NationStates Jolt Archive

Is there any hope?

You know, I get so disgusted by all those people who still believe in something. Our fearless leaders put on their happy go lucky garb, and pledge to fix the system, the State, and the world. Lies. Mark my words, this war on terrorism will decay into nothing more than 1984. Before long we'll be betraying our own families, doing the 'Two Minutes Hate', and using cruise missiles on ourselves to keep the population afraid and hating the enemy.

Well, isn't that special. If a free, vibrant Palestenian state gets created what will happen? Well, since war is more legitimate than bombing refugee camps, we can have more wars, more violence, and more burning hatred. Something will go wrong between the Palestenian state and the IDF and before long Palestine will look like Beirut. I can't remember the exact quote, but my paraphrase will work: "Peace is the dream of fools; War is the history of man."

If you do have hope, and you do ignore the aforementioned paraphrase, then I pity you. God help me, I really do. Hope is just another way of saying "I'm looking to get myself crushed by reality."

To that end, I have created my Rules for Survival in a Hopeless World:

1) Don't fight the system: It will always win, and you'll get crushed.

2) When entering any new situation, retain the famous adage 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter in'.

3) Expect your mate, spouse, or life partner to betray you in the end. Manipulate the end game so you come out in a position of domination.

4) Learn to use and maintain firearms - rifles if possible.

5) Maintain good levels of alcohol in your system, and an abundance of available alcohol in a fridge, cellar, or other cool-storage system.

6) Return to rule #4.

7) Learn survivalist skills.

With all these rules, you should do very well.

Hmmm, I pity you in return for you have lost your hope and that is a shame. I don't know what's happened to you to bring you to this, but you can only lose hope when you choose to abandon it. For some reason, you have chosen to set it down and accept complacently that you have no power. This is the only real defeat, when you let yourself be defeated. Stand up for what you believe in and insist that the rest of the world catch up. To simply stop striving for something better is, at least in my opinion, the only real sin and the only real action deserving of contempt.

To judge the whole of humanity on the excess of it's vices is to completely ignore the astounding capability of it's virtue. We've done some terrible things to each other and, despite the work and efforts of many, we seem to be hell-bent on continuing to do it. But we've also created some impressive and inspiring works of beauty. Why completely lose faith?

The fact that you stopped and came up with this posting and these rules belie your complete lack of hope. So, how about some rules for nurturing hope in a seemingly hopeless world.

1. Never stop questioning the system. Perhaps the system will win. It definitely will if you don't even try. To go along with something you know to be wrong simply because it's easier is the refuge of a coward and a contemptable man who has renounced his birthright of intellect.

2. When entering any new situation, keep an open mind and learn what you can. Try to avoid expectation or prejudgement.

3. Treat your mate, spouse or life partner the way you would want to be treated. If it doesn't work out, remember you're not the first and won't be the last.

4. Guns are wrong. Period. If the only way you can relate to the world is through the barrel of a gun, you seriously need to reevaluate your approach to life.

5. Have fun. Drink socially, but responsibly. If you need a drink or 12 to get through the day, seek help.

6. Return to rule number #4 (hey, lookie! we agree! :D )

7. Learn survival and coping skills. Bad things happen but so do good. Try not to focus so much on the bad.

With these rules you may or may not do very well, but you'll probably enjoy yourself and others more in the process.

As long as there are cheese fries, there is still hope. :)

You know, I get so disgusted by all those people who still believe in something.

So this means you would feel less disgusted and very much better if everyone else would share your viewpoint. Is this where the phrase "misery loves company" comes from? Exactly *why* would you feel better if everybody else agreed with you?

(One thing there is no hope at all for...is this bloody server :x )

Most problems that politicians try to solve aren’t ones that can be solved. They are problems that have persisted and will always continue to persist. All that the government can really do is attempt to reduce problems. Peace is not a dream, it does exist, it just never persists. People can find their own inner peace, or come to appreciate times without conflict.

