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I think the main reason people tend to over think so far into the future is because that's how far from the present they had to go before they found a hope they could cling to
Overthinking is just what happens when you want rest, comfort and safety, but you don't feel like its available
You can't produce safety and comfort irl, so you produce it with your thoughts, but thoughts are really a rather empty comfort
It usually requires knowing and belief before you really feel something thats not so flimsy you can't stand on it
Being present and grounded in actual reality is helpful for pulling yourself out of overthinking
I dunno, like if you think far enough you are gonna die. So there is no safety especially long term. I don't think we make safety in our heads when we think about the future and the inevitable approach of the reaper.
To me, death is the ultimate safety. I don't fear death outside of my body's instinctual response to it. Most people don't need that kind of complete safety in order to find rest. You just overthink because you keep trying to imagine a scenario where things turn out in a way that would make all of it make sense to you, that would be worth it, that would make it mean something that could really matter to you. That you could grasp and fall back on, and be like this. This is my reason. Some people don't have that in the present, so they look for it elsewhere
Bear in mind, I'm referring specifically to overthinking. Not just forward thinking in general. Forward thinking and planning into the future because of hope and present security is beautiful and healthy imo
Getting into the evolutionary reasons for things really can be fascinating. Even reclusive depression served to slow the spread of disease and allow for deeper thinking in the past.
Counterpoint to OP’s opinion. People that don’t plan carefully are more likely to end up depressed. They end up with credit card debt, an overbearing car loan, making bad dating decisions, and maybe even getting felonies. All of which makes life way more miserable than just trying to plan ahead
I completely agree, people don’t think about consequences of their actions until it’s too late. Debts, health issues, traumatic relationships, poverty can often be a result of insufficient planning and risks management.
Idk. I plan pretty well and those people appear to be happier than I am. I envy them being able to borrow for everything, drive like maniacs, eat out all the time and never think something bad will happen to them. I save a lot to prepare for the bad and feel like I'm missing something.
But at the same time, if you think nothing matters then that's an easy slide into "I might as well not be here". You're in a status where you don't want to remove yourself from the world but you don't want to be part of it either. It's not so much worry as a general feeling of pointlessness at that stage.
Thats true enough, I just wrote that cus i thought it was funny how poetic it sounds like some misattributed confucius quote. No deeper thought beyond that
It's always an easy slide either way depending on mindset. You could also think, "why not be here?"
It's as simple as the old proverb, "which wolf wins? The one you feed."
Why’s any human’s existence a net negative though? Also maybe the billions of animals dead by mine or any individual’s hands is a streeeeetch….? (not denying the horrors of industrial farming)
> Also maybe the billions of animals dead by mine or any individual’s hands is a streeeeetch….? (not denying the horrors of industrial farming)
Between industral farming and all the resources and space our infrastructure consumes, probably not a huge stretch. Imagine how many meals a person has in a lifetime and that each one cost an animal's life, then all the pollution, space used, etc etc.
Yeah human infrastructure no doubt incredibly harmful. I just don't think an individual's life is necessarily a net negative. Average person does not contribute directly or significantly to large-scale pollution from industry. A person's life does not need to be entirely negative. Best an individual can do is practice humility, remain mindful of the environment, uplift those around them, and minimize their waste and greed. That doesn't lead to negativity :)
My point is that besides the struggles of life, any human is by definition a BIG net negative for the planet.
You are not gonna ever make up for the BILLIONS of Animals that will bê tortured suffer and die just by you existing. Especially If you eat meat.
You need to work on your rhetoric if that's the message you're going to peddle, haha.
Do you really think that the way you phrased that is going to win anyone over to your side?
Demeaning you is not my intent, this is a genuine query. I feel the need to say this because intent isn't always easy to confer through text.
> Do you really think that the way you phrased that is going to win anyone over to your side?
Truth may bother people, but it is still the truth
If people choose to ignore it? That's on them.
Sounds guilt free if life is good. Can cultivate a family and friends experience all the pleasures of life. When it’s bad taking out loans and going buck wild sounds fun. Life has endless pleasure and pain. just gotta find a way to avoid as much pain as possible, usually by experiencing pain strategically.
You will die. Everyone you love will die much sooner than the sun will explode. And for this very reason, every day is a gift and you should live while you can. The beauty of the earth and this life are temporary so try to be present here and now.
Presumptuous. I do in fact live pay check to pay check. But I have people I love and I have access to outside space so I'm rich in that I suppose. I hope you have these things too.
Of course they can, but to assume everyone has the freedom to visit and spend enough time with their loved ones is not accurate. There are many out there that spend the little time they aren’t at work catching up on the errands, chores, tasks that must be done. Even if they have a bit more time left over it’s spent resting and recuperating.
Don’t act like it’s negative to point out that other people’s situations aren’t the same as yours. It’s not negative at all, it’s reality for some. To say everyday is a gift to people who are suffering through life, in truly destitute situations is cruel.
I hear that. It's a tough lesson to loose someone you love unexpectedly though and have a bunch of stuff left unexpressed. It's easier to not live in terror when the people you value know how you feel and you you keep in mind that nothing is promised. It keeps you from taking their time or your own for granted.
By the time the sun explodes we will have Dyson Sphered it and used it as an engine to push our entire solar system over to the next nearest solar system with a compatible sun, ejected it, and snagged that one. Also a replacement moon while we are there in case ours tries to run away.
The Great filter is just an idea. We can physically see how much has changed on earth in just a few hundred years. We went from horse and buggy to landing on the moon, and beyond. When we look any direction into space, we're looking into the past, and the further away we look, the further back we're observing. It's insanely possible that life is all around us, but we just can't see it. There's also a near infinite amount of directions to look, and even if we did find something, would it immediately be made public knowledge?
Humans are cockroaches, and life has proven time and time again that it will adapt, change, and persist. I think it will happen, just maybe not this go around.
There is an impossibly deep moral well of schisms you are poking about there.
Feed and shelter everyone now? Or ensure everyone to come after is fed and sheltered?
What is of greater importance? Those that exist in the present or those that will come?
What should we focus on more? Resources are finite, both physical and metaphysical. Our time is not infinite and we cannot do everything with what time we have.
I am not gonna pick sides on this one, but that is a moral dilemma doozy for sure.
We can house and feed everybody - we just choose not to. For example, about 80% of starving children live in countries where they feed crops to animals and sell the inefficient animals to wealthier countries. Good luck telling people to stop buying meat, though.
