85
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by boaratio@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

Does anyone else feel like the more they learn about fucked up history and current events the more we have to worry about? The older I get, and as I learn about history, the more things I have to think about that keep me up at night. Maybe ignorance is bliss after all?

EDIT: I should have mentioned originally that I'm a person that is hyper vigilant (on the spectrum) and can't not notice things. I notice every little detail of everything I see. Why is the guy at the grocery store blocking the entire aisle and is completely oblivious that people can't get by? Why did that person turn without a turn signal? I notice people's body language. I meticulously pick apart things that people say and extract meaning that I'm sure they never intended. I originally thought it was OCD, but I don't have any of those traditional trappings. I wish I could just turn it off, as it's exhausting.

This essentially sums up how I go through my day. I wish I could not know/notice things: https://youtu.be/dmbtt3iGXzg

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] theneverfox@pawb.social 4 points 2 days ago

Ignorance is bliss, but it also means you're not seeing the world clearly

Which is probably fine if you only care about yourself, but it means you're going to have warped views. Views that will hurt other people

[-] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

But I'm so tired of caring for other people. I just want like a month where everything is fine and okay and nobody is being hurt and I can just breathe without feeling bad about being selfish. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? just a little bit of world peace. Just for me :'(

Edit: asking as someone who lives on the verge of burnout because I do way too much community organizing and volunteering.

[-] theneverfox@pawb.social 2 points 1 day ago

I get that... As someone who has been thoroughly burnt out, I give what I can when I can, and when the affect on others is greater than the cost to me

Self care isn't being selfish. The world will barely notice if you took a month off. You can shut off the news, you can decide not to pick up the phone. There will always be problems to solve and more people who need help

You have to help the people within your reach first, not because they're more important, but because they're within your reach. You can do more for a single person nearby than many people far away. You can do more to improve the community around you than you can for the people in Gaza. It doesn't matter if the people far away need it more, you just have more leverage within your reach than beyond your fingertips

And that includes you. You have to be a person who helps others. A person with a clear heart, who can help others without being tainted by the badness of the world yourself or so used up you stop feeling

When you have less to give, narrow your scope. If you need a month to regain the energy and joy of helping others, take it. Don't be selfish or shut out the suffering of others, just focus on helping yourself and those right in front of you. Invest in the good you will do in the future

If I ever have the opportunity, I'd like to run a retreat for people like you. A place in nature, surrounded by good people who need a refuge from the world for a while. A place where problems are simple and direct, like rain is coming and we need to bring things inside, or someone is in distress and needs comfort

I'm not in a place to offer that, but I urge you to take the time and try to find some time and peace for yourself to recover. Burning yourself out would be worse for everyone than whatever problems your temporary absence brings

this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2026
85 points (90.5% liked)

Showerthoughts

44005 readers
495 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. No politics
    • If your topic is in a grey area, please phrase it to emphasize the fascinating aspects, not the dramatic aspects. You can do this by avoiding overly politicized terms such as "capitalism" and "communism". If you must make comparisons, you can say something is different without saying something is better/worse.
    • A good place for politics is c/politicaldiscussion
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct and the TOS

If you made it this far, showerthoughts is accepting new mods. This community is generally tame so its not a lot of work, but having a few more mods would help reports get addressed a little sooner.

Whats it like to be a mod? Reports just show up as messages in your Lemmy inbox, and if a different mod has already addressed the report, the message goes away and you never worry about it.

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS