Lately, I’ve Been Feeling Different

Back in high school, my laidback reading would be the various threads on ATS. You could even call it my hobby since I dedicated so much time to not only reading, but both participating in the various discussions and even creating many threads of my own. I loved this site and, don’t get me wrong, I still do.

Lately, however, I’ve been feeling different. I don’t spend as much time reading as I used to on this great site and I certainly don’t participate as much as I used to. Nowadays, I simply check out the top three flagged threads of the day on the top of the “My ATS” page and that’s it. I don’t even read much of the replies in those threads. I try to find other threads of interest using the “Recent Posts” tab, but nothing usually grabs my attention. My newfound lack of interest could be due to college work or work in general, but maybe it’s something else.

It’s possible that I don’t want to be constantly reminded of the way in which the world is burning all around me (at least this is the impression I get with many of the threads here). Talks of every type of flu and pandemic ever imagined; new terror threats; evil politicians; and horribly changing weather can really affect a guy! Maybe I’ve realized that our world is going downhill, and I’ve accepted it. Maybe I think, “Nothing will positively change by reading these doomsday threads, so why read ‘em!?” If you are feeling like me, take a break. Hang out at BTS for awhile or get off this site entirely. I am not suggesting boycotting ATS because it could make you depressed, I’m just trying to look out for you. (I’m not the first person to propose taking a break from ATS, by the way.)

Like I said, I love this site, but there is too much negativity as of late, right? Am I the only one that’s noticing this? I’m trying to change my ways by getting more involved with this site, so I’ll see how that goes. Also, like I’ve said, this change could merely be do to me personally, but constantly reading negative topics must have some affect too I suppose. I will try to take my own advice by at least switching over to BTS (rather than leaving this site entirely for a bit), but, to be honest, I was always more of an ATSer rather than a BTSer (even though it’s all a part of the same universe).

If you are feeling like me, have felt like me, or have any advice, please feel free to share!

[edit on 3-12-2009 by they see ALL]

reply to post by they see ALL


Maybe some of us could make a more conscious effort to focus on positive or constructive subjects.....be more polite and helpful.....look on the bright side of things....

I agree. Not everything can be doom and gloom.

I'll work on that.

Hang in there.

I think you are right.

I see a lot of repetition. And a lot of personal attacks. I read a guy's post the other day which stated that he had a right to insult people. If we all feel like that, then everyone will close their eyes and ears to the ideas presented.

It's a strange thing to say - but I actually blame Robbie Williams. (Brit pop singer who was tagged by a brit newspaper for being a member on the ATS site - the dailymail is the newspaper in question).

Since he was outed as an ATS member, I have seen the quality go down, and more and more posts and stories are finding their way between the dailymail site and ATS (two way traffic).

It's all robbie williams' fault.

Originally posted by loam
Maybe some of us could make a more conscious effort to focus on positive or constructive subjects.....be more polite and helpful.....look on the bright side of things....

That sounds nice, but I don't want to cause others to change their natural ways. If people like posting doomsday-related ideas (which, I must admit, are interesting in moderation), then that's okay. See what I am getting at?

I'll work on that.

Thanks! I love your posts, man!

Hang in there.

Again, thanks!

Originally posted by chillpill
I think you are right.

Cool.

I read a guy's post the other day which stated that he had a right to insult people. If we all feel like that, then everyone will close their eyes and ears to the ideas presented.

That's crazy! You have a good point here.

It's all robbie williams' fault.

I'm not sure I've heard of this before.

[edit on 3-12-2009 by chillpill]

Originally posted by they see ALL

Originally posted by loam
Maybe some of us could make a more conscious effort to focus on positive or constructive subjects.....be more polite and helpful.....look on the bright side of things....

That sounds nice, but I don't want to cause others to change their natural ways. If people like posting doomsday-related ideas (which, I must admit, are interesting in moderation), then that's okay. See what I am getting at?

I'll work on that.

Thanks! I love your posts, man!

Hang in there.

Again, thanks!

Originally posted by chillpill
I think you are right.

Cool.

I read a guy's post the other day which stated that he had a right to insult people. If we all feel like that, then everyone will close their eyes and ears to the ideas presented.

That's crazy! You have a good point here.

It's all robbie williams' fault.

I'm not sure I've heard of this before.

I know - it's a new sensationalist conspiracy theory I have been working on!

I'm right there with you....

Since being on this site apparently, a psychologist friend of mine reveals to me I have developed signs of schizophrenic paranoia.. (I don't believe her, I believe I am just more aware of what is going on around me). After all she is still studying in any case.

I have also noticed my disappointment when browsing for interesting topics which brought me here. I love mysteries, but find that they have all been discussed, or the same topics just keep on popping up. Other than that it's pretty much political bull# that is flooding the site, they are important topics as a lot is happening in politics at the moment. It's just all getting a bit too much like, WOW, I can't believe the amount of sh!t that's going down in government at the moment!

I suppose that is just part of the package when entering a site like this, you either take it all or leave it- the good must come with the bad, and often the bad is the truth that cannot be denied.

Originally posted by jinx880101
I'm right there with you....

Nice!

Since being on this site apparently, a psychologist friend of mine reveals to me I have developed signs of schizophrenic paranoia.. (I don't believe her, I believe I am just more aware of what is going on around me). After all she is still studying in any case.

Yes, being more aware, I think, is a byproduct of being on this site (and it is also a good thing too). The truth hurts, huh?

I suppose that is just part of the package when entering a site like this, you either take it all or leave it- the good must come with the bad, and often the bad is the truth that cannot be denied.

I like this!

