I'm struggling with a new level of social anxiety. Honestly, I feel like I'm becoming a shut in. Sometimes, I don't leave the bedroom all day. The world deteriorated so quickly. At 47, am I too old to reconcile the new normal?
It has been like lightening, the speed of this change. I have ten years on you, and I am definitely not willing to accept a new normal of the kind that presents itself. I also don't leave my house for days on end. Going into town and seeing the decaying people and buildings traumatises me.
I don’t think a person should ever reconcile themselves to the new normal. But also don’t let it win. Let the pressure of it forge you into a diamond. Read a book called Power vs Force. Practice bringing light to darkness.
I think the younger you are, the harder it is for some people to accept the growing threat. I am long in the tooth but still young enough to be totally pissed off at the encroaching threat to everything my husband and I have worked hard for. It's time for people to get over trying to escape the new reality and hide. Stand up, pull your big boy pants up, get over it and then make plans on how to deal with it with push back that counts. Go out, go to the store, disconnect and detach from the walking dead but DON"T sit at home building mountains out of mole hills at this point. I went to Walmart for some groceries and bought wine. Before I even scanned my first item at the self-checkout, I felt this very strong presence behind me. It was the walmart gestapo in the shape of a black-haired scowling 40-something woman and she in an overtly threatening manner wanted to know if she could scan my wine. She had waited on me before, so when asked if she needed to see my i.d. , she said Yes! in a very authoritative manner. She frowned at me as I left, and I could feel her icy fingers of judgment following me out. This is what's coming in a more forceful way. Asking why we are buying certain things and only allowing what they approve. If I had been asked why I bought any one thing, I would have told her to mind her own business and just do her job. Please don't hide, still find joy in life, and march through with head held high~
I have a 22 year old daughter. I can’t see any way she could hold the knowledge of things as they really are. I didn’t try to overprotect her but it’s a lot for a young person. I’m Gen X and I believe we should be on the front line leading with love, grace, and whatever wisdom we have. I think we are actually built for this.
I think you're right~as the older generations die off, and I believe the Globalists are waiting for this, the love, grace and wisdom will be the flame that has to survive the chaos to follow. The movie 'The Road' is an excellent movie on that point. The last survivors hold the flame to be passed on and built on.
We are not pack rats, reallly, but I have a large portion of my mom and dad's things from their home. I just need to pick through... and finally let go.
Me too, Ellen. Me too. Going to the store yesterday left me. . I don't know how to describe it. Just looking at the blank defeat/death in people's faces, seeing the roads and infrastructure crumble. . going out is demoralizing. But staying a hermit isn't helping either.
Please do not give up- I know just how you feel but now is not the time to fade away, bring light to the darkness- go out & be an influence , talk to young ppl!! Cashiers & service workers especially- I try & talk to at least one a day! They seem so damn depressed & in need of common sense & communication- it does not go unnoticed- go plant some seeds!
Yes, Josh, I feel it and I see it, too. The disintegration of the way of life we hold dear. It's not quite as bad here in the UK, people are still cheerful in the service industry. But the woke virus is spreading through our society and through our institutions. I am 57. I feel deeply afraid for my old age. It's not just the threat of the woke virus, it's also the threat whose name we dare not speak. A 'religion of peace' whose influence in Europe and the UK is becoming ever bolder and more strident. All fall before its coming. The woke left and this particular religious ideology have teamed up. Only one can win, and it will not be woke. Either way, the future looks terrifying here in the UK.
One thing our new Britons will not do is support communal schemes like the NHS. It amazes me this is not more widely discussed. They originate from tribal societies and you are most certainly not in their tribe. You will not be cared for. We already see this when they take over councils. It is fellow Muslims first. They are blatant about it too.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
It's in this decision to narrow our focus on what we can do that brings us clarity. The actions we take from there can bring us to a contented state. Where I dare say, joy is possible.
A quibble, Karen (if I may)—I squirm when immediately calling people I don’t know by their first name: the strength and joy come from UNDERSTANDING that it doesn’t come from this world.
I think we’re both right, Hugh! And I’m not offended at all when my name is used respectfully—it’s been difficult lately as “Karen” has become shorthand for all kinds of bad behavior.
