[FourOfSwords]

AP, it's a little disconcerting isn't it. Even my younger brother who is fairly informed about things gave me this answer when we sat down and talked at length about PO " well, we all have to die at some point". Of course I mentioned that if I had only myself to worry about I too might adopt the same stance...then I mentioned my 6 year old daughter, who will grow up right in the middle of all this, and well, he had no answer.
After talking to many people about PO, I've come to a conclusion, that if us PO'ers view everyone else as, lets's say, crack or heroin addicts then their responses to PO start to make sense.
Some are in denial.
Some too blissed out to care.
Some know what it's doing to their body,
but their mind's are too far gone to react.
And some just say 'well, we all have to die at some point'.

A.

[MacG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FourOfSwords', 'I')'ve come to a conclusion, that if us PO'ers view everyone else as, lets's say, crack or heroin addicts then their responses to PO start to make sense.
Some are in denial.
Some too blissed out to care.
Some know what it's doing to their body,
but their mind's are too far gone to react.
And some just say 'well, we all have to die at some point'.

A.

[Laughs_Last]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FourOfSwords', 'A')nd some just say 'well, we all have to die at some point'.

[threadbear]

The saddest thing to cope with if you are hopeful, somewhat intuitive and somewhat rational, is that most people are none of the above.

They can't differentiate between blind optimism and a rational positive attitude, one that examines the data, impartially.

The "we all have to die someday" attitude has it's roots in blind optimism and illustrates the segue into defeatism that is equally blind, particularly if one has children.

Most optimists, pushed, display the defeatism that lies at the very core of our culture, the idea that one must destroy or be destroyed, somehow. Materialism has provided some kind of buffer, but it's basically a death denying, therefore, death preoccupied culture.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')he "we all have to die someday" attitude has it's roots in blind optimism and illustrates the segue into defeatism that is equally blind, particularly if one has children

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MacG', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FourOfSwords', 'I')'ve come to a conclusion, that if us PO'ers view everyone else as, lets's say, crack or heroin addicts then their responses to PO start to make sense.
Some are in denial.
Some too blissed out to care.
Some know what it's doing to their body,
but their mind's are too far gone to react.
And some just say 'well, we all have to die at some point'.

A.

[CrudeAwakening]

People are so wedded to the myth of 'progress', that life next decade will be better than this decade, ad infinitum, despite recent evidence to the contrary, that the concept of social regression is hard to accept. Underlying this is an ignorance of the energetic foundation of such 'progress', and a timespan in most people's living memories during which there has been very little social dislocation. The Great Depression seems like such a long time ago...

And then there's the comforting assumption that "they" (government/markets/whatever) have things under control... no need to worry, other people will do the problem solving for us.

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')he "we all have to die someday" attitude has it's roots in blind optimism and illustrates the segue into defeatism that is equally blind, particularly if one has children

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', '
')If you are coming from an informed perspective, and you don't agree that we're all heading for the compost heap of history, you're not a denialist, you're hopeful. Hope is a prerequisite to survival, more so than access to cheap energy.

[TheDude]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('CrudeAwakening', 'P')eople are so wedded to the myth of 'progress', that life next decade will be better than this decade, ad infinitum, despite recent evidence to the contrary, that the concept of social regression is hard to accept.

[threadbear]

It's sad that we have to jump through so many hoops in communicating the dire situation of the world, to people. I think I have an understanding of how people think and that's what I've tried to convey to Airline Pilot. It doesn't diminish a feeling of great contempt I have for the emotional capabilities of many people. Many will actively choose delusion over reality, even if it eventually dooms their children and themselves. Most people, sad to say, are complete losers.

[NEOPO]

[JustWatch]

Since most of us alive today have no living memory of hard times or displacement, many don’t see it. They are too partial to their own past, and feel that it must continue. Using the past to predict the future. It’s an illusion of course, but it’s us in a nutshell. Then on top of that is our focus on the possession of objects rather than the possession of knowledge. The American dream and all that materialistic hype is just a way of focusing on gathering more stuff to reach “happiness.”
So when you try to inform someone about peak oil, you are in effect trying to tell him or her that their dreams of material achievement are hopeless. It’s no wonder to me that they won’t listen. I think maybe they need to change focus to what’s really important to us first, then they can see it for what it is. I think many of us here have already taken that step, so it was easier for us.
I think about how I used to look at the world. I was always too busy doing things and trying to solve other relatively insignificant problems to even pay a bit of attention to what was going on in the world. At least beyond what I saw on MSM news! If only the idiots there would tell the corporate powers that be to shove it, and tell the truth about it all, we wouldn’t have to be trying to pass the word ourselves. I do think it’s slowly sinking in to more people every day, and when gas starts to head north again it will wake up more of them. Hopefully, it will happen gradually, and not turn into mayhem in our streets.

[Eli]

Well it has been said before but it is worth repeating. The idea that this current way of life is coming to an end is just to remote and too disturbing for people to grasp.

