Why Leftists Are So Depressed

Does Being Woke Make You Depressed?
A recent study showed that college students and professors with an interest in social justice and critical theory were more likely to report feeling depression and anxiety. For some this is clear evidence that the "woke" and those on the left are miserable due to their beliefs. For others, it's reasonable that an active awareness of injustice might leave you a little bummed out. But is all the unhappiness worth it? We try to figure it out in this video on the misery of the left.
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=== Watch More Episodes! ===
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DEI: Have We Lost Our Minds? ► • DEI: Have We Lost Our ...
Written and Hosted by Michael Burns
Researched by Michael Lodato
Directed by Michael Luxemburg
Edited by Benji Dunaief
Produced by Olivia Redden
Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
#Woke #culture #wisecrack
© 2024 Wisecrack / Omnia Media, Inc. / Enthusiast Gaming

[@WisecrackEDU]

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[@nate2064]

I think about how Jordan Peterson says that you should make yourself happy and content before trying to solve world problems. And I think about how people who claim to be happy all the time are people like Jordan Peterson and I realize I don’t have the ability to wait for my own happiness to fix the world.

[@asmith587]

Not the best example. Jordan Peterson is famously an unhappy person who battles with depression, some of it diet related.

[@WisecrackEDU]

@comiccid1 agreed.

[@Johntrapolta117]

🤡

[@Dr.-Dank]

@8:48 I'm gonna say Hegel could make my life better in a practical way because thinking about hist "Unity of Opposites" has helped me come to terms with/understand so many things in life, and is really fun to keep in mind when one is tripping on magic mushrooms.

[@drummerdan95]

Joke's on them, I was already miserable *before* I woke up

[@WisecrackEDU]

GOT EM

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

@@WisecrackEDU LMFAO

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

I mean most ppl are forced to "woke up" by the reality we live in, as a brown person I cannot ignore the extreme difference in treatment of latino and brown muslim immigrants compared to the white European Ukranians who were welcomed with open arms and no restrictions whatsoever, I have family members trying to get their citizenship for years while others,(mostly white, mostly affluent) get theirs in no time, or the difference in treatment from police, and dont get me started on Israel/Palestine, is the world that forces us to recognize there is a lot of messed up shit going on.

[@marthadonnapurrrr]

@@vanessamaldonado5877exactly

[@javojavojavojavo]

​@@vanessamaldonado5877 I was forced to "wake up" about the failures of society because of anxiety and depression, loneliness. I have to think of alternative ideas for alternative futures to have hope.

[@xpkareem]

The Philosopher that would be the best at self help is Mr. ChumbaWamba. He said "I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never going to keep me down". Words to live by.

[@WisecrackEDU]

That band ruled.

[@JanuarySnowstorm]

Wasn't that song about drinking too much all the time?

[@EntertheGam3]

Pissin the night away

[@yourfriendlyinternetmeatshield]

They certainly "had a few drinks to cope"

[@Helaw0lf]

You see me, you hear me, there are millions that think just like me.

[@ghintz2156]

I mean, being aware of human nature is a bit depressing.

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

Well there are MANY SIDES to human nature but UNFORTUNATELY A LOT of the more evil sociopaths are on top manipulating everything but there's an inherent beauty to humanity as well...The pain makes the beauty even more poignant and breathtaking.. People are amazing creatures and there are moments of divinity so many people exude throughout their lives

[@toneloke454]

lol being woke polar is the opposite of that.

[@toyotaprius79]

THERE IT IS AGAIN THAT FUNNY FEELING

[@ImYourS3npai]

It doesn't have to be. The trick is to be emotionally detached and look at it from psychological, biological, physiological, and sociological standpoints. Human beings are just organic machines, even animals at the most basic. If you just try not to identify, then there's no emotional currency.

[@Bojoschannel]

That's a very conservative view

[@justinjacobs1501]

I deliver pizza for a living, and while i know people who see it as a dead-end job, i take joy in being someone people are always happy to see. There's a joy in bringing others happiness.

[@GB-Political-pt3bx]

That's a good outlook to have. My only advice is to not have all your eggs in one basket, because jobs these days will fire you in a heart beat no matter how loyal you were to them.

[@sheridansherr8974]

Good attitude 😊. Small acts of kindness do matter.

[@CollectedWorx]

Thank you for your service 🙌🏼

[@kakashisensei9258]

This isn't surprising. When you "wake up" and realize how corrupt our politicians are and how bad the economy is who wouldn't be depressed. There's a reason why the saying goes "ignorance is bliss".

[@edstringer1138]

Umm the "woke "are the uninformed leftist who don't see the world but believe the propaganda

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

EXACTLY! Whats really informative is in the 80's during the Reagan era the banks and corporations started taking all the way over so now these hyper greedy evil sociopaths created a system where to survive you might have to be hyper focused on being as selfish as they are ..So of course they would like to demonize and PUNISH empathy since they themselves hate it so dearly because its antithetical to their existence

[@cmohr6998]

Yes but that’s not what the term “woke” means. Woke people are the most ignorant among us, willfully blind to reality.

[@amefuraggamuffin]

The issue is that republicans believe those same things and they arent woke. Personally I believe rightwingers are just as miserable, but they just say that the left is miserable because they see us "complaining" all the time and they see that as ungrateful and pathetic behaviour. meanwhile they see everything thats going wrong and they say "if you dont like it, leave" like that somehow makes them more mature and happier with how bad their lives are

[@stomachegg041]

Who wouldnt be depressed? Billions of people around the world who care more about getting through their day than sitting around doing shit.

[@LeandroFTW]

Looking behind the curtain and seeing how the meat is made leads to sadness.

[@bradleyreese5156]

interesting mixed metaphor

[@pong9000]

As a plumber, I will add that not everyone must put their hand down a sewer pipe for the moral right to use a toilet. Nor must one study rocket science for the moral right to use GPS. Yeah, I'm talking to PETA demonstrators... but more: A thing about Plato's Cave, today, is that because "it takes all kinds" we each view different pictures; we're each uniquely ignorant and enlightened in so many ways. And that's a big part of what humanity's about!

[@miliba]

*Fascination

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

Trump tries to enlighten you

[@xXRickTrolledXx]

Who would have know that not shutting your heart out to the suffering of others might make you sad sometime.

[@MCSorry]

Empathy is bad!!!! I hate empathy!!!!

[@toneloke454]

Glazing all over your own face about how much you care about "injustice" (hard air quotes) is peak woke delusion and narcissism

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

Lol great point

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

@@MCSorry Said like a true 'Merican lol

[@methylphosphatePOET]

It's just that there can never be a utopian society free from injustice. So ultimately, you're just choosing to be depressed for no tangible reason, and teaching your children to pass on that same depressive kind of thinking into the distant future.

[@williamneal4072]

The depressed feelings come from the anger of feeling powerless to effect positive changes because change means progress and progress is the great equalizer...can't have that😒

[@muffen5148]

“I’m right and you’re dead.” might be the funniest quote I’ve ever heard from a PhD lmao😂

[@WisecrackEDU]

I'm sad I didn't use it at my PhD defense.

