Welcome to the normie club. (It’s oddly peaceful here). I came to the same realization a few years ago, when it dawned on me that I was getting desensitized to the constant drama of politics. It was always, “you need to care about what we tell you in the moment.” You need to care about this right now, and then suddenly a week later, no, actually you need to care about something else, forget about last week’s disasters. (Even though I definitely still cared about last week!) And the loudest thing in the room is often what makes you easiest to distract, it is often the bait. The volume is part of the manipulation.
And like you said, preaching to the choir is not necessarily going to make the biggest difference. Trying to reason with people online is usually futile too. So many are not there to think, to understand or have a real conversation. They are there to perform. A lot of it is ignorance, a lot of it is mental laziness, and a lot of it is ego fragility. They cannot change their mind because their identity is built on never being wrong. I also do not trust states of collective fever. They make people feel righteous and they make them stupid.
Meanwhile, in my own life, in my own neighbourhood, things are happening that affect me directly and there is something I can actually do about them. So I stopped doing politics online. I still vote and I keep a basic eye on reality, but I refuse to live inside the outrage cycle. If something truly urgent matters, it reaches me through real life. For the past few years I have been what you call a “normie,” focusing on my family, my friendships, my neighbourhood, and volunteering in my community. I haven’t changed the world, but I have made some difference where I actually live. It’s a satisfying way to live, at least for now.
I still find myself far too invested in the petty shit slinging but I’m trying to excise as much of it from my life as possible. I just knuckled down for three months straight and aced some worthless college classes, then got a better unrelated job with tangible benefits and room to grow, and found a solo apartment that’s handsome and somewhat affordable.
I’m on my way to not being a depressed and distracted faggot anymore. Thank you Med, you transgressive renegade asshole.
I'm not even kidding... I had a talk with my Dad about this exact subject right before I came to Substack and read this. I feel the exact same way... I saw Somalis playing loud music outside ICE hotel rooms and started to hate Somalis... I live in Cali... I never see Somalis... this could be happening on another planet for all I care...Rage bait has no positive impact whatsoever on my life. Being "informed" doesn't matter unless you can earn money with it. I think I'll be shutting it off as well. God Bless.
Great post. Chimping on X has become less fun since I started building new institutions in the real world that I hope will actually make people’s lives better and richer. If all goes to plan, these places will have positive political effects down the road.
To be honest, focusing on your own life and interests in an increasingly more retarded and distracted world feels kinda noble. I'm starting to agree more and more with your position here.
Welcome to the normie club. (It’s oddly peaceful here). I came to the same realization a few years ago, when it dawned on me that I was getting desensitized to the constant drama of politics. It was always, “you need to care about what we tell you in the moment.” You need to care about this right now, and then suddenly a week later, no, actually you need to care about something else, forget about last week’s disasters. (Even though I definitely still cared about last week!) And the loudest thing in the room is often what makes you easiest to distract, it is often the bait. The volume is part of the manipulation.
And like you said, preaching to the choir is not necessarily going to make the biggest difference. Trying to reason with people online is usually futile too. So many are not there to think, to understand or have a real conversation. They are there to perform. A lot of it is ignorance, a lot of it is mental laziness, and a lot of it is ego fragility. They cannot change their mind because their identity is built on never being wrong. I also do not trust states of collective fever. They make people feel righteous and they make them stupid.
Meanwhile, in my own life, in my own neighbourhood, things are happening that affect me directly and there is something I can actually do about them. So I stopped doing politics online. I still vote and I keep a basic eye on reality, but I refuse to live inside the outrage cycle. If something truly urgent matters, it reaches me through real life. For the past few years I have been what you call a “normie,” focusing on my family, my friendships, my neighbourhood, and volunteering in my community. I haven’t changed the world, but I have made some difference where I actually live. It’s a satisfying way to live, at least for now.
I still find myself far too invested in the petty shit slinging but I’m trying to excise as much of it from my life as possible. I just knuckled down for three months straight and aced some worthless college classes, then got a better unrelated job with tangible benefits and room to grow, and found a solo apartment that’s handsome and somewhat affordable.
I’m on my way to not being a depressed and distracted faggot anymore. Thank you Med, you transgressive renegade asshole.
I'm not even kidding... I had a talk with my Dad about this exact subject right before I came to Substack and read this. I feel the exact same way... I saw Somalis playing loud music outside ICE hotel rooms and started to hate Somalis... I live in Cali... I never see Somalis... this could be happening on another planet for all I care...Rage bait has no positive impact whatsoever on my life. Being "informed" doesn't matter unless you can earn money with it. I think I'll be shutting it off as well. God Bless.
Great post. Chimping on X has become less fun since I started building new institutions in the real world that I hope will actually make people’s lives better and richer. If all goes to plan, these places will have positive political effects down the road.
To be honest, focusing on your own life and interests in an increasingly more retarded and distracted world feels kinda noble. I'm starting to agree more and more with your position here.
Been doing the same. It’s not fun and not worth it imo
Great last paragraph, except black holes are fake (and arguably also gay).