Diving Down the Rabbit Hole Has Changed Me, I'm Starting to Worry

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Glad to know that so many have responded so positively and I'm not the only one who's had some of these thoughts. Maybe we need a support group.

Brother the LAST thing you need at this part of life is a support group. Your in a dark hole and you know it damn well. Hanging with the yes crowd wont be helping anyone. Y'all forget Elvis? he spent yeras in dark rooms watching tv droppin pills while his yes crowd told him he was still KING. Died on his throne cos nobody was telling him to get outside and keep it real. Said his sh** dint stink and then his sh** killed his ass lmao.

:Up:

Give yourself a break man! the rabbit hole is just a gulllet that eats explorers. Jump back in when your head is back in the game. Im not being an ass hole with you I've been were you are before and i'll be there again. I know it sucks.

a reply to: steamiron

I can tell what you mean, I like your attitude and know you aren't trying to be an ass. I'm laying off all of it, just checking occasionally on this thread to respond.

Thanks to all who have given their advice.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

I know where your at.

Your starting to see the truth i think, im in a similar place. one of the recurring thoughts i keep having is is that everyone is full of # 90% of the time. I start looking at what everyone thinks and believes and i keep seeing how people are just regurgitating what theyve been told by the tv.

It kind of scares me but it also makes me very hard to socialize.

I get what your saying about the radicalization part. Im not radicalized by any means trust me im a normal guy who just wants his freedom and the government to stay out of my business and my income.

I dont know i think we all are starting to see the direction this thing is going in and its not looking good.

I get what you are saying about people just downloading information from TV and surrounding society, most of the time completely without thinking or consciousness. And then they judge everyone and everything based on those downloaded programs and views.

It's a struggle once someone begins to awaken to stay positive around others.

Atlas Shrugged is the second best selling book every year, surpassed only by the Holy Bible.

That could lead to a change as big as the Berlin Wall coming down.

Are Randians, that is, followers of Ayn Rand, considered conspiracy theorists?

Sales[edit]

Atlas Shrugged debuted on The New York Times Bestseller List at #13 three days after its publication. It peaked at #3 on December 8, 1957, and was on the list for 22 consecutive weeks.[8] It continued to sell strongly through the 1960s and beyond. By 1984 its sales had exceeded five million copies.[41]

Sales of Atlas Shrugged increased following the 2007 financial crisis. The Economist reported that the fifty-two-year-old novel ranked #33 among Amazon.com's top-selling books on January 13, 2009 and that its thirty-day sales average showed the novel selling three times faster than during the same period of the previous year. With an attached sales chart, The Economist reported that sales "spikes" of the book seemed to coincide with the release of economic data. Subsequently, on April 2, 2009, Atlas Shrugged ranked #1 in the "Fiction and Literature" category at Amazon and #15 in overall sales.[42][43] Total sales of the novel in 2009 exceeded 500,000 copies.[44] The book sold 445,000 copies in 2011, the second-strongest sales year in the novel's history.

en.wikipedia.org...

For some reason, data including the last few years of sales are not readily accessible. The totals all stop at 2011.

First published in 1957, “Atlas Shrugged” continues to draw media attention, including a recent episode of “Stossel” on Fox Business Network dedicated to the novel. More than 7,000,000 copies of “Atlas Shrugged” have been sold since it was first published.

ari.aynrand.org...

Contemplating conspiracy theories can lead to believing in the existence of evil. Believe in the opposite as well. All the awakened feel the fight. Wise ones don't act foolishly upon those impulses. ...

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

I say take a break from ATS.

I know we all come here to have fun, share info and to escape from "reality" which of course can be a good thing.

In that sense ATS can kind form its own good "reality" for people (at least to me).

That being said ATS can also kind of form its own bad "reality" (at least to me).

One that is filled with depression, hatred, straw men, ad hominem attacks and passive agressive threats.

I stayed away for about a month or so and it did wonders for me.