The narrowing of focus matters. Ditch the distractions if possible. Focus on what matters and what you can do to change things or support those who are trying to fight
I have gained much wisdom from the Lord of the Rings in the last few years. The battle is won by two things. Hobbits just doing the next thing to do and the grasping greediness of Gollum. I have had a strong inner belief for at least a year that WEF and gang are grasping for the “ring to rule them all” so intensely they will cause their own downfall. Yes it is a time we all must develop a strong philosophical or spiritual model to keep from falling into despair.
Josh I’ve had to become a very independent person and learn joy of self. In a way I’m lucky. I work remote so no office drama. I have hardly any friends. But I make a good living so I have a life full of unusual opportunities and adventures. The human race for me has become mostly transactional. Once you have “enjoyment of self” (and not in that way-LOL) it all becomes a circus to be hold. Remember you could be raising children in this insanity. That is truly scary, the current COVID kid’s generation.
Others in the extended family have either made clear they are covidian with TDS and MAGAphobia, or they "just don't want to talk about this, or that" and we pretty much know what that means.
It is pretty interesting. My little brother (age 65 now) is suuuuper leftist. but he is
a walking contradiction so I do not approach him on any matters now. He is just so angry about everything. I am not even sure why. Is he angry that there are still so many "stupid MAGA People" ? or what else? I do not make the effort to find out bc he knows I am an "extremist"
People are pretty funny. Hubbs and I laugh about what they say on bookface. My brother has an acct there and he is so brain damaged
Of course, I relate it to food and food production, but it's the same lens of the collapse of all we know. However, I believe we can--and must--build pockets of resilience even as we know society is crumbling around us.
By getting back into the soil, we recreate a relationship with the immutable laws of nature.
This is why I love Josh's writing. He identifies the feelings and experiences of my own life that lie just below my conscious awareness. The hopelessness and sadness that I feel and that I see around me. It doesn't take away the awful feelings, but it IS comforting that someone can articulate what I'm not able to. Thank you, Josh.
Yes, there’s going to need to be a fierce resistance to the tsunami coming our way. The power elite is in the process of freaking out and tripling down. Unfortunately they have the tools for the first time in history to really cripple us across the board because of they control the internet and our access to employment and banking. Trying not to panic but just read an extremely disturbing article by the German writer Egyppius. He details the recent government moves and their blatant proposals to exercise complete control over absolutely everything, all in the name of curbing completely undefined “right wing” “extremism.” Their new mantra of the menace of “misinformation.” They aren’t even hiding their totalitarian goals anymore.
The details in the article you reference are simply not to be believed. One doesn’t know even where to begin although privately I would be tempted to comment on the person appointed by the government to administer this nightmare.
I’m afraid it will be (quoting the NH license plate) “Live free or die.”
The biggest black pill for me is that the people have been progressively propagandized, indoctrinated, dumbed down, deracinated, drugged, and intimidated to the point where they will not fight back. In an earlier generation, this bs would have been put down a long time ago. It's gotten this far because we are not the same people we once were, and we may never be again. That is *not* a good thing.
The Zeitgeist is dour at the moment. While I feel anxious at time, I can only empathize with pronounced or steady-state anxiety. I assert there is a possible remedy. It requires some initiative. First, begin a physical routine to engage the body and be outdoors; walking or biking. Start with 30minutes - without looking or listening to your phone. Second, find a way to engage with others in a productive activity: theatre, volunteering in school or church activities - a group effort with purpose; not a social activity. Find one where you can show up and lend a hand working side by side with others. If you can't find one; start one. Look around. See what needs to be done. Both of these things will keep us away from clickbait and the day's news, get us fresh air and provide some interaction with real people. To change the world we must start with the small things. Alone we are isolated and become fearful. Together we can overcome ....- well let's see what we can overcome. It's not the time to worry and fret. What good will that do? It's the time we take back the world we want.
I have come to believe that the denial and gaslighting we are seeing in regard to our rapidly shifting reality ("New Normal") is the result of collective trauma from COVID and the rapid pace of change. The west is creeping toward technocratic authoritarianism and global government. It seems like many people have not been able to process, or refuse to process, what just happened or how far the goal posts have moved since 2020. They simply can't handle all of it. They desperately want things to be as they were in the "before times" and will not tolerate the truth disrupting this fantasy.
