They killed Dr. Who and James Bond. =/
Wait, what, James Bond got postponed so long he's become female for the next one?
I might actually pay to see that
Shaken, not queer..erhrm stirred
This is for R-T-B and Caring1, based on my life experience..
If you're lucky, you'll get 80-90 years out of this life and for the most part, people don't care about you at all - outside what it is you can do for them. If you're lucky, you will stay friends with your family - I haven't; If you're lucky, you will find 2 or 3 friends that you can rely on. You might not speak to them for months on end, but if you need them they're there.
There's potentially going to be a whole number of shit things that happen where you think life has turned to custard, and wonder if you can ever recover, or should you just end it all now. If you don't end it all, then you will have this realization that life is only about what you and the person closest to you make of it, and no one owes you anything - irrespective of how hard you work for it
If you work hard, you'll find some people resent you being above average and just want to bring you down. You'll put up with work-place bullying because you can't figure out how in this day and age it can still be a thing.
You may get to the point where you realize taking med's is completely pointless, and you'll deal with your depression in your own way. Not a whole lot will make you particularly happy, but you can pretend, if only for a while.
Interestingly, when I had the opportunity to sue a corporate who had not only wronged me, but a number of other people, the courts told me to stop trying to solve everyone else's problems. If you can't rely on these people, then who can you?
Knowing this, might put some perspective around some of the things I've said in this thread - that might seem to you a bit negative, and might help you understand your place in the world. Try to do the best for you, and lower your expectations of everyone else.
This I could and can still totally feel... until I got a daughter
Perspectives do change based on life experience. Having kids can be a big thing in that sense, and it also sort of moves your perspective towards the time
after your life. Our ties to the real world and real people define us, make no mistake... and similarly, lack of those ties can make for a pretty empty existence, too. Doesn't have to, but for most, it really does.
A big part of that I think is the contract we have with society. And whether that contract has been violated or not, or how badly or often. Its a matter of trust, really, and this is hard to gain and easy to lose. For that specific reason I'm often whining about principles - as a consumer, as a person, in how we approach problems and in how we digest information. Its about that social contract which is indirectly about you, me and everything in this world. We're moving towards an age where more and more people don't see that contract or only see it when they need it, they just see problems coming their way and no solutions to hold on to. Its down to that simple idea of 'If he/she doesn't trust me, why would I trust them? and 'If he makes a mess, why would it matter if I don't'.
If you've been lucky or if you've had equal opportunity you're much more likely to work with the social contract rather than against it.
And that right there I think explains very well why a whole internet-meme-generation that has learned to communicate over the internet more so than in real social interaction is feeling like they don't belong in the 'old world'. Its all difficult that, having to adapt, not being safe in anonymity. So to fix that lack of security, its very attractive as well to start wearing costumes, to hide your real you. Its something of all ages, but it used to be something you'd do 'to be a different person for a day'. Now its moving to becoming a norm. Is it really healthy to cater society so much to groups that may very well be exhibiting psychological problems and will only accept a contract on
their terms? Doubtful. And realistically... it won't work anyway. That safe bubble isn't a reality. Its a bubble and it shall burst.
If people really want to support diverse and inclusive societies, make sure people have actual, equal, opportunities, which means making society a lot more social, supportive, and less about money and more about tangible things that make us happy, healthy and therefore tolerant. Support creativity by making new things instead of trying to erase the old. Embrace the old, so you can learn from it. Thát is the purpose of history...