The Psychology of Collapse

[@gilanapatrick]

"Yes, I'm inventing a word; that's what language is for," THANK YOU!!!

[@gabriellachaviva]

I was definitely in the “despair” camp for awhile and needed to pull myself out of it. I’ve gotten pretty involved with a local community fridge mutual aid that has been invigorating for me, definitely part of that “outer path” approach.

[@Andrewism]

Happy to hear that! Community fridges are so important, especially in this difficult time.

[@Goofy8907]

​@@AndrewismI know this might be an impossible question to answer, but a friend of mine is waking up and is receptive for information I want to send her some videos so she can slowly start to wake up more Do you have like a good 2-5 vids you recommend? We got into the topic by her posting on ig that people would eat shit if the media/politicians/powerful told them to I asked her if she's an anarchist She said probably not...although it seems to make a lot of sense, however she's uncertain if it'd work in practice I asked her if she's intersted in knowing more and she said please So now I want to ease her into it It would help me a lot too, thanks!

[@RaspberryPastry]

I'm kinda surprised there wasn't a whole segment dedicated to rage, since that's kinda where I ended up post stage five. Loud and mad as hell and doing what I can to inform people and help any way I can and get people to see the problem and put their fists up so they're not swinging in the dark. I think I went more that way because before any kind of awareness of the system I had to use righteous anger to learn to stop tolerating the intolerable and get out of my abusive home life, and that kinda made it "easy" to transfer what I knew about recognizing the same narcissistic patterns towards a society that actively rewards the most heinous of all with power and money. When you mentioned pining after ignorance I had to stop what I was doing because of how scary accurate that read was, I just had that exact conversation with my son not even two days ago, so I guess it's a comfort to know other people deal with that too. I guess I'm weirdly lucky I was absolutely never gonna put my blind faith in anyone, considering I had to grow past my own parents at an early age, but damn it makes it hard to let my guard down. Thanks for the video, it really helps just knowing I'm not 100% insane for dealing with this specific line of issues

[@FigureOnAStick]

I personally think that the inner and outer paths that you describe are a bit of a false dichotomy, mostly because they themselves are interconnected solutions. The inner path, as you mention, always has a danger of becoming a form of self-serving individualism, where your eye is turned so inward that you ignore everything else. At the same time though, being able to process the weight of the situation we're in requires a very strong inner character, which really can only be built by oneself. At the same time, many an attempt at the outer path has failed precisely because the people working on them lacked the appropriate character for the task, and failed in their mission because of it. Both are needed to succeed. The interconnectedness of the world's problems do not end just outside our head.

[@Andrewism]

I agree completely.

[@moksound19]

I think Andrew's differentiation is basically accurate in practice. In theory you can do both, and we're always talkin about sustainable, distributed work, self care, avoiding burnout. But the truth is that it takes a lot of work to organize, our opponent has incredible advantage, and theres so few of us... I've found its intensely difficult to pursue both for this reason. Especially if you're workin full time and organizing in between.

[@The_Skrongler]

Yeah I've definitely noticed that inner growth is necessary in order to work harder and more effectively against outer problems. Being in a constant state of overwhelment at the shear scope of it all is not conducive to good praxis. I wish I had good ideas and resources to share about how to get through that stage, but I'm honestly in the middle of it right now.

[@gewreid5946]

Sometimes, you need to walk down the "inner path" for a good long while until you reach a bifurcation that leads to the "outer path". And sometimes you reach an obstacle on the "outer path" you have to circumvent on the "inner path".

[@TheStratfish]

@@gewreid5946 well said!

[@QuiteWellAdjusted]

I was in "fuck it, let's just go extinct and get it over with" GigaDoomer Universal Suicidality for a long, long time. I've been on an internal path ever since. In a way, I think we all have to be on an internal path before we can really go onto any external path. I fell into ancient Stoic philosophy and it has been enormously helpful, because it reminds me of a few things. 1) There are limits on your own reach. Wishing you could be the Hero and the Martyr who Saves the World will never make it so. Look to what you can do, not what you wish you could do. 2) You have certain duties simply by virtue of being alive and a human being. You have a duty to care for yourself and those in your circle. 3) Everything in the universe is connected. Each of us is part of the larger whole. When you imagine yourself to be just one moving part in a massive cosmic machine that has been running for billions of years, it takes the pressure off. Basically, I am figuring out ways to convince myself that humanity will survive in some way and in some form no matter what happens and, by committing myself to doing right by the other lives that my life touches, I can do my part to bend the arc of the future toward real justice.