To me, the behavior we are seeing is indistinguishable from trauma responses. Think about it. People fight you if you disagree ideologically. They take flight or remove themselves from the conversation if you directly ask them their opinion about certain news items they not paying attention to. They freeze or give you the silent treatment if you point out the reversal of morality in regard to protecting children and our sacred institutions. They even fawn, which is something Josh has shown (mostly) women doing in the face of mentally ill trans activists who seek to erase and replace them. These are not rational, mature adults with stable emotion regulation skills. They are weak, confused, scared little children who have no idea how to manage their lives and will do anything to feel safe.
I think you're right--this is a societal trauma response.
Trouble for me is that the trauma response from outside feels like a hurt to me. I so want some moral company, some people who will push back with me, or even "hold my hand." But everyone is dead or frozen.
I've started meditation. I'm working up to taking daily walks. I'm sorting out tasks I've got behind on and trying to make progress every day. It's harder than it should be.
You are stronger than you think, Josh. You are able to face very dark realities and communicate what you see because you've seen it before. Our childhoods (I speak of my own here) essentially prepared us for what is coming. It sounds dramatic to suggest, but perhaps all of your suffering is the catalyst for bringing about the change we need. Your are certainly part of that change. You are building a community through this podcast, and community is everything. It is a salve for existential dread, atomization, and despair. It is a force all its own. It heals.
Many people look to you for guidance. This can be a burden, I'm sure. You don't know what to tell people. You are just as confounded by the demonic shape of this new reality. You don't have the answers. That's ok! Just know that you are loved and supported by so many. We are separated by distance, not perception. This is a collective nightmare. You are not experiencing it alone. I am holding your hand through the darkness.
In case it helps: there are still places in the world where this isn't happening. I live in Eastern Europe, and most people here are still sentient beings. They have recent and painful experience with socialism and want nothing to do with woke. If a man entered a woman's restroom, he would be thoroughly removed, not praised for his bravery. Gay people are gay, not queer. I am not an evil oppressor who should be shamed for existing. The "refugees" don't stay here; there aren't enough social services and probably never will be. Western Europe is pressuring the locals to parrot magical beliefs like gender being assigned at birth, but there's still strong resistance, and my everyday life is woke-free.
I left the US 14 years ago because things seemed to be getting crazy. I couldn't have imagined then the mass delusion and misery that I'm seeing now. People with online income, maybe it's time to leave. Try a few places and avoid the woke ones (Spain is lost). Staying in the US and fighting sounds noble, but after a point your self-preservation has to be more important than saving your neighbors. Many of us have left toxic families that we couldn't rescue; this time it's a toxic culture. Plus, we have public transportation here! Not just buses, but trains! And charming sidewalk cafes, plus doctors who will see you now and not leave you bankrupt.
I'm struggling with a new level of social anxiety. Honestly, I feel like I'm becoming a shut in. Sometimes, I don't leave the bedroom all day. The world deteriorated so quickly. At 47, am I too old to reconcile the new normal?
It has been like lightening, the speed of this change. I have ten years on you, and I am definitely not willing to accept a new normal of the kind that presents itself. I also don't leave my house for days on end. Going into town and seeing the decaying people and buildings traumatises me.
I don’t think a person should ever reconcile themselves to the new normal. But also don’t let it win. Let the pressure of it forge you into a diamond. Read a book called Power vs Force. Practice bringing light to darkness.
You're right. Thanks!