[@nyanuwu4209]

@@WisecrackEDU No worries. I recorded that segment of the video and shall endeavor to play it at funerals of people who are wrong.

[@yourfriendlyinternetmeatshield]

@@nyanuwu4209 that's amazing.

[@jonathanvincy]

Other people that were killed for challenging the status quo: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm.X, Abraham Lincoln, a ton of whistleblowers, Jesus, Freedom Riders, Lucifer, Fred Hampton, the scholars of Ohara, etc

[@WisecrackEDU]

lots of very smart and good people on that list.

[@TheGoldenDunsparce]

@@WisecrackEDU 'cept for Lucifer of course lol

[@camilosouza7835]

ohara is being avenged at least

[@derekrequiem4359]

thousands/millions of slaves who tried to rebel, etc.

[@sun-noir]

Lucifer is literally a lightbringer​@@TheGoldenDunsparce

[@xizar0rg]

Just to note, we can't all be diogenes... sometimes you need a baseline level of satisfaction (things like food and shelter) before you can pursue happiness. When I was homeless I got to spend a lot of time in the library (seattle public library is pretty nice, btw) and got to do a lot of reading. I didn't get to reap any benefit from that "enlightenment" (being very generous to myself here) until I finally had a place to live again and didn't worry about where my next meal was coming from. (fun fact: even after a decade of being housed, I *still* worry about my next meal and if I'll still have my apartment tomorrow... not because I'm at-risk, just because I still got a fuckton of trauma and a lack of faith in society's desire to protect any of its members.)

[@WisecrackEDU]

This is very real. Thanks a ton for sharing, and hoping that you never have to be back in that position.

[@NomastiAfricanWarlord]

Never rely on society to protect you. Family and friends may help you, but society as a whole will abandon you the moment you become more a problem than an asset.

[@stevechance150]

@@NomastiAfricanWarlord "Never rely on a capitalistic society to protect you". I fixed that for you.

[@dustind4694]

Maslow organizing it into a hierarchy pisses off the anarchist in me, but he was also not wrong about the need for the basics.

[@thelordakira]

@@stevechance150 you think a socialist one will,,, wake up.

[@ctomsky]

One of the most "No shit sherlock" studies of all time 😂 "People aware that reality sucks are sad. People blissfully/willfully ignorant think everything is fine."

[@stevecinneide8183]

except it's not reality but yogamaya telling leftist idiots that evil white men spend every waking second trying to oppress queer gender non-conforming Muslim vegans.

[@squibbelsmcjohnson]

But you dont have to be a lefty..its just lefties especially far left are fighting 10 battles at once, name it and it likely will trigger them ....I could never imagine living that way

[@Hack_The_Planet_]

You aren’t aware, you’re terminally online and your whole perspective is skewed based on flawed data culling and intentional incitement.

[@Piensamalyacertaras]

AMLO?

[@Lejeron]

Being conservative doesn’t equal being ignorant. As a conservative, i have differing beliefs of everything, you sound exactly like someone who is on the opposite political spectrum, whom you’d expect to be ”ignorant” simply because they align or are politically right winged. You can very well enjoy life, which is what many conservatives do by having stout beliefs, morals, faith, stability, self control, exercise and abstaining from substances unlike many left wingers, who are depraved, depressed, bored, nihilistic and pessimistic about life. You cant as a human want to change everything about yourself, stay in your lane as nature intended it.

[@tuckersmith5716]

This seems to parallel the debate between “do I go for a high-paying career, or a career where I love what I do?” I had so many people tell me I was an idiot for pursuing a career in public music education, but I love my job and I’m happy, even if my “satisfaction” due to consumption isn’t as high as it might have been if I had become a lawyer.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Public music education is so incredibly important. Thank you for your service!

[@theoxymoron8793]

Dude, I’m so glad you are fulfilled at your job. However, I am so glad you also did not become a lawyer. I have friends in the industry who REALLY do not like their jobs describing it as boring, unfulfilling and guilt inducing. And while some may say “I would totes do it for the money”, I heard it’s nowhere near that good. Add student and the £15000 Bar test (which is self funded by the way), you essentially have a job that you find boring, makes you depressed, in most cases worsens society, leaves you in a shaky financial position and automatically makes people want you dead. But ohhhhhh… that job will please mommy and daddy. My final piece of evidence is that there is a comedy song from the show crazy ex-girlfriend called “Don’t be a lawyer” which goes in gruelling detail about how unfulfilling this job is. The point is, only you know what you want, and if you listen to what other and let them instruct your identity, you no longer human.

[@jrt4927]

A miserable person in a broken system is more likely to change it than someone of ignorant bliss

[@nyanuwu4209]

You would think but here we are, nobody changing anything because they all have some excuse to roll over and just take it.

[@connyslayer4661]

That's true , if the miserable person takes action to create better situations to improve the system. Having a perfect utopia is nearly impossible but working towards fixing it and making it a better place will bring you alot of pain but also clarity to pursue the true natural happiness and satisfaction we desired. That is how you gain great things with the pain you go through. It's natural to feel sad or depressed after acknowledging situations but we should be glad we know harsh realities so we can work towards a better future.

[@josephshahady8308]

@@nyanuwu4209you should try activism

[@benthomas9776]

But a miserable person surrounded by people living in ignorant bliss won't be able to generate the political capital necessary to change the system.

[@AJX-2]

History isn't made by depressed people. It's made by people with energy, allies, and a plan.

[@antarchy1]

Being aware of and caring about injustice isn't going to make you happier. Denialism is a potent drug.

[@stevechance150]

Ignorance is bliss.

[@brentandrew2419]

A lot of it isn't really caring about "injustice" though, it's self aggrandizing under the delusion that you're somehow a force for good which makes people miserable. Cognitive dissonance is even more potent.

[@toneloke454]

Glazing all over your own face about how much you care about "injustice" (hard air quotes) is peak woke delusion.

[@antarchy1]

@@brentandrew2419 If people do good things for selfish reasons they still did something good.

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

I mean there's books dissecting the difference between being happy versus being an effective person. Maybe its because we are self-aware...to a point... descendents of stars but to me our ultimate goal has always been awareness and we hope to find joy and peace while seeking awareness... Maybe Peace just comes with acceptance of our plight wether we experience joy in that journey or not

[@ColtCraig]

Truth is the only way to go. Even if it costs me companionship. I'd rather be lonely than lied to.

[@connyslayer4661]

Highly agreed! Truth is actually real satisfaction as it brings clarity and honest image of the bigger picture. I'd rather have honesty, directness, face harsh reality rather than be lied to, manipulated, and suffer disingenuousness. When It comes to companionship, either be alone and enlightened or always make bonds with people that have honesty, clarity and pursue the truth. Honesty over everything.

[@mje1984x]

found the retarded loser that can't maintain a relationship. good job, chimptits.

