What would you do and what's the last thing you'd give up if the economy completely crushed you?

But let’s set aside the clergy and all those other distractions for a moment..

One interesting pattern I’ve noticed regarding this topic—and it seems to apply to quite a few people—is that their actual day-to-day lives haven't shifted an inch because of the crisis. Their income remains steady, their living conditions are unchanged, and some are even managed to 😁 more than before. Yet, the second they catch a headline on CNN claiming the country is in a state of emergency, suddenly this becomes their entire world, and they act as if they are personally caught in the middle of 🤷

Then again, it isn't exactly surprising; Americans can be steered quite easily by the right narrative. It’s a predictable cycle: we’ll head to the polls at the end of the year to exercise our democratic rights, only to spend the next four years complaining about the outcome, before the whole loop starts all over again.

Daniel Garcia24 said:But let’s set aside the clergy and all those other distractions for a moment..

One interesting pattern I’ve noticed regarding this topic—and it seems to apply to quite a few people—is that their actual day-to-day lives haven't shifted an inch because of the crisis. Their income remains steady, their living conditions are unchanged, and some are even managed to 😁 more than before. Yet, the second they catch a headline on CNN claiming the country is in a state of emergency, suddenly this becomes their entire world, and they act as if they are personally caught in the middle of 🤷

Then again, it isn't exactly surprising; Americans can be steered quite easily by the right narrative. It’s a predictable cycle: we’ll head to the polls at the end of the year to exercise our democratic rights, only to spend the next four years complaining about the outcome, before the whole loop starts all over again.

Exactly. The media has done its best work manipulating those who actually lost their jobs and are facing threats from banks to evict them from their homes.
The manipulation goes so far that they even lie about inflation. They claim prices are skyrocketing... honestly, only the most naive people actually buy that.

I’d give up Reddit, politics, and all those Kroger fans arguing about left versus right in a heartbeat.

northerntiger said:I didn't even suggest that.

Personally, I could never bring myself to kick an animal out onto the street. To me, a pet is a living being that stays the owner's responsibility for its entire life. That’s why I think the whole "impulse buy" culture is such a huge issue—people treat them like they're just some disposable toy. If you're going to give them a great, protected life, you have to see that commitment through until the very end. Plus, not everyone treats their cats like little indoor accessories. Some folks have houses and big backyards where cats can be more "outdoorsy"—they get to roam, hunt, and explore, then just come back inside to eat and sleep.

😕 And I wasn't saying you were suggesting it—I was just saying my cat probably wouldn't make it if left to her own devices. Cats raised as outdoor pets likely would.

Something else occurred to me. If I had to choose between losing water or electricity, I’d definitely give up the power. I can manage with candles and blankets, but not being able to shower regularly sounds miserable. When you really think about it, modern comforts have made us incredibly spoiled. ☕

Daniel Garcia24 said:But let’s set aside the clergy and all those other distractions for a moment..

One interesting pattern I’ve noticed regarding this topic—and it seems to apply to quite a few people—is that their actual day-to-day lives haven't shifted an inch because of the crisis. Their income remains steady, their living conditions are unchanged, and some are even managed to 😁 more than before. Yet, the second they catch a headline on CNN claiming the country is in a state of emergency, suddenly this becomes their entire world, and they act as if they are personally caught in the middle of 🤷

Then again, it isn't exactly surprising; Americans can be steered quite easily by the right narrative. It’s a predictable cycle: we’ll head to the polls at the end of the year to exercise our democratic rights, only to spend the next four years complaining about the outcome, before the whole loop starts all over again.

What the hell are you even talking about? Are you just some kid living off an allowance from your parents?
People lost their jobs. There is literally no better way to realize a crisis is happening than that.
Once the layoffs start rolling in, even if you manage to hang on, you’re sitting there watching your friends, your coworkers, and your own family get canned. You start fearing for your future. You come from some wealthy family and spend your days hunched over a white Apple in some cafe near Central Park? Then maybe open your eyes and look around for once.
This is how people working in those glass office towers in Brooklyn talk—government bureaucrats whose biggest struggle is that gas prices went up and they didn't get their summer bonus. If you had to dig through a dumpster and realize that once you lose your job, you’ll never hold down anything decent again, then you’d actually understand what a crisis looks like.

Because a crisis isn't just some temporary phase that rolls in and out. For a lot of people, it means being permanently stripped of their rights. And one of those is the right to work. Once they label you as redundant, you stay redundant forever.

Brandon Ramirez said:😕 And I wasn't saying you were suggesting it—I was just saying my cat probably wouldn't make it if left to her own devices. Cats raised as outdoor pets likely would.

Something else occurred to me. If I had to choose between losing water or electricity, I’d definitely give up the power. I can manage with candles and blankets, but not being able to shower regularly sounds miserable. When you really think about it, modern comforts have made us incredibly spoiled. ☕

It's pretty obvious you've never actually lived without running water or electricity. Sure, you can improvise with water using jugs, tanks, or buckets, but electricity isn't that easy to fake. What do you think it's like trying to shower in the middle of winter by pouring water from a pitcher that you just heated up on a gas stove or a wood burner? (Unless you happen to have a gas water heater, I suppose.) Or how do you dry your hair without a blow dryer? Just sitting by the fireplace smelling like smoke? Or ironing clothes with an old-school charcoal iron? Or washing your hands in freezing water until your knuckles swell up like knots on a vine after one winter? Or doing laundry by hand because there's no machine, and you can never quite rinse the soap out properly? And since you can't spin-dry anything, you're stuck hanging wet clothes all over the house near the stove or fireplace, making the whole place feel more like a laundromat than a home. Then there's the summer—no fridge means nowhere to put meat or leftovers. You'd be buying groceries day-by-day just so things don't spoil—eggs, milk, meat... everything. Not to mention having no light during those long winter nights, where kids might have to do their homework by lantern light and end up wearing glasses by the time they hit puberty. I've only listed a few perks of 20th-century life; I'll let your imagination do the rest for the 21st century...

But hey, if you're still interested and want to learn how to survive (NNNI), I can offer some lessons on what life is actually like without power. The price? A tiny little thing!

wanderingcrane5 said:What the hell are you even talking about? Are you just some kid living off an allowance from your parents?
People lost their jobs. There is literally no better way to realize a crisis is happening than that.
Once the layoffs start rolling in, even if you manage to hang on, you’re sitting there watching your friends, your coworkers, and your own family get canned. You start fearing for your future. You come from some wealthy family and spend your days hunched over a white Apple in some cafe near Central Park? Then maybe open your eyes and look around for once.
This is how people working in those glass office towers in Brooklyn talk—government bureaucrats whose biggest struggle is that gas prices went up and they didn't get their summer bonus. If you had to dig through a dumpster and realize that once you lose your job, you’ll never hold down anything decent again, then you’d actually understand what a crisis looks like.

Because a crisis isn't just some temporary phase that rolls in and out. For a lot of people, it means being permanently stripped of their rights. And one of those is the right to work. Once they label you as redundant, you stay redundant forever.

👍 on the whole thing!

jadeorca42 said:It's pretty obvious you've never actually lived without running water or electricity. Sure, you can improvise with water using jugs, tanks, or buckets, but electricity isn't that easy to fake. What do you think it's like trying to shower in the middle of winter by pouring water from a pitcher that you just heated up on a gas stove or a wood burner? (Unless you happen to have a gas water heater, I suppose.) Or how do you dry your hair without a blow dryer? Just sitting by the fireplace smelling like smoke? Or ironing clothes with an old-school charcoal iron? Or washing your hands in freezing water until your knuckles swell up like knots on a vine after one winter? Or doing laundry by hand because there's no machine, and you can never quite rinse the soap out properly? And since you can't spin-dry anything, you're stuck hanging wet clothes all over the house near the stove or fireplace, making the whole place feel more like a laundromat than a home. Then there's the summer—no fridge means nowhere to put meat or leftovers. You'd be buying groceries day-by-day just so things don't spoil—eggs, milk, meat... everything. Not to mention having no light during those long winter nights, where kids might have to do their homework by lantern light and end up wearing glasses by the time they hit puberty. I've only listed a few perks of 20th-century life; I'll let your imagination do the rest for the 21st century...

But hey, if you're still interested and want to learn how to survive (NNNI), I can offer some lessons on what life is actually like without power. The price? A tiny little thing!

You don't know me, so there's no need for the snap judgments. Even if you were right—which isn't necessarily the case—there's no reason to talk down to me like that.☕

Brandon Ramirez said:👍 on the whole thing!

