Is spirituality a form of personal growth?

Nancy Thompson3 said:But there were just fewer of us back then. Now, we’ve basically decided to burn through a million years' worth of solar energy in a mere century.
When I see those types strutting down fashion runways, wearing overpriced designer boots... they aren't even looking at the world around them. It’s all just lights, their own personal frustrations, some vague design concept, a Vestax turntable, and whatever club track is playing...
Or when I see the corporate types preening in their crisp shirts and ties, driving luxury cars, hiding behind walls of glass and concrete while pretending they’re actually doing something important...
Then there are the idiots like Jack Welch, Donald Trump, and those other lowlifes who recite these endless odes to "business strategy," when in reality, everything they do is just glorified theft...
Or seeing George Bush begging Congress for another few dozen billion dollars just to keep the military machine grinding away in Iraq...
Or noticing how science has basically dwindled down to studying telecommunications, 3D rendering, and building "dream factories"...

And then, when I realize that despite being seventy-something years old, we haven't been back to the Moon, we barely know anything about planets outside our own solar system (aside from that one recently found), we have no clue what's actually happening inside our own planet, and we still haven't figured out anything besides spinning wheels and burning fossil fuels—all while those elites at the top whine about nuclear power plants and play around with their little art school concepts...

That’s when it hits me. We’ve just grown soft in our luxury, lulled to sleep by the warmth of disappearing oil.

And honestly, we’ve never cared about the environment more than we do right now. Even here in the States—where we actually do way less than people realize—we're finally seeing some movement after being stuck in neutral for so long.
Exactly—there were fewer people. That meant fewer mental health crises, simply because the population was smaller. Fewer murders, too. But there was also more violence against women, children, and anyone vulnerable. I see actual progress being made; I find it hard to believe you don't.
Sure, technology gives us the tools for global-scale violence, but I don't think that means we've collectively "fallen" as a society.

Hannah Morris3 said:And honestly, we’ve never cared about the environment more than we do right now. Even here in the States—where we actually do way less than people realize—we're finally seeing some movement after being stuck in neutral for so long.
Exactly—there were fewer people. That meant fewer mental health crises, simply because the population was smaller. Fewer murders, too. But there was also more violence against women, children, and anyone vulnerable. I see actual progress being made; I find it hard to believe you don't.
Sure, technology gives us the tools for global-scale violence, but I don't think that means we've collectively "fallen" as a society.

The issue isn't whether we're protecting the environment or not; it's that we're doing absolutely nothing while living entirely on credit. We don't have an answer to a single fundamental question regarding the survival of civilization. We’re just letting things spiral until the absolute last second. It's like we're falling from the eighth floor and cheering because we're picking up speed, feeling great just because we're passing the first floor, hoping some kind of deus ex machina will swoop in and save us.

Nancy Thompson3 said:The issue isn't whether we're protecting the environment or not; it's that we're doing absolutely nothing while living entirely on credit. We don't have an answer to a single fundamental question regarding the survival of civilization. We’re just letting things spiral until the absolute last second. It's like we're falling from the eighth floor and cheering because we're picking up speed, feeling great just because we're passing the first floor, hoping some kind of deus ex machina will swoop in and save us.

We haven't had those answers for a long time—maybe ever. What exactly has changed?

Hannah Morris3 said:We haven't had those answers for a long time—maybe ever. What exactly has changed?

I guess it’s just that we really need to start paying attention to the problem. I mean, we have the science, and we definitely have the energy. There’s no turning back here. Unless, of course, our big plan is to wipe out 4.5 billion people just so we can go back to living under some kind of modern feudalism? Maybe.

Nancy Thompson3 said:I guess it’s just that we really need to start paying attention to the problem. I mean, we have the science, and we definitely have the energy. There’s no turning back here. Unless, of course, our big plan is to wipe out 4.5 billion people just so we can go back to living under some kind of modern feudalism? Maybe.

We are aware, sure—we just aren't doing anything about it. As for eliminating a massive chunk of the population? That seems inevitable at this rate, probably very soon, but that’s a whole other conversation...

Hannah Morris3 said:We are aware, sure—we just aren't doing anything about it. As for eliminating a massive chunk of the population? That seems inevitable at this rate, probably very soon, but that’s a whole other conversation...

But really, who is actually "aware"?
Most people are just sleepwalking through life. How can you expect them to take decisive action when they're living in a total delusion?
Elimination? It’s no coincidence that viruses are being let loose or that wars are being actively encouraged... the global population simply has to be scaled back.

Hannah Morris3 said:We are aware, sure—we just aren't doing anything about it. As for eliminating a massive chunk of the population? That seems inevitable at this rate, probably very soon, but that’s a whole other conversation...

