[Ayoob]

It has. I've come to the conclusion that worrying about peak oil and related issues has taken a toll on my mental well-being. I've become an outrageously rabid racist and have a lot of hate in my heart for immigrants. I want them all out.

My girlfriend is familiar with the issues and is ready to move to the boonies with me. She likes the idea of living on a self-sufficient homestead, and that's what I want too. She sees me as being a little too much of a doomer, so I hide that side of myself from her. Well, I hide it from everybody. It makes me sneaky, and people grow suspicious. Bottom line is I'm not a happy guy.

My friends are not friendly to my views, so I keep them buried. The people that think like me are beyond weird, and I stay away from them. I don't blame my friends for thinking I have bizarre views of the word.

Being into peak oil is a pessimistic view, and most of my friends hold to an optimistic point of view. It's a conflict.

At this point I don't talk to people about peak oil anymore, or race issues, or anything to do with guns. I don't know what to say anymore.

I've been a redneck since I was seven, but somehow I was transplanted to Chicago at birth. I'll be home soon, and I think my rural and self-sufficient brothers will shake hands with me. My girl will never be completely on board with me but I will have sons.

Does it sound like it would be stressful to be my girlfriend? I think it is. God bless Babycakes for putting up with me all these years, and hopefully she gets what she wants out of this relationship. I think she's happy, but who really knows.

Pessimism sucks, and I wish I wasn't such a doomer. I think the pessimism is much more of a strain on my relationships than the peak oil stuff is.

[Ludi]

What if you don't have sons?

[Loki]

Sorry to be rude (OK, not really), but what's the deal with the use of the term "partner"? Are you detectives working on a case? Is this like "battle buddy" in the Army---you watch my back, I'll watch yours? I can see fags like killJOY using it, but why do heteros insist on using this silly term?

As for me, I'm blissfully single and will probably stay that way. Even the females at my work, all of them "progressives" and environmentalists (kind of), don't seem to have a clue about Peak Oil. Actually, now that I think about it, they just plain don't have a clue---the kind of stuff my female co-workers are interested in just strikes me as inane nonsense. I'm sure there are exceptions out there, but I have yet to meet a woman in meat space who is really clued in to the shit that is going to be hitting the fan. I ascribe it to a lack of intellectual curiosity.

[Ang]

Loki: I'm sorry you don't like the word "partner". How about "companion"?!?
I do agree with you about the lack of curiosity, I wasn't curious about anything until my boyfriend talked to me about PO. However, I'd long been convinced that our system is fatally flawed and was ready to make changes.

Ludi: That's quite a burden, I'm ready to tear my hair out just hearing about it. Obviously we are all in the same spot, one way or another.

[Loki]

Pstarr, my capacity to suffer liberal PC jackasses such as yourself has peaked along with the world's oil production. Now I just call a spade a spade.

[Lumpy]

I am not new to the Peak Oil forums - just new to posting here. My husband has been an active poster for a number of years, and frequently shares with me what he reads, as well as valuable links to good info.

My answer to the question posed here is "yes".

The reason is that I am less prone to worry about peak oil, and more prone to do accept what is coming, and do what can be done on a personal level.

This is not to say that I never worry. For example, as a medical practitioner, I am concerned that if the "sudden crash and burn" way of thinking is correct (which I don't think it will be), a lot of people in need of meds could be in a lot of trouble - ugly, painful trouble.

I also worry about our kids, all of whom understand the concept of peak oil, and none of whom are actively involved in doing anything to situate themselves to be prepared.

Fortunately for them and us, my husband and I were able to buy a small farm a few years ago. It was very, very neglected land, but has plenty of artesian water, and excellent soil. There is much to be done before it will be self-sustaining. But then there will be room and sufficient food production for the kids, the spouses of the two who are married (so far), and the grandkids -- plus any more spouses and/or grandkids that arrive.

We are planning toward 2010 for self-sustenance in great part, and 2012 for off the grid, or mostly off the grid ... we hope.

What I find to be causing strain is that I am one who wants to know, then wants to plan, then wants to take action. I do not focus my energies on the big picture. I focus my energies on what actually can be done, right here, by us, in this household. (That includes sharing peak oil info with other people education-wise, but then letting it go if they choose not to acknowledge, respond, do anything with the info.)

My husband wants to do the same, but often becomes overwhelmed by the big picture -- the HUGE picture -- of the impact of peak oil. (He is also much more troubled than I am about people not listening when we try to share the reality about peak oil with them.) This being overwhelmed puts a real strain on things between us, because instead of consistently spurring him on toward greater action to accomplish our plans, it seems to paralyze him at times. Just the opposite of my response.

