Humanity - ways in which people lose it

Varaxis

Varaxis

Well-Known Member
"Hold my beer."

Famous words before something eventful happens.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy."

"Win at all costs."

Famous words before someone throws away their humanity.

What is humanity, in terms of the qualities that make humans uniquely human? Does it include human "weaknesses", such as fear and irrationality? Is it what makes one hesitate before doing something such as causing damage to others, something the opposite of being kind? I believe it does.

What is causing such qualities to be lost, or thrown away? Can they be regained? Are they related to taboos that must not be broken, hence why some take great effort to shelter those they care about from such? That the world out there is full of threats to their innocence, and their grasp is no longer hiding in the shadows but out in popular spots?

I believe that there are personal mental barriers that discourage wrong-doing; once these are broken once, there's no longer much resistance to repeat such wrong-doing. For instance, once someone is known for breaking oaths, how redeemable do you think they are? Once a liar, thief, or cheat, always a liar, thief, or cheat?

I am interested in the various trains of thought that lead to breaking such personal mental barriers.

Justice? "He's not going to get away with this." I've witnessed passive-aggressive revenge, in which people were happy to make others lose, so they aren't suffering miserably themselves, accepting a lose-lose scenario, throwing away a stable life.

Security? Paranoia and over-reacting seems to contribute to a person's level of crazy (AKA insecurity).

Ego? Does not wanting to look bad really matter that much to some people? Difficulty admitting guilt and personal responsibility for failure and loss, to the point you rather not make an attempt to make a first step to even set progressive improvement? Blame it on others?

I'm sure prejudice/bigotry, and reductive thinking (oversimplifying) fits in this somehow, at least through correlation. People just don't seemingly make effort to appreciate details that make things unique with potential for good. They just seemingly reluctantly wait for such details to reach them if they coincide/agree with their current beliefs. Complacency and ignorance as well...

If you were told not to give up your humanity, how would you interpret that, and how would you act on it? What would you look to improve? What do you see as humanity that you threw away?

I'm in the position where I feel that the world is being left in my hands, yet not much effort was made to ensure that it's being left in good hands. I look around, and feel that no commoners are trying to shoulder any burden, acting on their freedom to be irresponsible, as typical consumers. I once pondered what makes a person perfect, and rather than think of God-like traits, I thought more along the lines of being harmonious with the situation and environment, adapting and promoting a healthy and sustainable stability. I suppose I'm making this thread to find some firm ground to stand on. I would be grateful to those willing to share their time and wisdom. I believe that I don't have any solid principles to go off of really, besides what discipline I gained in the military, such as the core values of the USAF. Give it to me frankly, without the political correctness, what's wrong with people and how did it go wrong? Political talk welcome.

If this thread strikes you as one written by someone who needs professional mental health check-ups, I might agree. I just feel that as an alternative perspective, I might just be a neglected kid who seemingly didn't have anyone to take them under their wing, looking to bloom under some real people with experience, rather than fantasy writings. My father died recently, and it wasn't until he did that I feel like a loss of something greater than a mere life. Chatting about the Kobe thing probably spurred this on, regarding how insensitive some people can be, me included.
 
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Welcome to the computer age. I think it has a lot to do with how humanity functions these days. Everything is easier to obtain, both the good and the bad. It's made us lazier physically and mentally. The computer does the work for us. Emotion is another subject. It's a flaw in one sense and a guide in another. Most of us know right from wrong. We base our actions and reactions to our past experiences and no two of us are exactly alike. In truth, all we can do is the best we can do.
 
Dan!
You have no idea how glad to hear from you here! I have missed you terribly, and have caught small glimpses of you from others here and there out on the trail.

Sorry for the lose of your father. I know that is not what you may be looking for in the big picture, but as an intro, I truly am.

I would love to take on this conversation. It’s a fantastic subject. There are those here that would unfortunately be offended at the topics and subject matters that I strongly feel would be beneficial, so a private conversation would be more apt. You are a tremendously open minded individual and I have learned a lot from you in that arena.

Good to have you Dan!
 
Anyone watch the 2007 movie, Into the Wild? Feels like I might find it related.

From the synopsis, I get the impression that it's seemingly about throwing away common-man's pursuit of happiness, such as gotta do well in school to earn a good job with stable income, to attract a beautiful loving mate to make a family with and settle in peace and happiness in your own private utopia where you have the freedom to be yourself in privacy. Then getting in touch with humanity, and demonstrating what real human intelligence can accomplish.
 
