this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025
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Mental Health

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The world seems to be shrouded in evil. I feel helpless and desperate in my own life. I crave small acts of kindness.

But it feels like the vast majority of humans are either evil, or passive/complicit. I wonder if Calvin was right, if we all fundamentally depraved and evil.

My president is a rapist. Children are being deported. People are being sent to a death camp.

I know there were protests. But is anything changing? Even if a miracle happened - I have to live with the fact that people supported this man.

I’m trans and live in a place where most people voted for this. They want trans people dead. They want immigrants dead. The friendly old lady at the 7-11 cheers when she reads that a democratic lawmaker was shot; the church pastor is in a Facebook group where they talk about how much he would like to shoot trans women.

I stay alive to fight. I get bursts of dopamine from sex and alcohol, which gets me through most days - the promise of release at the end. I did have weed, but my license expired and I probably can’t get a new one until a few months.

I wanted children and a family and a house. I wanted a career in a field I loved.

I sleep on a pile of patched blankets and pillows I make with thrifted stuffing. I own two chairs. I’ve worked really hard all of my life - I worked multiple jobs to get through college, I work multiple jobs now. I don’t have insurance and I’m going to have to skip seeing my shrink until school is in session again and I can make a little more.

I’m drowning in despair. I’ve been drowning in despair. Where is there hope in the world?

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[–] Kalothar@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 hours ago

Boundless hope in the unknown, in people and in the world to bless evil with a following of the incompetent

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

All of this shit is just an historical trend. Things will come back around quite nicely.

[–] Isa@feddit.org 1 points 3 hours ago

I have no hope.

[–] Gecko4469@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

What gives me hope is all the things that the madness of humanity can’t touch. No matter what happens life evolved and there’s so much variation it’s beautiful, and it doesn’t matter if we understand it is there or not. Star formation and supernova will continue to occur. There’s an entire reality outside of us that will continue to exist whether or not we go extinct. The electromagnetic spectrum, chemistry, microorganisms, neat rocks, all of those things exist whether or not we do. I think I just very heavily avoid thinking that centers humanity. It’s cool that we make music and have love and compassion but we also are nuts and have capacity for very sad and painful things like increasing suffering and causing mental anguish. So I just think clouds and leaves are neat and trillions of other planets exist and there’s probably life elsewhere too. Maybe they do better, or maybe it’s not intelligent life like us at all and it’s just a bunch of weird creatures just being neat. A planet doesn’t even need life to be interesting there’s entire geological formations on Pluto and weather systems on Saturn larger than our planet. Imagine the moody clouds not even made of water vapor just making the craziest looking sunsets on Jupiter and it exists whether someone is there to see it or not. I think that’s pretty cool that basically all of reality exists completely separately from our species. Completely untouchable by religion and politics. As for the religion and politics, idk I keep myself and those I love safe. I continue to express my dissent and my disagreement and remind myself that a lot of these ‘arguments’ are old as hell and humanity has been dealing with them for a long time and you probably won’t solve them. I hope you get more acts of kindness and less exposure to the cruelty.

[–] match@pawb.social 2 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

I fucking believe in you dude, the future will benefit from your presence.

edit: And in answer to your question: solarpunk, especially slrpnk.net. I will believe a better world is possible and if I nearly stopped believing I would fight to the last.

[–] cyborganism@piefed.ca 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

When the system enables a culture of self-serving sociopaths, kindness is counter-culture. In a capitalistic system where sociopaths are rewarded, kindness is an act of rebellion.

Here are signs of sociopathy:

  • Strong disregard for social norms, laws or rules at home, at work, in school and other public places
  • Violating the rights of others
  • Minimizing others’ feelings and how they affect other people
  • Chronic manipulation, gaslighting, denial and deceit
  • Difficulty forming healthy relationships
  • Callousness and lack of remorse
  • Acting impulsively without concern for consequences
  • Attempting to gain power and control through aggression
  • A tendency toward petty crime, physical violence or fighting
  • Substance misuse

(Source)

These are characteristics that I've identified, in part or in full, in capitalists and conservatives who support that system.

Kindness is punk. Being kind is anti-establishment. When the establishment are just a bunch of vile, evil, self-serving assholes, being kind is the best way to rebel. Through kindness we build community. Through community, we build strength. And with strength we will defeat the that evil.

Rebel! Be punk! Be kind!

Personally, doing random acts of kindness every day is how I can still feel human.

[–] linkshulkdoingit69@lemmy.nz 3 points 1 day ago

This. And you are cared for and loved. Live strong.

[–] Stamets@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

My cat.

That is literally it.

The day I lose her is the day the my world loses its tiny ember of light.

[–] Harbinger01173430@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Just make sure the cat reproduces so when its gone, the kittens can still keep you company

[–] peregrin5@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I'm just saving up for my acreage in the wilderness where I can grow my own food with my cat and dog and stay away from the rest of the world. People suck everywhere. I'm done engaging with them and with the world.

[–] bluemoon@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

you'll find good company one day =)

i'm growing legumes of all kinds. thankful to grow, good for the soil, good for protein. a field of food-grade hemp also binds more CO² than a forest! ask me to share sources and yap on about it and i will lol

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Living in an evil world means never having hope in the world, because it can only lead to more evil. Better to have acceptance, but I don't have a lot of advice on attaining that.

My moral meaning comes from my own conduct. I can't stop nearly everyone (including most of you) from profoundly harming vulnerable individuals I love. That's just something I have to live with every minute of every day, without ever hoping that anyone else will change. The threats I face just don't seem significant in comparison. Existing within an evil world and refusing to do evil really only makes life harder, but it comes with a kind of psychological relief. It helps one see every day existence and survival as a more meaningful experience that one can take some solace in.

