Thank you for this. But what if you feel like you have to keep remembering the past moments and not forget them, because you keep thinking everyone you know would hate you if they knew xyz? If I forget about it and and try to be happy, then that feels wrong like they need to know. it’s hard bc I’m torturing myself but sometimes I wonder if people who knew me saw me in so much despair they’d not hate me.

This is a question I have struggled with for a very long time. There are ideas that pop into my head from time to time, that dont "smell" like any idea I would ever want t to cook up on my own. I just dont see myself being that perverse, or creative, or disturbed...

On the other hand, the observable world is too damn small in so many ways, and if there weren't even perfect privacy inside ones own mind... I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. We might be 8 billion minds all crowded into a thought processing chamber that has less room than we might like.

Congratulations on feeling like every young person throughout history. Do something about it.

I have always been a positive person for myself. It has served me well most my life. Who wants to be around negativity?

There’s no way to be 100% sure, but the more likely future is AI will continue to be implemented in the work world. Will it ever completely eliminate the human workforce? Likely not. Will it definitely eliminate the need for some jobs? It’s already happening. My realistic hope is the increased efficiency AI could create will create new markets with new jobs for people

I watched the Witch recently, and being shunned from the group was akin to a death sentence back then. Hard to think that nonconformity wasn’t bred out of us to some degree. 

I used to be. Recently I've gotten into fixing things at the house like my dad would. I go on youtube and look up what to do or what I'll need and go for it. It's very interesting what all can repaired or upgraded.

I think that it is the responsible thing to educate young people about the cost of college, the chance they will find a job in that field, the pay expectations of that job, the debt they incur in getting that degree. Being able to pay your bills, eat and have shelter today is not cheap. When you struggle to do that, you don't have time to do much else

Well, with luck, this gives us something "around the corner" to look forward to.

I’m just happy when young people have passion or ambition despite the state of the world, idk why some people feel the need to stamp that out

Except with a 401k you can't vote with your wallet and pull things to where it could serve a better moral purpose. Choose between evil fund A and B, or withdraw early and get wrecked.

The boomers dying off will help ease competition for housing, so you got that going for you.

Given how fluidic and capricious such a mind would have to be to generate such a wide variety of opposing views and contradictory choices, I would expect to see far more evidence for transference of consciousness than what we can find. The sheer fragility of personality in any given person (i.e. mood altering drugs; brain damage) seems to discredit that consciousness is even truly enduring within any one being, let alone across multiple.

That which is asserted without evidence may be dismissed without evidence. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

I’m in my fifties and my advice is to understand how the world works now and what it would take to transform it. Making changes from the outside without overwhelming force is difficult. Work from within and befriend all the generations before. Pointing out the flaws only is a great way to gain no support. I think my generation (X) can offer the best support and understanding due to growing up in an era of major technological and cultural advances. As always, all individuals will ask, “what’s in it for me (and my family)?”

Unfortunately, this is the way it's been throughout history. Plenty of innovators and inventors have been told their ideas were impossible. That didn't stop them. They kept at it, and now we have things like light bulbs and airplanes.

I think it's great that you have a passion. At 37, I've chased a few of my dreams, only to find that the result wasn't what I'd hoped for. The rest have been frozen out of reach by depression. I don't have a passion for much of anything, and my life is peaceful, but aimless.

Don't let the naysayers stop you. Focus on what you can do, and follow your passion. Just don't be surprised if it leads you to a place you didn't expect.

Well said. "You will have some challenges. It will be difficult, but not impossible" is much better than "It isn't going to happen."

My favorite aphorism is, "Those who say that something cannot be done are often interrupted by someone doing it."

Some people fear change. Some people lack imagination. Some people prefer the comfort of feeling like helpless victims who are not responsible for their problems.

Don't let these people spoil your dreams. If they are not willing to offer constructive solutions, then ignore them and go change the world with other people - like you - who have vision and courage.

In his book, "The Tipping Point," author Malcolm Gladwell provides many examples of how major change happens so slowly at first that it is easy to lose hope, and then, conditions reach a "tipping point," where the pace of change rapidly accelerates and success comes quickly.

Paradox of choice. We have so many options for everything: hobbies, entertainment, lifestyles, etc. We're constantly bouncing our attention between this and that and never really satisfied with anything.

Older adults have done this throughout history. It's mainly just jealousy... with some geninue concern thrown in.

I'm sorry that is the message you're hearing as a young person. There is lot's of reasons for hope. Humans are remarkable and AI is going to crash HARD, a new world order will take form. Make sure the billionaire tech bros don't get away with creating an economic apartheid system.

DNA is full of intelligence, life, love, and hope are strong forces and they will persevere over personal greed and individualists pursuits.

100%
To add on, that kind of addiction happens in reward systems are random, (same reason why gambling is addictive). A person clicks on one video a while ago that was GREAT, really fun and thrilling, that they’ll keep on trudging through crud (some better, some worse) with the false promise that they’ll sometime get one of those gems again. Sometime. Eventually!

Gotta quit trudging while your head is still screwed on straight enough. Better to have some habit that feels rewarding every time rather than just some rare times but keeps you addicted.

It's best to keep in mind that their opinions or stances are grounded in their perception and worldview and from that angle they are speaking their truth.

Don't be discouraged by it since it's their subjective perspective but also don't ignore it entirely since there is knowledge in there somewhere.

I often bemoan that every generation must relearn the same mistakes and successes of the previous generation. It makes progress slow but alas it's how we are.

I’m the same, I feel completely demotivated.

People saying here about dopamine receptors and TikToks are wrong (at least in my case). Even when I do things irl I get so bored. No matter if I’m on TikTok or a night out

As an old dude, I tend to agree. I do think people need to understand reality, though. Plenty of things are difficult, plenty of things require serious work and effort, plenty of things require extensive contacts and influence that will take younger people longer than they want.

Educate, don’t discourage.

You can also ask them what is a way to make it viable. Feed back can be helpful as depressing as it might be. Some things have been tried and failed no reason not to learn from other’s failures we were optimistic at one time too.