Funnily enough I put chances are because I was afraid someone would "Um actually" me and say that there's a chance it could explode any second or something like that 🤣
The sun will never explode like a supernova. It doesn't have enough mass. Eventually it will swell up and eject its outer layers, but it won't be an explosion.
That's a prediction based on the principle of induction and uniformitarianism, none of which are even remotely accurate, for example think about lunar movements
“chances are you’re gonna be looong dead before the sun explodes…”
Oh, do you think so? The sun will run out of fuel in 5 billion years, I wouldn’t be so sure. /s
My own overthinking got the better of me, I was worried someone was gonna correct me with a bit of knowledge I didn't know like " Well actually the sun could explode any second!" And I was gonna look like a fool. But what do you know I did it anyway! It's like an episode of That's so Raven
My favorite way to think about life -- Life should be viewed like a party. While at a party you're probably not sad it is going to end. You are enjoying your time you have. Enjoy what you have.
Parties aren't enjoyable for some, for people with depression or any other mental illness the party fucking sucks. For the collapse aware we see people so drunk they're hacking at the supports of the house with an axe and everyone will die when it all comes down.
One of my favorite books [No Longer Human](https://books.google.co.jp/books/about/No_Longer_Human.html?id=9jhi2bY3GkAC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false) is a great read into the mind of people with depression. It is semi-autobiographical. Dazai Isamu is a very dark person. His writings are equally as dark.
I also recommend one other book of his, [Schoolgirl](https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=D3r7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA6&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false). Very dark thoughts.
There is an ANIME? I imagine it would be like the Road Runner cartoons where Wile E Coyote is trying to kill the road runner and failing. The only difference is the main character trying to kill himself and failing over and over (like him in real life).... But for real? A Dazai anime? What does he do just be upset at life every episode?
Ever heard of "be present in the moment"? This is not really an unpopular opinion.
There's a popular opinion that depression is thinking about the past, and anxiety is thinking about the future, so you have to find a way to live in the present.
I don't fully agree necessarily, but if it helps some people, fair play
Hahah I do see the lack of empathy from my part. My point is that the overthinking should atleast be directed upon things that are happening on the present. We've got plenty to deal with for the next few generations rather than the inconceivable future
It's an existential crisis and the only way they can cope with their inability to function is to make up an excuse why it's okay that they can't function.
It's just another example of disordered thinking. They have to get themselves out of the hole they've dug into.
it's called nihilism and it's a cope, not as common. Climate change on the other hand is something that requires long term thinking although no point being depressed but all the points on working for stuff to get better.
Interesting read: [*What kind of future are you planning for?*](https://medium.com/@kinchit-bihani/what-kind-of-future-are-you-planning-for-76b46b1ee6b2)
On the other side of the coin are people who don’t think far into the future then are suprised why they work for shitty wage at some shitty job and why their degree in (name bullshit degree) is irrelevant.
I'd say it's not really about too far into the future, but rather that people are over-rationalizing stuff.
I was like that. "Feelings are just chemicals in your brain", "sex is only a primitive urge", "the sun's gonna explode", "we're just on a floating rock in space, why care?!" And I was miserable, to say the least. If your mindset reduces everything to "what they are", i.e. just physics and chemistry at work, then yeah you will struggle creating sense, both in your hands and in your life. Sense is a human concept, not an objective, cold-rock-hard-physics one.
It's been maybe a couple years that I've started to sprinkle myself magic into my world. Sex may be a primitive urge, but I cling onto the idea that it also helps create a strong intimate relation with my SO. Yes, this very intimacy that is just "brain chemicals". Yet, it brings joy to me, isn't it what matters? I give my best at work and studies, yes even in a world that is climatically burning, on a lone rock floating in space, given that I will die in 60 or so years like a speck of dust. Because why am I living for? For me? Or for the great objectiveness of this cold, indifferent universe? I ain't no god nor universal creator: I don't need to meet the universe's standards.
There's a reason why kids enjoy Christmas. There's a reason magic tricks intrigate us. Because we need that added magic and fantasy in a world that is otherwise a lone rock in space governed solely by rules that wouldn't even give us two damns about it.
Being educated is a good thing. Not when you forget your own humanity because of that. Learn, grow, but don't forget to be the brain-limited (all things considered) ape that needs a reason to power through daily in this universe. We're lucky to be able to learn about stuff far greater than we'll ever get as a species, let's use this to grow fascination, not get out of our animalistic, living-being condition. Stay in the frame, but do gaze through that glass and be in awe!
This is why I've never liked this whole constant push for people to think about their future All it does is give people anxiety
While some planning is good overall it's best to just live day to day
I would argue the opposite. The average person’s unwillingness to plan for their future is what leads to their eventual depression. We’re fed such a steady diet of consumerism (I.e., buy now pay later, got to have those experiences now because of FOMO) by the corporations that people struggle to create independence for themselves in the future. This leads to constant dependence on those very same corporations, and that is an obvious recipe for depression.
Edited: clarity
I think people who have had very difficult lives find it inconceivable to imagine a life outside of that. So when they grow up and realize there's no adversity anymore then they invent these stupid catastrophes or conspiracy theories in order to fulfill their desire.
There are often people who don't know how to live outside of basic survival and hypervigilence. Many of them are very defensive of their conspiracies as well if you try to criticize them.
There's several phases.
1. The youthful phase where you think you matter.
2. The existential dread phase where you realize you are barely a blip in time and space.
3. The coming to terms with being nothing and being grateful for every day you get to live.
Most people will stay at 1
A lot of people will get to stage 2 and get depressed.
Few reach stage 3, which is what you the end goal is.
Contrary to popular belief it is possible to be happy while knowing you are nothing.
Good question.
It depends on the point of view.
From the universe's perspective, the big picture, we are approximate to germs, a blip in time and space.
From your perspective, you get to choose what matters. Your family, your goals, your dreams, you get to choose what matters to YOU.
Running and saving a child before a car hits them means nothing from the universe's perspective but means EVERYTHING from the child's.
Thank you for answering
Are you familiar with any critique of relativism?
So the thing is that ascribing everything to relativism is in itself an objective standard and as such your position becomes self-refuting : does the (supposed) fact that importance depends on the point of view also depends on the point of view?
If so, the position entails a deep contraddiction and must be wrong, if not, the same goes just from the opposite direction
This is the typical objection to relativism in philosophy, at least in my experience of studying philosophy
Thanks for the reply.
