be any ‘demands’ or ‘rights’ outside or above his actual satisfaction.

[Ultima]

If you want to look for things that bring you joy, you can find it. If you want to look for evil, it is easy enough to find, too. There is plenty of both in this world.

Things to be pessimistic about: Increasing government bloat, a failure to adapt to change.

Things to be optimistic about: New opportunities, new technologies which improve our living conditions. There is so much to look forward to if one is a little optimistic about things.

In spite of all of the problems of the world today, I still would much rather be alive today than 200 years ago or 5000 years ago… exception might being if I was born as someone quite famous or lucky Of course, with the potential of VR technology in the future, anyone will be able to relive any famous person’s life… or act out any fantasy they desire, just like the Holodeck in Star Trek…

[antonioecc]

Liberté, one thing is not care about people, and another one, very different, is hating them. You are near of facism… not to metion you “laugh” at the bums.

[Esuric]

@Liberte

Granted, but there is an internal differentiation between voluntary and involuntary egoism; the voluntary egoist does not bother with trying to find anything else other than personal satisfaction; i.e. imagining that there could be any ‘demands’ or ‘rights’ outside or above his actual satisfaction.

Sorry, Liberte, you’re not special. We’re all hedonists.

[Leo_DesBois]

It’s easy to be gloomy after you realize that there are powerful, hidden forces bent on creating a totalitarian world government designed to enslave us in perpetual serfdom. Yet, once you start doing something to learn the truth and fight back, life takes on meaning. Here’s an exchange between G. Edward Griffin, founder of Freedom Force International, and a woman in despair. I think it sums up the situation:

Dear Mr. Griffin,
After reading your newsletter for well over a year now I am beginning to wonder what the point of living is. I read your information and it looks hopeless. Governments of the world are obviously corrupt beyond recognition and everything I read is about loosing more and more freedom. The collectivist control of our lives is inevitable and a poorly constructed resistance is falling apart at the seams. What’s the point of living anymore? If they take my house, my livelihood and peace and create the new 1984…why would I want to stick around for that?

It’s not just your newsletter, it’s all sources of information, the NY Times, The LA Times, the TV, Radio, it’s everywhere! All you are doing is giving the blow by blow description of how a planetary dictatorship is inevitable… Well Mr. Griffin, I no longer carry a gun to protect myself, I carry it because I want to have an escape plan. I am too scared to have fun anymore and that is no way to live.

I am going to save them the trouble of controlling, manipulating, RF chipping me with their plans of world domination…this is like a damn science fiction movie for gods sake! How much time do I have?

G. Edward Griffin’s response:

Hello Heather.
I can appreciate your despair. I have gone through similar mood swings over the years, but I always come out of it with the realization that we are not the first, the only, or the last humans on this planet to face such threats to our well being. Just recall for a moment what it must have been like for the millions of people who lived through the hell of wars fought around the globe for the past few hundred years – or the men and women who braved the wild American frontier and wilderness – or the millions who live today under primitive and cruel dictatorships in third-world countries.

Yes, things are looking grim; but, on the other hand, what a wonderful opportunity this is for us to make a difference at a critical time in history. Doing nothing but watching and worrying is enough to depress anyone, but once we get moving and begin to participate in meaningful activity to combat the evil forces, our lives begin to take on meaning. I, for one, am grateful that I have a chance to change history. If you are not already a member of Freedom Force, now is the time to come on in and help us make a difference. It’s a fabulous once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

[ClaytonB]

I used to be more concerned about the state of things as they are, with government and all, but have since begun to focus on other things. Afterall, there’s only so much time you can think and talk about libertarian philosophy; then you switch on the TV, or go out into the open and see that you’re perhaps an individual stranded in a sea of wilfully ignorant buffoons. Anarcho-capitalism is wonderful in theory but I’m more or less convinced, these days, that human society naturally organises into Hoppian/Kulhnelt-Leddihn conceptions of a natural elite and such forth.

Thanks to egalitarian democracy, it’s pretty clear to me now that the film Idiocracy has a firmer bead on the future, more than some imagined malevolent totalitarian regime. As such, I consider political action somewhat pointless, as so many are invested in the re-distrabutionist schemes and because the cheap emotionalism of leftist dogma has such a death-grip on the minds of the majority of people.

If you want to make a difference become like Henry Galt, I’d say. Make your own prosperity! Employ others! Establish a corporate empire! People still made money in the depression, Germany survived (as did Zimbabwe) hyperinflation and Argentina survived a strategic default relatively unscathed, as well, I believe. Life goes on, regardless.

It’s absolutely important to properly understand the effects of stupid policies, but the habit of endlessly engaging in ‘the sky is falling’ rhetoric eventually alienates people – something many libertarians can be guilty of. The trick might be to have a few other interests outside of classical liberal philosophy; Rothbard himself took this approach, I think.

I think part of the problem is that the statist order creates a situation where there is nothing productive that an individual can safely do with their energies. The laws and regulations on commerce artificially raise the level of capitalization required to open even the most modest small business. So, people like me who don’t have any capital to speak of (and, I would surmise, most other folks posting here… how else could they have so much free time to be posting here?) have no other outlet than bitching about it. Yeah, bitching doesn’t accomplish anything, it will never change anything but at least it makes me feel better to get it off my chest. And, as another poster has noted, there’s always the “5pm-2am window”, that is, the second job… so, I guess I really have no room to legitimately bitch as I could be working all hours in order to build the capital required to jump the regulatory hurdles, but I’m not doing that. Oh well. But I still reserve the right to bitch and moan.

Clayton -

[z1235]

I mean do we really have no hope at all in our lifetime? That’s the feeling I get from this forum on an almost daily basis.

There was a very similar thread not too long ago. https://forum.freecapitalists.org/t/dealing-with-hopelessness/10839

My contribution there:

If only my parents would buy me that bicycle. If only I can get that degree. If only I can get that car. If only I got that promotion. If only I can get that house. If only she married me. If only everyone was reasonable and nice. If only there was no state and everyone was free.

Nothing is worth salivating for. Nothing will bring you the satisfaction you think it will. Nothing is worth dedicating your one whole life to. Take it one day at a time, one yard at a time, one person at a time, one idea at a time, one concept at a time. Savor them all as they come to you. Family, friends, colleagues, ideas, books, nature, science, society, all so beautiful in their imperfections. Life is chaos, a journey. Perfection, order, final destinations, and ultimate goals (to the extent that they truly exist) are all anti-theses to life. Where do you go from where you’ve just arrived?

Z.

[AuthoritarianCommerc]

Sorry, Liberte, you’re not special. We’re all hedonists.

Hedonism is different, it’s more akin to a classical (i.e., non pretentious) virtue ethics. At least as long as you mean it in the sense of Epicurus and not the tautological and hollow ‘psychological egoist’ theory.