[@catgirlhell]

Aw man, yeah, probably needed to hear this one! I like to think that i'm too angry to have gone full doomer yet, but I definitely felt the apathy and despair responses. The amount of Awful Stuff that we just get soaked with on a daily basis is murder on the senses, and it's pretty hard to stay optimistic or even just sober at times. That being said, I think that we owe it to ourselves just as much as those around us to step back every now and again and say "Fuck it, we're gonna find a way through this anyway." Not in a blind faith that things will shake out, but as an affirmation that we won't be deterred from trying to make the world a better place.

[@tavenstrickert9658]

This really meant a lot to me because I fall into despair and addictive consumerism far to frequently when overwhelmed. I think I'm just afraid all the time of so many things. This video was sobering, genuine, and, in its own way, calming. I found your channel while trying to find diverse voices so I could better understand and be an ally to those in my community and I'm so glad I came upon you, I've learned so much from this and other videos.

[@sorrydudebros]

Well, after watching this, I can honestly say I am the hedonist. Staying informed has only put me further into the "well, might as well party before it's gone" mindset. This video gives me hope, not hope that everything will be all fine and dandy in a few years, but hope that we aren't out of time and can still drag ourselves by the heel to prepare for such suffering. I've had no one and nothing to occupy my thoughts besides my family and what the internet has to offer, so knowing that there is still a chance to brace for the inevitable without just throwing ones' self at it as if you will painlessly pass through makes things easier to digest. Definitely going to be something I rewatch.

[@careyhickerson5077]

This is a fantastic framework. Definitely reached stage 5 sometime in the past year or so and it's rough. I want to choose the balanced realism path but there are still lots of those pesky things weighing me down. Spending all my energy at a full time job certainly doesn't help things.

[@acobster]

I feel this so deeply. One of these days I'm going to quit my job and start a coop.

[@MossTunic]

that's definitely part of capitalism's plan- if we're too exhausted from working to barely scrape by, how can we have energy or time to think about these issues & do something about them 👀

[@Anark]

You are absolutely brilliant. Your work continually impresses me in its revolutionary empathy.

[@tombastic5641]

I totally agree.

[@thephilguy1]

It's so hard to move toward balanced realism because you *need* other people to go with you. All my friends and the people directly around me are stuck on an earlier stage, or the ones who internalize the Predicament are in hedonism (myself included), apathy, or blind hope/despair. It's the only way to cope with knowing that nothing you do as an individual will be enough. How do you find the people that makes the outer path possible? The only people I know with clarity are people I talk to over the internet. We are far away and dispersed from each other, not sharing in any local reality. This is the root of the "terminally online" phenomenon I imagine - no shared collective framework of understanding or template for action. Genuinely would like to hear what others think about this.

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

I feel I'm in a similar phase. I have some hope I might be able to find a relatively apolitical way of helping, so I can pick up some community (and maybe radicalize them :] ) and make myself useful even in my pretty conservative area. But in the meantime I've become a pacing raving existential crisis for just about everyone I know. I need to touch grass so badly, and I know it, but it is indeed very difficult to start living a community-based ideology without a community :(

[@jackneison]

I'm in the process of binge watching everything you've done. This channel is soooo fucking good and doesn't have enough subs. I've shared some of the videos on Facebook, but KZbin vids don't tend to get much reach on FB. As a white American leftist, I'm fully aware that Black and Indigenous voices don't get the amplification and platforms not only that they deserve, but that the left desperately requires. Most of Breadtube is white people, and while some of the content is really good (and some not so good at all), most of these folks simply platform each other and often give no attention to important channels like yours and the necessary educational work you're doing. I'm gonna do my best to point more people your way whenever I can, and I hope others do as well. In the meantime, please keep doing what you're doing so long as you personally have the desire and capacity to do it. I really appreciate it! Love and solidarity!

[@corpsehandler5321]

fun fact, i used to think it was called breadtube because they were all white. you can laugh, it's dumb and funny.

[@briannawenger9654]

Thank you, very much, for your open-minded and nuanced content. Stage 5 for me has been accompanied with a lot of fear of the communal aspects of the 'second path.' Not to make up excuses, but I'm on the autism spectrum, and have a history of abuse trauma that's left me DEEPLY distrustful of others. As much as I WANT to join the communal advocacy for change, every attempt I've made has been awkward, terrifying, and exhausting... which leads to further unhealthy coping mechanisms. I've been watching your videos today, and greatly appreciate your inclusion of introversion in reform. It's something I don't think I've ever seen acknowledged in leftist circles beyond deranged New-Age spiritualist & Western ideals of individualism. (I value interdependence, but I need my space.) It's... comforting to think that what I've settled on - self-healing and acts of kindness within my community - is a valid way of addressing the collapse. ^_^

[@rileytimes]

This was extremely good. I never had a name for my responses before, and even just having that was helpful. Thank you.