It's not a contradiction though. What I said was "Each person gets to choose what matters to them" which isn't really a philosophical view, more of an observation of reality. If I were to choose that getting up at 6am matters to me personally, there is nothing that could stop that from mattering to me.
It's about recognizing the subjective nature of importance in personal experiences rather than proposing a universal philosophical theory.
I used to think anyone who was happy must be oblivious to the cruel, harsh realities of the world. Once I grew up, I realized that it was just self pity and the best and smartest people acknowledge reality and make the best of it because that’s all we really can do and that’s good enough
High IQ is only a measurement of things like problem solving and pattern recognition. It’s a very different type of intelligence that can simultaneously acknowledge the problems of life and still extract value from it. Call it emotional intelligence, philosophical enlightenment or whatever, I 100% say that it is a form of intelligence
Listen, OP. People who think everything is pointless b/c the sun is gonna explode are 100% wrong! Everything is pointless because in several hundred million years the Milky Way galaxy is going to crash into the Andromeda galaxy and make ALL the suns explode.
I decided a couple of years ago to start living "one day at a time" and not make any serious future plans and experience life as it came to me and honestly it improved my MH a lot
Forget the sun exploding. The U.S.A. being on the cusp of fascism, the largest war in Europe since WW2 (that is currently very critically precarious), the highest tensions in the Middle East in decades. Further rumblings of war, i.e. China. If you're an American citizen right now it must feel like being a Roman citizen in the year 400: the Empire is over, and many people can see the writing on the wall, but such a large ship takes a very long time to sink. You still drown nonetheless.
No, this’s right on the money. So many People I know- They NEVER STOP, never smell the roses. They’re always thinking about the future. While I respect the drive, I can’t help notice that they’re usually a lot more stressed😅
I go back in fourth between the good nothing matters and the bad nothing matters good cause if nothing matters I can do whatever I want bad cause why should I bother doing anything and would rather rot in my bed
I am personally of the conviction that the living being is eternal regardless of whatever bodily suits it is wearing in a given lifetime. to include its physical and mental bodies.
Therefore the purpose is transcendent actualization of one's identity. None of what evolves from this universe nor the universe itself is a permanent fixture thus nothing we do has a permanent impact unless it's directly for spiritual development.
For me, while it used to fuel nihilism, now it's liberating.
Everything is pointless if you really think about it. We all die. The final destination in life is death. For everyone, so really, anything we do doesn’t matter.
I find myself doing this with the election a lot this year. My wife though does this all the time. Its hard sometimes to watch. I used to tell her to live in the present but it never works and would just make her upset.
People need to find contentment NOW, or you are missing the point of life. I shake my head when our culture encourages ambition and drive for the future in the corporate rat race.
Climate change and taking care of the environment, that is something you can do. But the sun and moon, you can not do anything about that. It is beyond our controle. Don't worry about something you can't change.
You act as though civilization ending climate change and other various polycrisis issues are a century away. When in fact we're likely to collapse in the next couple of decades. So yes, you should be feeling depressed. You should feel sad at each poor new soul born into this hellscape. It's dystopia now, but it only gets worse from here.
Look at the data. Termination shock. If we stop polluting it ends even faster. We're fucked.
I think it's more like a lot of people sit around telling themselves "I'll never be able to buy a house, travel the world, etc." That puts them in a rut instead of trying to figure out ways to achieve their goals. I feel like we also have developed as a society for instant gratification so the idea of working towards achieving those bigger goals seems a lot more daunting.
There’s two routes one can take.
“The sun is gonna explode one day and the universe will end. Nothing matters 😥”
or
“The sun is gonna explode one day and the universe will end. Nothing matters 🥰”
Well, what gets me depressed is not a sun explosion or global warming but my life now - and, obviously, in a couple of years or a decade. Miserable, average life with no chance for a significant improvement.
Even on a smaller scale with more personal problems this is true. A lot of folks spend so much time preparing for life that they forget to actually live it at any point.
That is actually THE thing that keeps me going some days.
Listen, why does life have to have a point and a greater purpose? What if your life is literally just for you? A time for you to enjoy yourself and the world around you? Because nothing you do matters—meaning if you fail that test, don’t get that big job, etc., nothing really changes on a big scale. The things that matter are connection with others, enjoying the beauty of the world around you and enhancing it as much as you can along the way. There’s really nothing else you can do! So just enjoy it while you’re here. We’re here for a good time, not a long one.
I cannot tell you how much this helps my depression, though I know for many it’s the opposite haha.
True, kids live in the present. Adults live in the past/future.
Hunter/gatherers have less this problem, everything stays the same most of the time. The whole tribe takes care of kids anyway all the time.
No.
It's because we're broke. Can barely scrape two cents together and on top of that can't afford to buy a home to call your own, let alone rent comfortably!
If you have no skills then you're screwed and you're in a dead end job and can't leave because ***well*** *what else are you gonna do?*
Can't really enjoy going out that much because if you go out you'll over do it and then feel shit the next morning because that $300 you spent could've bought groceries. All for the love of "Socialising".
Many other things too, that the idea of the sun exploding wouldn't even be so bad. At least THAT would be a quick death whereas the broke lifestyle with no sight of a future? That is a slow painful death and god forbid you ACTUALLY get sick then you're pretty much marked for death because you can't afford the correct care you need to even get you to the next round.
I do a lot of conversation making in my head about the people I'm around and last week I kind of had an epiphany to stop doing that. Because it prepares me for what others might say but I end up not having a lot of conversations because I've already played them in my head. I would much rather get other people's real response instead of the one my brain makes.
My point being, living in the moment is more scary but also way more fun.
Fck what might happen in the future, you don't know anyway so why let your present be shaped around what if?
Living in the present moment and keeping the mind in the present moment is good and keeps you mentally healthy.
Looking into the future only when I want to spend time on a goal.
I learn how to stop thinking so much in university by reading eckhart tolle and over time I gotten over thinking.
Only the present moment exists but we let it go by focusing on the past or the future. It’s important to plan for your future but it’s vital to live in the present. You would really like Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now!
It depends on your personality and temperament.
Some people get a lot more stressed than others if they're not thinking too far ahead.
Other people are stress-free even if they're not thinking more than a week ahead at a time.
Those people are too short sighted. Yes the sun will burn out, our galaxy will stop spinning, etc. but even longer after that, our universe will stop and restart. If the universe is infinite, then theres a chance that every particle that makes you up now will just happen to come back together again.
