How do you cope with knowing that there is needless suffering?

[rcpratt]

I realize there's nothing that I can do to make any kind of meaningful difference, so I don't think about it.

 

[gothamhunter]

If we ended all needless suffering, we would be (even more) overpopulated. Sorry to say it, but it's gotta happen.

 

[slayer202]

how many of you morons post "rip" and similar bullshit everytime someone posts another "my dog/grandma" died thread?

 

[alkemyst]

This may be a bad forum to ask as it seems most can barely take care of themselves.

Personally, I take an 'animalistic' view. There is a food chain and anyone within it has suffering and good times. The lower on the chain, the more suffering and less good times.

Sadly though people are their own problem. Everyone wants the free lunch.

I don't give much outside animal charities though, but I have given to things like the Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity volunteering, etc.

 

[alkemyst]

how many of you morons post "rip" and similar bullshit everytime someone posts another "my dog/grandma" died thread?

Dude, politeness is hardly bullshit. The dudes that think they are an island are the ones that are the most gooey inside.

You try to hard to be hard.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I sometimes reflect on it and it really makes me sad that it's happening. I feel like I need to do something but in reality, short of donating money to foundations that help them, there's probably not too much a single person can do.

For some reason though it bothers me more that there are animals out there that are suffering and being misstreated. I saw a SPCA commercial the other day and guess it worked. I donated 100 bucks and it was not even over yet.

 

[slayer202]

Dude, politeness is hardly bullshit. The dudes that think they are an island are the ones that are the most gooey inside.

You try to hard to be hard.

trying to be hard? I'm a realist. People's posts in this thread are how I feel about some random dude's dog or grandma. Boo hoo, old people and animals die. I don't know you, I don't know your grandma, why should I feel anything for you? Why anyone would even post that kind of thread here still is beyond my comprehension, surely not everyone who does it is so lonely in real life.

But I don't see how people can have that same attitude towards people suffering in extreme circumstances, and just brush it off like it's nothing. It's one thing to not do anything, but it's another to not even care.

 

[alkemyst]

A good example of how stupid people can be was the last time I actually donated some cash about 2 weeks ago. I gave $5 at the register to PetCo and was going to give $5 to the "Greyhound Rescue" that set up in the store. As I approached they told me to keep my dogs away (they were right at the front doors so that was impossible to do)...I pulled out a $20 and said I wanted to give a donation.

The fucker barked "I AM NOT GIVING YOU $19 IN CHANGE!", first I was going to give $5...second WTF difference does it make if he gave my back $19, it's one more dollar he'd have before he started.

I told him to screw himself instead.

 

[alkemyst]

trying to be hard? I'm a realist. People's posts in this thread are how I feel about some random dude's dog or grandma. Boo hoo, old people and animals die. I don't know you, I don't know your grandma, why should I feel anything for you? Why anyone would even post that kind of thread here still is beyond my comprehension, surely not everyone who does it is so lonely in real life.

But I don't see how people can have that same attitude towards people suffering in extreme circumstances, and just brush it off like it's nothing. It's one thing to not do anything, but it's another to not even care.

So you are just here to troll?

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

I do what I can through volunteer work, donations, my wife and I sit on a board of a charity that helps locals people. You can't help everyone but you can help a few.

 

[BabaBooey]

I have enough of my own suffering to worry about some kid that should have never been created in the first place as the " parents " knew they could not feed the kid,but yet they fuck like rabbits...

 

[Bignate603]

This may be a bad forum to ask as it seems most can barely take care of themselves.

Personally, I take an 'animalistic' view. There is a food chain and anyone within it has suffering and good times. The lower on the chain, the more suffering and less good times.

Sadly though people are their own problem. Everyone wants the free lunch.

I don't give much outside animal charities though, but I have given to things like the Girl Scouts, Habitat for Humanity volunteering, etc.

Somehow I'm not surprised...

Just because someone is born in an area where they have very little to access to education or other opportunities it doesn't mean that they deserve pain and suffering. There are plenty of people that are doing everything they can to support themselves yet still can provide themselves with the basic necessities.

You've convinced yourself that everything you have is you're so awesome. However, the fact of the matter is that you got lucky to live in a place where you had opportunities. Blaming a person that is stuck in a lousy place for having a lousy life is ridiculous. If you lived there you'd be in just as bad of a situation.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

ive got my own problems to worry about. dont need to worry for others.

 

[TraumaRN]

I do my part as an ER nurse to help some of the suffering.

However I've come to realize and perhaps this is cynical but it's fairly accurate, that there are some people who don't care, don't want help and abuse what help they get. As far as I'm concerned those people ruin it for the ones who really want help.