[@joaocoelho2929]

I really liked this video, but there’s an implication here that being woke or being a leftist translates directly to deep thinking, reflection, and engagement with philosophy. As someone who does consider myself more on the left, I disagree with this implication.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Yeah I see what you're saying. I think the connection is that the study in question said that the "woke = misery" correlation was higher in scholars and students from the humanities, so I think the connection we made is that the methodology of many fields in the humanities and social sciences is marked by that type of critical social engagement, and that often that leads to various perspectives associated with leftism.

[@maxpower8429]

@@WisecrackEDUwell your an idiot, so that’s a logical connection. “Ppl on the left are deep thinkers” is your take😂 are you really jerking yourself off that hard

[@MrFrenchyge]

I thought the same thing while watching - why is all the questioning presumed to be happening on the left? But the last sentence in the video made it all clear - "heaven". The idea of heaven as the place where one obtains true happiness means that there's no reason to question or seek happiness here on earth. Those who are waiting for their reward in heaven are taught to endure the inherent suffering of earth in the most satisfying way they can.

[@maxpower8429]

@@MrFrenchyge no the left is just deep thinkers and inherently smart, while anyone else is dumb and selfish. Has nothing to do with anything negative with the left obviously.

[@pong9000]

Is it leftist to watch CNN for a half-hour every evening so you can exercise your daily accumulation of 1st-world rage from your system?

[@polyglottenforpain]

You can't make drugs out of ideas, but you CAN make ideas out of drugs. They might not be great, but they will seem to be at the time!

[@LuluTheCorgi]

Shulgin created okebty if drugs out of ideas, wrote two whole books about it

[@Tormekia]

There's a reason biting the fruit of knowledge resulted in an expulsion from paradise. Only the ignorant can live there.

[@storm5368-c2c]

Child the edgy emo trend died 10 years ago.

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

That book with the talking snake at the beginning? C'mon... Harry Potter is garbage.

[@hiteshkumar4728]

The fruit of knowledge is the fruit of knowledge of "good" and "evil". In the natural state, there is only innocence, which can only be said to transcend both good and evil; it is different from ignorance. Innocence is pure; ignorance is polluted. Innocence brings perfection to acts; ignorance causes mistakes. Prior to eating the fruit, Adam and Eve roamed naked, because there is nothing inherently wrong with it; but after eating the fruit, they became self-conscious and the duality began. This self-consciousness, this duality, is what obscures, or what causes ignorance of, your true natural state of absolute innocence, free of wants of any kind, beyond the pairs of knowledge and ignorance. Wanting anything means the problem of good and evil begins, because one begins to consider if one's own or other's desires are "good" or "evil".

[@stevecinneide8183]

you're mistaking the DNC with Eden.......

[@indyrishisingh]

That's why i believe in learning and listening, AND practicing laughter and joy... so there is a balance to emotions and not an atrophy to them

[@aJoats]

To quote Zack de la Rocha ""If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face." Confronting problems is often an unpleasant experience, but ignoring them only makes everything worse in the long run.

[@stevecinneide8183]

that has been singer from the 90s is as ignorant as those Afghans who surrendered to the Taliban.

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

NGL, yeh. The more I learned about the state of the world, how it worked, the problems it faces and the fat load of nothing being done about it... I can honestly say a part of me has died. And thats the truth, actually. I don't know what hurts more actually, my sorrow at the truth, or the joy I see in others grounded in lies. I envy them a lot. I get very lonely in my ivory tower. Especially when the few times I wander down from it, I can't help but share what I've learned, the terrible things going on, only to be rejected for it. I have the truth, and my sincerity, and I have no one. Watching the world burn, alone. Sucks.

[@WisecrackEDU]

We feel you friend.

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

@@WisecrackEDU Well, not quite. Some of y'all got lovers, family, kids and stuff. End of the world with the fam isn't so bad. Alas, I am as I said, utterly, suffocatingly, alone. I guess there's always bridges...

[@ChrisSmith-tu9bu]

Hey guy the fact youre having this discussion with like minded people on KZbin shows you're not alone. Bad people who thrive off of ignorance and darkness WANT you to FEEL alone and would fight to keep wise people apart but I don't think there's as much blissful ignorance as you believe. Just people playing that part because they don't know what else to do. Nothing gets fixed in a tower and we slowly come together while evil people fight to divide us, but we are communal creatures so they're fighting back a tide

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

@@ChrisSmith-tu9bu Sadly, I'm at the point where internet people just aren't enough. I'm physically alone, every day. Year in, year out. So with only my thoughts and the latest catastrophically awful news about the world, I'm just so tired :/

[@redgreen2453]

@@satyasyasatyasya5746you’re me. And I don’t have any advice for you because to be 100% brutally honest I’m about 3 months away from ending it myself so just, I feel ya. I’m not like the other guys who say I feel ya and then go back to living a life infinitely closer to what you long for than you’ve ever been, I really feel ya.

[@kencochrane2885]

0:06 woke people arent getting enough sleep.

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

woke is asleep

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Bump for the algorithm for engagement

[@bisurker]

Man I really hate what the internet did to this word. I was using for years only to find out that one day it became a slur.

[@TheAllSeeingEye2468]

And in such a short time too

[@TheBackyardChemist]

yeah I had the same experience with retarded

[@LuisSierra42]

@@TheAllSeeingEye2468 Just like "incel"

[@jamesconnolly5164]

That's an interesting take. If someone calls antiwhites by their very own term (but without affection in your tone when you say it), then it's a slur. If you kick someone over and over again, and then that person still calls you by your first name, only he doesn't feel warm and fuzzy when saying it, somehow this is immoral.

[@innageorgievadoychinova578]

The internet makes the demonizing of ideas and movements easy. Just look at what happened to feminism. Once a strong social movement for equality, now a meme, see a trend? The technology has evolved but our mentalities haven't. Few centuries ago we would grab the pitchforks and chase off ''undesirable individuals'', nowadays we get in heated online arguments with strangers, we've traded the pitchforks for the keyboard. However, until we shake off our medieval minds we won't really move as a species no matter how fancy our pitchforks get. Human history is a wheel that keeps turning and Capitalism is nothing short of the Feudal system 2.0 If we wish to change our course in history, we need to change the way we think and the way we act. To do the one thing we've never truly been able to - put the collective before the individual. Act with solidarity and selflessness instead of our innate cruelty and selfishness. Nobody can force you to take a job you don't want, nobody can force you to act unethical, however you can be put in circumstances that demand such things of you. It is then when we are put to the test as a specie, will we band and demand better circumstances for all or are we going to take the crumbs that are tossed to us and try to save ourselves individually? We've been doing the latter for our entire existence, yet I for one doubt we'll ever get to see the former truly come to be, at least not within our lifetimes. The internet is a big tool for the propagation of ideas, if we all start to propagate better ideas then perhaps one day we'd be able to correct our course.

[@1massboy]

I don’t know. I’m much more miserable about the fact that we still have Reaganomics ruining our economy at this current time.

[@stevechance150]

We just need to give trickle down another forty years to kick in, then it will really start trickling. (Sarcasm).

[@Shichard2006]

Interesting that modern homelessness began with Reaganomics. Republicans had the Reagan Revolution, and are flexing hard on the country right now, when do the people get their revolution? Why do we tolerate crowds of disenfranchised while billionaires sit on gold toilets and dream of supervillany?