I am again reaching a breaking point and will probably take another hiatus. I suggest giving it a try.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

I've been looking at CT since 1978 (arpa through control data and then Usenet alt.conspiracy in the early 80's), so I have been doing this a little longer, but not much, just a little shy of 60 now. When it gets to be too much, I shut down the internet connection and start up the studio computers and decide which guitar I am going to play with for a bit and who can come over and jam. Or I'll go do some work outside or go fishing (little cold for that now though).

It's hard when you know the world is sooo screwed up and you can't figure out how to fix it or fix yourself to ignore it. Someone else mentioned it's hard to socialize, well, yeah. Seems like if it isn't TV programming in the older generation, say over 40's, the under 40's are creating the next Idiocracy. What scares me is that if I live to 80, those tools under 40 now, are the people who are going to running things and changing my bedpan.

BTW on music, just bought a red Epiphone SG in perfect shape and an es-335 (black and gold), got it cheap as the neck was bowed and I had to fix it. I am still looking for an Ibanez AS-93 in good shape ;-)

Cheers - Dave

People don't care about one another anymore. This sick selfish world sucks. WHO CARES. WHOO HOO 2015 , another sick blood sucking leach around the corner.
Black hole sun, won't you come and wash away the rain, black hole sun won't you coooommmmee won't you cooooooommmmme. Rot my brain, Rot my brain.
Suck me dry, lay me waste and do it alllllllllllllllllll AGAINNNNN. Black ole Leach, won't you come, WON'T YOU COMMMMMMMMME. AND DO IT ALLLLLLLL AGAIN.

I'm so sorry you have been driven to that place.

Completely immersing yourself in conspiracy....constantly watching/reading the news only delivers fear to the viewer. Reinforced over and over and over on every outlet solidifies this fear to anger....which can lead to many dark places.

Turn the TV off and don't let yourself drown in the things that have lead you to this point.

I know you can turn this around...we are here for you! (if you want to talk privately I can lend an ear)

Govern the things around you and make your world and yourself happy.....maybe even optimistic. Forgive everyone and see that we are all just reflections of each-other.

*steps down from soapbox* lol


Happy to see many compassionate and understanding posts in here.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Yours is one of the oldest stories of humankind.

And I mean that with an overflowing of respect - the Power Structures that have existed for at least 2000 years have forced genuine personalities underground, at best. Most who went against the system, even merely in thought, were tortured and/or killed. Crucified. Fed to starved lions. Burned at the stake. Branded and ostracized. Imprisoned for life.

You're not alone. The majority of people from any era not only disagree with "our kind", but have acted, act, and will continue to act on behalf of the gatekeeper mentality. The "majority/authority opinion = truth" mindset.

It's especially tough with friends/family, obviously. The only real solution that I've found is to let go of expectations, lead by example, respect others for the fragments of understanding that they possess, try not to condescend, and cherish the connections that still exist. And always remember that we *are* all connected, we are all human beings, we all want happiness and respect, and a sense of meaning to our lives.

ETA - something I've learned from one of my brothers, is to supplement the soul-sucking CT theorizing with soul-refreshing art. P. G. Wodehouse for one small example of high-class fiction. But any kind of reminder of the innate beauty and brilliance of the human spirit would suffice. People don't have to have the same understanding as you to create beautiful things, and be beautiful people at heart. Humans are the greatest creation this universe has conceived, at least that I know of. It's very comforting to think that, personally.

Be in the World but not of the World.

Try not to get caught up in all of the garbage going on out there. Just witness it all unfolding without judging it. That way you can observe from a safe distance and be unaffected by the utter madness ans stupidity that surrounds us all.

Everyone has had some great advice so far, I'm really amazed at the responses. It's good to know and it has really helped me a lot.