You don't know me, so there's no need for the snap judgments. Even if you were right—which isn't necessarily the case—there's no reason to talk down to me like that.☕

My bad. I didn't mean to sound patronizing—I guess I forgot to include a smile 😁😁😁
Apologies once more.

I’m highly adaptable, though it depends on whether the crisis hits me personally or if society collapses entirely. In the latter case, I’d have to strip everything back. Honestly, I could live in a cave and spend hours staring into a fire after eating wild boar. I have a tendency to catastrophize my own misfortunes, which keeps things interesting. I also have the ability to build something out of nothing—take scrap metal or heavy waste, and I can improvise, refine, or improve it. Manual labor isn't a chore for me; it's a satisfaction, whether it's tending a garden, working a vineyard, or various crafts. We’d rely on herbal remedies or old-school folk medicine. Poverty has its perks depending on your mindset. Living without electricity forces you to find joy in the small things; you stop wanting much and become modest. Long evenings spent socializing instead of scrolling through internet forums... we would survive.
Everything I just said is contingent on one thing: if I don't have to deal with my aging mother and mother-in-law, who are 83 and 92, my wife and I would adapt just fine!

Honestly, I’d give anything for some of Mary’s water... I wouldn't even dream of heading out on a trip without it.

Daniel Garcia24 said:But let’s set aside the clergy and all those other distractions for a moment..

One interesting pattern I’ve noticed regarding this topic—and it seems to apply to quite a few people—is that their actual day-to-day lives haven't shifted an inch because of the crisis. Their income remains steady, their living conditions are unchanged, and some are even managed to 😁 more than before. Yet, the second they catch a headline on CNN claiming the country is in a state of emergency, suddenly this becomes their entire world, and they act as if they are personally caught in the middle of 🤷

Then again, it isn't exactly surprising; Americans can be steered quite easily by the right narrative. It’s a predictable cycle: we’ll head to the polls at the end of the year to exercise our democratic rights, only to spend the next four years complaining about the outcome, before the whole loop starts all over again.

Honestly, I’m pulling in more money now than I was before the crash... which, when you really step back and look at it, is kind of wild. Unfortunately, it’s never been better.😍

jadeorca42 said:My bad. I didn't mean to sound patronizing—I guess I forgot to include a smile 😁😁😁
Apologies once more.

all five 🙂
but honestly! If the whole world goes down, that's one thing. I was thinking more about what happens when you guys fail in the real world.

jadeorca42 said:It's pretty obvious you've never actually lived without running water or electricity. Sure, you can improvise with water using jugs, tanks, or buckets, but electricity isn't that easy to fake. What do you think it's like trying to shower in the middle of winter by pouring water from a pitcher that you just heated up on a gas stove or a wood burner? (Unless you happen to have a gas water heater, I suppose.) Or how do you dry your hair without a blow dryer? Just sitting by the fireplace smelling like smoke? Or ironing clothes with an old-school charcoal iron? Or washing your hands in freezing water until your knuckles swell up like knots on a vine after one winter? Or doing laundry by hand because there's no machine, and you can never quite rinse the soap out properly? And since you can't spin-dry anything, you're stuck hanging wet clothes all over the house near the stove or fireplace, making the whole place feel more like a laundromat than a home. Then there's the summer—no fridge means nowhere to put meat or leftovers. You'd be buying groceries day-by-day just so things don't spoil—eggs, milk, meat... everything. Not to mention having no light during those long winter nights, where kids might have to do their homework by lantern light and end up wearing glasses by the time they hit puberty. I've only listed a few perks of 20th-century life; I'll let your imagination do the rest for the 21st century...

But hey, if you're still interested and want to learn how to survive (NNNI), I can offer some lessons on what life is actually like without power. The price? A tiny little thing!

Bauhaus generators, man. You can find all kinds.
Obviously, they run on fuel, either gas or diesel. If you get one that runs on diesel, that’s the move. Just grab some heating oil and you're set.

I’m obviously just messing around a bit here.

As for hair dryers, I’ve never bothered using one. I have a girlfriend who basically wouldn't even know how to wash her hair if she didn't have a blow dryer handy. It's just pure habit.
I mostly wash my hands in cold water. But shaving is a whole different story.
Having a washing machine is honestly such a blessing, I won't even complain about it. Washing clothes in a creek is a thing of the past.
Drying clothes... I have a washer-dryer combo, but I never touch the drying setting.
The spin cycle is basically the modern version of wringing out laundry by hand.

