How do you cope?

[SHRED]

The more awareness the more pain for me.

As I gather and learn how this world is run it gets very painful and affects me.
I devote about 2 hours a day to studying geopolitics and "following the money". But I have to say that as I dig deeper and deeper and become more aware, the pain and sheer hopeless feelings broaden.

I know I can't be the only one experiencing this.

[ananda]

1. Carpe diem.

Seize the day.

Sue

[TahitiNut]

5. It costs money to sue.

:silly:

[napi21]

2. You're not the only one. I spend WAY too much time on DU, but

it helps when you find others who agree with you, and we can exchange ideas of how to make things better.

I sure couldn't handle all the info without my Du friends!

[Tux]

3. Easy for me

I take the lessons from Dragonball series of manga.

At one point, a villian killed Goku's best friend. Goku was angry because his freind couldn't be brought back by the wish-granting Dragonballs. Goku's rage got so high that he became more powerful and easily defeated the villian. That is how I see America. Angrier, more powerful, and my sig pic shows the appearance of such anger.

[petgoat]

4. "The more awareness the more pain for me."

Don't take responsibility for what other people do. There will always
be murder, injustice, and abuse.

"the pain and sheer hopeless feelings broaden."

Fight back. Share what you've learned--on the internet and on paper.
I recommend little booklets that can fit in a shirt pocket. These can
be left on bus seats and in laundromats and inserted in books in the
library and in bookstores. Booklets are better than leaflets because
they don't blow around causing litter, and because people tend to decide
instantly that they don't want to read a leaflet, while with a booklet
if the cover is attractive they'll take it and read it later.

[peacetalksforall]

12. Good idea. Good psychology. We have to get people who dismiss

politics and politicians to wake up. We have to have an honest vote.

The key is education.

People don't wake up until they can see or are affected by PNAC and the cabal.

People see no war until their relative or a relative of someone close is killed or mained.

People see no war until they click on www.costofwar.com.

People see no theft, not even their vote.

People see no conniving - they NEVER follow what is done in the Senate and House of Representatives.

People believe betrayal by our leaders in favor of lobbyists over the citizens. That is one of the reason why they went to sleep.

[LaurenG]

18. Hi petgoat

Welcome to DU and I love that name and your ideas. :hi:

[TahitiNut]

6. It's not enough to find the weeds.

Pull 'em.

And always take time to water the flowers.

[Richard Steele]

7. "Carpe Vino" over here....

[MuseRider]

8. The ONLY thing a person can do

is commit to fighting it. It may very well be hopeless but what else can you do? You can hide your head and forget all about it but that doesn't help. I just have this innate streak of optimism that keeps me going. When politics gets too much I focus elsewhere and come back semi refreshed.

I try not to indulge the hopeless feeling but then I live with a real hopeless kind of guy. He always thinks it is over so that helps me to balance. LOL

[fooj]

9. It sucks, doesn't it?

It's like everything that I believed to be true, isn't.

Peace.

[The2ndWheel]

10. Isn't it fun?

It's just how power works. It will always work that way. Even if you can somehow break it up, over time, it'll rebuild. Then you have to break it down, then power will consolidate again. Then you have to break it down...

How do I cope? Accept that humanity is a freak show. Ask myself what the endgame of civilization is.

[wildflower]

11. It can be overwhelming, I know. What I do...

is keep trying to do my best, while looking for ways to keep things in perspective. I posted one of these ways last night (the poem "Ozymandias"):

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4224330

Here's another quote I used to have in my sig, that helps me:

"Just one, one, one. So you begin - I begin. I picked up one person - maybe if I didn't pick up that one person I wouldn't have picked up 42,000. <...> Just begin...one, one, one." - Mother Theresa

I hope that helps a little.

-wildflower

ON EDIT: Here's the entire quote (when I had it in my sig, I cut it down):

"I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one. So you begin - I begin. I picked up one person - maybe if I didn't pick up that one person I wouldn't have picked up 42,000. The whole work is only a drop in the ocean. But if I didn't put the drop in, the ocean would be one drop less. Same thing for you, same thing in your family, same thing in the church where you go. Just begin . . . one, one, one." - Mother Theresa

[Moochy]

13. I'm able to rationalize it away

Some of my friends can't stand hearing about the bad stuff Bush is up to, as they get depressed. For me when I learn about more bad deeds of the BFEE, I just get angry, then active,read and participate in online and real discussions with friends and family, and finally I return to my anger, and I feel it is justified.

The rationalization that I use is that basically, "I'm not going to be fooled by these thugs". And if I get sad or depressed that's the goal of the opposition, so I sure as hell don't want them to win.

The Neo's plan to remain in power relies on apathy and hopelessness on the left and the the thinking right. Give up. All *is* lost.

The more they try and convince me though their bought and sold talking heads, and faux news stories, the more transparent the talking points become to me. Seeing these talking points, calling them out for all to see, makes me think others are seeing the lies.

Heres a touchstone to reinvigorate the anger..
The Energy Bill that was just passed is more looting of the US coffers by the energy industry. (the same energy industry experiencing record profitability)

[hfojvt]

14. I read my Bible

"Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:12

Either that or I listen to the Yardbirds singing about the beginning of that book: "To everything, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn,.."

I am kidding, of course, sorta, but perhaps I have the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. I would be leary of so much studying, unless you become one of those people always obsessing about the masons or Nostradamus. I think the work of stopping the BFEE is more important than trying to find out everything that is going on, if that is even possible. Two hours a day sounds like too much if you are not enjoying the process. If you know enough to put you on the side of right, then I would suggest more work and less study. At least working will give you the illusion that you are making things better.

[Onlooker]

15. I think it's Lenin who said ...

I think it's Lenin who said history moves in a spiral, going forward and backward at the same time.