[@sadicalradness6927]

It just feels like, no matter what you do or decide, you're never actually going to be doing the right thing, either for yourself or for others. If you're aware of and care about the "Predicament', it feels like you should be doing everything in your power and devoting your life to what you feel is the best solution. But at the same time, it seems unfair to ask someone to upend whatever plans they might have had for their lives (kids, family, hobbies, career if that's your thing) to combat the 'Predicament' - what about personal happiness, mental health, etc? Then you come to compromise, but isn't compromise ultimately still just a betrayal of your ideals? Basically I sometimes feel like the only ethical thing for me to do is to like abandon my life and all my possessions and move to the nearest woods and "live off the land" with as many people as I can convince to join me, and while I'm sure that's an incredibly appealing idea for a lot of people it sounds awful to me. And I feel bad for not wanting it. It also feels impossible to take a moment to sit with this problem and think through it, or to take time to focus on my mental health and build it up to the point where I can actually have this conversation, because every moment that you're not working towards a solution, you're participating in the problem and making it worse. So not only does it feel like you **have** to make this decision to completely change your life, but you have to make it RIGHT NOW.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

lol same

[@aidanallen1976]

lol same

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

If it makes you feel any better I think I feel the exact opposite. Technically I believe I can probably live most efficiently and make the biggest difference by living in town in an apartment building, biking to work, and bullying my city council into putting in bike paths, public transportation, and forcing HOAs to allow gardens, chickens, solar panels, and clotheslines. But what I really really want to do is go disappear and live in a cabin in the remote wilderness, planting a food forest and writing fiction novels by a wood stove.

[@klaratehcoolcat]

That's crazy my bf and I were just talking the other day and he feels rational and proud to take the pessimistic approach and forced me to argue how much good there is in the world, like rojava. Then made him read abt it the next day😂😂

[@moksound19]

For those that worry that they're aware, but gripped with despair and depression, I have a suggestion that might change things. Seek out training to organize your workplace. Any training. 2 day Intensives are best. Seminars are decent. Books are necessary over time either way. Organizong for power is difficult, but you will be proud of it, and nothing can take that from you. You will know that you are doing the crucial, necessary work.

[@BookWyrmOnAString]

What do I do if I'm a student?

[@moksound19]

@@BookWyrmOnAString helping to organize around issues at school is great. And the practice you gain there will carry straight over to the workplace or future movements.

[@LOGICZOMBIE]

What you call "Leader Worship", I call "THE HERO MYTH".

[@NotHPotter]

Those Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics got me right in the oof.

[@jacktensley1652]

This feels good to hear. I've organized a community garden and we manage 8 plots. I also made a zine that I drop in the free little libraries to agitate. Even little stuff like that helps, and talking to people in your community regularly is clutch. I haven't had a goal more than agitating and building community connections, but I'm gonna think about it. Good stuff, thanks!

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

What's a zine?

[@jarekb8622]

It’s so hard some days and I try not to be a doomer but the deadline for climate change has been passed and I don’t see any societal change before a collapse of the state due to rising sea levels happening. Rising sea levels are the least of the problems with how fragile food and energy production systems are. Billions of people will die if the states that have caused this collapse aren’t dismantled immediately which I don’t see happening anytime soon. All that upon the fact that I have a family and am already finding it difficult to survive in the core of the empire. Your channel helps in at least knowing there are some somewhat like minded people out there

[@camazotzz]

This is one of your best videos! This channel has started out strong and only improved from there.

[@ajbulbulia]

But in all honesty, I really want to thank you for making this. We're going through the most in South Africa at the moment and this was a welcome source of reprieve.

[@themnk8107]

This is beautiful. I adore your voice & accent and I love this Metamodernistic take on our current paradigms. Please continue producing these art pieces, these are inspiring contributions to our ongoing efforts towards a greater, brighter future. Much love and prosperity, brother. 🙏💛

[@user-yn3qv5vn3i]

I'm sure I'm not the first to say this, but I think most people fall into multiple responses to collapse rather than just one. I can find myself doing three or four of these in a day, even polar opposites sometimes. I don't think you really meant to frame it like people pick one and stick to it, but I never heard you mention the idea of doing multiple

[@Toxonic0Gaming]

Tremendous video, Andrew. I like most of what you put up, to be fair, but this one in particular struck a chord with me. I've had a vague idea for a project that involved something like a combination of the two paths for a while now, and this video has motivated me to actually make something out of it. Thank you! I also have a really good friend who's going through a very tough time right now, and I think this video will be helpful to them. Keep doing what you're doing man!