4. Guns are wrong. Period. If the only way you can relate to the world is through the barrel of a gun, you seriously need to reevaluate your approach to life.
Guns are not wrong, the people who use them can be, but not the gun itself. That and pity is one of the greatest insults anyone could ever give someone else. If you're going to pity someone, don't ever let them know.
__________________________________________________
Out of all the demons in this world, none is more frightening than man

Every time I go to sleep I hope I'll wake up again. So far so good.

Aidan

I think who ever origionally posted this just really needs a hug.

I'm more of a realist/pessimist, and my girlfriend is such an optimist, that it drives us crazy sometimes when we get in a spat. I try to look at it from a reality perspective, and she just doesn't, and it's just so hard to even get anything accomplished.

Eh, what did I say? Abandon all hope! Now with ol' Rantisi dead, things are going to get a little hotter in the Palestenian/Israeli squabble.

But I do have a new dream now. I'd like to build a cheap, easy to produce mine sweeper so third world nations can clean up that crappin' mess. Then, it would be nice if the UN decided to honor me for being such a nice guy and I gave them the finger. That would make me so happy.

Adios.

I think the world still can improve . . . . however while I still believe this I slowly feel myself being devoured by the darkness of reality :(

Don't question the system? A saying I like comes into play there:
"Mother, should I trust the government?" ~Pink Floyd, The Wall~

Basically means question authority, I mean, where would anyone be if we never questioned the system? America would still be in the hands of imperialist Brits, the Europeans would be speakin German, or Russian, depends who think would of won the war if no one stepped in. And you should learn how to survive anyway, better safe than sorry. Really, hope effects reality. If no one had hope, this world would be one screwed up place, at least more screwed up than it is. Hope helps keep people going, its what makes humans persistant, if not for hope, many things we have today would not exist. Nations would be overflowing with the sick, grief, and homeless because no one hoped for a better life, no one hoped there medical tests would work, ending them real quick, every time someone failed at something, they would be overcome with grief because they had no hope to keep them trying til they succeed.

Is there any hope?

Yes. Without hope you are a shell with no other purpose than to live out your days waiting for your next breath and merely desiring an end to your own despair.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora

Of course, my favorite translation of that story involves Hope being the most dangerous gift of all, the one which wrenches the heart from all men and is the cause of all human suffering.

Hehe, Hope can be good or bad, but without, humans would pretty much die of sorrow and suffering, with it, some are happy, and some have to go through hell because that hope led them false.

Yes, hope can do wonderful things. Sure, it can keep you in the battle when you should pull back. But what else does hope get you? If a person doesn't have hope, can they really be defeated? They might lose in a given situation, but they're not really defeated. To be without hope is to be in a position of power. Pain is always much more grievous when it is associated with hope. The greatest defeats come on the heels of hope.

But to abandon all hope is much more than just a self resignation. It is an acknowledgment of the facts; that you can't win, that you can't prevail, that there really is no point in trying. Look at those souls in the City of Dis.

The army that loses is usually the one that doesn't know its weak spot, or can't protect it. To deny hope is to realize the weak spot, and to maintain it with heavy fire support. You'd be surprised the power self resignation has on people. In essence, to abandon hope is to attack your enemy. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that when I abandoned hope for this, that, or the other, those people I cared about were much weaker and thus I was able to better manipulate the situation to my gain. They were weakened by my apparent suffering. It also has the impact that they realized that if I could lose hope, so could they. Instead of guarding their hope, they allowed me to tear it to pieces.

No, a losing army is the one with less skill, less numbers, less resolve, not those with hope. Many wars are won by those with the most resolve, which is granted by hope. Hope will keep you going on to victory, not to defeat. Those who go for a task that is impossible and hope to win are foolish, and the pain of defeat is not caused by hope, but by the fool act. Without hope, what good is trying? You would feel nothing from a victory, you would feel nothing from the loss, you would be an empty shell as Anathestia said. What would the point of living be if there was no hope for change, victory, life? Many who live from a terrible wound had such huge hopes that they could not let themselves die, could not let the life slip away because they had such hopes for life.

not a very happy person are you? :?

Its a fact, you need hope. I never said I was unhappy, though I have every right to be, but hey, I have hope for the future!


Or do you mean the guy that started this topic is unhappy?