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>But if you interpret this post as "in a world where a lot is going wrong, and that's usually all we hear about, here are n things going right", it's a more use

>But if you interpret this post as "in a world where a lot is going wrong, and that's usually all we hear about, here are n things going right", it's a more useful read. "This is fine!" No, it's not OK for an occasional break, the world is going to burn. It makes no difference if I can eat more blueberries now if my kids won't have any water left in the future to grow them. Knowing the reality of climate change, I am sorry, there is no way I can be glad we are eating more blueberries. It cannot enter my mind at all. If it can enter your mind you do not know the scope of what we are facing.

haswell 4y ago
> "This is fine!" Why would anyone conclude this? There are things in this world that are fine, and things that are not. To conclude that acknowledging the things that are fine is equivalent to concluding that everything is fine just doesn't track. > No, it's not OK for an occasional break Are you arguing that the only acceptable way to live life is to remain focused on everything that is going wrong, at all times? If we do not examine what's going right, how are we to identify (and prioritize) the areas that require attention? How does one learn from the things that have been successful so as to apply that success elsewhere? But more glaringly, how does one achieve any level of satisfaction in life if all they do is ignore everything good? The mental health impact of such negative focus seems far more likely to immobilize someone and lead to a nihilistic/fatalistic outlook. If the future generation is fucked, and there's literally nothing we can do, why do anything? (this is not what I'm advocating for, btw). I'm not attempting to downplay the seriousness of climate change or the magnitude of the problems the world is currently facing, but if the only way forward is to stay mired in negativity and to ignore the good things in life, truly what is the point of living?
- FollowingTheDao 4y ago
  > Are you arguing that the only acceptable way to live life is to remain focused on everything that is going wrong, at all times? If my car is about to go off of a cliff I am not going to be happy about all the blueberries I just bought at the supermarket. You are not giving the appropriate weight to these things. > But more glaringly, how does one achieve any level of satisfaction in life if all they do is ignore everything good? There is plenty I find good, non of which was included in that article. It was fully materialistic but for the parents spending more time with their kids which I do not see as a positive. And his "carbon release vs carbon graph" is just pure useless crap. The satisfaction I get in life is by trying to fix big problems. It is not nihilist, it is hopeful. A nihilist eats blueberries while the world is burning.
  - haswell 4y ago
    Eating blueberries and watching the world burn are not inherently bound to each other. Put another way, it is possible to enjoy blueberries while working to solve big problems. Going a step further, intentionally avoiding blueberries (assuming you enjoy blueberries and they are sustainable) seems like actively/unnecessarily squandering an opportunity to enjoy life. Progress and enjoying life are not mutually exclusive. To suggest that they are is a good way to scare people away from the former, or conclude it’s not worthwhile. Editing to add: In all of the focus on blueberries, the broader point was lost - that we have better access to fruits/vegetables than we've had in the past. This is a big deal, and has a major impact on health. This does not reduce the importance or severity of climate change, and does raise questions about how sustainable that easy access is.

haswell 4y ago

> "This is fine!" Why would anyone conclude this? There are things in this world that are fine, and things that are not. To conclude that acknowledging the things that are fine is equivalent to concluding that everything is fine just doesn't track. > No, it's not OK for an occasional break Are you arguing that the only acceptable way to live life is to remain focused on everything that is going wrong, at all times? If we do not examine what's going right, how are we to identify (and prioritize) the areas that require attention? How does one learn from the things that have been successful so as to apply that success elsewhere? But more glaringly, how does one achieve any level of satisfaction in life if all they do is ignore everything good? The mental health impact of such negative focus seems far more likely to immobilize someone and lead to a nihilistic/fatalistic outlook. If the future generation is fucked, and there's literally nothing we can do, why do anything? (this is not what I'm advocating for, btw). I'm not attempting to downplay the seriousness of climate change or the magnitude of the problems the world is currently facing, but if the only way forward is to stay mired in negativity and to ignore the good things in life, truly what is the point of living?

FollowingTheDao 4y ago
> Are you arguing that the only acceptable way to live life is to remain focused on everything that is going wrong, at all times? If my car is about to go off of a cliff I am not going to be happy about all the blueberries I just bought at the supermarket. You are not giving the appropriate weight to these things. > But more glaringly, how does one achieve any level of satisfaction in life if all they do is ignore everything good? There is plenty I find good, non of which was included in that article. It was fully materialistic but for the parents spending more time with their kids which I do not see as a positive. And his "carbon release vs carbon graph" is just pure useless crap. The satisfaction I get in life is by trying to fix big problems. It is not nihilist, it is hopeful. A nihilist eats blueberries while the world is burning.
- haswell 4y ago
  Eating blueberries and watching the world burn are not inherently bound to each other. Put another way, it is possible to enjoy blueberries while working to solve big problems. Going a step further, intentionally avoiding blueberries (assuming you enjoy blueberries and they are sustainable) seems like actively/unnecessarily squandering an opportunity to enjoy life. Progress and enjoying life are not mutually exclusive. To suggest that they are is a good way to scare people away from the former, or conclude it’s not worthwhile. Editing to add: In all of the focus on blueberries, the broader point was lost - that we have better access to fruits/vegetables than we've had in the past. This is a big deal, and has a major impact on health. This does not reduce the importance or severity of climate change, and does raise questions about how sustainable that easy access is.