And I can understand the desire not to believe it. I know PO is coming or is already here but I have changed very little about my daily life. I know full well that I am totally dependent on the current system and really can't change things now.

Really, short of moving to a small farm there is not a lot I think would be helpful when the full effects of PO hit.

The way I figure it I need to enjoy my life now and appreciate and be thankful everyday for the luxury that I live in currently. Things like fresh fruit from all over the globe at the local supermarket, cheap and affordable central heat and air conditioning.

When this current system comes down I think even the people who made plans and did everything they could think of to prepare for PO will be laid to waste.

In short there is really no way to prepare for the end of the world as we know it.

[lateStarter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Eli', 'W')ell it has been said before but it is worth repeating. The idea that this current way of life is coming to an end is just to remote and too disturbing for people to grasp.

And I can understand the desire not to believe it. I know PO is coming or is already here but I have changed very little about my daily life. I know full well that I am totally dependent on the current system and really can't change things now.

Really, short of moving to a small farm there is not a lot I think would be helpful when the full effects of PO hit.

The way I figure it I need to enjoy my life now and appreciate and be thankful everyday for the luxury that I live in currently. Things like fresh fruit from all over the globe at the local supermarket, cheap and affordable central heat and air conditioning.

When this current system comes down I think even the people who made plans and did everything they could think of to prepare for PO will be laid to waste.

In short there is really no way to prepare for the end of the world as we know it.

[JustWatch]

Hi Eli,
I see that your location states: “In a van down by the river.” That’s funny, because a few years ago I was getting ready to sell my house, as was telling people that once I did that, I was going to live in my van down by the river! I was really only joking, but the thought did come to mind. Life would be much simpler in many ways if I could pull it off.

You are right when you see that many of us are limited in what we can do to prepare. We can do whatever is practical or reasonable for each of us after considering our circumstances, and after that, we just have to wait and see. I do think it’s in our interest to try to inform others as much as possible, even though it can seem to be an impossible task. I see a few who seem to take the attitude that the uninformed are just “sheeple” and that they are not worth bothering with. I feel that is way too selfish of an attitude for me to consider. Even for the older among us like myself who won’t be around for much longer, it’s in our interest to help them out even if we may not be around when things go down hill. It feels like crying wolf, but the wolf is real!

[Eli]

I agree it is important to help others when things get bad. I think it is less important to tell them that the end is nigh, it is better to just be there for them when the end does come.

And it probably is a comfort for many to do all they can to prepare as best they can. If a person thinks that being prepared will help then they should by all means do so.

The main problem as I see it, when talking to people about PO is that I do not think the world is ever going to realize what is really happening. I doubt we will ever read in the paper "We have passed PO!".

We are not going to see the change that will come as PO. Things will get bad because more wars will break out. More famines will occur. The lights will only come on for a few hours a day because the power lines are old and because of the war in the gulf the oil can't get out. Also the consumption of oil may decline substantially because of the global depression. Oil will still be here and freely available just more people will not be able to afford it.

[lateStarter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Eli', 'I') agree it is important to help others when things get bad. I think it is less important to tell them that the end is nigh, it is better to just be there for them when the end does come.

And it probably is a comfort for many to do all they can to prepare as best they can. If a person thinks that being prepared will help then they should by all means do so.

The main problem as I see it, when talking to people about PO is that I do not think the world is ever going to realize what is really happening. I doubt we will ever read in the paper "We have passed PO!".

We are not going to see the change that will come as PO. Things will get bad because more wars will break out. More famines will occur. The lights will only come on for a few hours a day because the power lines are old and because of the war in the gulf the oil can't get out. Also the consumption of oil may decline substantially because of the global depression. Oil will still be here and freely available just more people will not be able to afford it.

[MacG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Eli', 'I') agree it is important to help others when things get bad. I think it is less important to tell them that the end is nigh, it is better to just be there for them when the end does come.

And it probably is a comfort for many to do all they can to prepare as best they can. If a person thinks that being prepared will help then they should by all means do so.

The main problem as I see it, when talking to people about PO is that I do not think the world is ever going to realize what is really happening. I doubt we will ever read in the paper "We have passed PO!".

We are not going to see the change that will come as PO. Things will get bad because more wars will break out. More famines will occur. The lights will only come on for a few hours a day because the power lines are old and because of the war in the gulf the oil can't get out. Also the consumption of oil may decline substantially because of the global depression. Oil will still be here and freely available just more people will not be able to afford it.

[dinopello]

This was posted over at the Oil Drum

Review of "What a way to go"

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')othing less than a 123-minute cat scan of the planet and its twenty-first century human and non-human condition, this documentary is indeed, “in your face” but with reverence, poignancy and solemnity yet sending world-class denial artists running to re-watch “Little Miss Sunshine” another one hundred times. While viewing it, I could see in my mind Carl Jung puffing on his pipe and pensively whispering under his breath, “Human beings can only handle so much truth.”