I believe it is important to distinguish between two different states of mind:
1) Intrusive suicidal ideation characterized by a sense of total hopelessness. This is when a person feels they have lost control over their own thoughts and can't redirect them, seeing death as the only escape from darkness and suffering. This state is a red alert; if someone finds themselves here, they need to seek professional help immediately.
2) Considering suicide as a potential solution to an overwhelming life crisis. This usually follows a major failure, a deep disappointment, or a significant loss—situations where a person struggles to see a constructive way forward after intense existential reflection. This type of crisis isn't necessarily an immediate emergency; many Americans face these moments and overcome them either on their own or with support.
I am not a mental health professional, but it seems to me that the original poster is experiencing the second scenario: an existential crisis mixed with profound disappointment and the fear of trying again only to fail. It is difficult to speak in generalities because everyone is unique, but the goal is to find a new, meaningful philosophy to replace nihilism and pessimism—something that provides a new path or the strength to "give it one more shot."
If the author could provide a bit more specific detail, perhaps we could brainstorm some practical ways forward together. 🙂
Edward Ortiz77 said:I used to avoid this movie because I can't stand Bradley Cooper's attempts at acting, nor can I stomach how much Robert de Niro has let himself go, but I finally decided to give it a shot today. Honestly, what can I say? The plot is somewhat engaging and functional during the opening act—where the core idea feels decent enough—but then it steadily loses steam until it hits an ending that I personally found repulsive due to its sheer naivety. They never actually explain how he managed to keep producing tablets while simultaneously functioning on them. The film is riddled with logical gaps and gets particularly messy once you bring in that guy who’s supposed to sign the contract (Atwood?) who turns out to be using the tablets too... no, I can't even finish that thought. The presence of Bradley Cooper and a Robert de Niro who sells out his acting legacy far too easily is only tolerable if you're looking for ninety minutes of mindless entertainment to switch your brain off. For me, it's about a 6/10.
When I first watched the movie, I found it quite engaging and was actually looking forward to the series, but I ended up dropping it after only two or three episodes. Having revisited the film recently, I can see there are indeed quite a few logical inconsistencies and unexplained details...
Jacob Cooper5 said:If you dive into the settings for the Tampermonkey extension in Chrome, it actually gives you direct links to various script repositories. I think there’s even a shortcut tucked away in that little dropdown menu next to your address bar... I messed around with it for a bit recently and decided to click through those links just to see what the fuss was about. Honestly? I wasn't exactly blown away. Most of the scripts I stumbled upon look ancient—just old, abandoned code sitting there gathering digital dust. And my biggest gripe is the lack of oversight; it feels like nobody is actually vetting these things for security, which means you could easily end up downloading something malicious without even realizing it...
My only goal was figuring out how to hide specific subforums on this site. 😁
The script has been ready for quite some time and works perfectly: Greasemonkey scripts for Reddit. 🙂
It works on both Firefox and Chrome—I have tested both Greasemonkey and Tampermonkey. 🙂
I suppose Greasemonkey for Firefox is my only real option, since someone has already developed a script: Greasemonkey scripts for Reddit (assuming they still work). In that case, I'll likely make the switch over to Firefox...
Tampermonkey is a Chrome extension that lets you customize how different websites look and function. For instance, you could set it up to filter Reddit so you only see specific subreddits while hiding the ones you aren't interested in. To make this work, however, you need a specific script. Does anyone know which script I should look for, where to find it, and the best way to install it?
"We aren't built to multitask everything at once; we are designed to focus on one thing at a time. Don't cling to a single goal and try to stretch it out indefinitely. Once you have fulfilled your purpose, no one can take that achievement away from you. However, that purpose cannot last forever because nothing does. You can celebrate it and look back on it fondly, but you must be prepared to eventually let it go. You simply won't find a new purpose if you refuse to release the old one."
An excerpt from "Plato, Not a Prose Writer!". 🙂
A quick addition:
We tend to overvalue things just because we’ve poured significant time, effort, or money into them. Even when it’s obvious the path we chose isn't right for us—when we face constant setbacks and feel deeply unhappy—we often stay stuck because we don't want to feel like our investment was wasted. To justify all that effort, we persist down the wrong road, essentially sabotaging ourselves. But the reality is that what is spent is gone. If you spend money on a meal that makes you sick, eating more of it won't "recover" your money; it will only ruin your health. Whether you eat it or not, the cash is spent. The same applies to time and energy spent on a specific person, a skill, or a career path. Doubling down on those things won't bring back the resources already lost.
This is a common trap that many of us fall into, causing us to linger in the wrong situations far longer than necessary. When you really stop to think about it, staying stuck is quite illogical. 🙂
Rebecca Carter8 said:Anyway... Does anyone have any recommendations on how to actually learn how to be funny?
And why does that matter to you?
I wouldn't say I'm particularly witty, nor is the wit of others a major priority for me. I laugh at funny things, and I certainly enjoy witty people and good comedy, but it isn't anything I focus on intensely...
I haven't found that it has ever caused me any issues in life. 🤔
Alex Robinson5 said:I’m looking for some objective perspective on my "problem" because I’m honestly losing my mind here—I can’t seem to see the situation clearly anymore.
To make a long story short... For the last few years, I've been chasing one specific goal. It’s become the backbone of my life—my North Star, really. The issue is that every single time I get close to actually pulling it off, something massive hits the brakes and sends me right back to square one. Every. Single. Time. Just as I’m within reach, some absolute disaster strikes and completely derails my plans. I just don't understand what the hell is going on or how I'm supposed to handle this. Look, I’m not someone who buys into cosmic signs or destiny, but I'm at a loss for how to interpret all this. My latest setback happened today, and frankly, I’ve decided to throw in the towel and walk away from it all. The whole thing has started feeling absurd—especially considering these obstacles have already cost me a great career and a significant amount of money. I should point out that every single one of these disasters was entirely out of my hands—there wasn't a thing I could have done to prevent them. Just bad luck, I guess. Or is it? I feel like something is screaming at me: Just quit already, because this isn't going to lead anywhere good. How many more disasters do you need to go through before you finally get the hint? Like I said, I'm losing my grip on reality.
Has anyone else ever dealt with something like this?
It certainly has, and the lesson was always clear:
Just walk away from it because it won't lead to anything good. How many more headaches do you need before you finally realize that?
says: I barely managed to relax at all; my mind was racing constantly. I kept thinking about everything, especially the company I work for, which is basically falling apart. 😬
You might find this short, practical guided session helpful: an Honest Meditation. 😁
Joseph Bailey41 said:Have you tried mantras? You don't even have to say them out loud; sometimes just listening to them on YouTube helps. When you give your mind something repetitive to latch onto, it eventually settles down and goes quiet. 😁
That is a wonderful idea! 👍
One great thing about mantras is that even after you stop listening, they continue to resonate in your mind, helping to quiet that usual mental noise for quite a while.
This one is my favorite: LAXMI MANTRA. I used to listen to it back in the day hoping for a windfall, though it didn't exactly make me rich. 🕺 😁 This one is incredibly cheerful and really lifts your mood: Kubera Mantra. 🙂
It has been a long time since I practiced mantras, so I might just dive back into them. 🙂