[@acobster]

A young Zen monk approached his master excitedly. "Master Joshu!" he cried, "It is my first morning at the temple. Please, tell me how to achieve enlightenment! I'm so eager to reach Nirvana! So please, Master Joshu, how do I do it?" Master Joshu looked at him plainly and said, "Did you eat breakfast this morning?" Hesitating, the young monk replied, "Yes...Master." Master Joshu smiled and said simply, "Wash your bowl."

[@finishedarticle7953]

First, enlightenment ... then the laundry.

[@River_StGrey]

The way you phrase it, it seems like you think Despair follows from the actions of those under the influence of it. But for every organizer I know or have worked with who has stopped fighting, the process went: Exhaustion--> Rationalize the exhaustion with Despair so as to 'rest'---> despairing behaviors that rationalize the Despair. I think self-healing ties into countering that, where you genuinely rest and refocus, but when someone is in a state of despair, understanding it as a conscious choice isn't super helpful to reinvigoration or inspiring someone to reclaim their agency. Granted, this doesn't apply to people who opt for despair without having organized, failed, organized again, failed again, etc. It took me so long to reach a point of despair through so many failed attempts that I don't really understand people who fall into Despair without having the experience for it. Otherwise, largely agree, and listening to this was oddly cathartic and helpful.

[@kazmine6831]

Thank you for talking about this, no one seems to talk about it! Since pandemic started I found myself facing everything that's happening and seeing no one else doing it, I almost felt gaslight

[@thekingoffailure9967]

This is an incredibly lonely problem. Since the day this video was posted, and a bit before, I've been trying to connect with people who feel the same way. I live in Winnipeg, trying to connect with local orgs. No one is able to accept me as a 21 year old who is so deep into the world's problems. There are no landing pads for youth like me. Hell, it seems like there isn't anyone who hasn't been through university that understands capitalism is as big of a problem as it is. I'm worrying about necropolitics and fascism on the horizon. My peers are worried about their grades, their girlfriend who they've known for a month, and think racism is bad but haven't comprehended systemic racism and white supremacy. I feel like talking to my peers is grooming them into this incredibly depressive worldview. And yet I have to. It's my duty. The biosphere is collapsing. Housing prices are insane. Neoliberal schools are engraining grindset culture into their souls. I don't know what to do. The internet is a truly lonely place.

[@charmycharmcharms698]

This gave me a lot of clairty and words to express what I'm going through. Because of the shitty bills that happened, I kind of speedran the awareness process on June 2023. I was overwhelmed for a straight week, and I've jumped between being overwhelmed, hedonistic, blindly hopeful, (in all ways), despair,. I was tempted to..end it all many times, or fall back into slumber but I simply couldnt because I recognised the privilege in that action. It doesn't help that I have really bad executive function disorder that comes with my autism that already hindered me when II was still dead asleep, and all I had to worry about was school and pursuing my dream as a novelist. Watching videos by you and other leftists have helped me solidify and ground myself in the reality of the situation. I'm trying to write down action plans for when I try to walk the Balanced Path next year , and I've been emailing people who are available to hopefully do mutual aid. I'm still mentally grappling with everything and I still am bouncing between these responses but, at least I know where to start. Its gonna be a long journey but it comforts to know im not alone, and that people already are doing the work.

[@suolainenomena7631]

I really needed this. Thank you ❤️

[@isaacreyes4010]

A L G O R I T H M

[@organMike]

I love your message - but also I adore the artworks you use. It makes a beautiful video.

[@andrewcarter5531]

Reminds me of Ewatomi Abara's piece "Before the Collapse: Optimism and Pessimism"

[@joeyj6808]

This video was great on many levels, and I agree with almost all of your points. Well done!

[@Wamsuo58u]

🖤❤️

[@something-from-elsewhere]

Overwhelment, Despair, and been trying my best to go far enough down the inner path to where I can manage the outer path. I tried the outer path and that pretty much lead me to where I am. But that's where I ultimately want to reside.

[@Cibershadow2]

Keep fighting the good fight! We may trip and fall along the way, but this is the only path towards walking

[@art-ificialblon-die7013]

A successful revolution requires creativity, and that is what the psychology of collapse lacks (except Balanced Realism). We all like a good story that solidifies, and further affirms our place in the world. The modern myth, so that we can feel a belonging by rooting ourselves to a specific perspective due to the inability to embrace flux and the potential for meaningful change. The future is still a largely shadowy place, despite the prognosis of doom, but it doesn’t predict things that can be changed, dealt with, controlled. It is mostly our responses. To put it in context, this is the hero’s journey for humanity as a whole. We noticed that the world is shit, so it calls for an adventure. And a main part of adventure is uncertainty, and this very aspect is what promotes growth, in conjunction with the right attitude. A heroic confrontation with the unknown. This is what I think should be espoused by all revolutionary movements. The manifestation of our creative instincts and imagination into the arts and philosophies. A realisation of the revolutionary spirit.

[@porridgeramen7220]

I hope you see this, I just wanted to say that you are doing a fantastic public service. Thank you for your radical optimism and inspiration.

[@raywharton9425]

I figure Chefurka's estimate that each stage has 10% the population of the one below it was tolerably accurate at the dawn of the century, but the first stage has become considerably less common, its almost certainly a minority in the United States at this point.

[@loispowellmusic]

Can you retitle this video. Here’s what you can do to save the world… etc. because I feel lots of people (including me) see that there’s a problem but have no idea what to do. This video guides me in a direction so I can get started instead of being paralysed by confusion.

[@Grace-jb7me]

I typically like your videos but I feel like some of the points you discussed were broad generalizations. Someone can be excited for the apocalypse and still be working to make the world a better place. If anything folks who are anticipating the end are just responding to the realization that there's only so much they can do on an individual/community level. And as you state in this video it's impossible for one person to come up with all the solutions to the problems of the world and that we need to work in community to make it happen. If most people in the world are inactive and complacent in creating change, embracing the possibility that the end could happen is a sound and rational conclusion that people have to make peace with. People respond with organizing, advocacy, and reform as a way to combat that outcome of civilization collapse. It takes creativity to imagine where all worse case scenarios as our future reality in order to create sustainable solutions in the long-term. These pessimists are a critical asset in helping us reimagine a better world. That segment really rubbed me the wrong way and just wanted to call you out on it.

[@norteydowuona4681]

The world ended a loooooong time ago. But we are still here, so we might as well change the system we live in. Great video man.

[@karastella3384]

Inner Path suggestions: The work that reconnects (Active Hope book and workshops to deal with climate grief collectively). Nonviolent communication training (book and workshops to learn to give oneself and others empathy. How to listen to people so they feel heard. How to ask for what you need. How to make collective consensus. If some humans survive collapse, this is a key skill...just ask anyone who has tried to live communally. But if we don't and things get worse, we still need great communication skills) Internal Family Systems therapy (books and therapeutic process to support people in healing their trauma so they have more capacity to deal with challenge. As the challenges increase, the more capacity we have to deal, the better)

[@bisexualharry]

All of this art is so perfectly descriptive of what you're saying. Cool!!

[@robertcook7353]

I feel like I've went through all of these stages. This has been very introspective for me so thanks

[@Amalgamotion]

Thank you, for being a part of the solutions. For offering a bit of water to those thirsty for the rejuvenation of our society and the spaceship we call earth.

[@w1lstar.b425]

I can't remember where I I heard it, but I've always liked the saying, "high hopes, low expectations" and I feel that it applies here. To me this means we should be optimistic about the potential for positive radical change, but to be more of a realist when it comes to wether that potential will be realised without a lot of collective effort.

[@leomeirvincennes437]

This was fantastic.

[@harry664]

Regular viewer of newer content, lovely to go back and see great videos like this on the channel, thanks again for your work

[@greatcrispy1]

Two GREAT books for the inner path: "The Body Keeps The Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk and "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn

[@joshuakleinberg4855]

This was really nice. I am happy that the collab with Step Back History brought me here.

[@Zoe-sh2hm]

I do have to object to the idea that the two paths are somehow different. People who aren't internally well aren't really going to be able to maintain an activist lifestyle. It can take a lot of inner healing to look the world in the eye.

[@Andrewism]

Oh for sure. I'd hoped people would recognize it's actually a false dichotomy.

[@mirmalchik]

love this so much

[@squashfei8907]

Thank you for this great video. I will be sure to share this with people. Your categories are strikingly accurate. Personally, I feel like I'm in a space where I know what I need to do and the person I need to become, but I don't make an effort to get there on a day to day basis. Thank you for putting these resources in the description, I'm checking them out right now.

[@rotary_gnome9810]

Please keep making videos, mate! These are excellent: helpful and informative, relavant to the...well, the shit we're going through. Thanks!

[@AnimaVisionary]

I'm definitely in the overwhelmed department, doesn't help that I have executive dysfunction and social anxiety. Basically I can't figure out what I should do to help.

[@warmbabaganoush4825]

Great video once again, a comment for appreciation and for the algorithm!

[@catgirlhell]

Damn good work, Andrew!

[@Sirnekk]

You’re brilliant my friend.

[@slagoona1790]

Your vids slap every time. One concept that fits into this all is moral injury, if you don't already know.

[@apostleofazathoth7696]

This audio is impeccable. Well done!

[@pykenotpike]

This video helped me reconnect with my goals. Thank you.

[@absolutelycitron1580]

Tysm for this St. Andrew

[@gabriellachaviva]

Great video!

[@ThrottleKitty]

"Oh I want a better place, or just a better way to fall"

[@arielwilson1128]

the visuals on this are top tier

[@hedgehog3180]

I'm not sure where I am. I think I've tried to comprehend it all and that has just left me even more depressed, and I get so much information in about horrible shit happening everywhere and it seems like everything is going in the wrong direction that no matter what it feels hard to believe that there actually is any hope. Generally I've just kinda retreated to smaller levels and focused on small groups and such, I'd love to set up some kinda of mutual aid network where I live but I barely have the energy to take care of myself right now much less start something like that. But I believe that's what would give me security in the future. I guess I am focused on self care by necessity right now and that's sorta what I'm thinking of but I often feel guilty for doing so instead of investing time and resources into organizing, I can't really do anything else though and I guess I'm basically in the same category as like someone with multiple broken bones but I just refuse to acknowledge that. Sometimes I find some solace in shutting out news from the rest of the world and focusing on the news in Denmark which are at least most of the time a bit more optimistic but then they aren't always and that possibly hurts more and I don't even really have anyone to talk to about it when that's the case. I wish people with more resources and energy than me were willing to open their eyes and see these issues so that people who have the actual ability to fight could do so and I could focus on myself and relax but it seems like the cruel reality of this world is that having more resources and energy is exactly why they refuse to see what's happening. I think ultimately I just feel powerless and I don't see a path out of that.

[@gerdaleta]

You feel powerless because you are powerless you're trying to solve a problem that you can't solve stop trying to fix the world it's it's doomed nothing any of us can do on an individual level will fix this planet unless you tell me that the UN has made some kind of coalition and they're going to bring peace to the world and all nations will become one and we need your help and you have to join then I'm there because that's the whole world and multiple Nations working together this is not something even one entire country to deal with now ask yourself how many people on earth do you think are actually trying to solve these there's no way it surpasses even probably like 50 million you're like ants trying to fix a mansion but what you can do is help yourself and the people that you care about because if you ask me that is the world I don't know the people starving in the Middle East and yeah sure if I was a billionaire or something and had the actual power to do something I probably would but it's okay to admit that we have no power in the situation but we have power over our own lives and how we live them we could choose to make enough money to just leave the system and have children in a new communities without all this

[@TheTroutyness]

Being disabled and the public transit here is subpar, I do not know where to go or whom can help me. I am in overwhelment almost all the time.

[@drphosferrous]

Awareness and anxiety can and should be separate things. Awareness clarifies while building anxiety over world events can make us less clear and less able. It can help to think of people hundreds or thousands of years ago, completely freaked out over the wars and disease epidemics and expecting the End. The world they thought would end just grew and changed with new different wars and disease epidemics, and they're all dead. Now we're here carrying their anxiety forward but the threats are all different.

[@Feadds]

The answer to our growing problem is allowing people to believe in themselves . The tactic of low self esteem gives those in charge an advantage because people feel their ideas are insignificant compared to those who “lead”

[@mako1181]

I didn't think I was so far along these paths, until you described them. Today, I feel like my vision of the future is more clear and impregnated with realism, then ever before. Some days, it is still difficult to manifest the energy to be proactive towards the future I want to see and the journey to get here was also one of apathy and blind optimism. I also feel that as a Québécois, whose ancestor where very much part of the problem that led to many of our current issues, that I have to navigate both paths. First, the inner path, in order to learn about, understand, and heal from the harm, my family has undoubtedly participated in, hopefully breaking a few cycles along the way. Second, the outer path, in order to push others along the way to realism and action. I am very mush a natural teacher, and this is a role I wish to bring to my community. I am still at the beginning of this path, but as I write this comment, spring is nearing and with it a renewal of life and creations. May parts of the solution bud in all of us !

[@tjbarke6086]

There's a reason they say that ignorance is bliss...

[@rustylidrazzah5170]

Well done! I’ve followed Richard Heinberg, Rob Hopkins, Majora Carter, and the other post carbon fellows for years. It was nice to see your shout out to their efforts. I’ve reached your stage 5 years ago. However, occasionally a new insight (or blind spot) can put me back in any of those other stages. I’ve found the stages aren’t static. It takes a tremendous effort to search, and overcome collapse relapse.

[@fatiguefille2477]

Thank you for making this video! I haven’t seen anything online that accurately shows what Ive been feeling and how to actively overcome it. This video (and your channel) deserves more recognition!