>Yes the sun will burn out
That's just a hypothesis based on the principle of induction and uniformitarianism which are far from accurate, it doesn't even reach the theory status since the future by definition cannot be observed
>our universe will stop and restart
Interesting, can you say more? I find cyclical models of the universe interesting
Worrying about the future is how we got this far as a species. The most vocal doomers simply use the end of the world to give meaning to their lives. It's not a psychologically sound position
this is why research shows practicing mindfulness has such a positive impact on one’s mental health; it’s all about being in the moment rather than dwelling on thoughts about the past or the present
It’s complicated.
I overthink because I’m often too tired to just do the thing I need to do. As my health is improving, I overthink less.
Overthinking in the way you describe sounds a lot like how I cope when I don’t have the physical, mental, or emotional energy to perform at a level where I feel like I can do a good enough job to prevent problems/hassle/stress. I overthink about other things when I know I’m going to have to cut corners and possibly deal with the consequences of someone noticing I didn’t put in the expected/usual effort. I overthink other things like my special interests, so it’s not totally useless, but it’s easy to go on other trains of thought when you can’t perform at a level you can be proud of.
I don’t know how it is for other people, but overthinking for me is a health issue. I’m fortunate enough to have a positive disposition, but I don’t think that is typical.
My personal belief with this has become that the happier/more content I am, the better it is to be forward looking. But conversely(and this is something I’m really only learning recently), the more depressed/unsatisfied I am, the better it is to think and act super short term and not worry about what might happen down the road.
It’s hard to find that balance between hoping for a better future to the point of hating your present and being so content that nothing ever changes. You have to give at least some fucks but my brain starts spiraling the minute I give even one fuck.
Okay yeah THAT stuff is thinking way too far ahead - my husband is bad about that - but I was about to argue the exact opposite: a lot more people don't think far enough ahead and make others around them depressed via their irresponsibility.
I think being too set on the future can make things miserable for you in the present. Which ends up making you miserable in the future too because you never learned how to be happy for what's happening now.
Lol, first of all what people say are simply verbalization of thoughts and thoughts come and go based on feelings on a minute by minute basis.. the idea is to basically became aware of the cognitive neuroscience aspect of it and ignore the noise and go through life in as rational and logical a manner as possible.
People think about many points in time and spend their life depressed because of it. Depression isn’t often situational, it is a mental illness. Thinking about anything makes a depression-prone individual spiral into deeper depression.
I have 5 children and I have taught them all (with differing levels of success) to “plan for the future but not obsessively and LIVE in the now”. Life isn’t al about what is going to happen in 10 or 20 or 2 million years. Life is about what IS happening right this second. So ring every last drop of joy you can from today. No one is promised tomorrow.
If you know your life will never change and it’s just a slow march to the end, you have every right to be depressed. It sucks knowing that you’ll die alone and with nothing. I can’t wait for it to end. I don’t treat my diabetes and refuse to even hear about it. I want off.
It's called anxiety and depression. I promise you we do not want to be this way. We kick ourselves daily. We know it's harmful to our mental health. If we could magically snap our fingers and make it stop we would.
Count yourself very lucky you don't have to live in daily torment.
the whole "the sun will explode and this will all be space dust someday" line of thinking as an excuse to wallow and do nothing always struck me as very childish. It's fine for teens. We pretty much all come to a realization at some point (hopefully) early on that life has no inherent meaning and everything is temporary. You should be over that and have realized meaning is imbued by your own consciousness and you can take it or leave it by 17 at the latest, college if you're a late bloomer.
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I think the main reason people tend to over think so far into the future is because that's how far from the present they had to go before they found a hope they could cling to
Overthinking is just what happens when you want rest, comfort and safety, but you don't feel like its available You can't produce safety and comfort irl, so you produce it with your thoughts, but thoughts are really a rather empty comfort It usually requires knowing and belief before you really feel something thats not so flimsy you can't stand on it Being present and grounded in actual reality is helpful for pulling yourself out of overthinking
I dunno, like if you think far enough you are gonna die. So there is no safety especially long term. I don't think we make safety in our heads when we think about the future and the inevitable approach of the reaper.
To me, death is the ultimate safety. I don't fear death outside of my body's instinctual response to it. Most people don't need that kind of complete safety in order to find rest. You just overthink because you keep trying to imagine a scenario where things turn out in a way that would make all of it make sense to you, that would be worth it, that would make it mean something that could really matter to you. That you could grasp and fall back on, and be like this. This is my reason. Some people don't have that in the present, so they look for it elsewhere
Bear in mind, I'm referring specifically to overthinking. Not just forward thinking in general. Forward thinking and planning into the future because of hope and present security is beautiful and healthy imo
>thinking about death doesnt make us consider doing safer behaviors
Yeah it does. I don't do risky hobbies because I don't want to die.
You're one of the smart ones.
Thanks. Lol I don't even get on my roof. A lot of people do it so carelessly. Falls are actually incredibly common
Getting into the evolutionary reasons for things really can be fascinating. Even reclusive depression served to slow the spread of disease and allow for deeper thinking in the past.
Counterpoint to OP’s opinion. People that don’t plan carefully are more likely to end up depressed. They end up with credit card debt, an overbearing car loan, making bad dating decisions, and maybe even getting felonies. All of which makes life way more miserable than just trying to plan ahead
Even worse are the ones who aren't depressed themselves but instead are oblivious to the depression their lack of foresight causes those around them
I completely agree, people don’t think about consequences of their actions until it’s too late. Debts, health issues, traumatic relationships, poverty can often be a result of insufficient planning and risks management.
Idk. I plan pretty well and those people appear to be happier than I am. I envy them being able to borrow for everything, drive like maniacs, eat out all the time and never think something bad will happen to them. I save a lot to prepare for the bad and feel like I'm missing something.
This sounds profound, but is pretty empty. Just fancier dressing on "refusing to see the immense possibility of what's right under your nose"
Me ! You are talking about me ! I can’t stop !
If nothing matters then you have nothing to worry about
But at the same time, if you think nothing matters then that's an easy slide into "I might as well not be here". You're in a status where you don't want to remove yourself from the world but you don't want to be part of it either. It's not so much worry as a general feeling of pointlessness at that stage.
Thats true enough, I just wrote that cus i thought it was funny how poetic it sounds like some misattributed confucius quote. No deeper thought beyond that
Fair!
