The World is messed up - and it is beautiful

One of my most favorite quotes I ever read is from "Beautiful World, where are you" by Sally Rooney.

“Maybe we're just born to love and worry about the people we know, and to go on loving and worrying even when there are more important things we should be doing. And if that means the human species is going to die out, isn't it in a way a nice reason to die out, the nicest reason you can imagine? Because when we should have been reorganising the distribution of the world's resources and transitioning collectively to a sustainable economic model, we were worrying about sex and friendship instead. Because we loved each other too much and found each other too interesting. And I love that about humanity, and in fact it's the very reason I root for us to survive - because we are so stupid about each other.”

As the world becomes more unpredictable than ever before, and people get more insecure and weary of each other, it is an understatement to say that this era is unlike any other before it. At times, it can be a dread to read the news headlines, and see all the horror stories that arise from corrupt leaders. From the warnings about climate change, or stories of murder and crime, we have seen it all. As an individual, it is easy to feel powerless and just watch the world burn. And perhaps it is true that we are not optimising our world's resources for the better.

But the thing is, we naturally are not programmed to be a robot and find the path of least resistance that maximizes our utility. Even the most cruel of people have soft spots for others - even Hitler had a wife (Eva Braun) whom was the only one who could call him by his name. We are social creatures who rely on each other. Our peers provide for us a pillar of moral, emotional and physical support. We owe a lot of success to those around us.

While we do a lot of things for selfish benefits, we also do stuff because of the bigger fear of consequences faced. As we become more interconnected, we realize that our actions have implications on not just ourselves, but entire organizations and those we value. This can lead to long term ramifications as it denies us of future opportunities which can only maintained with close ties. Think of blue lies we tell others to protect them, even if it means a bigger cost elsewhere, or passing over something valuable because we place people way above tangible desires.

Lots of people chase after physical intimacy, but often do not feel long term benefit afterwards. In contrast, emotional intimacy provides a greater sense of feeling and happiness. It is more worth it to have someone who will let you fall into their arms, telling you that you can rest and everything will be okay, as compared to a short burst of dopamine. This is an upward movement along Maslow's hierarchy of needs where we strive to develop a sense of meaning and purpose that not only concerns us, but what we want to leave onto others.

And even if the world goes up in flames, humanity has always found a way to get back on its feet. Think of the recent COVID-19 crisis, where everyone became home stricken and scientists rushed to develop cures years ahead of its expected production process. Moreover, you may have forgotten about the times when people were complaining about the Ozone being depleted.... well nobody ever hears about it because it was resolved. Likewise, many leaders and individuals are stubborn, chasing goals for the sake of the people they care about(including themselves). But put them on the line, with a common goal, and we will find a way to survive. In a way, this is how i gain acceptance of letting my mistakes be as it is: Its fine if I mess up a paper, catastrophe or whatever misfortune, because the world has always proven to find a way to fix itself.

In all fairness, we are also living in a more privileged era than ever before. We love to complain about what we don't have, but fail to be grateful for what we achieved. We have come very far, especially in the past few centuries. It would be safe to say that we rather be a middle class person living in a studio apartment right now as compared to a prince 3000 years ago, given that we have access to healthy food, safe to drink water and other social constructs like stability and law. How we define our quality is life is based on our perception and what we want it to be. I'm grateful for the setting I have been put in, and to live in an era of innovation, where change is definitely possible. In spite of all the negativity, its better to focus on the good things and be content with the hand you are dealt with.