People don’t know how good they have it. It’s ironic that being on Lemmy is likely to speak volumes about one’s level of luxury yet people here really, really don’t like to be reminded that they are probably doing way better than most people in the world. Definitely unimaginably better than most people in the world in all history.

Yeah the top 1% sucks and capitalism has to be reigned in but there’s a lot of people here who are only interested in wallowing in their self-pity with the occasional whimper about how Communism/Socialism/Anarchism etc. would be a totally better system if not for capitalism and if everyone just agreed to do it (and somehow they actually don’t see the problem with the argument). They make these posts and then pat themselves on the back about what good activists they are and then return to bitching about things happening half-way across the world but never give a single thought to doing something in their local community (because that would require actually dealing with real humans).

It’s kinda like the flip side of people who bitch about taxes not doing anything, while using infrastructure, probably in some level of safety, benefitting from public healthcare (if applicable) and schools etc. but because they’re just used to it, they don’t realize how big of a difference it makes. Most people on Lemmy have 0 concept of what it’s actually like living in an oppressive and corrupt regime. They are addicted to misery because it gives them the reason to be inactive and permanentley outraged. They buy into all the doomscrolling (on their luxury devices, during their luxurious amount of free time) about how much things suck and of course, this just aids the capitalistic system because passive people seething at home about the injustices in the world are always better than active people on the streets trying to actually make a change happen.

What people would need to do: consciously practice gratitude (this gives you energy) over what they have and especially who they have in their life, find LOCAL opportunities to engage in activism and connect with people (opportunities to practice what you preach too).
What’s easier to do: sit on your device, get angry about another injustice in the world, feel exhausted with “all the bad stuff in the world”, don’t do anything but post another meme that perpetuates the cycle.

Also, inb4 Mr. Gotcha meme. Yeah, go ahead, compare yourself to a serf who couldn’t even imagine the level of comfort you’re living in.

Not really all that interesting. It’s just the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_paradox wearing the cape of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism

Without the fancy jargon, the argument is “All people must be free to do whatever they want (the paradox part they don’t say out loud is: except form a consensus)”

If you resolve the paradox, what you’re left with is exactly the same world we have now: everyone is free to do exactly what they want, including forming a consensus (that may restrict the freedom of the individual)

It’s a philosophical sleight of hand that’s easy to hide in grandiose and virtuous rhetoric. I’ve seen it often from the Libertarian Right, and I suspect so have others on Lemmy.

I recommend you check out analytic idealism instead:

https://philarchive.org/rec/KASAIA-3

Yeeees and unfortunately it can get very meta: “I need to think critically” is another “what” to think. Most people would agree that critical thinking is a good thing. Yet, they still fail to actually do it. When pressed, many people can’t even define is means to think critically and even get really pissed when this gets highlighted.

Also to @BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today

Unironically, you are 100% correct.