The Mindset of a Doomsdays Person

a reply to: Realtruth

Whether the future for human civilization is finite is one question. Whether that is a cause for misery and depression is another question. Does it really matter to the individual whether the end of the human species is guaranteed? It is a matter relevant only to the species itself and the species has no consciousness, only the individual possesses conscious awareness. And the individual’s fate is guaranteed; signed and sealed without a doubt. The fate of the individual form is to die. That is a very personal fact to consider. Contemplating how the world or humanity will end is basically a cop out – a way of avoiding the real nitty gritty – i.e. personal death. For some reason we want to be consoled that the fears in our mind are all immature figments of our imagination – just a lack of the ability to master the power of positive thinking. We are living here in this world to master something though, and that is for sure. That challenge of mastery is to master the art of dying. This may happen and that or the other may or may not happen, but the only certainty is personal death – the dissolution of identity that has been built from Lego blocks.

If someone could guarantee that the human race as a whole will progress without destroying itself or being destroyed for the duration of the individual’s lifetime, how would the individual use that knowledge? What can a human being do? Eat this food or that food, chew it swallow it digest it gain energy search for money have sex with this person or that person and piece together a personality make friends and enemies and influence people and accumulate possessions, drive your car here or there, get dressed undressed go to sleep dream wake up only to gradually and finally lose it all as one ages, and if you remember the 60s you weren’t there.

America supposedly represents the peak of aspiration of modern western civilization – the proclaimed right to the search for freedom and happiness. What does it mean though, this search for happiness? The way I see it, it really translates as: the search for pleasure. So many people today have become afraid and insecure because on the one hand they would like to experience pleasure in a hedonistic fashion and then they begin to see that which threatens that desire. Then here comes Tony Robbins and the other religions to shine a light on the path to happiness, which is really the desire for pleasure. Pleasure is a narcotic that is properly defined by it’s opposite of pain.

We become afraid and insecure in this world because the aim of human life is not unlimited pleasure seeking, like a junkie dreaming of and seeking his next fix.
If anyone would want to know the future of humanity then one need not possess the powers of prophesy. One needs only look into the past to see thousands of years of continuous war punctuated by only brief periods of non-war. Human beings are unable and unwilling to break this historic cycle – it is the legacy and mark of the predator, after all, man brags of being the supreme predator – he is not ashamed of this fact but rather proud. “This lifestyle is what is responsible for our massive and (ahem) intelligent brain. If not for the killing and the bloodshed we would still be swingin” in de trees.”
Unfortunately, the ultimate and eventual legacy of the human predator is annihilation of the species itself. Is there anything wrong with that? Those who live by the sword, die by the sword – it is written. At least we grew a great big brain before the end, that’s no mean feat.
The future of the individual and the future of the species are two different things. To say this in another way is, it is the difference between the path of the spirit and the path of the naked ape. One is in this world but not of this world and the other is in this world and of this world. To be in this world, in love with this world but not attached to time or pleasure is to find an opening door to the deathless. Let the dead bury the dead.

originally posted by: JUhrman
It's always a bit sad when someone from a developed country complains about having to work and paying taxes whiles so many people in the world would do anything to be a part of this

The reason many people complain about trading their precious time for money ( working ), and by paying taxes, is because of the corruption, illegal use of their money, and the elite at the top who hardly work at all misappropriate tax money on a large scale. We are suppose to be on the same team, yet some elites use their power to exploit hard working tax payers.

Complain shows that these people are exercising their first amendment rights, their brains, and that they are not happy with the way their hard earned money is being used.

It's people that don't complain and do something that is really sad.

originally posted by: mmirror

In order to remain positive you would have to stop watching television all together (and internet). You would have to find a job that you liked, have hobbies and fun activities to participate in. Have people around you that are caring and wholesome. Life would have to change considerably in order to feel completely positive.

I suppose it is important really to consider the small things in life. Take day after day rather than worrying about what might happen in the future.

Thank you for an interesting thread.

And thank you for this very insightful reply.

You seem to be answering your own questions. Lot's of wisdom in there for sure.

We have the power ourselves to create our own little world of constructive and positive events. The problems I see with the chaotic world, as we now see it, is the fact that the majority of people in control are using their time for self-centered, and short term chaotic goals.

The term lead by example is key here, if the majority of the people in the world would wake the hell up, and lead there lives by example those in charge wouldn't really be needed at all. In an idealistic world individual people lead themselves.

We have a small group of people that make the entire world believe they need leaders, and people have to work 40 to 100 hours a week to be happy, safe, and secure, but let the truth be known that this is a load of BS. We sacrifice most of our lives to feed chaotic agendas, and that is what makes so many people unhappy, yet they keep getting up every morning for most of their lives ignoring these facts.

I have to say you are 100% correct when speak of things being "Drummed into us", that is why taking a large step back is very important, and rebooting ourselves.

Here is a story for you that I think may help.

"A tourist arrived in a small fishing village and walked along the beach, he noticed a fisherman pulling his boat to shore.

The tourist complimented the local fisherman on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took to catch them." Not very long" he answered."Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the tourist

The fisherman explained that his small catches were sufficient to meet his needs." But what do you do with the rest of your time? "asked the tourist"

We sleep late ,fish a little ,play with our children, and take a siesta with our wives. In the evenings we go into the village to see our friends ,have a few drinks, play the guitar, sing a few songs. We have a full life" replied the fishermen

The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that, with the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you havean entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" Asked the Fisherman"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.

"And after that?" Asked the Fisherman

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting, "answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!""Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Fishermen.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

"With all due respect Sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point of wasting twenty-five years?" asked the fishermen" [/b]

Found this on the net somewhere a while back. Author unknown.

edit on 21-5-2015 by Realtruth because: (no reason given)

a reply to: Realtruth

Wonderful story, thanks for sharing.

Conclusion; a doomsday person is trapped in a depressive, self-destructive mindset, and get psychological comfort in the idea that he will die with the rest of the world anyway rather than to face the hard reality that life will continue without him and that he must use the time left to him in a way that makes himself and those around him happy.

Wallowing in doom is like a psychological suicide.

An easy and lazy cop out that deresponsibilizes the person so he doesn't feel bad for doing nothing with his life.


Life is though for everyone. Giving up to doomsday fantasies instead of helping each others is the lazy and selfish road.

I wonder if the fact that doomsday obsession is mostly prevalent in the US and a few other countries is simply showing how people unconsciously feel that their country is in a decadent phase, and project the fall of their empire to the whole world.

Frankly, I think doom and gloom people are necessary to serve as a counterweight for all the gazillions of pathologically positive people.

We are not running low on people who see nothing but good in the absolute worst of things.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Frankly, I think doom and gloom people are necessary to serve as a counterweight for all the gazillions of pathologically positive people.

We are not running low on people who see nothing but good in the absolute worst of things.

Damn those people. lol

a reply to: BrianFlanders

Funny I thought exactly the opppsite. We need positive people (they are quite rare) to sheer up, help and empower the gazillion of depressed and suffering people worldwide.

Or are you genuinely saying the majority of people are happy and positive?

It's all a matter of perspective depending on where you stay. You must be pretty depressed yourself.

Come on, be fair. If one doesn't want the world to burn one simply isn't sufficiently cynical.

originally posted by: JUhrman

originally posted by: Aboveway
a reply to: Realtruth
If you read the news and see things getting worse.

Explain how things are worse than 10, 50, 100, 200 years ago?

I wish you could say this in every thread and have every person hear it every time

Disasters, pain, torture, slavery, plagues, illness, suffering is not somehow new...I think the biggest problem is the recency effect.

"I am alive now. This happened recently. It must be worse than ever before."

When was the last time the black death wiped out 1/3 of the population?

Today is May 22, 2015 at 8:38 AM CST in America

I look at all that is happening and yes I am realistic and am aware bad things occur these days...but look at the past

Estimates of mass death events...

War
WWI - 31 million
Chinese Civil War - 8 million
WWII - 58 million
Holocaust - 6 million+
Korean War - 1.3 million
Vietnam War - 1.5 million

Famine
Chinese - 20 million+
Russia (Soviet) - 7-10 million

Disasters
Chernobyl/Three Mile Island - thousands

Infectious disease
Typhoid (Greece) - 100,000
Antoine Plague - 30% population
Bubonic plague - 40% population
Second black death - 30 - 70% eradication
Russian cholera (1852) - 1 million
1890 influenza - 1 million
1918 influenza - 75 million
HIV (Congo Basin) - 30 million

Corruption
Where do I even begin? What POTUS hasn't been corrupt? Look back in the day...I love what General Grant did...he sure as heck was corrupt

I like Eisenhower's policy...can I pretend the secret U2, marital affairs, etc didn't happen?

I was a major fan of Clinton...I can't sweep all his skeletons under a bed

Every country has had it and it has gone backs ion

The point of all of this is that all this talk about things are SO MUCH WORSE today is so patently false. These disasters, corrupt policies, wars, genocides, etc have gone on for many centuries...

What precisely makes today so special? Why is THIS time the end of times? Likely because we live now...and one thing that is still strong and healthy is a powerful dose of overconfidence and inflated self sense

No...the world is not worse off...just much better reported...more frequently...and media makes it so much worse...but I don't blame media...I blame society who eats it up

originally posted by: JUhrman
a reply to: BrianFlanders

Funny I thought exactly the opppsite. We need positive people (they are quite rare) to sheer up, help and empower the gazillion of depressed and suffering people worldwide.

Which would be fine, I guess, if there actually were that many. There might be a lot of depressed people in the world but most of them refuse to publicly acknowledge a bad thing for what it is out of fear of being ostracized by a throng of angry positive groupthinkers with torches and pitchforks.

Nobody wants to be the guy who says "This sucks!" when they're surrounded by a gang of 50 million people who are in denial about it.

Or are you genuinely saying the majority of people are happy and positive?

No. I'm saying the majority of people do not want to see the bad stuff so they blot it out with the fantasy that something must be wrong with them if they keep seeing it.

I'm saying the minority of people who just admit it when things suck are necessary to counter those who just plain won't admit it and keep searching for excuses as to why they noticed.

Life is all about balance. If you had nothing but a bunch of deluded clowns dancing around talking about how happy they are when they really aren't, what good would that do?

Are there people who take the negativity too far? Of course. Are there people with this mindset who are dangerously unstable? Of course. Most are not. Most of these people will eventually find their own balance.

a reply to: Realtruth

It's all well and good to tell people to have an honest look at themselves and the life choices they have made in terms of their life circumstances, but unless they have a relatively healthy mindset at the time of examination, your advice will only fall on deaf ears.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
a reply to: Realtruth

It's all well and good to tell people to have an honest look at themselves and the life choices they have made in terms of their life circumstances, but unless they have a relatively healthy mindset at the time of examination, your advice will only fall on deaf ears.

You would be correct awareness is key, but the wonderful thing about the internet and especially ATS is once the wisdom is posted it will remain for people to see.

If posting this help only one person, then it did some good.

Peace,

RT