[@toneloke454]

yeah im sure you think about that all day while you're eating your avocado toast and tweeting on your iPhone 15 while wearing your dock martins and complaining that there's nothing to watch on the 20 streaming services you pay for as you puff your thc vape pen. you should be sure to clean your face off after blowing all over it.

[@62cky4powerthirst]

@@toneloke454 God, it's like you made the perfect personification of a boomer.

[@stevechance150]

@@62cky4powerthirst I was literally thinking "OK Boomer".

[@tiramisufm]

this reminds me of capitalist realism where he argues its hard to imagine a world without capitalism

[@wonder_platypus8337]

When you spend more time thinking about the problems in the world, you're going to care more about those problems and carry that weight. Some people are good at turning off the part of their brain that pays attention to it all.

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

you don't think you feel

[@Cielle_Slime]

Honestly you guys teaching me philosophy through modern lenses helps me come up with my own ways to think about life differently and leading a happier life. So today my philosopher that helps my life is wisecrack and Michael burns.

[@Hotshot2k4]

I'm firmly on the left, and I consider myself to be a pretty happy person. Maybe "content" is a more apt description, or perhaps privileged. I know a lot about a great number of crappy and terrible things - I mean, after all, we have one of them running for president - but I just don't let them get me down. That's because I recognize that I neither caused those things, nor do I have a direct or indirect way of addressing many of them, outside of contributing charities, which I try to do when I can. _It does not help anyone if I spend my time being sad about the tragedies and injustices of the world._ It's enough to learn, listen, try to understand, and seek solutions where possible and at least not get in the way or contribute to making things worse where it's not. I can't save the world by myself, I can only do what I can do, so there's no reason for me to try to carry the burden of all of the world's problems on my shoulders. So I watch, and I listen, and I live mindfully as I strive to help bring about a more fair and compassionate and equitable world in the ways that I can.

[@foolishlyfoolhardy6004]

Yeah, this is the path I've decided to go down also, I'm tired of misery. Can't continue to worry about the things I can't do anything about.

[@williampowell3378]

And not only that, but many “Do Gooder” organizations go on to be part of the problem.

[@anselmopat4985]

This the answer!

[@David_AC90]

I haven't begun the video yet. But I'd venture the answer is because left wingers are more aware of the worlds issues, corruption and the lack of progress we are making as a species.

[@Love-eg2vf]

They might be aware, but they often come to wholly erroneous conclusions. As someone whose parents fled an Islamic country, and who understands those societies with a much more nuanced understanding than a western leftist, I spent years trying to have rational discussions with [very intelligent] leftists that went nowhere. Their blind spot is that intelligence itself doesn’t protect against ego, and after years of trying, I realized that there were many facts leftists could not accept because acceptance of said facts were threatening to their egos (as tolerant, anti-racist, etc). Ironically, there is an implicit prejudice to their bias. Their unconscious bias is that these cultural differences would automatically mean that those societies are inferior (i.e. compared to western societies) so they would just refuse to accept those facts. Meanwhile I would be arguing that those differences do not equate to inferiority, but that they were still problematic.

[@jthom0027]

@@Love-eg2vf Sounds like you are talking more about liberals than actual leftists. Liberals are just right wingers that want to be seen as higher class.

[@BM1982.V2]

​​@@Love-eg2vfthat doesn't make sense. Everyone I know on the left finds Islamic societies very right wing authoritarian. But that's on a macro scale. I think maybe your confusion is more on the micro scale. Even though Islamic societies tend to be authoritarian religious theocracies that doesn't mean individual muslims are bad people. Leftists tend to be able to separate out individuals from the whole. Even though I don't agree with Islamic society I don't think they should be b0mbed and I think individuals should have rights. If an individual Muslim hates gay people or the subjugation of women then I hate that individual person but there are many good Muslims as well. It's the same with any religion or group, I hate Christianity as well but I don't hate Christians unless they use Christianity to spew hate and bigotry. Muslims, same idea, hate the group but not necessarily the individuals within the group. I could say the same thing about conservatives, hate the movement but don't hate the individuals within it unless they use their ideology for hateful bigotry.

[@chibu3212]

@@BM1982.V2This is almost like “hate the sin not the sinner” but for leftists lol. The problem I witness is that too many people from both of the spectrums want to think in absolutes regarding the concepts and beliefs they stand against.

[@robertbrandywine]

Yes, but why? Is it the causality in reverse? If you are aware, not just aware, but concerned, about the worlds issues of corruption and lack of progress that that makes you a Leftist?

[@moyase420]

One thing I learned from my Buddhist studies is to focus on things that I can change and not on matters that I can’t. While I can certainly help the homeless in my community, it helps nobody if I’m constantly in misery because poverty exists. I become the root of my own suffering. And it never hurts to have a healthy skeptical position on gender theory, critical theory, and intersectional feminism because these were all developed by people who are literally paid to speculate rather than actively attempting to solve the problems they address.

[@alsuvarnadvipadanargentum1743]

You mean to say “supposed to address” here? In your 2nd paragraph I mean

[@williampowell3378]

Yeah

[@LuluTheCorgi]

i think i know myself better than you do maybe dont be skeptical of my existence lol

[@HardCodedGaming]

Not nearly as miserable as anyone who considers themself "anti-woke". Imagine being able to lose all your shit over black mermaids.

[@pllpsy665]

That is nothing compared to having a fit because M&Ms are just not that freaking hot anymore.

[@phantompie1569]

​@pllpsy665 but i wanna bang the green m&m

[@waleuska]

@@Arm3dCrow I doubt people get piss off when it happens a few times. But when it happens again and again and they purposely do it. Yeah people are going to get angry. Like you would if someone said you name wrong on purpose.

[@jeremoople]

@@Arm3dCrow You saw that one "it's ma'am!" video and based your entire perception of trans people around it

[@derekrequiem4359]

"Leftists get offended so easily! 😂😂😂" "WHY FOOTBALL MAN NO STAND UP???? 😠😠😠😡😡😡"

[@gen_li7725]

There’s also space here to think about people with little privilege who had been taught that their situation is their fault because of some moral failing when in reality it’s the system working as intended. Learning that these things aren’t their fault might give them a sense of relief. I know it comforting for me and my friends as we struggle to stay housed and fed, and we aren’t even considered that close to the most poor in our society (since I have internet and a phone and the time to watch this video). Hey we may not be able to afford insurance and medication this month but at least I know I’m not a bad person. It’s me being in a rough spot in this cruel system. Does it generally make us killjoys at a party? Maybe. But beforehand we were blaming ourselves for all this, and now at least we have some camaraderie in the knowledge that we’re doing our best with the consumer software we’re indoctrinated into

[@adamjebediah]

I disagree with your statement of the system working as intended. I think the system has been used and abused by a few who have had ill intentions. I believe it was supposed to function much better than it is currently. Plus all the new technological advancements really threw a monkey wrench into the spokes

[@casualverse]

"as intelligence goes up, happiness often goes down". lisa simpson was in her bag when she dropped this quote on the world. ignorance is bliss.