Life is for the living friend. Conspiracies can make for pretty heady experiences and feelings that are very similar in ways to when you are driving down the highway and come across a serious auto accident. Everyone slows there neck and cranes to see what’s going on.

They know there has been damage and a part of them wants to see just how bad it is and a part of them doesn’t. They know there might have been injuries and a part of them wants to see just how bad and a part of them doesn’t.

People have a curious inherent need to know that’s the part that wants to see.

They also have a remarkable capacity to justify and accept most things and to keep, keeping on and that’s the part of them that doesn’t really want to know.

Conspiracies are like that car wreck you want to see, you don’t want to see, part of you can’t help but be curious and part of you can’t help but be skeptical. Of course where conspiracies are concerned some things are harder to dismiss than others and people have more time to linger at the scene. A person wants to know how bad it is, a person also wants to believe life will go on.

It always does too for better or worse, as long as you are above ground and breathing.

Police Officers and Emergency Management Technicians see a lot of auto accidents. They don’t have to crane their necks and wonder as they are driving by. They have to stop and pick up the pieces of shattered vehicles and shattered lives.

It affects them deeply at first, stupid drunks, kids who think they are immortal driving like it’s a video game, harried self important people who had to get off that text message while driving that turned deadly. They see the carnage it causes first hand, up close and personal, they internalize it.

Only for a while though after a few years on the job they become desensitized. Another wreck, more dead bodies, another needless reason, all in another days work, and they rarely give it a second thought.

They know for the living life goes on.

Investigating conspiracies is very similar, you go through that period where the injustices and falsehoods and tragedies of the world can deeply affect you.

After awhile though you do become desensitized to it, because it is what it is and life goes on. You contemplate your own chances for successfully doing anything about it and calculate them. When the odds seem long or impossible people have a tendency to become fearful. Yet humans have a remarkable capacity to turn fear into hope, even if it means denial, or acceptance. After all life might not be that bad if you are the 1 out of 3 that survives a 2/3rds population reduction, and life might not be that bad in a thought and mind controlled police state. Who knows it might even be preferable, as happy harmonious thoughts are beamed into your head every second of the day eliminating all your unrequited desires, lusts and wants.

Acceptance, a little wiser, a little smarter, a little bit better prepared for most any eventuality you realize that life goes on, and on and on it does go on.

Today we live in an atmosphere of instilled fear, the War on Terror, a horrible economy, the slow and steady purposeful destruction of the middle class. That fear breeds anger, that anger breeds rudeness and impatience and intolerance. It’s palpable in most people especially the fear. It takes very little to turn it into anger. It accounts for much of the rudeness and much of the obsession some people have with the macabre and morbid, and the things that make up conspiracies.

Yet life goes on. As it always has as it always will.

I think I have had similar feelings and observations. My experience may not be exactly the same as yours, but there are similarities. There have been several times lately when my participation on and experience of ATS got to the point where it was no fun at all. In fact, it was detrimental to my mental and spiritual well-being.

I take responsibility for creating my experience here. So, I have, several times, needed to take a break and come at it from a new perspective.

As far as what's going on in the world, I have long seen myself as an observer. I can participate where I can and do my best to make the world into the place that I want it to be, but there's only so much I can do. I, as one person, have only so much power. So, if it doesn't happen "my way", I just observe. I accept the notion that the world and its people may be coming to a time of great change, and not for the better. And all I can do is watch.

It's also possible that we're going through a phase of confusion and negativity before breaking into something more positive. Either way, I will observe.

That doesn't mean that I have to read and put credence into every conspiracy theory that comes along. I don't have to absorb the toxic talk that exists here. ATS is like anything. There's good and bad. We don't have to take it all. We can pick and choose what we read. And when you think about it, only about 2% - 10% of the theories discussed here have the slightest chance of being reality. The rest is just people's brain fuzz, wishes, opinions and paranoid delusions, IMO. Most of it's not real. It's just words on a screen.

I need to take in what is good for me and ignore that which is not. Even if there really IS an evil government plot to destroy the world with swine flu vaccines, it's not going to do me any good in the moment to discuss, explore or spend time arguing about it. If it's going to happen, I'm just ingesting negativity to engage in discussion about it.

I don't know if all this relates to your OP, but that's what came up for me when I read your post. These days, I'm doing "ATS lite". just dipping my toe in here and there. Adding good content when I can and avoiding the negativity that causes me to sink to a position of being someone who feels unhealthy and someone that I don't like.

Good luck to you.

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
Yet life goes on. As it always has as it always will.

Thanks! I really enjoyed reading your comparison.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
I don't know if all this relates to your OP, but that's what came up for me when I read your post. These days, I'm doing "ATS lite". just dipping my toe in here and there. Adding good content when I can and avoiding the negativity that causes me to sink to a position of being someone who feels unhealthy and someone that I don't like.

Yes, this does relate to what I was saying. Good advice, by the way!

Good luck to you.

Thanks!

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
Police Officers and Emergency Management Technicians see a lot of auto accidents. They don’t have to crane their necks and wonder as they are driving by. They have to stop and pick up the pieces of shattered vehicles and shattered lives.

It affects them deeply at first, stupid drunks, kids who think they are immortal driving like it’s a video game, harried self important people who had to get off that text message while driving that turned deadly. They see the carnage it causes first hand, up close and personal, they internalize it.

Only for a while though after a few years on the job they become desensitized. Another wreck, more dead bodies, another needless reason, all in another days work, and they rarely give it a second thought.

They know for the living life goes on.

I'm so glad you've said this. I hadn't seen that side before...I always wondered why so much violence in those families, but could not place it. Now that you say it, it seems like it was so obvious. There go the blinders.