Thanks! It sounds like “liberal” in this thread is what I’ve always called neoliberal, and “leftist” is what’s known as democratic socialism?

Curious comment, so I looked at Wikipedia’s Liberalism in the United States. Still not sure what you’re suggesting.

Could you elaborate?

Ladies and gentlemen,

Hobos and tramps,

Crosseyed mosquitoes

And bowlegged ants:

I come before you to stand behind you

To tell you something I know nothing about.

The price is free, so pay at the door.

There are plenty of seats, so sit on the floor.

One bright morning in the middle of the night

Two dead boys got into a fight.

Back to back they faced each other,

Took out their swords and shot one another.

A deaf policeman heard the noise

And came and killed the two dead boys.

If you don’t believe me, ask the blind man;

He saw everything.

Memorized while bored in elementary school

Ah that extra loan hurts. Good thing you have your Super Special Boomer Advantage wealth socked away for vacations and retirement!

Same with us - a mortgage was cheaper than renting what was available. If it wasn’t for a “zero down” VA loan and crazy low interest rates, we wouldn’t have been able to buy.

It’s horrible to see millions of younger adults hemorrhaging money on rent because they don’t have 20% to put on an overpriced house, but as you stated, that isn’t due to the year someone was born; it’s because the rich are kicking us down.

Is there anything that’s more obviously a “divide and conquer” tactic than all this unhinged generational bullshit?

It’s insane but effective. A friend who is 25 years younger than me angrily called me a Boomer because my husband and I bought a house in 2020, which means we had advantages that he didn’t get.

It was our first house, in rough shape, and it was through a VA loan. Every repair was DIY. Meanwhile, the guy who called me a Boomer inherited his house and massive acreage. Also, unlike that guy, we’re pro-union, politically active environmentalists who vote for progressive candidates. Just an absolute wtf moment.

HP lured me away from Apple about 15 years ago, with promises of better pay and benefits. I made the mistake of believing their lies, and proceeded to work in one of the most hostile environments I’d ever encountered. Aside from the open and constant sexual harassment, I was horrified to see customer service maliciously transfer callers to dead extensions or to the branch in the Philippines, then laugh about it. “Tech support” was for selling more products, not for resolving issues. Management was a shitshow of nepotism, falling-over-drunkenness, corruption, office affairs, and massive cover-ups.

I lasted 8 months, then I fled back to Apple, but I’ll never forget how HP blatantly loathed the customers.

I stopped using deodorant when I moved from the Gulf Coast to the PNW mountains near BC. I just don’t sweat much in drier climates, but I do bathe or shower every day and I shave my armpits plus I use a deodorant soap. I think if I stopped shaving or didn’t shower every day, I’d probably still need deodorant?

Thank you for your clarity. I don’t know how common it is for people to directly question existence, social contracts, our roles and purposes, but I imagine your thoughts resonate with many of us; the experiences and perceptions you shared are deeply familiar to me.

Since your story helped me understand where you’re at, I will reciprocate with a story for you.

I never quite succeeded at living a life that resulted in genuine acceptance from relatives, religious circles, authority figures , or peers. I tried to fit in for awhile, and to even please others a few times, but it isn’t who I am and it shows. This disconnect allowed me to metaphorically wander into the wilds.

For over 30 years, I explored almost all big religions and some philosophies, and by the time I was in my late 40’s I finally embraced my atheism with a growing sense of liberation, although I don’t mention it around theists. I think it scares them, and who am I to yank away anyone’s security blanket?

I’ve lived a long and unconventional life with my own credo. Sometimes this meant fine tuning who is in my life, and who is excluded, which can be controversial - but for me it’s been a relief. Also, controversy is just one spice in a feast.

I agree with you that institutions or culture leaders or mythological deities can’t dictate what is good. My direction has always come from within because that’s the loudest voice*, and when I need to be reminded of what that means, I focus on the REAL life around me.

I don’t look for a purpose or a life well-lived because humans are no different than fish or rabbits or deer … except for how we lost our way. Seriously, look at the animals; this is what I mean by REAL life. They don’t waste their energy striving for someone else’s declared ideal. They don’t worry about yesterday or tomorrow. They don’t get wound up in possible outcomes or fake rewards. They just … are.

As you stated, we are briefly here on an insignificant rock spinning around in a tiny solar system of a regular galaxy, in one universe among countless universes, and we weren’t deliberately placed here to hoard crap, exert “dominion”, destroy everything, or delude ourselves that we should be famous or rich or impactful. (Okay, I took your thought and ran a bit with it.)

My life is filled with the things I need to do for survival, with interludes of connection that bring me joy. I try to not think too much about the survival part because for humans it’s so contrived, and it blocks natural feelings. My biggest struggle is keeping that shit where it doesn’t ruin the things that matter.

And what matters is YOUR call. Time with the people you love or being immersed in music or reading or looking at stars or laughing at how your dog zooms or touching trees or breathing or … whatever you want. As long as you can be in the moment with your true self, you aren’t wasting this magical blink of life.

*I don’t have an actual voice within, because I have total Aphantasia.

There are some philosophical undertones here, and I’m wondering what you really want to ask. Could you elaborate?