[@WisecrackEDU]

Lisa wasn't playing around.

[@10hawell]

Said midwit who chooses stupid things like compassion instead of going full Machiavelli on their own heart and consciously choosing ignorance.

[@davedavidson8892]

There was a paper in 2013 within the Psychological Medicine journal that found people a positive correlation between IQ and happiness. doi: 10.1017/S0033291712002139.

[@sirquacksalot6463]

“Look at me I’m so much better and smarter than you and totally not egotistical and lacking self control”

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

leftist slogan

[@rentonketes1582]

I often find Schopenhauer consoling, and the fact that Seneca was forced by a paranoid Nero to end his life. "What need is there to weep over parts of life, the whole of it calls for tears."

[@the_agate_gate3782]

That’s why I stopped watching the news and worrying about human nature a long time ago. I’ve never been happier.

[@bgos4727]

Ignorance is indeed bliss

[@adamjebediah]

Yup, I don't watch the news either. I disagree with saying ignorance is bliss tho. Seems like a small way to try to shame somebody else into being more like the shamer. It's not ignorance. Most people know things are fucked but choose to focus on what they can control. I can choose to go to Africa and feed starving children or volunteer to pick ticks off a puppy in Missouri or I could try my best to love the people in my life, do well at my job and do the things that are important to me and those around me. What is wrong with focusing on the things you have more control of?

[@lightupthedarkness6762]

you lost

[@CJojo_13_]

Leftist: The world sucks. Let's make it better. Liberal: The world sucks. Let's keep it the way it is. Conservative: The world sucks. Let's make it worse.

[@David_AC90]

Conservative: The world sucks, let's go back to a time when it would be better (for me and those like me and much worse for most)

[@johnnysupreme5718]

Leftists, Liberals, and Conservatives: The world sucks so let's make the government huge and pray it doesn't make the world suck more like it did the last thousand times Actual right-wingers: The world sucks and the government makes it suck, so let's just let everyone have their own little world so they can make their own world better.

[@queztocoaxial]

Leftist: The world sucks, let's make it better for everyone. Liberal: If the world sucks for you it's your own fault. Conservative: The world sucks, let's make it better for ourselves.

[@johnnysupreme5718]

@@queztocoaxial And how are Leftists making the world a better place for anyone?

[@David_AC90]

@@queztocoaxial Conservative: and ONLY ourselves

[@boundaryscience]

Dude. I like the bread better, and I can take the other stuff home. Fill up on bread. It's free sustenance.

[@SageWon-1aussie]

And, seriously, who doesn't like circuses?

[@Phoenixflame87]

The bread at restaurants is only a scam at buffets and places that don't let you take leftovers home. You're paying for a full entree whether you eat it in one sitting or two, so eat the free bread while you've got it.

[@bea4156]

THANK YOU! 💯💯

[@essbee1641]

Exactly! When he said that, I was thinking “you think I’m gonna let some bread stop me from eating my whole meal, lol.“

[@PoeticPoppa]

Exactly. That gives me lunch the next day! Eat the bread to fill up, only eat like 1/3 to half of the meal, take the rest home, boom. Lunch problem solved.

[@dylanvellut]

Marcus Aurelius is pretty based Tho my favorite is for lao tseu's the art of war, and the miyamoto musashi's the book of the 5 rings : Maybe not the textbook of the pursue lf happiness, it's at least the best way to keep doom and misery outside of your house. Once you can prevent problems before they arrive, deal with them when they occur, and keep a clear mind on where the priority should be, you are closer to ataraxia than bliss.

[@thelordakira]

I can see psychology understanding a lot of issues in people, but not how to really deal with it. Stoicism might help more people.

[@subcitizen2012]

"They call us cynical as they do it to themselves."

[@JMQA1]

Left = Depressed Right = Angry and Afraid

[@emanym]

Centrist = Angry, Afraid, and Depressed 😮😅😢

[@stevenboelke6661]

The left's angry too, and must be unified in their anger. Organize. Unionize. It's the only way forward.

[@nyanuwu4209]

@@emanym Makes sense. Being surrounded by cults in absolute denial of being cults is angering, frightening and depressing.

[@djlmfaoivan]

Lol the dark side and the light ish

[@connyslayer4661]

Agreed. Pretty accurate although, I think both have a mix of those three and more. Lol.

[@CynthiaMcG]

The New York Post isn't fit to use to line a bird cage, much less read as a news source.

[@TomasCyr]

That 13 years of school is about 65% baby sitting 25% Social conditioning and about 10% the pursuit and the support of the pursuit of knowledge. It's probably part of the reason why so many Freshman college students have such a hard time

[@mr.knownothing33]

We’re all going to suffer regardless so might as well know what’s going on before you don’t exist again. “Do it or don’t do it-you will regret both.” -Soren Kierkegaard 😇

[@Kira1Lawliet]

It's simple red pill vs. blue pill debate. You can be asleep to the ugly realities and problems of the world and be blissfully ignorant, or you can be an adult and live knowing that the world is a garbage place and only getting worse. You'll be miserable, but at least you'll have the tools and the wherewithal to be part of a potential solution rather than part of the problem like conservatives are. The big problem with leftists is that they don't have the power or resources that liberals do, which is unfortunate because liberals are half-asleep to the problems and far less competent in fixing/dealing with them.

[@johnnysupreme5718]

"The big problem with leftists is that they don't have the power or resources that liberals do, which is unfortunate because liberals are half-asleep to the problems and far less competent in fixing/dealing with them." The big problem with Leftists and Liberals is that they have all the power in society and now the ones that aren't absurdly rich can't accept that they have no place of priviledge in the world they built. It's the classic tragedy of getting everything you want and not getting anything you need.

[@meroshango9603]

Woke and left is not equal to be intelligent Also it don’t mean to have empathy It don’t mean to be open, they are just open with the ideas they want Leftis don’t mean they want a better world

[@anselmopat4985]

The idea that people who aren’t cynical and find optimism hope and happiness are all “blissfully ignorant” is simply delusional Many people are just good at the thing called balanced and despite all the ugly realities ( some that they live THEMSELVES ) they still manage to find a bit of time to focus or try to create some positivity around them. Being laser focused on the worst things happening while also having this “doomsday” mindset not only won’t bring any solution ( because hopeless people aren’t good fighters against any system ) but it will only accomplish the task of making you miserable

[@BM1982.V2]

Leftists are horrible at organizing. They don't think in hierarchal ways so following a leader just doesn't appeal to the left for the most part. Look at right wing protests vs left wing ones. Right wing protests are highly organized with clear leaders that everyone follows. Left wing protests have no structure, there may be a few within that do have some leadership qualities but they aren't as hierarchal and become a little more chaotic rather than organized. Your spot on with liberals too. What did MLK say, something like, there's nothing more dangerous to progress than the white moderate liberal. They stifle progress to the point where we don't move forward as a society and they have no interests in doing so. It's all status quo, maybe a few tweaks around the edges but nothing fundamentally changes under liberal leaders, while conservative leaders pull us backwards. But liberals are sure willing to try to appeal to leftists during elections, they just don't follow through after they get their vote.