 

[rasczak]

The suffering you are talking about is never going to change. There will always be disease and famine, and at this point the fact that it's becoming as widespread as it is show that the earth really can't keep up with with the size of the human population.

 

[alkemyst]

Somehow I'm not surprised...

Just because someone is born in an area where they have very little to access to education or other opportunities it doesn't mean that they deserve pain and suffering. There are plenty of people that are doing everything they can to support themselves yet still can provide themselves with the basic necessities.

You've convinced yourself that everything you have is you're so awesome. However, the fact of the matter is that you got lucky to live in a place where you had opportunities. Blaming a person that is stuck in a lousy place for having a lousy life is ridiculous. If you lived there you'd be in just as bad of a situation.

I was lucky in not being born in somalia or some other ravaged land.

My success here in the US was due to me getting off my ass and sacrificing majorly.

I don't know many people that have sacrificed that didn't make it...I do know a lot for the last 20 years that are still bitching how everything is impossible, nothing is fair, etc...yet they never sacrificed. They are always going out, always partying, always spending money they don't have...many are back at home living with parents or back with room mates.

I had a good start, but by my 30's I had some major divorce debt, took on going back to college a second time, some major automotive and other costs. I was broke for a good 5-10 years. I got a simple apartment and had a simple car. I didn't eat out much. I didn't have every channel on cable/satellite. I didn't have a big cell phone plan.

As a matter of fact I still have the same 32" TV I bought in 1997. I just need more time now a days. My last 7 months hasn't left me much free time at all. If I didn't have 10-15mins of down times with my job, I'd probably lose my mind. I even skipped going out on my birthday because I had tests on a timeline I needed to pass. I am coming to the end of all that. In the end about 8 months of my year would have been devoted to studying.

So I do give back, I give quite a bit back actually. This is the reason why I get a bit pissed when tards here are bragging on some exploit or rip off.

 

[grrl]

I don't need to cope because I don't dwell on it. Like others have said, you'd never be able to function.

 

[Schadenfroh]

It is times like these that I would solicit insight from our brother, TheFlyingPig.

 

[pauldun170]

Death, disease, and starvation are a natural, and healthy part of an ecosystem. It isn't worth worrying about because it has to be.

/thread

:thumbsup:

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Fun fact: Most all animals that ever lived either died of starvation or screaming in the jaws of another.

 

[Beev]

I'm a selfish person. I'm sorry the world is the way it is, on multiple levels, but I don't have the power to fix it, so IDGAF.

 

[Baked]

Life is not fair. The extraordinary ones go above and beyond to change their life. The rest just stay where they are and deal with it.

 

[slayer202]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15255357

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Seth: You cannot help yourself and you cannot help your species by identifying with your own weakness, or with the weakness of your species. When you are safe, you are safe, and you are in a position of strength, and you can be in a position of tranquility. Then you have the energy and the exuberance to think and feel clearly, and to help others.

When you are in a position of safety, you do not help by pretending that you are not safe, or by taking upon yourself the agony of others. Your reality, when you are safe, is a reality of security. From that framework you have strength, validity, grace, exuberance – additional energy that you can send out to touch the hearts and realities of other people.

If you become so frightened of realities that are not your own, if you take upon yourselves tragedies that do not exist in your reality, in your moment, then you weaken your position and you weaken the position of those you think you are helping. You look about you and you see only hopelessness and helplessness. You organize your reality according to the tragedies of the newspapers.

The tragedies of the newspapers are symbols. Those symbols represent real tragedies, but those tragedies do not exist in your moment unless you are participating in them. Those who are involved in such tragedies feel a sense of hopelessness and the loss of power in the present – and you do not help them by taking on the guise of hopelessness!

What I am saying this evening is indeed simplified… but you must operate from strength, not from weakness. When you stand on a firm shore, you can extend your arm to the man that is in quicksand. You cannot help him by leaping into the quicksand with him, for surely both of you will go down. And he will not thank you!

Class Member Asked: “Then we’re doing this as a nation?”

Seth: Individually. As you read your paper, as you watch your television; whenever you look around you and say, ‘Other men are fools’; whenever you look around you and say, ‘The race is ruining itself — it is insane,’ you are doing the same thing — you are jumping into the quicksand, and you cannot help.

Organize your reality according to your strength. Organize your reality according to your playfulness; according to your dreams; according to your joy; according to your hopes — and then you can help those who organize their reality according to their fears.

 

[QuantumPion]

Every person is responsible for their own life. Do you feel guilty that you can't exercise for fat people? Why should I have to give my money to someone that refuses to get a job, or risk my life to fight for someone else's freedom whom won't fight for it themselves?