You’re overlooking one major thing here: shrinking the population isn't the actual issue. That would happen eventually anyway, I suppose.
The real problem is that all these guys at high-end clubs spinning on Vestax turntables and hitting up those posh parties have no clue that a meteor or a comet could strike at any moment. Everything will be wiped out if we don't figure out how to actually get into space and deal with those little cosmic mosquitoes that buzz past Earth all the time—things that don't even matter to the planet, but for us, they'd be a total catastrophe.

hollowbadger17 said:But really, who is actually "aware"?
Most people are just sleepwalking through life. How can you expect them to take decisive action when they're living in a total delusion?
Elimination? It’s no coincidence that viruses are being let loose or that wars are being actively encouraged... the global population simply has to be scaled back.

if it's supposed to be shrinking, then why does the numbers keep going up?

Look, I’m certainly more aware than my grandmother was—so we’re both in the loop.
Mosquitoes aren't going to care what we're wearing when they start biting.
And apparently, the population is supposed to crash soon—just because we've had enough of this lifestyle, right? As if we'll all just peacefully exit the stage and stop reincarnating as Earthlings altogether.

Nancy Thompson3 said:if it's supposed to be shrinking, then why does the numbers keep going up?

Viruses, wars, famine... clearly, these stopgap measures just aren't cutting it.

Hannah Morris3 said:Look, I’m certainly more aware than my grandmother was—so we’re both in the loop.
Mosquitoes aren't going to care what we're wearing when they start biting.
And apparently, the population is supposed to crash soon—just because we've had enough of this lifestyle, right? As if we'll all just peacefully exit the stage and stop reincarnating as Earthlings altogether.

Oh, please. You won't even see that day coming, because you'll be leveled long before you ever reach some kind of spiritual transfiguration.
What I mean is: sure, they're mosquitoes, but we have no idea how to deal with them.
The real problem: they don't just bite. They completely devastate everything.

hollowbadger17 said:Viruses, wars, famine... clearly, these stopgap measures just aren't cutting it.

I guess a better way would be to actually distribute those dollars more intelligently, you know? Maybe if we helped developing nations become more stable, people wouldn't be so desperate to... well, let's just say they wouldn't feel the need to swarm like that.

Nancy Thompson3 said:I guess a better way would be to actually distribute those dollars more intelligently, you know? Maybe if we helped developing nations become more stable, people wouldn't be so desperate to... well, let's just say they wouldn't feel the need to swarm like that.

Heh.
What exactly does "civilized" mean in this context? It feels like we're right back at square one.

To hell with the dollars.

hollowbadger17 said:Heh.
What exactly does "civilized" mean in this context? It feels like we're right back at square one.

To hell with the dollars.

But we aren't. We have negative birth rates, which—if you ask me—is actually a good thing. That's how it works in China and throughout Africa too...

Nancy Thompson3 said:But we aren't. We have negative birth rates, which—if you ask me—is actually a good thing. That's how it works in China and throughout Africa too...

and India...
We’re looking at negative population growth. A massive expanse of land where rural towns are simply vanishing. Everything centers on one single metropolitan hub, while the rest of the country is left with settlements where people just drift aimlessly. Nobody wants to put in any real work anymore. Everyone just wants to pose in luxury cars and hang out at upscale spots... isn't that just a total fall from grace for Hannah Morris3?
A complete disaster.

hollowbadger17 said:and India...
We’re looking at negative population growth. A massive expanse of land where rural towns are simply vanishing. Everything centers on one single metropolitan hub, while the rest of the country is left with settlements where people just drift aimlessly. Nobody wants to put in any real work anymore. Everyone just wants to pose in luxury cars and hang out at upscale spots... isn't that just a total fall from grace for Hannah Morris3?
A complete disaster.

Yeah. It's a crash. But usually, after a fall, there's a comeback. You end up with an empty country and vacant houses everywhere. Who fills them? Austrians?

Nancy Thompson3 said:Yeah. It's a crash. But usually, after a fall, there's a comeback. You end up with an empty country and vacant houses everywhere. Who fills them? Austrians?

The Chinese, my friend. Those sweet little Chinese people.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on what actually constitutes a "collapse."

Hannah Morris3 said:The Chinese, my friend. Those sweet little Chinese people.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on what actually constitutes a "collapse."

It doesn't bother me. At the end of the day, they're just people. Let them come. Once they finally learn how to act civilized, maybe then they'll stop breeding so much.

Nancy Thompson3 said:It doesn't bother me. At the end of the day, they're just people. Let them come. Once they finally learn how to act civilized, maybe then they'll stop breeding so much.

Yeah, people... sweet, innocent people. 😍

And you can all head home now—your shift is basically over. We all put in some serious work together today, so feel free to go complain about how this country is going to hell because everyone else is lazy... except for you guys. Hehehe