Existential Crisis Time (Who are we? Is the world going to hell?) - Megathread

It’s time to clear out the brush, dig deep, and get some new seeds in the ground.
Clean up your gear, roll up those sleeves, and let’s get to work!

Since many of us hang out here quite often, I’ve been wondering—how do we actually view ourselves? What kind of mental "toolkit" are we reaching for when we look inward? Do we just blindly assume being human is a given?
What does it truly mean to be human, anyway? What defines us, and what falls short?
And how much does our heritage and tradition shape the way we think?

Who are we, really? Are we actually free, or have we just tied ourselves to certain things just to feel like we have a sense of liberty? 🙂

Man, you’re asking such heavy, deep questions that even as a kid in elementary school, I’d probably just stare at you blankly because I wouldn't know how to answer 😍

Whenever I find myself second-guessing my own actions, I usually run them through a quick mental checklist:

1. Would my parents actually be okay with me doing this?

2. Does this align with what I believe about God?

3. Could I look people straight in the eye with a clear conscience if I went through with it?

I never take for granted the idea you have that I'm a good person. Honestly, most of us slip up and act less than human from time to time. It can be something tiny, like

hurting someone else's feelings. 😢

Tradition definitely plays a huge role in shaping who we are, but if you ask me, society hits us even harder—

specifically the people we hang out with every day. I know this guy whose parents are super devout, yet he ended up spiraling into drinking and drugs just because of his crowd...😢

We’re only as free as our circumstances allow us to be. At the end of the day, we're all pretty much tied to this fleeting, insignificant world...

wearyowl29 said:
It’s time to clear the ground, dig deep, and plant something new.
Clean your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let's get to work.

For those of us hanging around here, how much self-reflection actually happens? What kind of mental framework are we using when we look inward? Do we just take our own humanity for granted?
What does it actually mean to be human—what defines us, and what doesn't?
How much do tradition and heritage shape our perspective?

Who are we, really...are we truly free, or have we just tied ourselves to certain things just to feel the illusion of freedom????🙂

And how exactly do your questions tie back to religion?

I assume you're hinting at religion with that bold text.☕

wearyowl29 said:
It is time to clear the ground, dig deep, and plant something new.
Clean your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let's get to work.

For those of us who frequent this space, how do we perceive ourselves? What mental "tools" do we employ during that introspection? Do we simply take our humanity for granted?
What does it truly mean to be human? What defines us, and what fails to?
To what extent does tradition shape our perspective?

Who are we, really? Are we actually free, or have we merely tethered ourselves to certain things just to feel the illusion of freedom?🙂

These questions are simultaneously trivial and profound.
We are human, yet we constantly question our identity, our nature, and our direction.
Everything that constitutes our humanity—the physical and the spiritual, love and fear, peace and unrest, good and evil, and the drive toward self-improvement—defines us. Today, my humanity is found in waking up saddened by a dream; tomorrow, it will be found in swallowing my pride to do what is necessary. Every day, I am human through a thousand small acts, some shared with others and some kept private.
Tradition exerts a heavy influence on us, affecting both those who live in harmony with it and those who rebel against it.
We are creatures of flesh, blood, reason, and soul. Maintaining balance among all these elements is difficult. We exist in a state of being both free and bound. We are free to think, to feel, and to exist, yet we are tied to our desires, our needs, the expectations of others, and the people around us. Some achieve total freedom by reaching a point where nothing controls them, though I suspect most of us still possess vulnerabilities.

wearyowl29 said:
It’s time to clear the ground, dig deep, and start planting.
Clean your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let's get to work.

As people who spend a lot of time here, how often do we actually reflect on ourselves? What kind of mental "tools" do we use when we do? Do we just take our humanity for granted?
What does being human actually mean to us—what defines us, and what doesn't?
And how much does tradition shape the way we think?

Who are we, really? Are we truly free, or have we just tethered ourselves to things just to feel like we have some agency?🙂

Well... those of us hanging around here rarely, if ever, actually stop to think about ourselves. In fact, the regulars—the ones here every single day for hours on end—hardly reflect at all. They don't because they simply don't have the time. They pour too much energy into "this place" and everyone else's business to bother with their own internal lives. In a way, they're running away from themselves; it’s incredibly difficult to just sit quietly with your own thoughts. Not everyone can handle it. Most people aren't brave enough to face their own flaws.
Of course we take our humanity for granted. At least, we should. We are human, after all. We aren't animals. 🙂 As for what being human means? Everyone has their own version. It really ought to be simple: we were designed by God to be distinct from animals through consciousness. A universal awareness.
Regarding tradition... I could go on forever. Honestly, it's a shame how people tend to exclude or cast aside individuals like me. I'm not sure which word fits best... let's just say they're afraid of people like me.
Personally, tradition still plays a small role in my life, but very little. And frankly, I intimidate those who are still heavily bound by traditional ways.
As for the question of "who we are"? That "we" is meaningless, sorry.
We are humans, temporary residents of this great country, and we are as free as we decide to be within our own minds.