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Dan - sorry for the loss of your father. Losing your parents sucks.

You've thrown a lot on the table to discuss and have invited a potential maelstrom of thought or reaction. I've been blessed to be in a profession charged with shaping and developing young people into fully functioning, ethical young adults. And yet after 30+ years of being in this line of work, I have little to offer you in terms of your answer.

Foremost, people are generally a product of their surroundings. As younguns, we quickly develop the values, mannerisms, speech patterns and behaviors of those around us. We imprint like ducklings. So if infants and toddlers are surrounded by violence, foul language, immoral acts, hatred, neglect, and other such negativity, that child is mostly doomed to develop the same patterns and values.

That doesn't change as we age, except that we begin to choose our surroundings a bit more. When given a choice, most tend to choose to surround themselves first with people who look like they do, but also those who think the same way and value the same things. Cliques in high school for example. Identity is based on reinforcing what you like and value, and denigrating what others look like, act like and value. My value as a human is based on de-valuing others. Throw countless hours of violent video games or YouTube garbage and social media in the mix in the crucial phase when we develop our identity, and you have a recipe for some very twisted and unhealthy values and patterns of behavior.

As adults, most do the same thing. Whether we go to college or not. Which college we go to, which profession we steer towards, whether we choose to be involved in organized religion or faith, our political parties and then the news feeds we like to hear. We continue to surround ourselves with people who say the things we want to hear, and denigrate those who don't. Most people believe they have it figured out, if only others would be more like them.

And with that fatalistic and bleak perspective on how we develop our values and behaviors on the table, I will say that most humans recognize a need to cultivate positive traits, imagery and patterns throughout all of those phases. First from parents, but then from all kinds of significant others. And from what I see of most kids, there is still an inherent value to prefer good over bad. Bad is usually an attempt at validating their own existence.

IMTB is my attempt at validating my existence. Please give me lots of likes for this post, and don't argue with me. :whistling:

Dan - you are unique in that you truly are an open-minded soul who does not surround himself with simple like-mindedness. But you still like data too much! ;)
 
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Varaxis said:
Anyone watch the 2007 movie, Into the Wild? Feels like I might find it related. Seemingly throwing away the popular belief in what is the pursuit of happiness and getting in touch with humanity, and demonstrating what real human intelligence can accomplish, is what my impression of it is (from the synopsis).
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I disliked the book... and then hated the movie, because I knew it was going to be "spun" into a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts. My synopsis "emotionally troubled kid throws away education and opportunity, drops out of society, and travels across the country and eventually off into the wilderness, where he starves to death. When found, his corpse weighed 67 lbs." The book made me profoundly sad... and all I kept thinking was "what a waste of a life". He certainly gave new meaning to the term "narcissistic".

Does humanity have any meaning outside of society? In other words, can you demonstrate humanity without at least one other person? My understanding of humanity is giving of yourself to others - acting above your own self-interest. Kindness, mercy, sympathy... all are inherently characteristics of someone rising above their own self. Treating others the way you would hope someone would treat you.

I don't think humanity is dead. I just think you need to practice it. It is too easy to condemn instead of forgive - too easy to find the fault in things instead of recognize their positive attributes. Yesterday I was standing in a long line in Target. They opened a new check-out right next to me, and as I moved into the new line, I noticed a young guy who was about to be left behind in the shuffle. I stepped back and said "Here... you were ahead of me in line... " and I let him check out before me. The guy thanked me so effusively it was almost embarrassing. Why was that little act of kindness, which came to me naturally, considered so unusual and worthy of praise?
 
Funny. You start this post about Humanity, and I flip over to the OC Register and see the cover story of a young kid who started a rock band, and recently got a big break. Here's a quote from the article:

This band, however, may be a little different than some of its hard-rocking forebears. Slaves to Humanity appears to be comprised of kids who get along with their parents, show up to practice on time, are respectful and don’t seem bent on destroying any hotel rooms.

Think of it this way: Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll … without the sex and the drugs. That’s Slaves to Humanity.
 