In these dark times, let's remember all the good that progressives have accomplished: social security, minimum wage laws, OSHA, civil rights, women's rights, gay rights (to some degree), Superfund, and so on. No one quite knows what starts a social movement, but one has to believe that all the pieces are slowly falling into places for a return to some form progressive politics. It may still be a few years away, but it will definitely come. It always has, and always will. Conservatives can slow the tide of progress, but they cannot stop it.

[LaurenG]

16. I think it happens to all of us

You study and work and think and research and suddenly realty settles in and you get upset. Usually I take a break at that point. I try to lighten up a little visit the lounge and have some fun outside of politics. (makes me anxious)

What (I think eventually) we all find is that our world is built on rotten sob's and sob-ettes trying to get more for themselves. You may find that the people behind all of this aren't ONLY who you think and there are others involved too. It's a hard crushing reality. However, the principles live in our hearts and souls. Those can't be manipulated, we are compelled to do better and not give in to greed and other harmful things. We just go on to see another day where we persevere and do the best we can until suddenly things begin to change. Things will change its the only thing that's certain besides those other two things death and taxes.

All I can say is it's a darn good thing we don't all feel this way at once.

Hang in there and go have some fun or a :beer:

[SHRED]

17. I'm lovin it

You guys are the best.

:grouphug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. There isn't much new in the world. Just the cast changes. Enjoy the show

Having a knowledge of history and being cynic helps. But, that is a redundancy.

Cain whacked Abel because Abel had the sheep. America attacked Iraq because Saddam had "our" oil.

It's all an old story oft' told.

[JNelson6563]

20. The more I learn

the harder I work for the Dem cause. The harder I work, the luckier I get. You'd be surprised what each of us can accomplish when we jump into the trenches.

Julie

[KayLaw]

21. I have nightmares

A lot of times I just live in the moment and pretend everything is all right, but I also harbor a lot of fury which keep hidden but at hand, like cannonballs.

[seabeyond]

22. i have a husband, i love so much, that is so good to me

i have two beautiful little boys that are huge in the smarts, and little activists. our future. my joy. every morning i wake up adn sya, yea.......i love life. and i live it. when i do go out, i chat with everyone. embrace love experience and....appreciate. i am allowed to see all the beauty, so so much in the beauty, every minute of my day.

i have a lot of people in my life i love. brothers, nephews, nieces

that ..... is how i cope

and i study and learn. i have to believe there is a reason

i also see grassroots has a voice.

i am pragmatic, that helps. not in the emotional

i dont take it personally

oh oh, ..... and you know, i did this spiritual chakra, energy connection thing. i can come to peace in a flash

really as i see the world i see this as another experience we are going thru collectively. it is our choice if we take the opportunity and become a better person. it is there for us. i also know so many of htese battles, i have resolved so i am not going to go thru the pain of seeing i was deceived. think how hard it is going to be for the people that think they are walking with christ because the reverends told them so, when they realize they are walking away from christ. they will see. that will be painful

that they were conned, so conned in a cultlike way that bush was a good christian. what a hard ass slap for them

this isnt mine or your struggles, ours is to help them see.

and then personally, for those i love, as they come to this realization i am going to be there to help em

this is my kids future

[wli]

23. AFAICT this is the end, and I'm an atheist.

The closest thing I've got to consolation is that it's not terribly swift, and so I've got a fair chance of dying of preexisting health conditions before getting genocided.

[proud patriot]

24. I pace myself

:hi:

[julialnyc]

25. I love my husband, my family, my friends...........

and a good glass of red wine when I need it!


Plus I have places like this that make realize I'm not alone in my pain (and with my ideals)

[kliljedahl]

26. I get out my well thumbed copy of "My Pet Goat"

Keith’s Barbeque Central

[LWolf]

27. Deliberate focus.

I focus on what I know, and what I personally can do.

I know that the current cycle of greed, hate, and destruction will come to an end, whether I get to witness it or not.

I know that the way I can affect change is to start with myself; to "be" the antithesis of greed, hate, and destruction. So I don't allow it in my life. I don't go looking for what will cause reactions of anger or despair. Instead, I focus on cleaning my own house of all the things I want to clean my nation of. Then I see if I can offer something positive or constructive to the individual people I come in contact with each day. Then I find groups working for common good to offer some of my positive energy to.

[seabeyond]

28. you are so right on. high five and yes

that is very good. but how i see it also. to take it a bet further, because i have been doing for a while, i see know, it works.

cool stuff

[SHRED]

32. Well said -eom-

[eleny]

29. Learn here at DU and also create silly political art

[H2O Man]

30. I tend to be very

hopeful about our chances of turning this country around, and so I do not experience feelings of hopelessness. I do, of course, have times when I feel pain, sadness, and some frustration. When I read about the damage that this country has done in Iraq, and see photos of the Iraqi children suffering, I do feel it. And when I read the obituaries of American servicemen, who have died for nothing, I feel it. But those feelings -- the pain, the sadness, and the frustration -- can best serve as fuel in the tank .... they are the energy that is necessary to keep fighting the good fight. And deep down, beyond my ability as a human to comprehend exactly how, I am confident that everything under the sun is as it should be -- or it wouldn't be.

This conflict requires patience .... and with patience, the smallest snail can climb the largest mountain. Be patient, be strong.

[dogday]

31. I rely on this forum to express my politics

and lean on my family and friends and when things get really bad I take this

[shanti]

33. oh no, you most certainly are not alone

it's like watching a train wreck, but worse. it's hard to get motivated...probably the way they want it too. may they rot in hell.

but to answer the question, getting away from the computer helps, even for a little bit. can't stay out of the loop for too long tho.