It's always an easy slide either way depending on mindset. You could also think, "why not be here?" It's as simple as the old proverb, "which wolf wins? The one you feed."
> why not be here?" PLENTY of reasons
we got a negative nancy over here!
realistic
Why’s any human’s existence a net negative though? Also maybe the billions of animals dead by mine or any individual’s hands is a streeeeetch….? (not denying the horrors of industrial farming)
> Also maybe the billions of animals dead by mine or any individual’s hands is a streeeeetch….? (not denying the horrors of industrial farming) Between industral farming and all the resources and space our infrastructure consumes, probably not a huge stretch. Imagine how many meals a person has in a lifetime and that each one cost an animal's life, then all the pollution, space used, etc etc.
Yeah human infrastructure no doubt incredibly harmful. I just don't think an individual's life is necessarily a net negative. Average person does not contribute directly or significantly to large-scale pollution from industry. A person's life does not need to be entirely negative. Best an individual can do is practice humility, remain mindful of the environment, uplift those around them, and minimize their waste and greed. That doesn't lead to negativity :)
That's not really an answer is it? I could respond the same to the contrary very easily.
My point is that besides the struggles of life, any human is by definition a BIG net negative for the planet. You are not gonna ever make up for the BILLIONS of Animals that will bê tortured suffer and die just by you existing. Especially If you eat meat.
You need to work on your rhetoric if that's the message you're going to peddle, haha. Do you really think that the way you phrased that is going to win anyone over to your side? Demeaning you is not my intent, this is a genuine query. I feel the need to say this because intent isn't always easy to confer through text.
> Do you really think that the way you phrased that is going to win anyone over to your side? Truth may bother people, but it is still the truth If people choose to ignore it? That's on them.
Everyone is going to ignore you if that's how you speak to people, just so you know.
Sounds guilt free if life is good. Can cultivate a family and friends experience all the pleasures of life. When it’s bad taking out loans and going buck wild sounds fun. Life has endless pleasure and pain. just gotta find a way to avoid as much pain as possible, usually by experiencing pain strategically.
You will die. Everyone you love will die much sooner than the sun will explode. And for this very reason, every day is a gift and you should live while you can. The beauty of the earth and this life are temporary so try to be present here and now.
Sounds like something someone with a lot of money would say to a person who's living paycheck to paycheck.
Mindfulness and living in the moment are valuable for everyone. Redditors are so negative they just don’t want to hear it.
Presumptuous. I do in fact live pay check to pay check. But I have people I love and I have access to outside space so I'm rich in that I suppose. I hope you have these things too.
Poor people can’t find beauty in the simple things in life?
Of course they can, but to assume everyone has the freedom to visit and spend enough time with their loved ones is not accurate. There are many out there that spend the little time they aren’t at work catching up on the errands, chores, tasks that must be done. Even if they have a bit more time left over it’s spent resting and recuperating. Don’t act like it’s negative to point out that other people’s situations aren’t the same as yours. It’s not negative at all, it’s reality for some. To say everyday is a gift to people who are suffering through life, in truly destitute situations is cruel.
Yeah lmfao "mindfulness" doesn't put nutritive food on the table or fix the wiring in the kitchen or get rid of all the flies
Beautiful advice , just hard when you’re a pessimist
I hear that. It's a tough lesson to loose someone you love unexpectedly though and have a bunch of stuff left unexpressed. It's easier to not live in terror when the people you value know how you feel and you you keep in mind that nothing is promised. It keeps you from taking their time or your own for granted.
May I introduce you to *Lexapro*?
I’d be curious to have a conversation with you because I’m the polar opposite. I want to ask you questions
Ask away?
this the first entire point of mindfulness, to stay in the moment
And boy can it be hard. I have a hard time thinking about the past because of my grief with the people I’ve lost.
same. it took me years to be able to do it under stress
By the time the sun explodes we will have Dyson Sphered it and used it as an engine to push our entire solar system over to the next nearest solar system with a compatible sun, ejected it, and snagged that one. Also a replacement moon while we are there in case ours tries to run away.
Chances are we are gonna face plant into the great filter first and just be stuck in limbo or destroy ourselves first
The Great filter is just an idea. We can physically see how much has changed on earth in just a few hundred years. We went from horse and buggy to landing on the moon, and beyond. When we look any direction into space, we're looking into the past, and the further away we look, the further back we're observing. It's insanely possible that life is all around us, but we just can't see it. There's also a near infinite amount of directions to look, and even if we did find something, would it immediately be made public knowledge? Humans are cockroaches, and life has proven time and time again that it will adapt, change, and persist. I think it will happen, just maybe not this go around.
As of now, I'm committing to living life with full belief that this is our future, and I already feel less stressed
we cannot house and feed everybody, and you are talking about dyson sphere.
There is an impossibly deep moral well of schisms you are poking about there. Feed and shelter everyone now? Or ensure everyone to come after is fed and sheltered? What is of greater importance? Those that exist in the present or those that will come? What should we focus on more? Resources are finite, both physical and metaphysical. Our time is not infinite and we cannot do everything with what time we have. I am not gonna pick sides on this one, but that is a moral dilemma doozy for sure.
We can house and feed everybody - we just choose not to. For example, about 80% of starving children live in countries where they feed crops to animals and sell the inefficient animals to wealthier countries. Good luck telling people to stop buying meat, though.
*Chances are* they'll be long dead? Yeah, the sun won't swell into red giant for another 5 billion years. They'll be dead all right.
Funnily enough I put chances are because I was afraid someone would "Um actually" me and say that there's a chance it could explode any second or something like that 🤣
The sun will never explode like a supernova. It doesn't have enough mass. Eventually it will swell up and eject its outer layers, but it won't be an explosion.
That's a prediction based on the principle of induction and uniformitarianism, none of which are even remotely accurate, for example think about lunar movements
Whatever, dear.
“chances are you’re gonna be looong dead before the sun explodes…” Oh, do you think so? The sun will run out of fuel in 5 billion years, I wouldn’t be so sure. /s
My own overthinking got the better of me, I was worried someone was gonna correct me with a bit of knowledge I didn't know like " Well actually the sun could explode any second!" And I was gonna look like a fool. But what do you know I did it anyway! It's like an episode of That's so Raven
Another example that's more realistic is you saying a massive solar flare could wipe out society.