[@henrymorgan1741]

That part on blind hope broke me. I'd love to chat.

[@barrydheil]

Hit 5 about winter 2018/2019. But I hit preoccupation and hedonism in 2019 and hit overwhelment and then Apathy hard in 2020, and still kind of in it now. But with the permaculture movement, though some parts tend to be very insular, I hope to continue down the path of outward realism. Thanks for the awesome vid!

[@icearstorm4210]

I'm glad I found your channel. I've been trying to figure some of my own stuff out and get into the position where I can actually help in a meaningful way as of late. I think I'm still adjusting to being less apathetic and resigned and feeling more, both when it comes to my own personal life and the world in general. I've been feeling more hopeful about things in the past couple of years than I think I ever have before...and it's exhausting. At this point, positive emotions burn me out far faster than negative ones, and I seem to find some twisted form of comfort in doomerism. It is definitely taking conscious effort to change for the better, but I'm slowly working on it. It's nice knowing there are many others out there doing the same, and it's time I start putting more trust in them.

[@sapphirestarblazer6805]

My god, I feel so connected to the whole "despair" thing. It's just... Really hard to find hope that things will get better.

[@theblack0live]

Thank you for this beautiful video comrade

[@sunfish55]

the art really takes the edge off.

[@metametodo]

Such a good video... I'll agree exactly with the words I've seen here in the comments, this is filled with revolutionary empathy. You're great at this. My situation is complex to me. I have some part in despair, overwhelment and preoccupation. The thing is, I know what I must avoid, I study these things a lot, and I really work hard in order to never fall into denial, blind optimism, hedonism, techno worship and others... I learn a lot and don't let myself be satisfied in this aspect. My real hardship however is finding strengths to live on, put this willpower of everlearning also into everdoing, specifically in a healthy way. Maintaing active, real, hope. I also struggle to socialise this struggle, share my overwhelment. I feel like a pessimist realist. And unfortunately I really do look at our daily attempts in some hopeless lens. There's so many things we must face, simultaneously. So many things against us, in so many ways. I try to be realist, learn everything, but I indeed focus only on everything that's a potential _challenge_ for us . No wonder I paralyse. Either way, your attitude, calmness (especially) gives me more hope. You also exudes and reminds me of humanity, the trait, a lot. That's graceful. Thank you for your sweat. It was a treat to find you here when I first did.

[@maxstrawn3788]

This video was like a journey through my thoughts these last 3 years. Yeah Balanced Realism, thats where I'm at right now I think. I still grapple with depression occasionally and a sense of doom when something bad happen bc of climate change, but I don't feel the hopelessness as often. I see good people taking time to try and change things for the better and a part of me wants to be like them. To have a small part in the story of change for the better. I've got my own space now, I take time on the weekends do do some activity with comrades, big or small it feels like I'm doing something, and while it won't solve everything, it's been a great way to learn and talk and build positive intentional relationships in my life with like minded people. I want to say how grateful I am for your channel and the videos you put out, thank you Andrew!

[@spikeyferret8613]

The way I've been through all of those stages back and forth and now I wanna go down the balanced path

[@dwhoker8284]

I feel I have been wanting to commit to god damn balanced realism for a few years now, but I'm in a situation where my mental health, particularly DID, necessitate so much self-healing, literal self-organising. Its very strange and I often fall for a day or two, or maybe a week into deep feelings of being useless, of having useless hands. I am still steadfast though, there is a temporal element to all of these traps, modes of collapse and paths. Sometimes I feel as though that problem is multiplied in me, by all these different eyes so to speak, though conflicting voices is something we all share to some extent. Point is Im quite impatient, I want to be doing, I have the will to be doing, I do and so often it just breaks, I become useless on the outer path and I retreat back to getting my shit together. I wonder where that fits in with these ideas, am I being useful without seeing it? Am I too impatient? Am I incapable, for now, to do much of anything outside off getting better? I feel mad, and as though three different people wrote this, maybe I ought to become the interdependent commune before I build it lmao.

[@brandobin]

I've been in the range from distraction to despair I think you've helped me see that cycle clear. Perhaps now I can start looking beyond it again

[@thrashmetaldad]

This channel is criminally under appreciated

[@UNSCPILOT]

I've been hopeful for a better future ever since I saw the Star Trek movies as a kid, then later the images of Syd Mead and other futurists. But it took until I found Solarpunk that I fully understood what I wanted to see happen, what was blocking it, and how horrific our future will be if we don't act now, we're falling towards another mass extinction event, this time of our own making, and need to act to not only to fix the damage, but to replace the system that tossed us off the edge to start with

[@Passionate_Potato]

This was an amazing video. I recommend the podcast Breaking Down: Collapse especially the first 8 episodes. Two people have a down to earth conversation about the current and future issues we will face.