Herz, I admit that I like data, but too much? I am now sadly wanting to admit that I find data is far too limited. I want to measure everything with accuracy, to add as context in the bigger picture. I'd measure levels of certainty, if I could. I laugh when I see someone else like me, correcting someone that Earth's an oblate spheroid, as an example. I saw a video of a brake caliper power meter that I got excited about not too long ago (from mtb phd?).

I don't believe anything is ever simple, though things don't have to be complicated if demands are exceptionally low. That's the difference between people, I think, in how much demand they place on understanding things deeply. I think things have been becoming increasingly more complex as time goes on, and basic understanding is on average higher among thinkers. I guess I get caught in the trap, that I believe such understanding will be useful in future as I build off of it, whereas I can easily let stuff like gossip pass in no time.

Validation is part of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, so I don't necessarily see it as a joke, but as something I can do easily to make people feel better. Hmm, that's another issue of mine, that I'm not really fond of facetiousness, but on the flip side I give extreme value to authenticity and no-nonsense attitude.

Bonsai, I didn't read about the death part of Into the Wild. Another "fantasy" writing, in regards to the moral of the story, despite being non-fiction? No beneficial lesson of humanity to find in it? Good thing that I'm resistant to spoilers due to being so detail-oriented, as the development of the characters and situation aren't easy for me to imagine so vividly. Reminds me of a quote, that travel is fatal to bigotry.

I admit that I was hoping things would escalate more than this. I'd forgive people for putting the blame on something. I personally think capitalism driving everyone to be consumers is the main problem, and fully expect to be criticized that I see the alternative as socialism or communism, that capitalism is one-and-the-same with democracy, and my criticism is akin to betrayal to what makes America great. I just mark myself open to alternatives, not having studied them that much. I also personally want more humanity in the governing system, while at the same time minimal humanity in bureaucracy (bias/favoritism/partisanship).
 
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BonsaiNut said:
I disliked the book... and then hated the movie, because I knew it was going to be "spun" into a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts. My synopsis "emotionally troubled kid throws away education and opportunity, drops out of society, and travels across the country and eventually off into the wilderness, where he starves to death. When found, his corpse weighed 67 lbs." The book made me profoundly sad... and all I kept thinking was "what a waste of a life". He certainly gave new meaning to the term "narcissistic".

Does humanity have any meaning outside of society? In other words, can you demonstrate humanity without at least one other person? My understanding of humanity is giving of yourself to others - acting above your own self-interest. Kindness, mercy, sympathy... all are inherently characteristics of someone rising above their own self. Treating others the way you would hope someone would treat you.

I don't think humanity is dead. I just think you need to practice it. It is too easy to condemn instead of forgive - too easy to find the fault in things instead of recognize their positive attributes. Yesterday I was standing in a long line in Target. They opened a new check-out right next to me, and as I moved into the new line, I noticed a young guy who was about to be left behind in the shuffle. I stepped back and said "Here... you were ahead of me in line... " and I let him check out before me. The guy thanked me so effusively it was almost embarrassing. Why was that little act of kindness, which came to me naturally, considered so unusual and worthy of praise?
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+1 on the book. Cidiot tries for adventure 10 miles off the road and makes a dumb mistake eating the wrong plant, dumb enough to not search the river bank for the way out that was always there. A good darwinism exhibit, though. Good for Krakauer spinning it into an epic.

Pro-tip: Blow off steam in the outback before the sh¡t builds up and you end up Alexander Supertramp.
 
Varaxis said:
I personally think capitalism driving everyone to be consumers is the main problem, and fully expect to be criticized that I see the alternative as socialism or communism, that capitalism is one-and-the-same with democracy, and my criticism is akin to betrayal to what makes America great. I just mark myself open to alternatives, not having studied them that much. I also personally want more humanity in the governing system, while at the same time minimal humanity in bureaucracy (bias/favoritism/partisanship).
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It is a beautiful vision... but wholly unrealistic.

Life isn't free. If you think you should be able to sit around and think pure thoughts and someone will come around and feed and clothe and house you... prepare to be disappointed. Humanity is all about caring for people who CAN'T care for themselves. Stupidity is caring for people who WON'T care for themselves. I like living in a society that rewards work and penalizes sloth... because I understand that if given the choice, many/most people would prefer sloth.

