To cope and take comfort from the fact everything is pointless and in 100 years we’ll be dust

[Ramalam]

I have a very stressful job. My coping mechanism is to stop, consider that in the grand scheme of the world everything I’m doing is utterly pointless, and that in 100 years I’ll be dead and none of this will matter one jot?

I used to live opposite a graveyard and it was full of people who had lives full of hopes, fears, ambitious, happiness, sadness. And now none of it matters; it died with them. So best not to
worry.

I don’t know what I’m asking - is this unreasonable or weird?

So doesn’t that mean we make the most of the time we are alive? Whether that’s travel, keeping your home clean so you’re comfortable, going for a daily walk? Just whatever floats your boat. Our children and future generations follow us, which I find comforting and just mind blowing.

It bought me up short when someone said similar recently.

In 100 years the world will be full of new people. No one here now will be here then.

Your kids, probably grandkids, friends, famous people, heart throbs. All gone. Blew me away a bit, seems such a short period of time.

I remind mself that no matter how badly I fuck up today, the sun will come up tomorrow regardless.

Ramalam
I think exactly the same way.
It gets me through a lot.

Life is a wonderful gift, so many people do not get the gift at all

That doesn't make sense. If they never had life, then they were never people.

Very true. I feel that we put far too much pressure on ourselves and take things far too seriously, when really we're nothing and the vast majority of us won't be remembered, either publically or for very long by our own ancestors!

I often think of my own grandparents, none of whom I knew. One hundred years ago they would have been young children but there's no one left who knows them, that I know of anyway.

I do have to think what is all this stressful life about! Just try to enjoy it while you can.

I’ve always found this way of thinking to fill me with utter dread. My parents and siblings say they take great comfort in thinking about their insignificance in relation to the universe/time etc. But I just don’t get it (although I’d like to). If we’re totally insignificant, then what’s the point? Why am I here? How can that be a comfort. I genuinely don’t understand it.

For me it's a bit of a balance between being insignificant to the universe, but having great potential within the lives of others.

Have you heard the story of the boy throwing starfish back into the ocean after a storm? An older man points out that he can't possibly save all the starfish and the boy replies, "I made a difference for that one".

So there's that, and then there's also the difference that can be made by us doing something great together. Look at the Great Green Wall in Africa and how it is pushing back the Sahara. A lot of the people involved only dug and planted ten trees, but their combined efforts is having a transformative effect on the local environment.

https://www.unccd.int/our-work/ggwi

I agree to some extent and I do try to live by the adage of ‘don't sweat the small stuff’.
But the things that can make your quality of life better - health, exercise, nutrition, connections - they are worth prioritising. You might be dead in 100 years but you’ll be a happier person if you enjoy a good life on the way.

Welcome to life/nihilism

My mantra is “life is meaningless and everything dies “

It keeps me chirpy 😍

I’d rather like life on our planet to outlive all of us currently breathing the atmosphere created by billions of years of life, though.

Mate, I’d seek out some help. If you feel this regularly then I would get some help for your MH.

YABU. That is a weirdly avoidant way if thinking imo.

I was thinking about how long is there a connection through the generations. My great grandfather was born in 1869, my father remembered him, my youngest remembers my father and, God willing, should live to 2100 ish - so there's a tangible thread of almost 250 years.

It will be less than 100 years surely and after about another 50 years it's like you never existed

Whatever gets you through today is good!

I just saw this Tik Tok today.
In a hundred years.....blah blah.

But I'm 58 so I can take it down to 50.
In 50 years someone else will be living in my house.
My car will be scrap.
And my great grandkids will not even know my full name.

Sobering thoughts.

Yep..all the things I have will go to landfill or whatever. No one will look at my photos ( I dont mean that in a sad way, I just mean I dont look at photos of relatives from 100 years ago). All my money will be gone. My flat will be lived in by strangers etc.

If you suffer from anxiety its actually quite a positive, comforting thought.

Although…Im still obsessing over that chip in my new paintwork!

I think like that sometimes, plus we are so insignificant in the universe.

There's a good clip on YouTube about this. Wish I could remember who it was, but it's about how you won't even be a passing thought to anyone in a generation or less after your death.
It's all about living for now and actually being selfish sometimes.
On a wider scale: The human race, the planet, the solar system (when Andromeda smashes into the Milky way) will all be gone too😬
Eventually..

Completely agree. I have recently started to think even more short term. Why worry about my pension investments when world war 3 is about to start. It’s quite comforting really.

Apparently the happiest people in the world think about their own death 5 times a day 💁‍♀️

Hadn’t heard of the Great Green Wall but thanks it has really cheered me up. ❤️