Sustainability Depression?

    As I look around, the number of people around me that don't suffer from some sort of depression or anxiety is slim to none. This introduces the theory that the statement “ignorance is bliss,” works on a spectrum. That spectrum being that the more ignorant a person is, the happier they are, and the less ignorant that person is… the happier they are. 

    This statement does not apply to the mental illness otherwise known as depression as no amount of knowledge can alter chemical imbalances in the brain, and for that it is highly suggested that one pursues proper medical treatment. 

    Now I use the term ‘happy’ in extreme lightness due to the fact that not one person is 100% 'happy’ with their lives. They could be extremely joyful or kind people, but happy? Yeah anyways.

    To strengthen this theory, In the national library of medicine’s study called, “Intelligence and neuroticism in relation to depression and psychological distress: Evidence from two large population cohorts,” they have stated in their results that, “Results suggest that higher intelligence may ameliorate the association between neuroticism and self-reported depression although no significant interaction was found for clinical MDD. Intelligence was inversely associated with psychological distress across cohorts.” This basically solidifies what was said earlier okay? Keep up

    Now I'm not saying that the smartest people in the world (without a diagnosed mental disorder) are the happiest by any means, but I am saying that they have the information instilled within them that allows them to now alleviate their woes and this information can be successfully applied given the right circumstances. Let's get back to this.

    But that is one of the issues of today. The circumstances that humanity currently resides within are not pretty in the slightest. With climate change along with aridification, pollution, sex trafficking, collapsing economies along with inflations and recessions, wars and international conflicts, both individual and systemic racism, pandemics and endemics, and but not limited to homelessness, with none of these things seeming to get better aside from #awareness. 

    And while awareness is a good thing. Once you become aware of a problem and don't begin making any efforts to strengthen or create new solutions, then you're a part of the problem. 

    It's completely understandable how one’s financial or other situation can make it so that they remain a part of the problem. For example, neighborhoods or cities that are given their electricity through a non-renewable energy source, their residents may not be able to afford alternative methods of energy, and if they can't afford that then they definitely can't afford to move, having to forcefully contribute to climate change otherwise they'll go without electricity. This unfortunately doesn’t clear the conscience of these individuals or make their contributions any less than they are, but makes them another cog in this fucked up system that we play into everyday. And while there's nothing to be done financially about this, what can be done is to, in America specifically, advocate and vote for individuals that will push for renewable energy solutions, equity programs, greenhouse gas mitigation bills, fixed public health and safety mandates, international peace agreements, etc. 

    The circumstances in which we live, do not be fooled, have always been there, only our awareness of them has increased over the past 2 years with the help of the internet. And again, awareness is good, but complete ignorance is bliss. So blissful in the fact that it can allow others to continue being a part of the problem, so blissful even that it can allow the reality of a situation to be detrimental, so blissful that the truth hurts and lies are better say, so blissful in fact that the raw truth feels illegal say. So blissful that people deny the truth because it makes their life more convenient, and that's what this race is about right? Convenience? To have everything on demand? Food on demand? Pleasure on Demand? Play on Demand? 

    Now we’re back at the point where intelligent people have the ability to alleviate their woes. If you can find a way to provide more convenience to the right audience, you stand to benefit both financially and socially. After benefiting financially, the efforts to maintain these finances cannot be done out of ignorance. The lack of ignorance weighs like a horse on a person's conscience because at that point they are aware of the intricacies within the system that allows for them to profit off of devastation. Will they embrace the nature of their actions, will they be deliberately ignorant, or will they be consumed with a guilty conscience enough to take action whether genuine or not. (Bill Gates) 

    At some point, each individual becomes aware of all of these things and an overwhelming feeling of depression can and will happen. Within this depression, one may begin to run from these feelings because they want to be happy. So they avoid paying attention to things that evoke negative emotions as it's easy to become consumed with them. And now I ask my question, how can you be happy on a planet that's sad? It feels selfish and barbaric. But it isn’t. I wasn't the one who made the planet like this, I was simply born into it. Conversely I am simply contributing. The answer has always been in front of me but I was to stupid to even notice. Control. Self Control. Because I cannot control this dumpster fire of a planet, but I can control, to a certain extent, my thoughts and actions in response to this steaming hot pile of shit we call humanity, to which I'll admit I truly haven’t been simply because I wasn't taught it. So I was stuck in the place between ignorance and intelligence emotionally.