I think the younger you are, the harder it is for some people to accept the growing threat. I am long in the tooth but still young enough to be totally pissed off at the encroaching threat to everything my husband and I have worked hard for. It's time for people to get over trying to escape the new reality and hide. Stand up, pull your big boy pants up, get over it and then make plans on how to deal with it with push back that counts. Go out, go to the store, disconnect and detach from the walking dead but DON"T sit at home building mountains out of mole hills at this point. I went to Walmart for some groceries and bought wine. Before I even scanned my first item at the self-checkout, I felt this very strong presence behind me. It was the walmart gestapo in the shape of a black-haired scowling 40-something woman and she in an overtly threatening manner wanted to know if she could scan my wine. She had waited on me before, so when asked if she needed to see my i.d. , she said Yes! in a very authoritative manner. She frowned at me as I left, and I could feel her icy fingers of judgment following me out. This is what's coming in a more forceful way. Asking why we are buying certain things and only allowing what they approve. If I had been asked why I bought any one thing, I would have told her to mind her own business and just do her job. Please don't hide, still find joy in life, and march through with head held high~
I have a 22 year old daughter. I can’t see any way she could hold the knowledge of things as they really are. I didn’t try to overprotect her but it’s a lot for a young person. I’m Gen X and I believe we should be on the front line leading with love, grace, and whatever wisdom we have. I think we are actually built for this.
I think you're right~as the older generations die off, and I believe the Globalists are waiting for this, the love, grace and wisdom will be the flame that has to survive the chaos to follow. The movie 'The Road' is an excellent movie on that point. The last survivors hold the flame to be passed on and built on.
I'm definitely trying!
I am (shocked to believe it really) 20 years your senior.
I live in Northern Virginia and hubbs and I are "house cats"
I sew all day, allllll day, just make stuff.
There are people I do not want to hang around with. I also seem to have anxiety at times.
You must have a nice bedroom!!
I would love to invite people to come to my house and we can make fancy food and art messes.
My room is a mess. 😆
my house is a mess.
We are not pack rats, reallly, but I have a large portion of my mom and dad's things from their home. I just need to pick through... and finally let go.
Me too, Ellen. Me too. Going to the store yesterday left me. . I don't know how to describe it. Just looking at the blank defeat/death in people's faces, seeing the roads and infrastructure crumble. . going out is demoralizing. But staying a hermit isn't helping either.
I wish I knew what to tell us.
I know! I rarely go to physical stores anymore. It's cheap and easier to use Walmart+. I'm not proud of it, though. It makes me feel lazy.
Americans yearn for death—a miasma of demoralization drifts across our land…
Please do not give up- I know just how you feel but now is not the time to fade away, bring light to the darkness- go out & be an influence , talk to young ppl!! Cashiers & service workers especially- I try & talk to at least one a day! They seem so damn depressed & in need of common sense & communication- it does not go unnoticed- go plant some seeds!
Yes, Josh, I feel it and I see it, too. The disintegration of the way of life we hold dear. It's not quite as bad here in the UK, people are still cheerful in the service industry. But the woke virus is spreading through our society and through our institutions. I am 57. I feel deeply afraid for my old age. It's not just the threat of the woke virus, it's also the threat whose name we dare not speak. A 'religion of peace' whose influence in Europe and the UK is becoming ever bolder and more strident. All fall before its coming. The woke left and this particular religious ideology have teamed up. Only one can win, and it will not be woke. Either way, the future looks terrifying here in the UK.
One thing our new Britons will not do is support communal schemes like the NHS. It amazes me this is not more widely discussed. They originate from tribal societies and you are most certainly not in their tribe. You will not be cared for. We already see this when they take over councils. It is fellow Muslims first. They are blatant about it too.
So the chattering classes are in for a shock.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
It's in this decision to narrow our focus on what we can do that brings us clarity. The actions we take from there can bring us to a contented state. Where I dare say, joy is possible.
Joy in spite of what is around us. But it's source doesn't come from this world!
A quibble, Karen (if I may)—I squirm when immediately calling people I don’t know by their first name: the strength and joy come from UNDERSTANDING that it doesn’t come from this world.
I think we’re both right, Hugh! And I’m not offended at all when my name is used respectfully—it’s been difficult lately as “Karen” has become shorthand for all kinds of bad behavior.
The narrowing of focus matters. Ditch the distractions if possible. Focus on what matters and what you can do to change things or support those who are trying to fight
I have gained much wisdom from the Lord of the Rings in the last few years. The battle is won by two things. Hobbits just doing the next thing to do and the grasping greediness of Gollum. I have had a strong inner belief for at least a year that WEF and gang are grasping for the “ring to rule them all” so intensely they will cause their own downfall. Yes it is a time we all must develop a strong philosophical or spiritual model to keep from falling into despair.
yes, watching the movies then reading the books again, back and forth. Super joy
Josh I’ve had to become a very independent person and learn joy of self. In a way I’m lucky. I work remote so no office drama. I have hardly any friends. But I make a good living so I have a life full of unusual opportunities and adventures. The human race for me has become mostly transactional. Once you have “enjoyment of self” (and not in that way-LOL) it all becomes a circus to be hold. Remember you could be raising children in this insanity. That is truly scary, the current COVID kid’s generation.
