Further Reading...

The Enchiridion by Epictetus. A short Stoic text about understanding what is within our control and what isn't.
   
Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag. An examination of how we respond to images of war, violence, and the suffering of people far away.


The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison. Essays about empathy, suffering, and what it actually means to feel another person's pain.

   
Against Empathy by Paul Bloom. A provocative argument that feeling another person's suffering isn't always the best guide to helping them. Bloom makes the case for a more rational form of compassion.

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Please note: This channel explores philosophical themes and is for educational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This is the only official Functional Melancholic YouTube Channel. This is not an AI channel. I am a real person, nor do I use any green screens.

Don’t wanna die but tired of living.

Every morning I wake up on the edge of declaring humans a failed species. In 3 months I will be 90 and I am really tired of trying to figure things out in a way that makes sense!  I write to politicians and call their offices even though I know it is probably a useless endeavor. I watch the news and weep. I make these earrings that women, especially young women seem to like. I always carry a couple of pairs in my purse and if someone admires them, I ask if they would like a pair. If they say yes, give them a pair. I have heard the phrase “thank you, you just made my day” many times. Does this really help the state of the world, I don’t imagine it does, but it changes my world, even if it is for a little while!😊

What hurts is thinking how different it all could be.

I can't adjust to a society this profoundly sick.

"There was a time when the news stopped." I don't think I've heard anyone else say that.  You are spot on.  The relentlessness of the bad news is spiritually corrosive and mentally debilitating.

Everything feels like a scam in society. Some days I wish I was apathetic to all of this.

Yup. The water is close to boiling my fellow frogs

Totally agree the normalisation of horror is disturbing. And the normalisation of insanity and lies.😢

"What if the world already ended and  we're just stuck in purgatory" - hits joint

“I must die. But must I die bawling?”- Epictetus, Discourses. A constant reminder we have no control over death & pain, only how we meet it.

I don't watch the news. I don't think it's natural to know this much about the world. Humans are made to deal with their direct environment and frankly, that is enough to deal with.

I’m 48 and recently realized I am completely redundant in society now. I did the things- I trained, I worked, I retrained, adapted, was flexible… it amounted to plenty in terms of amazing life experiences but no material wealth. I’m am artist and musician so needless to say getting work was never straight forward but now theres nothing. Everything has dried up. I find myself thinking a lot ‘maybe I don’t need to live into my late 50s, 60s…’ I’m not suicidal or anything, I just feel like another 20-30 years in a society that makes damn sure I’m not economically viable is no longer sustainable or desirable. I don’t mind being still, bored, minimalist. But I do need to eat. I feel like I’ve out-lived my usefulness in this place I suppose.

I'm making this comment before I finish your talk because I don't want to forget to mention this later. NOW is the time to embrace the activities and interests that once brought you joy or a pleasant distraction. You don't have to do anything at all, but while you're not doing something to occupy your hands and your mind, you're faced with a fight to NOT use your phone, and as every heroin addict knows...willpower loses every single time. Get busy and set the world aside for an hour or a day. Distract yourself and rediscover your joy.

My breaking point was that fact that people didn't rise up when epstein files were released....we failed as humans and let the evil win. It's over, nothing will ever change, at this point only death may release us.

This is a poem by Alessandra Olanow
I am in the store, touching things. Linen napkins, a blue bowl. The world is on fire, and I am choosing between two kinds of soap.
Everyone here is doing this, filling carts with small comforts while somewhere a child goes to bed, hungry, while the Earth heats, while men make decisions about who gets to live.
I know what this is, this careful arranging while everything collapses. This is how we survive. And also how we disappear.

its the end of the world as we know it, and im not fine

Society has been cooked, more than melted butter on black toast. Pure insanity throughout society was reached and normalized long ago. Many are simply just now noticing, and it couldn't be anymore obvious.

Humanity is finished we are living in a world where people hate each other

Im a paramedic, everyday i show up to work humanity and society manage to show and top how low it can sink. Its moral shattering sometimes to be honest and it kills part of you if you do it long enough. True strength is continuing to have hope and waking up ready to help and make a difference despite the fact.