Melissa Peterson19 said:I’m highly adaptable, though it depends on whether the crisis hits me personally or if society collapses entirely. In the latter case, I’d have to strip everything back. Honestly, I could live in a cave and spend hours staring into a fire after eating wild boar. I have a tendency to catastrophize my own misfortunes, which keeps things interesting. I also have the ability to build something out of nothing—take scrap metal or heavy waste, and I can improvise, refine, or improve it. Manual labor isn't a chore for me; it's a satisfaction, whether it's tending a garden, working a vineyard, or various crafts. We’d rely on herbal remedies or old-school folk medicine. Poverty has its perks depending on your mindset. Living without electricity forces you to find joy in the small things; you stop wanting much and become modest. Long evenings spent socializing instead of scrolling through internet forums... we would survive.
Everything I just said is contingent on one thing: if I don't have to deal with my aging mother and mother-in-law, who are 83 and 92, my wife and I would adapt just fine!

That’s a beautiful sentiment right there. But you missed one crucial detail. You, the guy who loves that lifestyle, would be living right next to people who absolutely hate it. People who wouldn't bother doing the hard work themselves, they'd rather just swoop in and steal everything you worked for.
So, while you're busy being a handyman and scavenging scrap metal, I suggest you also track down a few broken AK-47s and figure out how to assemble one that actually works. Not sure where you'll find the ammo, though.

Matthew Young35 said:Exactly. The media has done its best work manipulating those who actually lost their jobs and are facing threats from banks to evict them from their homes.
The manipulation goes so far that they even lie about inflation. They claim prices are skyrocketing... honestly, only the most naive people actually buy that.

I wasn't referring to those types of cases☕

wanderingcrane5 said:What the hell are you even talking about? Are you just some kid living off an allowance from your parents?
People lost their jobs. There is literally no better way to realize a crisis is happening than that.
Once the layoffs start rolling in, even if you manage to hang on, you’re sitting there watching your friends, your coworkers, and your own family get canned. You start fearing for your future. You come from some wealthy family and spend your days hunched over a white Apple in some cafe near Central Park? Then maybe open your eyes and look around for once.
This is how people working in those glass office towers in Brooklyn talk—government bureaucrats whose biggest struggle is that gas prices went up and they didn't get their summer bonus. If you had to dig through a dumpster and realize that once you lose your job, you’ll never hold down anything decent again, then you’d actually understand what a crisis looks like.

Because a crisis isn't just some temporary phase that rolls in and out. For a lot of people, it means being permanently stripped of their rights. And one of those is the right to work. Once they label you as redundant, you stay redundant forever.

Like I said, I wasn't referring to the unemployed, the wealthy, or the profiteers in the suburbs...

Read my post a bit more carefully and you'll see who I was actually targeting; please stop trying to reduce everything to such broad generalizations.

Daniel Garcia24 said:Like I said, I wasn't referring to the unemployed, the wealthy, or the profiteers in the suburbs...

Read my post a bit more carefully and you'll see who I was actually targeting; please stop trying to reduce everything to such broad generalizations.

The sad truth is the crisis is widespread and hits everyone globally. It absolutely kicked my ass.

wanderingcrane5 said:That’s a beautiful sentiment right there. But you missed one crucial detail. You, the guy who loves that lifestyle, would be living right next to people who absolutely hate it. People who wouldn't bother doing the hard work themselves, they'd rather just swoop in and steal everything you worked for.
So, while you're busy being a handyman and scavenging scrap metal, I suggest you also track down a few broken AK-47s and figure out how to assemble one that actually works. Not sure where you'll find the ammo, though.

I hear you loud and clear. Unfortunately, you're right.

For those who need finishing touches, I suggest a monastery. A tiny 3x3 cell with nothing but a bed, a desk, and a chair. Throw in one spiritual book from the monastery library that you can swap out periodically. Give it at least 10 days. Anyone who’s actually tried it ends up going back.

Whatever you guys are saying, just tell the priest. Ask him if you can join for a bit—offer to pay or work it off, I don't know, what could they possibly say no to? It says in the Bible to seek the Kingdom of God first, and everything else will fall into place.