[@Kira1Lawliet]

@@BM1982.V2 Everything you've said is unfortunately true. Right-wing protests are always funded and organized by moneyed interests, and conservatives are more inclined to obey an authority figure. Sadly, everything that makes leftists right also makes them weak. It's a frustrating problem. But it would be fixable if "leftism" wasn't filtered to young people through liberal education. Liberals teach kids that things like protests and boycotts are civilized ways of combating unjust authority, when those NEVER work in real life. It also teaches kids that countries like the Soviet Union and China are Communist countries when they aren't in any way but name, which leads young leftists to wrongfully idolize them and their methodologies when they become old enough to learn how their teachers have lied to them about other things regarding American history. It's a hopeless mess.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Slartibartfast: "I'd far rather be happy than right any day." Arthur: "And are you?" Slartibartfast: "No. That's where it all falls down of course."

[@FacterinoCommenterino]

Today's Fact: In 1997, a man in Colorado was struck by lightning and survived, only to be struck by lightning again six years later and also survive.

[@CosmicNinja360]

That fact is not fun

[@sreyangovender3404]

Who the hell cares?

[@Reed5016]

@@sreyangovender3404If you don’t care, move on and ignore. Some of us do care.

[@kosmosXcannon]

That's nothing compared to Roy C. Sullivan. He survived getting struck 7 times. Guy probably had both the best and worst luck imaginable.

[@seattlekarim964]

He's well grounded

[@eliashe1797]

Strong disagree with wisecrack here: you should enjoy bread and chips and salsa while eating out cause its free and yummy. just order less of the other food, save money, and take your leftovers home for a second meal:) anything less, would be uncivilized.

[@thomaswillard6267]

Civilization is having an unlimited meal of soup, salad, and bread so that you can take your chicken parm to go.

[@RobTheCodeMaster]

Woke people think they are Rick. But they are actually Jerry.

[@bgos4727]

Is hard being a good person nowadays. I'm sure your life it's easy. Ignorance is bliss, all you have to do is spit out some hate and move with your day

[@pepi88]

I would make an argument on the lines of the fundamental differences between being woke and being a social/ critical thinker. They're not exactly the same, not for the last 10 years at least. These two worldviews and views on ourselves/themselves when clashing with other worldviews can end up having mayor different outcomes in our individual and social lives. There's a kind of holier-than-thou and know-it-all-ness in todays wokeism that brings nor happiness nor collective group forming. It's kind of a Mess... And then, of course, there's rightwing anti-woke and anti-SJWs, which is just being conservative but with social apps and no empathy. That's not what I'm reffering to when I say critical thinkers either...

[@krautnapped]

Just gonna file this under, "No Shit!"

[@StephenLeGresley]

I can tell you why people on the left are so depressed. Because everything is collpasing. The economy of North America is unraveling in real time. In Canada, poverty and homelessness are at crisis levels in every province of the country. Unless you are rich, access to health care is basically non-existent and everywhere our rights are being taken away. 50% of Canada is living paycheque to paycheque, 25% of Canada depends on the food bank to feed themselves. Home Ownership is a pipe dream now. The rich are getting richer and everyone else are trying to figure out how to continue living. What reason is there not to be depressed?

[@TheJangles77]

Ok, but, the more I fill up before my dish comes, the more leftovers I get to take home.

[@WisecrackEDU]

okay that's a fair point.

[@derekrequiem4359]

Did anyone else here become more left wing _AFTER_ college instead of during college? I definitely did, and I am curious if I'm an outlier or not.

[@robertbrandywine]

What was your major?

[@adamjebediah]

I became more right wing after college. I used to be left and college showed me that that wasn't my style. I went to a liberal arts college

[@dmagik8]

Please make the video on modern education, and the educational system.

[@Nexus9_KD6-4.8]

Woke absolutely equals misery. It seeks to destroy absolutely anything that is good or fun so all you are left with is misery.

[@bgos4727]

What do you consider that that good is?

[@kwamekamguia7221]

Do a video on the purpose of the American education system?

[@transagenda]

We are the early warning system, the canary in the coal mine to those less willing or able to perceive 🎉

[@abstract5249]

People who are "woke" tend to be progressive. Progressives tend to have more empathy. Empathetic people tend to feel other people's pain.

[@hotarukaleidos]

I wonder what's the definition of empathy here...

[@abstract5249]

@@hotarukaleidos None that you would understand. Ohhhhh!

[@AJX-2]

Empathy is not in and of itself a virtue. Empathy can easily be weaponized. More empathetic people tend to be more vulnerable to manipulation. By all means have empathy, but don't mistake empathy for love.

[@abstract5249]

@@AJX-2 I've always found it ironic that conservatives accuse liberals of virtue signaling, as if they can't fathom the idea that some people just care. Meanwhile, conservatives themselves are the biggest virtue signalers. They claim sexism when women act weary of men in public, but think it isn't sexist when they say men and women in the same workplace is problematic because women tempt men. They talk about mental health, but only in the context of opposing gun control as they never actually propose anything to address mental health and shoot down every effort that does. They talk about protecting children, but dismiss the emotional damage they cause by telling boys to "man up" and girls "you're not girly/feminine enough." Not to mention, conservatives have an awful history of creepy people among their ranks, from church leaders to billionaires to politicians like Matt Gaetz and Jared Woodfill. They also have weird reservations about banning child marriages and raising the aoc, so how much do they care, really?

[@abstract5249]

@@AJX-2 I've always found it funny that conservatives accuse liberals of virtue signaling as if they can't fathom the idea that some people just care.

[@Krotas_DeityofConflicts]

18:34 nahh.. what you just described is not WOKE. it's enlightenment. Woke is basically to completely immerse yourself in your emotions, saying whatever you FEEL is True (throwing out reason and rationality) mix that up with Marxism (while missing out Marx's point), then you got WOKE. A group of people that Wisecrack seems to cater to, trying their bests to make Woke look their best; while trying to humiliate the other ideologies, instead of properly critcising them. I love the old Wisecrack, when they were just normal Left and barely show their political leanings on their video, for the most part .

[@bgos4727]

Woke is enlightenment. Just because conservative mumbo jumbo tried to turn it into a slur doesn't change that fact

[@t.a6159]

Yes "non-woke" people are sooo delightful with their constant outrage over trivial nonsense.... 😂

[@WisecrackEDU]

January 6th looked like a hell of a party.

[@adamjebediah]

​@@WisecrackEDUprobably was. Wasn't there but I laughed when I saw some dude on the Whitehouse steps in a viking helmet lol God bless America

[@jacoblamarre2521]

Camus and absurdism is the only one that I think makes you feel better, reducing it to nothing matters so you get to make meaning in whatever you want. for me this lets me know everyone is equally right since we're all equally meaningless. :D

[@TheMulialia]

Ignorance is bliss!

[@ParoArtPixie]

This is a dangerous belief, yes but pure bliss is impossible

[@toneloke454]

sure is, you should stop living in it

[@stevechance150]

When your survey subjects are all first year Psychology students (most of whom majored in psych because they think they'll be able to analyze themselves, for free), you are going to be surveying some clinically depressed people.