What I tried so far:

  • talking to like minded souls
  • volunteering with non-profits dedicated to protecting the environment
  • getting politically involved
  • boycotting the shit out of companies supporting Trump

It’s not perfect, but it helps not feeling so damn helpless.

[–] bluemoon@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

swedish socialist childrens cartoons. also the soviet ones. those show collective competence and revolutionary optimism. finding others who get what these cartoons are all about.

self-documentary Bögjävlar from 1977 restores your faith in life. just give that one a watch, ask for subtitles and i will translate <3 our cultural LGBTQIA heritage to you all <3
link to it: https://www.filmarkivet.se/movies/bogjavlar/

1955 🇸🇪 Plupp ("official nonbinary protagonist of several dozen books, also a sami character (scandinavian native)"
1964 🇸🇪 Vi På Saltkråkan ( Life on Seacrow Island, "feminist feelgood childrenscartoon- like all of Astrid Lindgren's manuscripts and books" )
1969 🇺🇸 the Madwoman of Chaillot ("Katherine Hepburn literally takes care of the oligarchs, military officials, corrupt priests.. who all look as pathetic as they actually are in this movie. happy ending.") 1969 🇷🇺 Gena the Crocodile 1969 🇷🇺 The Bremen Town Musicians
1971 🇷🇺 Cheburashka
1974 🇷🇺 Shapoklyak
1974 🇸🇪 Lilla Anna och Långa farbrorn (little Anna and the Tall Uncle)
1977 🇸🇪 Bögjävlar (no name, literally is a reclaimed slur like fags in swedish. lovely auto-biographical documentary by gays giving eachother solidarity and empathy in sweden one year before the juridical acknowledgement of gays here.")
1979 🇷🇺 Three from Prostokvashino
1979 🇸🇪 Alfons Åberg
1981 🇸🇪 Ronja Rövardotter ( Ronia robber's daughter, book. "feminist as all books by Astrid Lindgren" )
1982 🇸🇪 Trazan & Banarne ("surrealist socialist childrens show with music, a feminist & environmentalist monthy python")
1983 🇷🇺 Cheburashka goes to school
1984 🇸🇪 Zwampen ("surrealist socialist childrens show, a feminist & environmentalist monthy python")
1984 🇸🇪 Ronja Rövardotter ( Ronia robber's daughter, film. "feminist as all manuscripts by Astrid Lindgren" )
1984 🇯🇵 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (ghibli film)
1985 🇸🇪 Skrotnisse och hans vänner (ScrapNisse and his friends)
1985 🇺🇸 Misfits of Science ("socialist X-Men, anti-militarism, anti-corruption, solidarity between misfits.")
1985 🇺🇸 Desert Hearts ("approved by Jane Rule, writer of the '60s lesbian book Desert of the Heart. lesbians & queer people embracing eachother in solidarity. happy ending.") 1988 🇯🇵 My Neighbour Totoro (ghibli film)
1989 🇯🇵 Kiki's Delivery Service (ghibli film)
1990 🇫🇮🇯🇵🇳🇱 Mumin (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka) ("this is the comfiest cartoon. my childhood TV is here for you <3 also made by lesbian author Tove Jansson, who shows a queer village where social norms are empathy and solidarity.")
1997 🇯🇵 Princess Mononoke (ghibli film)
1999 🇨🇦 Better Than Chocolate ("drama film, main cast of LGBTQIA+ characters. happy ending after some turmoil.")
2002 🇸🇪 Dragkingdom of Sweden ("sympathic portrayal of drag culture, loveliest representation of dragkings i've come across, focusing on six dragkings who tell of their LGBTQIA+ community")
2004 🇸🇪🇫🇷🇨🇦 Creepschool ("misfit kids growing up by empathizing with eachother in a gothic school")
2004 🇯🇵 Howl's Moving Castle (ghibli film)
2007 🇺🇸 Itty Bitty Titty Committee ("lesbian activists having fun")
2020 🇺🇸 the Owl House ("not always cheery, can be harsh to watch. protagonists are all LGBTQIA+, main character unapologetically nonbinary.")
2022 🇺🇸 Infinity Train ("season 2 protagonist is transgender, 4th season protagonists are a mid-twenties gay couple. a few episodes from 1st season establishes the premise- very alright to skip ahead to later seasons after the first episode or so.")

all i come to think of from the top of my head, ask for more and i will gladly look further~
also ask for translations and i will translate subtitles. DMs open, i read & reply to every message. enjoy my scandinavian cultural heritage <3 they're for all to find comfort in

further help;

  • looking at social media and stuff skews perception into doomerism, staying with LGBTQIA+ friends and watching movies & series such as i've listed cheers you all up. anyone who doesn't have anyone to watch with is welcome to watch with me: i can stream and chat all day, every day, since i'm on sickleave indefinitively. (note that i am a really autistic transgal and yap alot)
  • curated posts like sticking to PieFed.social and PeerTube instances etc. help stave off doomerism.
  • blue light itself lowers serotonin, the hormone which makes us feel meaningfulness, also numbs negative emotions.. makes it disorderly when negative emotions return.. which become overwhelming.
    ask for sources on screen use, i won't write more on that pre-emptively since it's a laundry list of sources (i made a lil space for it 'c/screen_addiction')
  • Mero.Chat is a curated "meet random strangers" website, i met another transgal who became my girlfriend there just earlier this week (raised both of our mental health to max that's for sure!!!) it's non-profit, free libre open source, takes a decisive stance against creepy strangers online. flirty chats are principally not allowed (me and my girlfriend moved to Signal and DeltaChat instead (also free libre open source), the latter has mini-games in-chat! lovely for long-distance to play mini-games while chatting TvT~)