I have two daughters, married with kiddos
My older (turning 40 this year) is fairly covidian but rational. Still, we can not talk about it.
I am an olden nurse and they used to latch on to my reasonings but not any more
My younger daughter married a controlling shit head. I have not seen them in 2 years. They have three adorable babies I have not seen in ages.
Hubbs and I can not stand her shitty husband.
So, that's the latest from my corner
The COVIDIANS are usually afflicted with TDS and MAGA phobia. Both of which have been shown to rot the brain.
that would be my entire family. I think.
Hubbs and I are the only "extremists"
Others in the extended family have either made clear they are covidian with TDS and MAGAphobia, or they "just don't want to talk about this, or that" and we pretty much know what that means.
It is pretty interesting. My little brother (age 65 now) is suuuuper leftist. but he is
a walking contradiction so I do not approach him on any matters now. He is just so angry about everything. I am not even sure why. Is he angry that there are still so many "stupid MAGA People" ? or what else? I do not make the effort to find out bc he knows I am an "extremist"
People are pretty funny. Hubbs and I laugh about what they say on bookface. My brother has an acct there and he is so brain damaged
Josh, totally feel this too.
I wrote about something similar on my substack this week. https://lizreitzig.substack.com/p/gardening-while-rome-burns
Of course, I relate it to food and food production, but it's the same lens of the collapse of all we know. However, I believe we can--and must--build pockets of resilience even as we know society is crumbling around us.
By getting back into the soil, we recreate a relationship with the immutable laws of nature.
What do you think?
This is why I love Josh's writing. He identifies the feelings and experiences of my own life that lie just below my conscious awareness. The hopelessness and sadness that I feel and that I see around me. It doesn't take away the awful feelings, but it IS comforting that someone can articulate what I'm not able to. Thank you, Josh.
Yes, there’s going to need to be a fierce resistance to the tsunami coming our way. The power elite is in the process of freaking out and tripling down. Unfortunately they have the tools for the first time in history to really cripple us across the board because of they control the internet and our access to employment and banking. Trying not to panic but just read an extremely disturbing article by the German writer Egyppius. He details the recent government moves and their blatant proposals to exercise complete control over absolutely everything, all in the name of curbing completely undefined “right wing” “extremism.” Their new mantra of the menace of “misinformation.” They aren’t even hiding their totalitarian goals anymore.
The details in the article you reference are simply not to be believed. One doesn’t know even where to begin although privately I would be tempted to comment on the person appointed by the government to administer this nightmare.
I’m afraid it will be (quoting the NH license plate) “Live free or die.”
There is no doubt that the US and Canada's standard of living is going into decline. I will watch the show tomorrow and come back with more comments. Here in Canada the woke takeover of the Establishment is in full effect and it is having negative sociocultural effects, big time. There is the occasional ray of hope, here is one: https://aristotlefoundation.org/press-releases/press-release-february-13-2024-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei-training-what-does-the-research-tell-us/
The biggest black pill for me is that the people have been progressively propagandized, indoctrinated, dumbed down, deracinated, drugged, and intimidated to the point where they will not fight back. In an earlier generation, this bs would have been put down a long time ago. It's gotten this far because we are not the same people we once were, and we may never be again. That is *not* a good thing.