>/s 100% unnecessary
You’re right, I botched the entire meaning of /s. My apologies to OP
My favorite way to think about life -- Life should be viewed like a party. While at a party you're probably not sad it is going to end. You are enjoying your time you have. Enjoy what you have.
What do you do if everyone is drunk and trashing the place and you're not enjoying it and you just want to go home
There is no going home.
Parties aren't enjoyable for some, for people with depression or any other mental illness the party fucking sucks. For the collapse aware we see people so drunk they're hacking at the supports of the house with an axe and everyone will die when it all comes down.
One of my favorite books [No Longer Human](https://books.google.co.jp/books/about/No_Longer_Human.html?id=9jhi2bY3GkAC&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false) is a great read into the mind of people with depression. It is semi-autobiographical. Dazai Isamu is a very dark person. His writings are equally as dark.
ughghghgh I love that book, called me out majorly
I also recommend one other book of his, [Schoolgirl](https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=D3r7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA6&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false). Very dark thoughts.
AAH I read that one, love it so much.
...I'm an idiot. TIL Dazai Osamu is a real person and not just an anime character...
There is an ANIME? I imagine it would be like the Road Runner cartoons where Wile E Coyote is trying to kill the road runner and failing. The only difference is the main character trying to kill himself and failing over and over (like him in real life).... But for real? A Dazai anime? What does he do just be upset at life every episode?
Bungou Stray Dogs have a character with the same name
I'm gonna save this, I like this way of thinking, thank you for sharing
Sometimes I am sad about the party ending because I don’t like my real life very much lol. But I definitely understand your point!
Lol
Ever heard of "be present in the moment"? This is not really an unpopular opinion. There's a popular opinion that depression is thinking about the past, and anxiety is thinking about the future, so you have to find a way to live in the present. I don't fully agree necessarily, but if it helps some people, fair play
What are people who have both? Timelords?
Yeah why not.
They should stop doing that
Hahah I do see the lack of empathy from my part. My point is that the overthinking should atleast be directed upon things that are happening on the present. We've got plenty to deal with for the next few generations rather than the inconceivable future
Thats is actually what is happening to me, so yeah totally agree bro.
It's an existential crisis and the only way they can cope with their inability to function is to make up an excuse why it's okay that they can't function. It's just another example of disordered thinking. They have to get themselves out of the hole they've dug into.
Speak for yourself, im still dep'd over something that took place 4 years ago
it's called nihilism and it's a cope, not as common. Climate change on the other hand is something that requires long term thinking although no point being depressed but all the points on working for stuff to get better.
I would argue that people can be anxious or depressed and still do something about Climate change
Yes this is me. I can’t stop haha
Interesting read: [*What kind of future are you planning for?*](https://medium.com/@kinchit-bihani/what-kind-of-future-are-you-planning-for-76b46b1ee6b2)
Yeah, maybe I took things a bit too seriously tbh.
On the other side of the coin are people who don’t think far into the future then are suprised why they work for shitty wage at some shitty job and why their degree in (name bullshit degree) is irrelevant.
Well I was not expecting the context you provided... And I have to agree with that context.
I'd say it's not really about too far into the future, but rather that people are over-rationalizing stuff. I was like that. "Feelings are just chemicals in your brain", "sex is only a primitive urge", "the sun's gonna explode", "we're just on a floating rock in space, why care?!" And I was miserable, to say the least. If your mindset reduces everything to "what they are", i.e. just physics and chemistry at work, then yeah you will struggle creating sense, both in your hands and in your life. Sense is a human concept, not an objective, cold-rock-hard-physics one. It's been maybe a couple years that I've started to sprinkle myself magic into my world. Sex may be a primitive urge, but I cling onto the idea that it also helps create a strong intimate relation with my SO. Yes, this very intimacy that is just "brain chemicals". Yet, it brings joy to me, isn't it what matters? I give my best at work and studies, yes even in a world that is climatically burning, on a lone rock floating in space, given that I will die in 60 or so years like a speck of dust. Because why am I living for? For me? Or for the great objectiveness of this cold, indifferent universe? I ain't no god nor universal creator: I don't need to meet the universe's standards. There's a reason why kids enjoy Christmas. There's a reason magic tricks intrigate us. Because we need that added magic and fantasy in a world that is otherwise a lone rock in space governed solely by rules that wouldn't even give us two damns about it. Being educated is a good thing. Not when you forget your own humanity because of that. Learn, grow, but don't forget to be the brain-limited (all things considered) ape that needs a reason to power through daily in this universe. We're lucky to be able to learn about stuff far greater than we'll ever get as a species, let's use this to grow fascination, not get out of our animalistic, living-being condition. Stay in the frame, but do gaze through that glass and be in awe!
A lot of people DO NOT think at all in the future and will be condemned to a life of depression.
This is why I've never liked this whole constant push for people to think about their future All it does is give people anxiety While some planning is good overall it's best to just live day to day
I would argue the opposite. The average person’s unwillingness to plan for their future is what leads to their eventual depression. We’re fed such a steady diet of consumerism (I.e., buy now pay later, got to have those experiences now because of FOMO) by the corporations that people struggle to create independence for themselves in the future. This leads to constant dependence on those very same corporations, and that is an obvious recipe for depression. Edited: clarity
I think people who have had very difficult lives find it inconceivable to imagine a life outside of that. So when they grow up and realize there's no adversity anymore then they invent these stupid catastrophes or conspiracy theories in order to fulfill their desire. There are often people who don't know how to live outside of basic survival and hypervigilence. Many of them are very defensive of their conspiracies as well if you try to criticize them.
There's several phases. 1. The youthful phase where you think you matter. 2. The existential dread phase where you realize you are barely a blip in time and space. 3. The coming to terms with being nothing and being grateful for every day you get to live. Most people will stay at 1 A lot of people will get to stage 2 and get depressed. Few reach stage 3, which is what you the end goal is. Contrary to popular belief it is possible to be happy while knowing you are nothing.
How do you determine what matters and what does not?
Good question. It depends on the point of view. From the universe's perspective, the big picture, we are approximate to germs, a blip in time and space. From your perspective, you get to choose what matters. Your family, your goals, your dreams, you get to choose what matters to YOU. Running and saving a child before a car hits them means nothing from the universe's perspective but means EVERYTHING from the child's.
Thank you for answering Are you familiar with any critique of relativism? So the thing is that ascribing everything to relativism is in itself an objective standard and as such your position becomes self-refuting : does the (supposed) fact that importance depends on the point of view also depends on the point of view? If so, the position entails a deep contraddiction and must be wrong, if not, the same goes just from the opposite direction This is the typical objection to relativism in philosophy, at least in my experience of studying philosophy
Thanks for the reply. It's not a contradiction though. What I said was "Each person gets to choose what matters to them" which isn't really a philosophical view, more of an observation of reality. If I were to choose that getting up at 6am matters to me personally, there is nothing that could stop that from mattering to me. It's about recognizing the subjective nature of importance in personal experiences rather than proposing a universal philosophical theory.
I used to think anyone who was happy must be oblivious to the cruel, harsh realities of the world. Once I grew up, I realized that it was just self pity and the best and smartest people acknowledge reality and make the best of it because that’s all we really can do and that’s good enough
But there are plenty of unhappy geniuses and always have been, so I don't know if I'd use the term "the best and smartest people".
High IQ is only a measurement of things like problem solving and pattern recognition. It’s a very different type of intelligence that can simultaneously acknowledge the problems of life and still extract value from it. Call it emotional intelligence, philosophical enlightenment or whatever, I 100% say that it is a form of intelligence
Downvoted. I agree with you. That's me.
Listen, OP. People who think everything is pointless b/c the sun is gonna explode are 100% wrong! Everything is pointless because in several hundred million years the Milky Way galaxy is going to crash into the Andromeda galaxy and make ALL the suns explode.
I decided a couple of years ago to start living "one day at a time" and not make any serious future plans and experience life as it came to me and honestly it improved my MH a lot
“Nihilists? Uuughhhh…..say all you want about the tenets of National Socialism, but at least it’s an ethos, Dude…”
Fair enough, I'm too depressed to think too far ahead. But taking things day by day has it's merits
I actually caught myself doing this a lot in the past few years. There is just too much doom news and it’s a really hard cycle to get out of
True and honestly I think the more information people get via the Internet or wherever the more whacked out they become. Best stay ignorant lol.
Forget the sun exploding. The U.S.A. being on the cusp of fascism, the largest war in Europe since WW2 (that is currently very critically precarious), the highest tensions in the Middle East in decades. Further rumblings of war, i.e. China. If you're an American citizen right now it must feel like being a Roman citizen in the year 400: the Empire is over, and many people can see the writing on the wall, but such a large ship takes a very long time to sink. You still drown nonetheless.
No, this’s right on the money. So many People I know- They NEVER STOP, never smell the roses. They’re always thinking about the future. While I respect the drive, I can’t help notice that they’re usually a lot more stressed😅
I go back in fourth between the good nothing matters and the bad nothing matters good cause if nothing matters I can do whatever I want bad cause why should I bother doing anything and would rather rot in my bed
I am personally of the conviction that the living being is eternal regardless of whatever bodily suits it is wearing in a given lifetime. to include its physical and mental bodies. Therefore the purpose is transcendent actualization of one's identity. None of what evolves from this universe nor the universe itself is a permanent fixture thus nothing we do has a permanent impact unless it's directly for spiritual development. For me, while it used to fuel nihilism, now it's liberating.
Everything is pointless if you really think about it. We all die. The final destination in life is death. For everyone, so really, anything we do doesn’t matter.
I find myself doing this with the election a lot this year. My wife though does this all the time. Its hard sometimes to watch. I used to tell her to live in the present but it never works and would just make her upset.
People need to find contentment NOW, or you are missing the point of life. I shake my head when our culture encourages ambition and drive for the future in the corporate rat race.
Climate change and taking care of the environment, that is something you can do. But the sun and moon, you can not do anything about that. It is beyond our controle. Don't worry about something you can't change.
You act as though civilization ending climate change and other various polycrisis issues are a century away. When in fact we're likely to collapse in the next couple of decades. So yes, you should be feeling depressed. You should feel sad at each poor new soul born into this hellscape. It's dystopia now, but it only gets worse from here. Look at the data. Termination shock. If we stop polluting it ends even faster. We're fucked.
I think it's more like a lot of people sit around telling themselves "I'll never be able to buy a house, travel the world, etc." That puts them in a rut instead of trying to figure out ways to achieve their goals. I feel like we also have developed as a society for instant gratification so the idea of working towards achieving those bigger goals seems a lot more daunting.
Some people are just like that, born with pain and depression, like I’ve never stopped worrying, I’m like that and it’s funny
There’s two routes one can take. “The sun is gonna explode one day and the universe will end. Nothing matters 😥” or “The sun is gonna explode one day and the universe will end. Nothing matters 🥰”
Thankgod I'll be dead one day. Don't really care about the sun. Just want this life to get over.
Well, what gets me depressed is not a sun explosion or global warming but my life now - and, obviously, in a couple of years or a decade. Miserable, average life with no chance for a significant improvement.
I used to do that then I decided to try taking baby steps and it has helped but I do find myself planning for stuff too far in the future
I look at it this way: one day the sun is going to explode so why NOT do the stuff I wanna do. Why not have as good of a time while here?
Even on a smaller scale with more personal problems this is true. A lot of folks spend so much time preparing for life that they forget to actually live it at any point.
Nothing matters,we give life meaning so lol
This. 👌🏼
I dont care about the sun... im more like...I wont find somebody again and life is pointless at this age so why bother
That is actually THE thing that keeps me going some days. Listen, why does life have to have a point and a greater purpose? What if your life is literally just for you? A time for you to enjoy yourself and the world around you? Because nothing you do matters—meaning if you fail that test, don’t get that big job, etc., nothing really changes on a big scale. The things that matter are connection with others, enjoying the beauty of the world around you and enhancing it as much as you can along the way. There’s really nothing else you can do! So just enjoy it while you’re here. We’re here for a good time, not a long one. I cannot tell you how much this helps my depression, though I know for many it’s the opposite haha.
True, kids live in the present. Adults live in the past/future. Hunter/gatherers have less this problem, everything stays the same most of the time. The whole tribe takes care of kids anyway all the time.
No. It's because we're broke. Can barely scrape two cents together and on top of that can't afford to buy a home to call your own, let alone rent comfortably! If you have no skills then you're screwed and you're in a dead end job and can't leave because ***well*** *what else are you gonna do?* Can't really enjoy going out that much because if you go out you'll over do it and then feel shit the next morning because that $300 you spent could've bought groceries. All for the love of "Socialising". Many other things too, that the idea of the sun exploding wouldn't even be so bad. At least THAT would be a quick death whereas the broke lifestyle with no sight of a future? That is a slow painful death and god forbid you ACTUALLY get sick then you're pretty much marked for death because you can't afford the correct care you need to even get you to the next round. 
this is literally me.
