My premise for this blog post is that we tend to see the world as we are more than as it is.
I notice many Trump supporters are black-pilled about Trump and about the future of the United States. I do not share this sentiment. I do not believe it reflects reality. The stock market, for example, has stayed even and even gone up despite the widespread looting. I agree with Michael Beckley that over the next few decades, America will become an even more dominant super power than it is today (compared to its rivals).
Why do people embrace despair when there is no need?
* Despair for some functions as a narcotic to reduce pain.
* For many, despair is their default mode.
* Many people seek more from pursuits, such as politics, than is appropriate, and when these passions don’t work out, they despair.
* Many people can’t handle setbacks without giving up.
* Some people tend to fluctuate between idealizing others and devaluing others.
* People want to ape their peers.
* People want to look profound and despair always seems more profound than joy.
* People fail at life and can’t help seeing the world through that perspective.
* People have an exaggerated sense of their own importance and of their own ability to influence events and hence social and political setbacks are experienced as personal rejection.
* Publicly displayed despair is often a cry for help and comfort. It is attention-getting. You can feel hetero while acting gay.
A friend says: “I am trying very hard to avoid the news. Prior BLM protests at least had resistance from half of society. Now, it seems like all the dominoes are falling. Police and military siding with the mob foretells imminent disaster for the current regime.”
Are the police and military siding with the mob or are they giving the mob tokens of support to reduce tension? Police officers I know would be willing to take a knee to reduce violence even though they hate taking a knee. I heard a story about a famed Japanese sword master who on several occasions, crawled through the legs of his opponents rather than fight. He could have killed them but he chose not to.
I am not one whit less happy today than I was a week ago or four months ago. I’ve been temporarily knocked off stride at times. I blanked on two appointments and I never do that.
I’ve shared my law and order views on the riots with friends on the left this week and I made them laugh. I don’t think I damaged these friendships. If people are laughing at your jokes, you’re usually connecting rather than offending.
I wonder if these riots are a bit like the Tet Offensive — a major PR victory for the Vietcong and a military defeat.
I don’t think the communists such as BLM will win in the United States. That which defies reality eventually loses.