As far as capitalism driving everyone to be consumers, you missed the boat (at least in this generation). Consumerism peaked in the 1980's - 90's. People today have shifted focus. They are less interested in ownership and more interested in experiences. There are still huge unresolved questions regarding balance and "fairness" as the economy shifts further away from a labor emphasis and more towards a capital emphasis (at least domestically), but a question of "fairness" is very different from a question of whether the underlying system is broken and needs to be scrapped.

While it is fun to discuss macro-economic theory with you, I fear you won't find a large audience for your position - because most people believe that the current system, while imperfect, is still better than any other system that has been created. Communism and socialism have been proven (at least to me) to be economic train wrecks whenever / wherever practiced.
 
City idiot, cidiot, who does stupid stuff in rural areas. Learning useful new vocab.

Forms of socialism are already kind of failing in America, like bikeshare and public transit. Figures that the lack of ability to share, and etiquette in sharing public space, is causing friction. People can't have nice things when they don't treat it well. Worker-owned business are kind of rare. AirBnB kind of hit and miss. People crave simplicity, consistency, and familiarity, having certain expectations to be met. No one wants to be inconvenienced by a day in which demand outstrips supply, perhaps due to a rare event. When things are offered without charge, people have the freedom to take-and-take, rather than give-and-take; even if they want to give, it's unclear on how to give in a convenient way, and the funding source can get jealous of those who are getting more than what they're paying into for.

Forms of failed socialism/communism were technically state capitalism, where the state/govt owned the means of production. Economy is beyond my understanding, due to having so many paradoxes, but learning how trade agreements and self-sufficiency works is fascinating. Like how does the US feed itself, and what does it do with poor harvest, or abundant harvest? Does it get traded, use as foreign aid, go to feeding livestock, go back into the fields as compost?

I learned that people tend to realize the value of some "power" when it's lost. It's a horrible feeling to lose a power, especially when you are equal to someone who never experienced having that power in the first place. They might say they can sympathize, but I doubt that. Going blind is a lot different than living an entire life blind. It's a legit fear. I wouldn't judge someone harshly for acting on such fears, being a coward, though I could judge dishonesty if they made a lie as an excuse.
 
BonsaiNut said:
It is a beautiful vision... but wholly unrealistic.

Life isn't free. If you think you should be able to sit around and think pure thoughts and someone will come around and feed and clothe and house you... prepare to be disappointed.
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What if I were a housewife? Life could be rad. The washing machine and the vacuum and the range with self-cleaning feature and the thermostat and the automobile and Herzie’s staff would do a lot of the heavy lifting for me. These items designed and improved through capitalism are purchased and provided by person(s) with the job. The worker is who supports the stock market and pads our retirement accounts. While still imperfect, not having to worry about meeting deadlines or budgets contributes substantially to removing barriers to mental masturbation.

Meanwhile, Mamas would take the iron skillet and throw it at me if she were to read this. After all, how clear can one think with only 3 hours of sleep?
 
Read up on McCandless, and discovered the logic he used: he got dropped off in the Alaskan bush without a map cause it would then be like exploring the unknown. Sounds similar to some of the logic people use for keeping their bike outings pure to a degree, using a less capable bike and going with minimal supplies.

Regarding capitalism, I noted a specific part of capitalism, where I see it as chaining the people, making the people work for it. Social democrats suggest that capitalism should instead be chained, made to work for the people. This is what you're getting when you're voting Warren, taxes on the wealthy. Bernie goes a bit further, as a democratic socialist, to make workers have stock in big companies and higher taxes on the wealthy. Both see the value in education to progress living standards, and both want to address the health crisis. I read that doctors are severely upset that American people, who they can save, opt for alternate treatment due to the costs; they write about not regretting a job in Canada, relieved of stress on their conscious (less burnout risk) since Canadian people are getting proper treatment (and are generally more polite).
 
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Varaxis said:
"Hold my beer."

Famous words before something eventful happens.

"No more Mr. Nice Guy."

"Win at all costs."

Famous words before someone throws away their humanity.

What is humanity, in terms of the qualities that make humans uniquely human? Does it include human "weaknesses", such as fear and irrationality? Is it what makes one hesitate before doing something such as causing damage to others, something the opposite of being kind? I believe it does.

What is causing such qualities to be lost, or thrown away? Can they be regained? Are they related to taboos that must not be broken, hence why some take great effort to shelter those they care about from such? That the world out there is full of threats to their innocence, and their grasp is no longer hiding in the shadows but out in popular spots?