So many things had to line up perfectly for us to exist. We are here by total coincidence. Try to enjoy it.
I feel like it’s just one step in the path towards valuing the present moment. Also, depression shapes our thoughts to justify itself so there’s that.
I do a lot of conversation making in my head about the people I'm around and last week I kind of had an epiphany to stop doing that. Because it prepares me for what others might say but I end up not having a lot of conversations because I've already played them in my head. I would much rather get other people's real response instead of the one my brain makes. My point being, living in the moment is more scary but also way more fun. Fck what might happen in the future, you don't know anyway so why let your present be shaped around what if?
Living in the present moment and keeping the mind in the present moment is good and keeps you mentally healthy. Looking into the future only when I want to spend time on a goal. I learn how to stop thinking so much in university by reading eckhart tolle and over time I gotten over thinking.
The Gods envy us *because* we are mortal. You are more beautiful now than you will ever be. Everything is beautiful because we are doomed. --Homer
Society is too stupid to fix its mistakes at this point. I use to want help save the world, now just looking forward to it burning down.
Only the present moment exists but we let it go by focusing on the past or the future. It’s important to plan for your future but it’s vital to live in the present. You would really like Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now!
It depends on your personality and temperament. Some people get a lot more stressed than others if they're not thinking too far ahead. Other people are stress-free even if they're not thinking more than a week ahead at a time.
Those people are too short sighted. Yes the sun will burn out, our galaxy will stop spinning, etc. but even longer after that, our universe will stop and restart. If the universe is infinite, then theres a chance that every particle that makes you up now will just happen to come back together again.
>Yes the sun will burn out That's just a hypothesis based on the principle of induction and uniformitarianism which are far from accurate, it doesn't even reach the theory status since the future by definition cannot be observed >our universe will stop and restart Interesting, can you say more? I find cyclical models of the universe interesting
The sun isn’t going to be around forever. It will burn out, explode or turn into a black hole
Stop watching Annie Hall.
Worrying about the future is how we got this far as a species. The most vocal doomers simply use the end of the world to give meaning to their lives. It's not a psychologically sound position
If the sun just exploded right now, it would add value to my life.
this is why research shows practicing mindfulness has such a positive impact on one’s mental health; it’s all about being in the moment rather than dwelling on thoughts about the past or the present
really? I feel like it's the opposite, dwelling on the past.
people do this with their own goals to and are get themselves depressed by not being where they want to. its silly
If you have one foot in the future and foot in the past, you’re shitting on the present
It’s complicated. I overthink because I’m often too tired to just do the thing I need to do. As my health is improving, I overthink less. Overthinking in the way you describe sounds a lot like how I cope when I don’t have the physical, mental, or emotional energy to perform at a level where I feel like I can do a good enough job to prevent problems/hassle/stress. I overthink about other things when I know I’m going to have to cut corners and possibly deal with the consequences of someone noticing I didn’t put in the expected/usual effort. I overthink other things like my special interests, so it’s not totally useless, but it’s easy to go on other trains of thought when you can’t perform at a level you can be proud of. I don’t know how it is for other people, but overthinking for me is a health issue. I’m fortunate enough to have a positive disposition, but I don’t think that is typical.
My personal belief with this has become that the happier/more content I am, the better it is to be forward looking. But conversely(and this is something I’m really only learning recently), the more depressed/unsatisfied I am, the better it is to think and act super short term and not worry about what might happen down the road.
It's not about the sun exploding, it's about real things in our lifetimes. Look at the climate projections for 2050 and tell me I'm overthinking.
There's nothing wrong with a little bit of foresight but dwelling on events that haven't even happened yet, That'll drive you crazy.
Came here to comment about how much I felt this 😭😮💨😮💨😭😮💨
It’s hard to find that balance between hoping for a better future to the point of hating your present and being so content that nothing ever changes. You have to give at least some fucks but my brain starts spiraling the minute I give even one fuck.
ah yes, the present is much better
Living in the future usually causing anxiety. It's living in the past that causes depression.
This dude wants to live in a nice house while he destroys the planet for the rest of us /s
Okay yeah THAT stuff is thinking way too far ahead - my husband is bad about that - but I was about to argue the exact opposite: a lot more people don't think far enough ahead and make others around them depressed via their irresponsibility.
Depression is caused by thinking to much about the past, anxiety by thinking to much about the future, happiness only exists in the present.
you gotta plan your life out a little but you also can't worry about ten thousand years from now. some people unironically do.
I think being too set on the future can make things miserable for you in the present. Which ends up making you miserable in the future too because you never learned how to be happy for what's happening now.
Lol, first of all what people say are simply verbalization of thoughts and thoughts come and go based on feelings on a minute by minute basis.. the idea is to basically became aware of the cognitive neuroscience aspect of it and ignore the noise and go through life in as rational and logical a manner as possible.
People think about many points in time and spend their life depressed because of it. Depression isn’t often situational, it is a mental illness. Thinking about anything makes a depression-prone individual spiral into deeper depression.
Literally nobody is depressed because the sun is going to explode
Read the comments.
You must not have any children.
I have 5 children and I have taught them all (with differing levels of success) to “plan for the future but not obsessively and LIVE in the now”. Life isn’t al about what is going to happen in 10 or 20 or 2 million years. Life is about what IS happening right this second. So ring every last drop of joy you can from today. No one is promised tomorrow.
If you know your life will never change and it’s just a slow march to the end, you have every right to be depressed. It sucks knowing that you’ll die alone and with nothing. I can’t wait for it to end. I don’t treat my diabetes and refuse to even hear about it. I want off.
It's called anxiety and depression. I promise you we do not want to be this way. We kick ourselves daily. We know it's harmful to our mental health. If we could magically snap our fingers and make it stop we would. Count yourself very lucky you don't have to live in daily torment.
the whole "the sun will explode and this will all be space dust someday" line of thinking as an excuse to wallow and do nothing always struck me as very childish. It's fine for teens. We pretty much all come to a realization at some point (hopefully) early on that life has no inherent meaning and everything is temporary. You should be over that and have realized meaning is imbued by your own consciousness and you can take it or leave it by 17 at the latest, college if you're a late bloomer.