Matthew Johnson3 said:
Man, you’re asking such heavy, deep questions that even I—basically an elementary schooler in this game—am struggling to find the answers. 😍

You might be young, but those rebuttals and counter-questions of yours feel older than you are! 👍
Way to go, kid!

Hannah Nelson4 said:
how on earth do your questions relate to religion?

I’m guessing you're pointing to the bold text as a nod toward religion ☕
.

Oh, they definitely do... I remember Ivančić was talking about planting, digging, and cleaning up the other day...

Religion... sure, maybe. But honestly, anything goes when freedom starts bumping into everything else around us.

wearyowl29 Jesse Sullivan2 said:
When we hang out here, how do we actually perceive ourselves? What kind of mental "tool" are we reaching for when we do that reflection?

It isn't about how much we dwell on ourselves—it’s more about the way we approach it. The only tool that actually works is being brutally honest with yourself and allowing room for error, both personally and with others. When you finally step away from the crowd—say, retreating to your own space where nobody's watching—you're left alone with your thoughts. That's when you can actually hear your own inner voice, provided you realize that self-deception and bias are the real enemies. They just kill your spontaneity and make it impossible to forgive yourself or anyone else.

wearyowl29 Jesse Sullivan2 said:
Do we just take being human for granted—or is it actually something we need to prove?

We tend to take way too much for granted—we don't really value the gifts we have, nor do we ever tap into our actual potential to love ourselves or others. Honestly, we often take people for granted just because we can't see them as anything more valuable than how we see ourselves.

wearyowl29 Jesse Sullivan2 said:
What does it actually mean to be human—what defines us, and what doesn't?
How much does tradition actually shape us—and the way we think?

You emphasized being—but to me, being human means making mistakes, provided you actually repent for them rather than just failing without learning anything. We also have certain gifts that other life forms simply don't possess; we should use them and act accordingly. It’s about nurturing our spiritual nature and intellect instead of acting like animals and just following every raw instinct—that always leads to trouble.
Tradition carries weight—but those childhood values we were fed? They need a second look through the lens of love. You have to toss out the toxic stuff and actually lean into what's right.

wearyowl29 Jesse Sullivan2 said:
Who are we, really? Are we actually free, or have we just tied ourselves to certain things just to feel like we are?🙂

I'm assuming this is about religion—and there are plenty of them out there. Any religion becomes a threat to individual freedom if you let it; on their own, they aren't inherently harmful. Whether it's Christianity, Islam, or even materialism... my take is to toss all that aside and just let love be your only religion.

Just a simple question about a pretty deep topic...
Who are we, really?
I'd love to hear what you all think—whether it's based on religious teachings, philosophical ideas, or just your own gut feeling, anything goes as long as it tackles the question!
Feel free to go off on a tangent too, maybe even diving into what our purpose is in this big wide world.

It’s just... honestly, it’s maddeningly simple. 😁

Are you talking about identity? I suppose we define ourselves by these labels—this sense of "us." But if you look closer, maybe the actual "we," or even the individual "I" within that collective, isn't really tied to any specific identity, any ego, or any physical thing... I think we are all just spirit, sort of like a single drop in a vast ocean. ☕

The real question, I guess, is who actually realizes this. There are people who are aware, and then there are those who aren't, and they don't necessarily share the same "we." Those who understand have the chance to break free from the endless cycle of life and death, while others... well, they stay trapped in an illusion until they finally grasp their true nature.

Western philosophy is shit, because the only thing it can actually prove with any certainty is:

I exist.

Eastern thinkers take it a step further and claim everything is just happening inside my head—that nothing exists outside of an illusion (which, if you think about it, is a paradox because an illusion can't truly "exist" in the first place), and that this illusion is simply me. Basically:

I am the illusion.

Then you have indigenous traditions, like the teachings surrounding Don Juan, which talk about the concept of the luminous egg, essentially saying:

I am the egg.

When you look at it that way, it’s obvious all these theories are built from the exact same raw materials; they just use different architectural styles. And yet, we’re still left staring at the same wall, with zero answers as to who we actually are or what we can truly rely on knowing.

