[Barbara]

We endlessy speak to other people about PO. We pester friends, colleagues, relatives, significant others and so on.
But I've noticed that 90% of us found PO all by ourselves. On the "how did I found about PO" thread people keep saying the same story: I was surfing the net, I read of PO on a forum/site/article, I googled like a mad and now I'm convinced.
Almost nobody said "my friend/colleague/spouse convinced me".
Why?
Is it something you have to find and elaborate all by yourself?
Is it a process you have to make with your own mind only?
Is it a lonesome journey, like a Castaneda's "path to the truth"?

On the other side, our effort to convince people is totally useless? It's not possible to get convinced if not all by ourselves?

There's something mysterious and magic about this particular aspect...

[Grifter]

My wife thought I'd gone mad, she was completely convinced of either

a) they will think of something
b) its a conspiracy theory

Then she watched end of suburbia and was convinced. Her reasoning was that so many experts talking about it made it sink in. Then went on a permaculture course and is quite optomistic about things.

I don't try to convince people any more, I do explain that I enjoy the simpler things in life and leave it at that.

It is different if the subject of energy is brought up in my presence but it is never brought up by me.

It can be quite lonely and I think people have to arrive at their own conclusions. The fact that our conclusions (In terms of the fate of civilization) could be wrong makes it very difficult to convince people.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Barbara', '
')Almost nobody said "my friend/colleague/spouse convinced me". Why?

[LadyRuby]

Yes, it's a lonely journey. In a couple of ways. In the discovery aspect of it (as you point out, it seems hard to convince others of this problem). And also once you have this information, the world can feel a little lonelier.

I think even the most optimistic of us see harder times ahead, at least for a while. And except for a couple of close friends, acquaintances aren't really very interested in talking about "unpleasant" things. They'd much rather talk about baseball, football, what I'm planning for vacation, their latest diet and exercise program, shopping, etc.

So yeah, sometimes I wish I never knew about the whole PO thing so I could be blissfully ignorant again.

[Barbara]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')I have convinced quite a few people. I don't think any of them would say that I convinced them, but they would say I introduced them to the subject.

[jeezlouise]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', 'S')o yeah, sometimes I wish I never knew about the whole PO thing so I could be blissfully ignorant again.

[wildilocks]

I agree completely. I found it alone, here on the Net, and most people I've spoken to do not understand, or if they do, they don't or can't talk about it - or at least, they haven't to me.

It's so huge and threatens absolutely everything, and so it's incredibly antisocial to discuss it. But I keep plugging away anyway... I know it's not been completely pointless though. The first friend I talked to about it, four months after me sitting her down and telling her, she came to see me and said that she *finally* got it. It took that long - but she got it. I do believe it is something you need to be alone to fully realise. But I have hope that... you know the hundredth monkey thing ... there'll be a point sometime soon that there will be a critical mass of us, and people will just suddenly get it across the board.

And then, hilarity ensues....

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('wildilocks', 't')here'll be a point sometime soon that there will be a critical mass of us, and people will just suddenly get it across the board.

[JoeW]

Understanding of the peak oil theory requires intelligence and the willingness to submit yourself to the facts. It requires the ability to stop blaming everyone else for the situation.

These are qualities that few people possess.
It doesn't make us better than those who don't "get it". It makes us more fortunate. Or does it?

[kochevnik]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Barbara', '
')Why?
Is it something you have to find and elaborate all by yourself?
Is it a process you have to make with your own mind only?
Is it a lonesome journey, like a Castaneda's "path to the truth"?

There's something mysterious and magic about this particular aspect...

[Balthasar]

PO is a lonesome journey for me, but there are many things specific to me that make me a loner no matter where I am at in life.

PO isn't the only thing that would make me look like a crackpot.

The fact that I have no friends, the fact that I have severe emotional problems and have a lot of social anxiety, and live in my dad's basement. My values are not compatible with most people: I am very anti-materialism, I am an anti-work-ethic person. I hate money. I am non-religious. Most people I am unable to relate to because they think on such elementary levels - they're only concerned with fuck buddies, or money, or their next set of video games, or whatever. Nobody my age is concerned with the world beyond the next day of their immediate lives, and most people appear incredibly shallow and plastic to me. It is all so sickening.

Take this IN COMBINATIOn with PO awareness, and it is VERY difficult.

[Ibon]

The people who see it have already stepped out of the box that large controlling institutions like government, corporations or religions try to keep you in. Most people have been socialized into compliance by one or more of these super organizations. One can identify any number of experiences that can pop you out of the box:

1) Meditation, yoga, esoterics
2) Nature and wilderness experiences
3) psychoactive drugs
4) World travel
5) peace corp social work
6) political activism
7) Visionary mentors (through friendships, authors, family)
Analytical science skills

If you've done or had any of the above while growing up your ability to embrace the truth of PO will be enhanced. These are just a few of my favorites.

[newhunter-gatherer]

I have found the best way to educate close friends and family on this topic is to drip-feed them the information, peice by peice, little by little. It has taken me the best part of 6 months to educate my friend who was completely ignorant of this issue.

He now "gets" EROEI

I think it's time to educate the family next

[Daculling]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', '
')3) psychoactive drugs

[Daculling]

My problem is that I talked with my Dad about PO over a couple a days and he got it right away... Then I shut down, I didn't want to talk with him about it anymore. Then the same thing with my best friend. Why do I prefer to speak with anonymous strangers only.

[birchm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Daculling', 'M')y problem is that I talked with my Dad about PO over a couple a days and he got it right away... Then I shut down, I didn't want to talk with him about it anymore. Then the same thing with my best friend. Why do I prefer to speak with anonymous strangers only.

[SeasonOfPain]

Mixed results for me.

My parents were in the "technology will save us" camp for over a year (both teachers, father plays the stock market minimally). They finally watched "End of Suburbia" last month (only five months after I told them about it), and now they're finally convinced (at least to the point of speculating whether they should buy a farmette).

I believe my wife (degree in environmental studies) is convinced but doesn't like to discuss it (and I don't begrudge her for it).

One friend (librarian) agrees with me on what's coming but is more optimistic in how we'll handle it.

Another, very long-term friend (history major, ex-national guard, fire-fighter) had the strongest response, in terms of "getting it" right away, and more-or-less agreeing with my doomeristic viewpoint. Unfortunately, he lives in another state and is always out fighting forest fires, so I hardly get a chance to discuss it with him.

I can definitely see a pattern in the personalities above, in that the more one subscribes to, is invested in, or is dependent upon the current system, the longer it will take to accept the ramifications of PO (if ever).

As for myself, I found out about it from a doomerish regular poster on a political message board, linked directly to LATOC, and the rest was merely confirmation research. But I've always hated consumer culture with a passion, so Id say I was probably more than a bit predisposed to be a doomer.

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', '.')..One can identify any number of experiences that can pop you out of the box:

1) Meditation, yoga, esoterics
2) Nature and wilderness experiences
3) psychoactive drugs
4) World travel
5) peace corp social work
6) political activism
7) Visionary mentors (through friendships, authors, family)
Analytical science skills

If you've done or had any of the above while growing up your ability to embrace the truth of PO will be enhanced.

[Terran]

Peak oil was a lonely journey for me as well. I've found it two years ago over the net. Back then not really many people understood what it ment, and thought I was a crackpot.

Even today, I have a group of friends who understand the implications, the people I meet over at the peak oil meetings. But many of them are those are people who are of older age, and have difficulty relating. Even to this day it's still loney, as it's difficult to find people closer to my age. I'm talking about college students.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Terran', 'E')ven to this day it's still loney, as it's difficult to find people closer to my age. I'm talking about college students.