I don’t. I went to a wedding a couple weeks ago and “playfully” tore into a bunch of old friends who work for a variety of vile corporations, including on creating AI software, including AI software that generates music. I am a musician. I literally asked a dude I grew up with to his face if he knows he’s the bad guy.

So yea, I don’t stay happy and I don’t stay nice. Polite, yes. I don’t shout at people and throw stuff, but I definitely don’t protect people from the reality and consequences of their choices.

And I was literally in the minority there. This event was in my home country and I attended one of the best high-schools there. Most of those people will be filthy rich and even more disconnected a decade from now (I’m 31) I went on to go to a good university too, just like they did. Met a lot of important people. Decided to opt out of “industry” and stay indie even though I had opportunities. Whatever they’ve done is on them. They’re not unaware.

1. Political activism. Voting and canvassing. I live in a country where it usually takes fewer than 10,000 first preference votes to elect someone to the Dail (parliament), so each of my votes, and each person I convince, counts.
2. Retirement savings. In order to enjoy your retirement savings, you need a safe place to enjoy them. So, I match my contributions to my retirement savings plan with donations to groups that in my opinion are trying to make the world a better place.
3. Self-sufficiency. I’m not cutting myself out, but I am improving my independence on the rest of the economy: renewable power sources, vegetable garden, picking up skills to fix my stuff instead of replacing it, etc.
4. Hobbies. Mainly running and art, two hobbies where I can turn off my brain.
5. Data blocks. Removal of most of the social media from my life, filtering news sources.
6. Leading by example. Teaching my kids to be decent human beings with strong moral compass, who think for themselves. Wish me luck with that one.

Resist. Join a protest, help out with a campaign or org, pushback when you see it online. Everything, no matter how big or how small counts. It increases the net good in the world and it also helps your own mental health.

How the fuck do people don’t get radical or depressed?

That’s the fun part, we do

Hobbies, such as photography. Which brings me to my question…

Anyone know what camera, lens and film-stock (or if digital, what settings) were used to capture that look in the screenshot posted? I love it. It’s a still from “The Mastermind” and I haven’t been able to find any technical specs on the production.

By remembering how bad the past sucked. How much better off I am as a woman now, than at almost any time in the past - even if we are going in the wrong direction, still better off than even my mom was. My mom was alive for the integration of schools, alive when women could not open bank accounts in her state, we have made plenty of progress. Violence is less than 1/10th of what it was here when I was a kid.

Yes inequality sucks, because there are now enough resources for everyone. But it doesn’t suck like the middle ages, or the 1930s, or any time before that.

1. I avoid following the news and bully every right wing fascist that crosses my path.
2. I avoid following the news and bully every misogynist that crosses my path.
3. I avoid following the news and shower any marginalized person that crosses my path with love.

Bonus: I slap a “free all Palestinian prisoners” sticker onto street lamps every now and then.

Spite, malice, alcohol and the willpower to outlive those fascist bastards. 🤷‍♀️

I’m also doing shitloads of music…

How the fuck do people don’t get radical or depressed?

Leaning into the former and channeling it into real world action with a community helps with the latter.

By actively opposing those three things. Get involved. It is fun. Get the next mamdani elected

By not living in the US, stopping reading American news, and focusing on improving the small slice of the world that I can.

Find a supportive and fulfilling community that is trying to make things better locally. I’ve found this at my Unitarian Universalist (UU) church. UU’s don’t believe in a shared religious text, instead they have a core set of shared values. During World War 2, UUs helped Jewish people and other oppressed peoples escape the Nazis to other countries with a system of safe houses and creating travel documents. They identified safe houses with a flaming oil chalice in the window, which is now the main symbol of UUism.

My church has people who identify as atheist, Christian, several types of pagan, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, etc. We celebrate religious holidays from all of them as well as secular holidays like Trans Day of Visibility and Earth day. The focus is on being together and trying to make the world a better place. There’s active volunteer groups for hunger relief, housing support, the environment, and LGBTQ support. I also really like the music program. There’s a handy website to find a congregation near you, many stream services on Zoom so you can test them out before going in person. They can vary a lot based on the members of each congregation.

I just try to keep in mind that even though shits rough right now its still better than just about any time in the history of humanity for the largest number of people. The fact we want better is good and is the only way we will get it. That said, trying to keep the historical context of quality of life is helpful. Less time in doom areas of the internet. I also do a good bit for my local community (volunteering and donating some things I produce on my farm)

Making art. I get things from thrift stores or the clearance sections of craft stores. The challenge is to find a way to make the random colors of half dried up paint and a donated unfinished project into something new.

Art is the antidote to fascism. Fascism is a death cult with no creative energy. Fascists can’t make good art.

Right wing fascists are losing steam in the US, so there’s that.