Cool question! Reality is always complex and I have no easy heuristics, but a few basic principles that have bigger consequential insights or uses to me. ---

Cool question! Reality is always complex and I have no easy heuristics, but a few basic principles that have bigger consequential insights or uses to me. --- listen to your gut, it thinks faster than your consciousness: - but only act upon it, once you understood the reason. (I love how with math problems you often know you have valid the pathway to the answer, but don't have it in your grips just yet until a few seconds later) --- I assume everything has a cause or is (pseudo-) random. This leads to a few conclusions: - no free will in a strict sense (I still have agency and can choose to do what I think is right) - no bad people (I don't have to talk to assholes, but there should never be revenge, only protection of society) - if someone is in emotional pain about something silly, the pain is still real and to be taken serious (that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be desensitized a bit) --- Before you do anything, assess the situation: - I'm very emotional and very analytical, but before I haven't figured out the situation the emotions take the back seat. - If something can't be changed anymore I might be sad, but have no reason to panic in to any action, where there is no reasonable one to act upon. (As you someone was talking about politics: I don't give much about local politics anymore, only want to understand the "why" of global politics. (local politics is quite approachable however, one can make changes there if one really wants to)) --- Sadness is alright and should not be suppressed: - it also doesn't exclude comedy or bitter-sweet romance --- There is always a meta-level you haven't reached yet. (And usually it's worth to get there. But as in Plato's Cave, usually it's not revealed without new insight. You can go and hunt for that insight though. So if you can, try to take a step back.)