[@LCaaroe]

Can we not make conclusions about leftism in general on a study that's as much about university students and faculty as it is about leftists?

[@Zzywywyw]

Most of my friends' anxiety and depression actually come from the fact that society doesn't value them - manifested in extreme hardship of making a living. Look at the salaries in the top institutions; curators in MoMA only make 70k, and there are constant budget cuts in arts & humanities areas in all the US universities! Careers which demand critical thinking have gone downhill for many decades now. The STEM "talents" - aka being a tool and serving others' ends (read with me: profit) without ever questioning the ethical and long-term implications - are being sought after in this "end of history" era. (Don't scold me, I am one of the sellouts and I hate it.) Is it damn surprising that people who engage in critical thinking aren't needed, thus creating all sorts of hurdles and frictions in their life? Damn yes, it is a betrayal when you work your ass off to better the world we live in and then realize the people in power don't want to better the world.

[@adamjebediah]

I'm a scientist and my pay is trash lol where are you getting this data from?

[@adamjebediah]

It's not they don't want to better the world, they want to better their corner of it. Just like pretty much everyone else.

[@mbeining11]

Not to change the subject, but Jack white's guitar screams! Could absolutely pick him out in a crowd lol

[@WisecrackEDU]

We always welcome guitar comments.

[@oisindowling7085]

This video is an answer to the question “what’s the point of philosophy?” I’d say one philosopher that’s good for self-help is Kierkegaard with two key pieces of advise: life is understood backwards but lived forwards and it’s good to go out for walks

[@WisecrackEDU]

Great Kierkegaard advice. He's one of the best in terms of applying philosophy to your actual life.

[@Ben_B_Artist]

Ignorance is bliss...

[@benkrapf]

Oh, look. A NY Post article. That can't be biased...

[@twiztidsidfreak13]

oh look a right winger who is a racist sexist, they can't be biased

[@JamiHeart]

Hahahahaaaa...I was thinking the same thing!

[@twiztidsidfreak13]

@@JamiHeart Yeah, like Breitbart is legit right LOL

[@ItalianoOrg]

Because they reject God.

[@ashram12]

Aren't there studies that liberals are more open-minded? Meaning, they're more open to hearing other perspectives? If I don't listen to other people, I can just stay in my own bubble and just focus on my own misery. But if I start listening to other people, I have to be confronted with other people's misery as well.

[@HappyCat1111]

I think generally you are correct, that most left-leaning ppl are openminded. There are so many angles to examine with this subject. The awareness of the world and suffering of others, levels of social inequality and injustice, and other social issues can be incredibly depressing. But also we need to consider human behavior, full of competition and habituation. It’s a doozy of a topic! Keep an open mind, be kind to others, and try to look for some good things. Otherwise we may all end up doing hemlock shots out of depression. Cheers, mate!

[@sushmitaraodesaraju6330]

But sharing our miseries fosters togetherness. Staying miserable by yourself keeps you isolated. So I guess what you need to decide is, would you rather face the misery of life alone or with a community by your side?

[@nyanuwu4209]

Liberals are just as close-minded, only on a different end of the spectrum. It's the nicer end for sure but the minds aren't much more open. They have their ideas and they cling to them as cultists just the same.

[@connyslayer4661]

Well said actually. Regardless of your political leanings, being open minded is always a great trait and wanting to understand different perspectives. You can share your rise and downfalls with your happiness and sadness with people with critical thinking to get a more educated view of the world. It's a very important thing to utilize well.

[@gbibim]

That’s funny. I had a very different experience than the other people commenting. The majority of liberals I met were not that open minded. Not only that I feel that they’ve become even less open minded in the last 10 years or so. Which is ironic since liberals are usually the ones that in theory value that.

[@YoungBillyKatastrophe]

Woke (/wouk/ WOHK) is an adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) meaning "alert to racial prejudice and discrimination"

[@TeeTee-bz3pv]

Most leftist isn’t religious. Religious people are happier.

[@chibu3212]

Leftists would rebuttal that with religion being a cope based off of ignorance and confirmation bias. The challenge for leftists (specifically the nonreligious rational materialist majority of them) is that nearly every single religion makes a statement about an afterlife, giving its adherents something to look forward to while dealing with the inherent suffering of existence. Meanwhile for the type of leftists I suggested, they must either find or create that utopian “heaven” right now or hope that it will be realized after their lifetime, when both outcomes are aggressively unlikely due to the sheer amount of injustices they view as omnipresent in society. So they’re stuck with attempting to make a change (sometimes at their own convenience and sacrifice of privileges) and cope with what they cannot change, or just accept reality as is and wallow in their depression and nihilism.

[@bgos4727]

Believing in fairytales do indeed keep people at bay.

[@bgos4727]

​@@chibu3212damn you read me like a book

[@robertbrandywine]

@@bgos4727 I don't know about "keeping people at bay". What does that even mean? I would agree that believing in fairytales makes people happier. That they are fairytales doesn't make these people less happy.

[@hannamakela6989]

PhD in Comp.Lit., unemployed, member of a leftist party, clinically depressed, neuro-atypical, a Finnish citizen (spoiler: not all of us are the happiest people in the world!)...Guess where I stand in relation to the logic delineated in this video? ;)

[@iamrigank]

10:47 my man working hard with a gun by his side. 😂

[@WisecrackEDU]

clearly his office does not have an HR department.

[@CaseyTheBrash]

I came here to ask about this one! Heh.

[@praxton]

There's a reason the "ignorance is bliss" phrase was coined and has endured. Yeah, addressing failures and wrongs is hard work and it can definitely be stressful. If you're in a marginalized community especially. For example, you have to consider where you might possibly be safe. If you can afford to get there. And, if you can be happy there. Will you be able to see your old friends and family again? If you're safely ensconced in the current power structure, you don't have to worry about such things. It's just dreams and fitting in. And you confuse that with being on the "right" side. When it's just the privileged side.

[@KT-lt4fy]

lived with a woke roommate and I get it... Having to be so self critical and watchful of every little thing is taxing and I eventually got so annoyed about having to watch my language or what media I can consume that I just left. Honestly, I'm progressive when it comes to economics and I'm all for human empathy, but there's a limit. I'm not gonna sacrifice my mental health to not offend every person for every little thing because there's a frick tonne of problems in this world and I'm supposed to care about every single one of them? Look, i'd rather focus on one or two issues I really care about (I work in the sustainability field) and actually do useful stuff to make the world better. edit: Like all things in life, I think being woke (informed, sensitive, whatever) needs to be balanced out.

[@chibu3212]

This is one of my criticisms about “woke” (I hate how that term has been appropriated) people and progressivism. While they are correct in that in society now and even in their “utopian” society there will likely inevitably still be some sort of injustices due to human nature , they struggle to come to a limit.

