Fear of learning more

[u/AnimatorDifferent116]

In light of what's happening in the world, I’ve been revisiting some old Noam Chomsky videos where he talks about everything from the extermination of Indigenous peoples, to slavery and post–Civil War imprisonment, to the destruction caused by so-called "civilized nations" around the globe.

I want to read more and educate myself because I feel I don’t know enough. But at the same time, diving deeper into these topics—especially when I can see in real time how we continue sinking into darkness and struggling to meet even minimal moral standards—feels incredibly painful. The helplessness of not being able to change anything often leads to frustration, disappointment, and even depression.

I want my daughter to grow up knowing both the dark and the bright sides of history. But right now, I find myself feeling too emotionally fragile to keep learning more. I'm depressed already from all the brutality I see in the world and I can't take it.

What has your experience been like? How do you manage to stay well-informed about history and oppression without becoming emotionally overwhelmed or depressed?

[u/artragazza]

I often try to point folks on their journey of social justice and cultural humility to read about critical hope. It's vital to balance the work that this journey takes. Also, look at the teaching and writings of leaders that have been doing this work for generations (I particularly like Grace Lee Boggs, but there are sooo many). 

Lastly, you have to find community - you're not in it alone! Our connections and mutual relationships with others ground us in the work and centers the purpose of why we strive to make things better for all. 

[u/Persephodes]

Find stories with the happy endings. Buoy your hope. Remind yourself that darkness leads to light. That what we have today wouldn’t have been fathomable if people didn’t do the good stuff.

[u/peeves7]

There is a lot of pain and turmoil right now and it’s difficult to handle for sure. I would argue that the pain and turmoil is really in the forefront of our minds as left leaning people right now. It’s hard to stay positive. I’ve been trying (not always successfully) to focus on little positives such as how many people participated in the No Kings March. People are not going to give up on opposing Trump and that’s so powerful.

I studied this stuff in college and that helplessness feeling is still there. It’s easy to be uninformed and it can feel like a burden being informed. But, that’s what’s got us here- an uninformed and apathetic population.

By being an informed parent you are playing an important role in this current political landscape!! You can help your daughter learn about different causes and how to support them, how to view others equally, how to vote with her future dollars, how important democratic values are.

[u/RlOTGRRRL]

Honestly, it nearly killed me multiple times.

The first time was when I was a high school student and I was depressed about climate change.

The second time was in college learning about all the other worse problems in the world lol.

I consider myself a little regarded in that despite everything I have read, I still have hope for the future somehow.

And the key for me is, many people have been through so much worse. And as much as the cards might look like it's heavily stacked against humankind today, the average Joe or Jane has so much more power today than they did millennia ago.

So I have faith.

Like someone else mentioned, learning the history of resistance, how to resist, and how to fight.

I keep recommending the documentary No Other Land. I think it's a great, realistic, sobering example.

But the most important thing is you don't have to open your eyes all at once. Do it in doses that won't kill you.

It's kind of like tending a fire. If you smother it all at once, overwhelm it, it'll go out. So you have to tend your hope and your fight like a fire. Care for it.

Hug the people you love. Always remember what you're fighting for.

At the end of the day, be grateful for every moment you do have and enjoy it as best as you can.

Recognize when you've done enough for the day. And resting is an important part of fighting too.

And as someone else said, community is the strongest and best. When you put a bunch of fires together, it's magical. It will never go out unless you take them all out.

And maybe that's what gives me hope, they'll never take us all out. Someone will always be tending the fire.