[@Grimpy970]

I think you might be unintentionally mirroring the 'stages of grief'. I think there's something to be said about the parallels there 😅 Edit: let me make some 'preppers' seem less insanely scary. Many of us (I'm a prepper) see collapse as inevitable, BUT choose to make our local communities more and more self-reliant. Should the great big world collapse around us, we'll be ready to continue life. It might not be luxurious or even pleasant, but humanity would absolutely survive in various pockets by that selfish philosophy

[@Nanook128]

Environmental racism is not a term I am very familiar with. Could anyone give me a brief rundown?

[@Andrewism]

www.weforum.org/videos/19034-environmental-racism-explained It's essentially a result of systemic racism. People of colour are more likely to be exposed to toxic environments and conditions due to government policies (or lack thereof).

[@Nanook128]

@@Andrewism That makes sense. Thank you very much.

[@vihmaussivenitaja]

I think another side of the coin is ecofascism - I live in North-Eastern Europe and this region is in a huge danger of falling into that. Basically protecting your local wildlife in a frenzied manner, connecting it to some romaticized paganist past, while believing that EVERYTHING from the outside tries to ruin it (mostly global capitalism and immigrants) and not being able to see that the nature is all connected, that without a global solution, your local 700-year-old pagan heritage oak tree is gonna die anyway, even if there is not a single immigrant coming and nobody ever builds anything within 100 km radius of your precious tree. It's connected, because it happens mostly in relatively richer countries, and these people think it would be better if the rest of the world just died off or sth, especally the global south, which is seen as "overcrowded" and dangerous (and not seen as the source of their own fairly comfortable lifestyles at the same time, lmao).

[@katherinehenley2008]

Good information to ponder

[@thefrostbee4182]

This was incredibly important for me to see. I think I’ve remained in blind hope or something similar for quite a while, though not exactly? I’ve seen the problems, realised things won’t just work out, but not been consumed by despair or apathy either? Though I took no actions, instead mostly just day-dreamed of what I could do instead of doing it. I don’t think I’ve properly broken into stage 5 yet but, the barrier to it is cracking. It’s extra important to me as I’m religious, and the god in my pantheons that I decided to most tightly connect with happens to be one of clarity and observation. Thank you for this video, it helped a lot and it helped me see where my path in life should lead

[@Paul_M_Bradley]

Currently on the inner path as at present its the most doable for me, but I'd like to be doing both at some point. Problem is that the idea of "starting local and working with the Comunity" feels like an enormous task for me because I live in the suburbs, there is no Comunity, there's just a bunch of people who live side by side. I don't know what the needs are, what the issues are, who knows what or where to find others like me, and I don't even really know how to go about discovering those things. It's like I'd have to literally build a movement myself from the ground up and I am clueless when it comes to organising, logistics or even what we'd all do once we got together. Any ideas?

[@livelaughlie]

There are oftentimes community gardens and mutual aid organizations already going that you can join! It helps to think about what you want to contribute more specifically

[@diribigal]

Just heard about this video and hence your channel from It Could Happen Here. Lovely work!

[@xavark1]

Just listened to the ichh pod with you on. Dude, you very eloquently spelled out all the emotions I've felt in this video. Thank you

[@individualm6712]

Just, DAMN!!! DAMN!!!!! You walked me through my own stages, gave me counseling (held my hand) until I could understand it on my own and sent me wobbly legged and naked out into the world🤣🙀👐🤦🏿😥😭😭😭😓😭💔💙💙🤣🤣👈🏿😤😤🤨🤔🧐🥲🥲😤🥺🤯😓😈

[@w.kuiper316]

Are you okay my fellow combrade? I sense you have made a breaktrough, though wish to inquire if your development hasn't relaped?

[@landis9767]

i keep alternating between overwhelment and individual change, with despair in-between, like some sick schopenauer pendulum 🙃 it's hard, man...

[@zealoustrellis1735]

A great source that passively advocates for both paths is Caring Democracy by Joan Tronto, a fantastic rendition of feminist ethics of care put to an extensive critique of neo-liberalism. I'd say feminist ethics of care, for the most part, supports both paths. I would also like to point towards the person who possibly has walked both paths longer than anyone else alive, Thich Nhat Hanh. The man is a legend, check him out. I recommend How To Love as a great collection of pro first path ideas.

[@maddywilcox9012]

Excellent 👌 your a star ⭐ you and your team sharing all over transcripts to translate would be handy.