[@Zenedoboz]

I think happiness isn't a function of knowledge, but rather a function of purpose/meaning. Life is a series of easy parts and hard parts. Stoicism can help you endure the hard parts but will not make you happy. Also a long easy part in your life can make you miserable if you live a meaningless life or don't have a purpose. But if you have a purpose or goal, it will help you muscle through hardships, because you want to achieve that goal no matter what. Life will put you through suffering for sure. And if you don't have a purpose, it will be meaningless suffering, which is basically hell on earth.

[@oisinm332]

Studying queer theory does really sound miserable.

[@nyanuwu4209]

"Happiness is fundamentally egalitarian, integrating the question of the other..." ...Oh damn. "We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness..." --- 'The pursuit of egalitarianism' is so much better attuned to the American ideal than 'The pursuit of my personal stuff I want for me', isn't it...Makes a lot more sense.

[@alphamorion4314]

As someone who identefies left wing from basically all my life (and also as someone who has just watched until the 2:09 mark at the moment of writing this comment), a quote comes to mind. "In a world of madness, the sane one seems to be the mad one". No, we are not happy. We see the world for how it is. We see all the injustice, the inbalance. We see all of the potential for a much better society, and we are crushed when we see that the majority do not seem to see it as well and therefore prefer to be stuck in their narrow ways. But we are also the ones who *actually* chose the red pill, despite some douchebags on the conservative manosphere would like you to belive. We are the ones that are truly redpilled and awake to the real world. And we are trying to free you. Because it is worth it. So... Is it true that we are unhappy and depressed? Probably. I know I am at least. Does that mean that I would change it for the peace of closing my eyes again? No, never.

[@MaxIronsThird]

utopia is not a thing, and like most people in power, wokeism is just another way to control people, so the powerful get what they want.

[@RoyJERaiy]

I found it interesting. How when I expressed that I don't desire a super high paying job, but instead one that made me happy, people thought me crazy (including friends and family). When I then doubled down and told them I wanted to be a writer! They didn't believe me (some still think it is just a phase) and tried to convince me to do otherwise. But to me this means a lot more after 3 years of writing, because i found out that i loved the process too much to give it up and found myself working on writing much more than anything else. For the book helped me deal with being on the edge of depression for years on end and allowed me to explore my own philosophical ideas (that were obviously constructed from other wiser folks' ideas and teachings) The process taught me that I don't really need much to be happy. A couple hobbies and something to be passionate about was all I really needed. (Minus the existential dread looming every waking moment after understanding just how fucked our systems are)

[@Justjoey17]

"To be acutely conscious is a disease, a real, honest-to-goodness disease."

[@adamjebediah]

Conscious of what exactly?

[@DanielLopez-ec1sn]

Camus got me into philosophy, but Sartre got me to live life. I find Stoics annoying. Marcus Aurelius is Ayn Rand for men who hate women. I can't stand philosophers who didn't actually live by their own philosophies

[@Whodat]

The tale of knowledge being a burden is as old is as old as history. The lesson learned in the story of Adam and Eve is that ignorance is LITERAL bliss, and knowledge is pain and suffering.

[@Indicteronomy]

Also the best philosopher for self-help is Seneca. Stoicism, as you say. Or, I would suggest, Daoism. See; Zhuangzi.

[@BlueBeetle1939]

Ignorance is bliss

[@50eurocent90]

its not about ignorance. You guys have political views in the place of personality

[@BlueBeetle1939]

@@50eurocent90 idk who "you guys" but id love to hear what you think my politics are

[@GNARGNARHEAD]

I blame the deconstructionist ideology.. and maybe the cost of accommodation, let alone a home.. ecological dread.. just the nature of reality.. and that is why I say AI or bust how dare you, bread is the best bit! if I go out to eat, I'm going to enjoy myself, and that means all of the bread, chips, and, bits best philosopher for life advice? you know what, I'm going to go with Parmenides, obviously I have no clue if he was batshit or not, but my gut tells me he was a sharp cookie oh right, I'm not against deconstructionism, just the way it goes as the veil of ignorance falls you ever check out Michael Sugrue like I recommended? the Hellenist were pretty bright.. I suspect they don't hold a light to Parmenides, but I guess we'll have to wait for monster quantum computers to find out

[@bjkm1996]

As long as we don't get so woke, we can't dream we will be fine

[@WisecrackEDU]

Good point, can't lose the ability to dream.

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

Im trying to understand this past the at face-value nature of this comment but I cant find any other interpretation, given "woke" originally was meant to be defined as "aware of social injustice" as coined by Jazzists talking about the seggregated Jim Crow south, in that regard being more aware doesnt impede us from dreaming about a better future, in fact is necessary to fully understand the system at play and what is required to change it.

[@raven-sf3di]

One man's dream is another man's nightmare, so I guess a leftists dream is to make nightmares for others

[@bjkm1996]

@@vanessamaldonado5877 We shouldn't let our awareness of injustice make us so jaded that we can't dream of/work toward a better future.

[@vanessamaldonado5877]

@@bjkm1996 But that isnt "wokeness" thats just nihilism, there is literally no possible way of being "too woke", given the original context of simply meaning aware of injustice, are there people who get overwhelmed by all the shit that is wrong in this world? yes, but that doesnt stem from the awareness but from the feeling of being impotent to really make a difference, and thats how you drift towards nihilism.

[@maxpower8429]

This is a crazy eco chamber. You guys are really telling yourselves “we’re so smart that we’re sad” you don’t see how arrogant that is. Maybe you’re just directionless, and without meaning. That’s probably more likely then “we’re too smart”

[@Chelle_Vibes]

This describes the queer experience to a tee. Our confrontation with societal structures is essentially inevitable if we follow our intuition. It makes me wonder, however, if happiness comes from embracing the challenge of nonconformity, then how do those who benefit from existing within societal expectations become enlightened? What prompts an upper middle-class cis straight white dude to question societal structures? Why would Bently leave the cave?

[@justme8184]

and sometimes, satisfaction isn't as satisfying as you thought it would be

[@smintili]

Video on contemporary school, please? 🥺 (And if it’s not too much to ask, perhaps not just the US? Europe and Asia maybe too? With a cherry on top? 👏)

[@HYPERION_ART]

Are you serving woke ideology or is woke ideology serving you?

[@bgos4727]

I believe I'm serving it

[@khango6138]

Same with ecologists, conservationists, climatologists and ecotoxicologists.

[@WisecrackEDU]

I can't imagine how any of those folks with that level of knowledge sleep at night. God bless them.

[@khango6138]

@@WisecrackEDU Me personally, I'm struggling to sleep tonight. Ecology student, and amateur naturalist. Learning about it empowers me, but it also haunts every waking moment.

[@quatreraberbawinner2628]

Im not woke and im miserable

[@TheChrisLeone]

The worst part of the backwards thinking family members is that I cannot for the life of me get a coherent worldview out of them. So many of their beliefs are overgeneralizations or completely false. They're the type that support Israel 100%, and I swear to God my whole family believes our military/police budgets are dangerously low, which is literally insane.

[@darrens3]

Ignorance is bliss and then they can get all their opinions spoofed to them off Fox News, so they don't have to even bother to form one themselves, they just let other people form their opinions for them and use them. Who would have thought that ignorance and laziness go hand in hand so well.