How do you deal with the horrors you see and hear?

Jamie Adams6 said:It's less active than some other subreddits, probably because I also mostly hang out in one specific thread (likely the same one you're reading). Honestly, even that "politics-adjacent" PDF is more interesting than the main feed, but whatever—I get what you mean.

my guess: spirituality, DZ, and maybe... alternative stuff? 🤔

or like, when a group of Americans gets a slap on the wrist after beating Luke Ritz because they're all part of the same crowd, getting light sentences just because of their hair color or the music they vibe to—and you're sitting there wondering when justice will actually catch up to people like us... 🎉ignorance is bliss.

this is a perfect example—not some far-off thing happening in another country, but right here, right now.
I mean, usually it’s just the thought of dying kids that really gets me down, but that whole horror story involving the bow? That one sticks with you.😢

blueotter28 said:Either they target someone who was actually a decent person during their life, ensuring they get kicked out to a nursing home 😬

That's irrelevant. It isn't about whether someone is good or bad. It's simply that sometimes you need 24-hour coverage, and that isn't always feasible.

I don't know, I guess I just made a silly little joke. It really wasn't appropriate for the topic at hand.

slystag4 said:This is my thread. It’s actually quite unsettling how dependent I’ve become on bad news. Honestly, it’s been this way since I was a kid; I grew up constantly scrolling through local crime reports and tragedy sections. I can't say for certain how that shaped me back then, but it’s having a devastating impact on me today. Just recently, I read about a mother and her child drowning in the Mississippi—a story I initially tried to avoid at all costs. But, predictably, I ended up reading it anyway, and I wept like there was no tomorrow. It felt as if I were mourning people I actually knew personally. And it isn't just the big headlines; I find myself weeping over random human tragedies I stumble upon in the press. I swear, I can recall almost every major highway pileup in the US from the last decade. The only real solution seems to be completely disconnecting from every single news portal on the internet. I don't watch TV, and I certainly don't pick up physical newspapers. I truly envy those people who live in total ignorance of world events—those who are shielded from the endless cycle of disasters, accidents, and horrors that occur every single day without pause. I have to distance myself from all of this, or I fear I might actually lose my mind.

I’m right there with you. I feel everyone else's pain deep in my soul, especially when kids are involved. Sometimes I feel like an alien compared to the people around me because almost nobody seems to care about this stuff.

It’s like the whole point of life is just to walk around being miserable and ignoring all the suffering happening right in front of us. I truly believe we’re all connected as humans and that our main purpose is to help one another. I see it all the time in coffee shops—people turning their heads away when homeless kids approach them. They wouldn't even miss $1.75, especially if they have enough for a latte. A kid isn't responsible for the circumstances of their life, and who knows what they've been through? Beyond just the stereotypes...

And yeah, maybe the cure for us hyper-sensitive types is to turn those feelings into actual movement. Maybe that would make things easier. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but besides small gestures like helping someone out on the street, I haven't started living out my values in a big way yet. 😢

I honestly don't think people just stopped caring—it's more like they're being pushed into this survival mode where they're basically just treading water. They’ve reached a point where they don't believe fighting for any "higher purpose" is worth the tiny bit of energy left after grinding through work all day. Honestly, the vibe in America right now is such that people feel like they have no choice but to keep their heads down—especially when the government feels like the absolute last thing anyone wants to deal with.

Just looking at the people around me lately... with everyone getting totally screwed by these endless tax hikes, inflation, and insane new regulations, it feels like there's zero juice left for the "big picture" stuff. You can't just grind people into the dirt, pile on a hundred different stressors, strip away their hope for a better future, and then act surprised when they aren't out there being activists. It's impossible—kind of like trying to pair up depression with actual motivation.

Take the homeless or the beggars, for example... if they're still out on the streets despite all these massive institutions and agencies, then man, I doubt my $1.75 is gonna move the needle much. I'm not making excuses, but I really think that's what's going through the head of every person walking by—they just see them as part of the scenery, like they're invisible.