Man, 2024 ain't starting out great. We got the Trump versus Biden rematch that no one wanted, a boom in AI that will almost certainly result in massive losses in jobs as shitty computer programs poorly perform the work of real flesh and blood human beings, and heat records are already being set in many places in the world. Right-wing parties are increasing their support in Europe, while wars in Ukraine and Israel still continue. Meanwhile, the world collectively twiddles their thumbs as the climate crisis reaches the tipping point. How does a thinking person maintain their mental health? The future looks grim, doesn't it? Are we lurching toward fascism, with an orange moron at the helm? Will my children grow up in a world where 100 degree summers are the norm? Will AI beget a Terminator scenario, where Skynet wipes out civilization?
I don't know. But you probably shouldn't worry about it.
Thousands of years ago, people had this same problem. Stoic philosopher Epictetus said "Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems." Nothing is gained when you worry about what you cannot control. Although it is hard for me to admit, I can't do anything substantial to stop the climate crisis or the return of Donald Trump. This is not an argument for apathy; I can engage in politics by protesting, donating, and voting. I can support climate advocacy groups and vote for politicians who take global warming seriously. But my actions will have an almost infinitesimal effect on the issues. Such is the nature of life. We like to pretend that we are in control, that we have agency, when so much of our lives are predetermined before we are even born. Your genetics, the wealth of your parents, and the times that you are born into cannot be changed. You simply must do what you can (and you should do what you can; being involved is good for your mental health) and live in the present. I have a loving wife and two wonderful boys. I work for myself in the beautiful Ohio Valley, farming peaches, apples, and pears. My material situation is good and should improve. I live in a spacious, if old, house that still needs some work, but the mortgage is cheap. I have friends whom I enjoy spending time with. I engage in hobbies like writing, music creation, video games, and weightlifting, and I derive great satisfaction from them. In other words, my life is about as good as it can possibly be. It is possible that a lot of people suffering from anxiety have similar lives--if you're food insecure or about to lose your job, then you're probably not wasting time worrying about politics. Although we're in a transitional time period and great strife might lie waiting on the horizon, we still live in absolute comfort and wealth compared to most of human history. The great kings of antiquity didn't have air conditioning or antibiotics; nor could they watch football on their 55 inch 4k televisions. For most of our existence, mankind has lived only in the present, focused on survival. Worrying about existential problems is a luxury we simply haven't had for most of our time on Earth.
The existence of suffering is the first Noble Truth of Buddhism. You will suffer in this life, for we are mortal beings aware of our uniqueness in the world. What you can do is accept that truth and embrace the joys that life brings. Live in the present, do what you can to improve the world, while not failing prey to the disease of apathy. Maybe give the cesspool of the internet a rest while you're at it. Let's see if I can follow my own advice.
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