My brain is fried. Catch you later.

Morgan King77 said:
Simple question, simple topic...
Who are we?

Defective goods, tossed into some corner of unreality where nobody goes anymore—except for stupidity.

"I am"—but what does that even mean? Just more stupidity or just another error?

And you *are*? Where?

In an ocean of local wisdom from people who won't even get out of their armchairs. Dead letters on paper; this forum's nonsense is my nature. Your nature is to scream because you're pissed off. And hey, you have every right to...

But it doesn't help.
Not even a bullet to the head—which is its own mistake, really. Oh, humanity, where does it end?

You learn—just to perfect the stupidity.
You believe—just to prove the stupidity.
And you die stupid.

The world judges you by the sheer volume of stupidity you leave in your wake. You might even get a monument—a little reminder of a specific brand of idiocy.
That stupid world.

A colony of convicts stuck here against their will, thrown into a corner of unreality where nothing enters anymore—except for stupidity.

"Western philosophy is shit."🙄
Is Eastern stuff any better?
Philosophy is the least of it.
Philosophers are the worst.

Mathematically speaking—Earth compared to the galaxy is like a tiny dot on a map compared to the entire continental United States.

"I am"🙄
Dust.

Am I? Sure—slumped in an armchair. Lost in the euphoria of a micro-world, fueled by all sorts of nonsense.

And "they" laugh at their own mistakes. They don't even realize it—because they're part of that "supreme stupidity" too (some kind of glitch in space?).
And "someone" laughs at "them."
And he thinks, "I am"—yeah, sure you are...

Central stupidity.
Dust.

.

Honestly, it feels like we’re getting a tiny trickle of good news, but everything else is just... well, it's a mess. It's people screwing each other over, bosses refusing to pay their workers while shamelessly cruising around in high-end luxury cars—it's pure greed, really. Just constant immorality everywhere you look. Between the natural disasters, the theft, the drugs, the robberies, the violence... it makes you stop and wonder—are we even worth saving like this? Are we actually living up to our potential as a society?
What do you guys think??

It’s basically the same old story we saw back in 1800, 1200, 500, or even 0 BC...
except nowadays, there's just way more smartphones getting in the way.

dustyskipper3 said:
Western philosophy is kind of a mess, I guess, because the only thing it can actually prove is this:

I am.

Then you have Eastern thinkers who take it even further, saying everything is just happening inside my head... like, nothing exists except an illusion (which, if you think about it, can't even exist because an illusion requires something to be illusory), and that illusion is me. So, anyway:

I am the illusion.

Even Native American figures like Don Juan have that theory about the luminous egg, which basically claims:

I am the egg.

So, from what I can see, all these theories are built from the exact same stuff; it’s just the architectural style that changes. And still, we don't really have a solid answer to the question of who we actually are, or what we can be certain of.

My brain is fried. Talk later.

Well, but we are Americans.

Me, you, him, us.... me-you-us, me-us-you, maybe... Marshall, myth.... me my - maybe; I have, you don't have - who maybe, he maybe.

Who are we? 🤔

dustyskipper3 said:
Well, we're just typical Americans.

Me, you, him, us... me-you-us, us-me-you, I swear, Marshall, a bribe... I swore, I swore; I have, you don't—who swore? He swore.

Who are we really? 🤔

LOL

survivors

Someone once suggested that the whole point of living is to actually discover what the point is. Honestly, trying to wrap your head around who you are is a massive challenge because we’re constantly evolving. I truly believe there's a danger in getting lost in endless self-analysis—trust me, I've spent far too much time down that rabbit hole myself. A lot of people walk around thinking they've got themselves all figured out, but the truth is, we're learning about ourselves our entire lives. "Never say never" is one of the best rules to live by if you want to stay truly free.

anardi said:
Basically, there’s hardly any good news left. Everything else is just someone screwing someone else over, bosses refusing to pay wages while shamelessly cruising around in luxury cars, and straight-up immorality everywhere. Between natural disasters, theft, drugs, robberies, and murders... have we even earned the right to live like this?
What do you guys think??

We’re heading exactly where we want to go, no matter what anyone else says about it.

It’s honestly kind of hilarious how life works out sometimes, isn't it? We go through all these massive milestones, yet we still don't have the slightest clue when it comes to answering life's biggest, most fundamental questions...

noww said:
It’s actually kind of hilarious how we go through life without having any real answers to the big questions...

Maybe it's better just to live it instead of overthinking everything!😕