I think that his continuing to study and read more and more and more about what he and I both already know to be true (peak oil) just makes him affirmed in that knowledge, but not significantly more knowledgeable. And it certainly does not help in any practical way towards the doing of what needs to be done ... which in our case is now more important than the knowing of WHY it needs to be done.

Once you know it, you know it. Get on with it.

There is LOTS of valuable info on the peak oil forums, which I really appreciate hearing about. We have learned lots from links other people here have provided, for example.

But ongoing, often over-the-top expenditure of time-and-personal-energy (of all kinds ... mental, physical, spirtual, emotional) into talking, posting, reading and ruminating about all the terrible things that might well happen -- well, to me that is counterproductive to preparing. I see that happen with him, and I'll bet it happens with lots of other folks, too.

THAT puts a strain on things around here.

[RedStateGreen]

Has PO strained my marriage? I try not to let it.

My husband, as most of you know, doesn't think things will ever be very different than they are now. He just dropped ten grand on a HDTV and a home theater system.

Fortunately we have the money (we got out of the SoCal housing bubble at the top and moved east, making a nice bit of cash in the deal while buying a bigger house on more land), so we don't have financial arguments. He doesn't care about my preparation purchases either.

I read articles to him about various things going on. I think it's starting to sink in that things might head south soon.

Along in all this I realized that I like being outdoors and working with my hands, and I like learning new stuff. So life is good.

[Auntie_Cipation]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', 'S')orry to be rude (OK, not really), but what's the deal with the use of the term "partner"? Are you detectives working on a case? Is this like "battle buddy" in the Army---you watch my back, I'll watch yours? I can see fags like killJOY using it, but why do heteros insist on using this silly term?

[Ayoob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lumpy', '
')
But ongoing, often over-the-top expenditure of time-and-personal-energy (of all kinds ... mental, physical, spirtual, emotional) into talking, posting, reading and ruminating about all the terrible things that might well happen -- well, to me that is counterproductive to preparing. I see that happen with him, and I'll bet it happens with lots of other folks, too.

THAT puts a strain on things around here.

[threadbear]

Partner is okay.

It would be great if the title could reflect the state of the relationship, too. I think many people consider their partners a cost rather than a benefit, so how about "significant bother" instead of significant other?

[roccman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'P')artner is okay.

It would be great if the title could reflect the state of the relationship, too. I think many people consider their partners a cost rather than a benefit, so how about "significant bother" instead of significant other?

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', 'P')starr, my capacity to suffer liberal PC jackasses such as yourself has peaked along with the world's oil production. Now I just call a spade a spade.

[Narz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', 'H')ow about we just replace the word partner with the phrase "fuck buddy", eh? Is that better?

I broke up with my last fuck buddy 5 months ago and it had nothing to do with po, in fact, I never discuss po with my friends or fuck buddies. I broke up with her because she was getting fat, I told her to lose weight or hit the highway. She chose the latter and she just keeps gettin' fatter.

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', 'H')ow about we just replace the word partner with the phrase "fuck buddy", eh? Is that better?

I broke up with my last fuck buddy 5 months ago and it had nothing to do with po, in fact, I never discuss po with my friends or fuck buddies. I broke up with her because she was getting fat, I told her to lose weight or hit the highway. She chose the latter and she just keeps gettin' fatter.

[JJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('hubbertspeak7777777', 'H')ow about we just replace the word partner with the phrase "fuck buddy", eh? Is that better?

I broke up with my last fuck buddy 5 months ago and it had nothing to do with po, in fact, I never discuss po with my friends or fuck buddies. I broke up with her because she was getting fat, I told her to lose weight or hit the highway. She chose the latter and she just keeps gettin' fatter.

[Ang]

I share the mindset with everybody here that just wants to dig in and be prepared. I think there is a ton of useful information on this forum and at the same time, I see from the posts here that there are quite a few people overwhelmed with "the big picture".

Lumpy: I agree with you, I just want to get stuff done and make life as good as it can be. If I sit and think about the million reasons why my family and I might not make it post-peak, there would be no reason to carry on. BTW, thanks for your post!!!

Partner, BF, GF, Roll Dog, Fuck Buddy (WTH?) ????

How about Wingman? That's the person that's got your back, right?

[threadbear]

Hubbertspeak777, Wow....Seen Shallow Hal, the movie?

[hubbertspeak7777777]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'H')ubbertspeak777, Wow....Seen Shallow Hal, the movie?