I will continue to decompress from all the constant input. I have an order of firewood to get out during the next week and will be on that for the most part, so I have a diversion and a lot of physical exercise to get the bad karma out. Too bad I have to do the firewood alone, good thing I'm in excellent shape (I look more like 30 than 50), 5 years of bicycling to work to do hard physical labor had it's benefits, that was the only benefits from that job, literally. Glad I quit, it was a soul crusher and I vowed I would live in a cardboard and eat from a dumpster before I take another job like that. Unfortunately, the local paper only has about a half dozen jobs listed every weekend edition, all outside my experience usually, and it been that way for years now.

Also, I've been under the weather for the last couple of weeks and have been under a lot of pressure before that. A lot of hospital visits as a "taxi driver" for the old lady's health issues (all summer and on going) and her daughter's first baby that just came before Christmas. Toss in the loss of a summer job prospect with my brother's painting business that just went belly-up, it's been one of the toughest winters yet.

Then there is the loggers that have been putting my property off to log another one a couple miles down the road. They have been putting off finishing this job since last spring and they haven't been at all straight with me on a schedule. I need them to get it done so I can move along with my plans to start growing hops. That has been quite a strain combined with all the procedures the old lady has been through and the new baby as well. Thank God the little tyke is perfect, healthy and beautiful. You'd think I get a break after the nest emptied out, not so it seems.

It's been really tight without borrowing money from family and a lot to worry about on many fronts at home. The old lady has given me zero moral support (more of an adversary than partner lately) and I have only a couple of friends, who for reasons of their own have not been reliable lately. The CT stuff is a burden I don't need given all that has been going on.

If there was ever a time to stop watching the train wreck, it is now.

Thanks ATS, I don't usually air my undies out like this, but it has actually helped.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

Nice rack Bob!
Strange I'd say that to a guy! It's a musician thing I guess.

I used to run a recording studio, three rehearsal spaces and sound at a nationally known venue in downtown Detroit. I sold most all of it when I moved to the sticks. Now a days, all that stuff isn't necessary to put a demo out.

I have a recording project I've been working on here and there, perhaps it's time to finish it up.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

A little tip... I haven't read the replies you've gotten thus far

Though this happened to everyone who dives deep into conspiracies...

Eventually everything becomes a conspiracy... It will drive you crazy

IF you even come close to hitting that point, its time to give it a rest...

A certain amount of ignorance isn't bad when it comes to conspiracy

Once again, these responses have been a great help.

I'll be by for this thread, but I'm not looking at the new or recent threads. The world will march on regardless, no need to bother with it for a while. I just have to put the brain in check because I have a tendency to put a CT spin on most everything lately.

a reply to: Akragon

Eventually everything becomes a conspiracy... It will drive you crazy

Ditto that!

I just posted that before I saw that you did. Thanks.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

The end is nigh. Patience; the destruction this world so greatly deserves will soon be at hand.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck




If there was ever a time to stop watching the train wreck, it is now.

Is that even possible?

Once you visit the rabbit hole, a piece of you remains trapped inside.

Even the most mundane things take on a suspicious aire and mystery. That's the madness I alluded to in my earlier post.

a reply to: olaru12

I don't think it will be as hard as giving up tobacco, but it's seems it can become an addiction.

I do know what you mean, it's hard to un-see what has been etched upon the mind.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck

originally posted by: cfnyaami
What's so radical about having health insurance, or am I missing something? a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Having or not having health insurance isn't what helped tip me on this one, it more like the part where they force us to do it under income tax penalty and in a way that was devious, while bold face lying about it the whole time, and the title is the exact opposite of what the program was supposed to be.

I call BS, this was spelled out...how do you think this would get paid for?....a little money fairy that goes around and sprinkles paychecks onto the health care doctors and workers?....everybody always wants something for nothing....let's remember that thousands of people were going bankrupt or had to sell their homes to pay for theirs, or a loved ones healthcare....and of course the republicans as well as a few democrats didn't want single payer, so this is where we are...geez, we all pay money to keep our cars and trucks running, and yet healthcare is supposed to cost you nothing?...get real.