4 ms·

Suppose I accept your statements as true (as if NATO didn't exist). I didn't claim the world has no problems, or that Russia and China won't escalate conflicts

Suppose I accept your statements as true (as if NATO didn't exist). I didn't claim the world has no problems, or that Russia and China won't escalate conflicts with the USA. I asked what good does it do for Americans to worry about these things? Worry and talk and earnest blog posts do nothing to change anything in the USA, much less in the Russian or Chinese regimes. Worry and idle talk, however well-intentioned, won't help. Voting may help but probably not much -- American foreign policy and mutual defense obligations don't change much across administrations. I grew up with the Vietnam war raging, and I worried about getting drafted, but my worry didn't affect the US politicians, or the North Vietnamese. Since then I've learned that it does little good for an individual to internalize world-scale problems and suffer over things none of us individually can change. I don't know what I could do to influence possible futures at scale, especially in Russia or China or anywhere else. I can influence my own life and well-being, and have some influence over my children and family. I have enough things to care about that I can change, I don't need to waste time and energy worrying about or debating things I can't change. That doesn't mean I don't care, but it means I accept the limits of my influence and decide not to take a mental health hit over what happens in Moscow, Beijing, or Washington. Some people worry so much about possible catastrophes they end up on Doomsday Preppers looking ridiculous. I have better things to do, and I can't afford to build a billionaire bunker in Hawaii. Explain how the original article includes anything you or I can act on, other than commenting or worrying, and I'll pay attention.

deleted 3y ago
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bamboozled 3y ago
By "worry", I don't mean sitting there chewing your nails. I mean, understand it's a problem which needs addressing and write your congress member to be more proactive about the situation. Some level of worry is good, "I worry if I eat too much choclate I'll get bad teeth, therefore i'll stop eating chocolate". Excessive worry is what happens when we let things go bad, and bad, and more bad and realize we're actually in a bad place.
- gregjor 3y ago
  I think of worry as not actionable. If I know eating too much chocolate that will affect my teeth I can take action and eat less chocolate. Simply worrying about it does no good. Idle worrying and talk, or online armchair second-guessing politicians and military leaders from a safe distance (as you can read in the comments on this thread) just wastes time and energy and causes more personal stress. Worrying about the Ukraine war, or Taiwan, or possible escalations of those conflicts, does no good except to make my mental health suffer. Writing to my member of Congress, or joining demonstrations, or doing anything that might sway politicians amounts to some kind of action, though very likely futile given the way American government works. More immediate problems that elicit lots of press and demonstrations and letters to Congress, such as homelessness, gun control, etc. don't necessarily affect government policy. Some action is better than none I suppose, but action isn't the same as worry. I have friends who live in Kiev. I can do my small part to help them get out. I can contribute to relief efforts. I probably can't influence politicians in Washington, much less the Russian regime.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

bamboozled 3y ago

By "worry", I don't mean sitting there chewing your nails. I mean, understand it's a problem which needs addressing and write your congress member to be more proactive about the situation. Some level of worry is good, "I worry if I eat too much choclate I'll get bad teeth, therefore i'll stop eating chocolate". Excessive worry is what happens when we let things go bad, and bad, and more bad and realize we're actually in a bad place.

gregjor 3y ago
I think of worry as not actionable. If I know eating too much chocolate that will affect my teeth I can take action and eat less chocolate. Simply worrying about it does no good. Idle worrying and talk, or online armchair second-guessing politicians and military leaders from a safe distance (as you can read in the comments on this thread) just wastes time and energy and causes more personal stress. Worrying about the Ukraine war, or Taiwan, or possible escalations of those conflicts, does no good except to make my mental health suffer. Writing to my member of Congress, or joining demonstrations, or doing anything that might sway politicians amounts to some kind of action, though very likely futile given the way American government works. More immediate problems that elicit lots of press and demonstrations and letters to Congress, such as homelessness, gun control, etc. don't necessarily affect government policy. Some action is better than none I suppose, but action isn't the same as worry. I have friends who live in Kiev. I can do my small part to help them get out. I can contribute to relief efforts. I probably can't influence politicians in Washington, much less the Russian regime.