The emergent properties of social media may help create a Cluster B society.
https://hwfo.substack.com/p/the-covid-19-sensemaking-user-guide
The Zeitgeist is dour at the moment. While I feel anxious at time, I can only empathize with pronounced or steady-state anxiety. I assert there is a possible remedy. It requires some initiative. First, begin a physical routine to engage the body and be outdoors; walking or biking. Start with 30minutes - without looking or listening to your phone. Second, find a way to engage with others in a productive activity: theatre, volunteering in school or church activities - a group effort with purpose; not a social activity. Find one where you can show up and lend a hand working side by side with others. If you can't find one; start one. Look around. See what needs to be done. Both of these things will keep us away from clickbait and the day's news, get us fresh air and provide some interaction with real people. To change the world we must start with the small things. Alone we are isolated and become fearful. Together we can overcome ....- well let's see what we can overcome. It's not the time to worry and fret. What good will that do? It's the time we take back the world we want.
I have come to believe that the denial and gaslighting we are seeing in regard to our rapidly shifting reality ("New Normal") is the result of collective trauma from COVID and the rapid pace of change. The west is creeping toward technocratic authoritarianism and global government. It seems like many people have not been able to process, or refuse to process, what just happened or how far the goal posts have moved since 2020. They simply can't handle all of it. They desperately want things to be as they were in the "before times" and will not tolerate the truth disrupting this fantasy.
To me, the behavior we are seeing is indistinguishable from trauma responses. Think about it. People fight you if you disagree ideologically. They take flight or remove themselves from the conversation if you directly ask them their opinion about certain news items they not paying attention to. They freeze or give you the silent treatment if you point out the reversal of morality in regard to protecting children and our sacred institutions. They even fawn, which is something Josh has shown (mostly) women doing in the face of mentally ill trans activists who seek to erase and replace them. These are not rational, mature adults with stable emotion regulation skills. They are weak, confused, scared little children who have no idea how to manage their lives and will do anything to feel safe.
I think you're right--this is a societal trauma response.
Trouble for me is that the trauma response from outside feels like a hurt to me. I so want some moral company, some people who will push back with me, or even "hold my hand." But everyone is dead or frozen.
I've started meditation. I'm working up to taking daily walks. I'm sorting out tasks I've got behind on and trying to make progress every day. It's harder than it should be.
You are stronger than you think, Josh. You are able to face very dark realities and communicate what you see because you've seen it before. Our childhoods (I speak of my own here) essentially prepared us for what is coming. It sounds dramatic to suggest, but perhaps all of your suffering is the catalyst for bringing about the change we need. Your are certainly part of that change. You are building a community through this podcast, and community is everything. It is a salve for existential dread, atomization, and despair. It is a force all its own. It heals.
Many people look to you for guidance. This can be a burden, I'm sure. You don't know what to tell people. You are just as confounded by the demonic shape of this new reality. You don't have the answers. That's ok! Just know that you are loved and supported by so many. We are separated by distance, not perception. This is a collective nightmare. You are not experiencing it alone. I am holding your hand through the darkness.
<3
D.
Your kindness means more to me that I can express in a comment. Thank you.
You mean more to ME than I can express in a comment.
Josh your influence is not going unnoticed- you’re planting some serious seeds… please don’t ever stop.
Link up with Coffee&Covid, Jeff Childer’s substack. It will boost your morale. I cannot afford to subscribe to it but most material is free.
Theme song for the new normal, by Genesis:
Home by the Sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j6d7VeYvdQ
And the antidote, also by Phil Collins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6PNc9KN50M
In case it helps: there are still places in the world where this isn't happening. I live in Eastern Europe, and most people here are still sentient beings. They have recent and painful experience with socialism and want nothing to do with woke. If a man entered a woman's restroom, he would be thoroughly removed, not praised for his bravery. Gay people are gay, not queer. I am not an evil oppressor who should be shamed for existing. The "refugees" don't stay here; there aren't enough social services and probably never will be. Western Europe is pressuring the locals to parrot magical beliefs like gender being assigned at birth, but there's still strong resistance, and my everyday life is woke-free.
I left the US 14 years ago because things seemed to be getting crazy. I couldn't have imagined then the mass delusion and misery that I'm seeing now. People with online income, maybe it's time to leave. Try a few places and avoid the woke ones (Spain is lost). Staying in the US and fighting sounds noble, but after a point your self-preservation has to be more important than saving your neighbors. Many of us have left toxic families that we couldn't rescue; this time it's a toxic culture. Plus, we have public transportation here! Not just buses, but trains! And charming sidewalk cafes, plus doctors who will see you now and not leave you bankrupt.