I believe that there are personal mental barriers that discourage wrong-doing; once these are broken once, there's no longer much resistance to repeat such wrong-doing. For instance, once someone is known for breaking oaths, how redeemable do you think they are? Once a liar, thief, or cheat, always a liar, thief, or cheat?

I am interested in the various trains of thought that lead to breaking such personal mental barriers.

Justice? "He's not going to get away with this." I've witnessed passive-aggressive revenge, in which people were happy to make others lose, so they aren't suffering miserably themselves, accepting a lose-lose scenario, throwing away a stable life.

Security? Paranoia and over-reacting seems to contribute to a person's level of crazy (AKA insecurity).

Ego? Does not wanting to look bad really matter that much to some people? Difficulty admitting guilt and personal responsibility for failure and loss, to the point you rather not make an attempt to make a first step to even set progressive improvement? Blame it on others?

I'm sure prejudice/bigotry, and reductive thinking (oversimplifying) fits in this somehow, at least through correlation. People just don't seemingly make effort to appreciate details that make things unique with potential for good. They just seemingly reluctantly wait for such details to reach them if they coincide/agree with their current beliefs. Complacency and ignorance as well...

If you were told not to give up your humanity, how would you interpret that, and how would you act on it? What would you look to improve? What do you see as humanity that you threw away?

I'm in the position where I feel that the world is being left in my hands, yet not much effort was made to ensure that it's being left in good hands. I look around, and feel that no commoners are trying to shoulder any burden, acting on their freedom to be irresponsible, as typical consumers. I once pondered what makes a person perfect, and rather than think of God-like traits, I thought more along the lines of being harmonious with the situation and environment, adapting and promoting a healthy and sustainable stability. I suppose I'm making this thread to find some firm ground to stand on. I would be grateful to those willing to share their time and wisdom. I believe that I don't have any solid principles to go off of really, besides what discipline I gained in the military, such as the core values of the USAF. Give it to me frankly, without the political correctness, what's wrong with people and how did it go wrong? Political talk welcome.

If this thread strikes you as one written by someone who needs professional mental health check-ups, I might agree. I just feel that as an alternative perspective, I might just be a neglected kid who seemingly didn't have anyone to take them under their wing, looking to bloom under some real people with experience, rather than fantasy writings. My father died recently, and it wasn't until he did that I feel like a loss of something greater than a mere life. Chatting about the Kobe thing probably spurred this on, regarding how insensitive some people can be, me included.
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“Of the making of books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”

I think you’re way past politics on this one, you're gonna have to dive in to religion. Old Testament wisdom literature. Ecclesiastes to be specific. I’m pretty sure nothing we say on a MTB message board is gonna be as useful as what Quohelet has to say.
https://youtu.be/lrsQ1tc-2wk
 
Varaxis said:
Anyone watch the 2007 movie, Into the Wild? Feels like I might find it related.

From the synopsis, I get the impression that it's seemingly about throwing away common-man's pursuit of happiness, such as gotta do well in school to earn a good job with stable income, to attract a beautiful loving mate to make a family with and settle in peace and happiness in your own private utopia where you have the freedom to be yourself in privacy. Then getting in touch with humanity, and demonstrating what real human intelligence can accomplish.
Click to expand...

Yes all of the above happens, but in a nutshell it is a story of self-discovery. His journey to Alaska is fueled by escapism. Once there, he discovers his limits, capabilities and he ultimately discovers that isolation is not his end goal. Many MTBers can relate to the desire to get away from it all, even if just temporarily.
 
I'm trying not to relate to those lyrics too personally. People point out that others get washed up, past their peak and no longer competitive in a certain discipline, but I picture this as just a part of a cycle, with more to life beyond that in which the person can fit into society as a contributing member. How to get younger generations to see this, rather than seeing old folk as just a source of hoarded wealth, simply seeing their power in that money that they pridefully sit on atop an iron throne; the throne being symbolic of all the battles/struggles they've persevered through.

What are people escaping from exactly, I wonder...

I just finished watching that video, giving me a nihilistic impression. All that hevel, and finding joy in our experiences, even experiences of suffering, and assigning meaning to it all ourselves. I guess I should just search reality myself, rather than focusing too hard on reviewing history to learn what I shouldn't copy/repeat, from my dad, from other old folk, from other generations, etc. and just start making "mistakes" myself, as life is the experience. I guess I should just enjoy being an observer, of a society that caters to a diverse collection of people as if it were reality TV, rather than be bothered by how people are being manipulated in various ways, and let others enjoy witnessing how it manipulates me too.
 
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You all realize that we don't matter in the least, right? That our existence is a millisecond of time in an infinite universe. There is freedom in that understanding. We can and should try to make meaning and leave a positive legacy of some kind, we should struggle to survive and thrive and we should try to make life better for others every day, but we are merely fleas on a dog - if there really is a dog.
 
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herzalot said:
You all realize that we don't matter in the least, right? There is freedom in that understanding. We can and should try to make meaning and leave a positive legacy of some kind, and we should try to make life better for others every day, but we are merely fleas on a dog - if there really is a dog.
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Ouch!
I don’t know if you are quoting something or if that is your true philosophy. We are so much more than that. So much more. Today we attempt to equate ourselves to less than animals. We have conscious and choice.

But I agree that our mission statement is to invest in others' to be other people focused, to take a genuine interest in others. I have made it my mission statement to do what I can to provide a positive environment and to help others develop into contributors to society. To help them develop, character, integrity, accountability, purpose, focus, and drive. At my job we hire kids (when I say kids I mean young adults). Often from broken homes, single parent latch key kids. Often I discover many are homeless. I can tell you the company is raising these kids. Teaching them responsibility, accountability, people skills, and leadership. Of the folks I have hired over the last 4 years I have help develop over 30 people into leadership roles within the company.

I think we have a responsibility to provide that opportunity for our coming generations.
 
Mikie said:
Ouch!
I don’t know if you are quoting something or if that is your true philosophy. We are so much more than that. So much more. Today we attempt to equate ourselves to less than animals. We have conscious and choice.

But I agree that our mission statement is to invest in others' to be other people focused, to take a genuine interest in others. I have made it my mission statement to do what I can to provide a positive environment and to help others develop into contributors to society. To help them develop, character, integrity, accountability, purpose, focus, and drive. At my job we hire kids (when I say kids I mean young adults). Often from broken homes, single parent latch key kids. Often I discover many are homeless. I can tell you the company is raising these kids. Teaching them responsibility, accountability, people skills, and leadership. Of the folks I have hired over the last 4 years I have help develop over 30 people into leadership roles within the company.

I think we have a responsibility to provide that opportunity for our coming generations.
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Agreed. But re-read my post. I clarified a little. It's not nihilistic, anti-religious or pessimistic, it is an understanding that we aren't as important as we make ourselves out to be - and that's a healthy, humble attitude. Cancer, natural catastrophes, human atrocities and other circumstances will demonstrate that in a hurry. Live grateful.

Now where the hell is my new bike? :mad:
 
Varaxis said:
I'm trying not to relate to those lyrics too personally. People point out that others get washed up, past their peak and no longer competitive in a certain discipline, but I picture this as just a part of a cycle, with more to life beyond that in which the person can fit into society as a contributing member. How to get younger generations to see this, rather than seeing old folk as just a source of hoarded wealth, simply seeing their power in that money that they pridefully sit on atop an iron throne; the throne being symbolic of all the battles/struggles they've persevered through.

What are people escaping from exactly, I wonder...

I just finished watching that video, giving me a nihilistic impression. All that hevel, and finding joy in our experiences, even experiences of suffering, and assigning meaning to it all ourselves. I guess I should just search reality myself, rather than focusing too hard on reviewing history to learn what I shouldn't copy/repeat, from my dad, from other old folk, from other generations, etc. and just start making "mistakes" myself, as life is the experience. I guess I should just enjoy being an observer, of a society that caters to a diverse collection of people as if it were reality TV, rather than be bothered by how people are being manipulated in various ways, and let others enjoy witnessing how it manipulates me too.
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recall the last thirty seconds of the video, where the narrator ties it all up by appealing to God’s judgement as the basis for hope. nobody does a better job encouraging folks to look forward to judgment day then the black church. Thabiti Anyabwile is one of the best...His twitter feed is awesome too.

“African Americans could never have managed to survive without hope. Hope in things unseen has kept African Americans going and kept them sane in the face of unimaginable absurdity. Hope is not an abstraction or an escapist fantasy. Sometimes hope is the only real asset the oppressed have.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/why-there-needs-to-be-more-hope/404977/
 
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