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Home » Realism ≠ Pessimism
First Coffee Thoughts

Realism ≠ Pessimism

Elaine Barlow
Last updated: June 30, 2025 10:09 am
by: Elaine Barlow
Original Publication Date: August 17, 2024
Reading time: 9 minutes
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Summary

The truth doesn't set you free, it only imprisons you in a new reality that completely obliterates the one you were hiding within before.

First Coffee Thoughts (previously under “Musings” and “CoSo”) are blog versions of my #FirstCoffeeThoughts and #FCT multi-thread posts on CounterSocial. These are here for posterity and also to make them easier for people to read at a later time should they wish to.

#FirstCoffeeThoughts

People that don’t know me often call me a pessimist because I have a realistic worldview.

It takes a tremendous amount of delusion, denial, and purposeful ignorance to be able to survive by refusing to see the world for how it is. The amount of energy and calculated effort to ensure a constant stream of manufactured fantasy must be exhausting and terrifying when cracks start to form and you have to quickly patch them with any lies you can or else lose your mind.

I think the constant fear of illusions breaking down or truth seeping in or realizations occurring would be incredibly anxiety inducing and create such unconscious (or conscious) stress on the body, mind, and spirit. I imagine it would wear a person down and cause a lot of health problems.

Why is the truth of the world so terrifying to people? Because they feel like fools who have allowed themselves to be brainwashed and groomed into giving away most of their lives to greedy psychopaths?

Denial is difficult, contrary to popular belief. You have to really work hard to find ways of living in two worlds at once; the real world and maintaining your own personal one every minute of the day.

I recognize that millions of people do this because there are so many people trapped in rage and anger and true pessimism … emotions and beliefs that come as a result of the collisions of hope and reality I’m always talking about.

The constant battle of trying to lie to ones self while at the same time doing everything in ones power to block out or shield themselves from truth but still having realizations leak through despite all efforts … those constant reminders must be painful.

What I have seen in my life often with people is a deep desire to be “awake” and a willingness to challenge themselves and push themselves to be better people, but when that awakening happens and the truth comes rolling in … what they realize is that the grass isn’t greener when you live in truth.

They also realize that the truth doesn’t set you free, it only imprisons you in a new reality that completely obliterates the one you were hiding within before.

They realize how lonely it is.

It’s lonely fighting a battle that is unwinnable … it’s lonely fighting a battle that your friends, coworkers, family don’t fight themselves – and worse still – are unbelievers and delusional themselves … it’s lonely fighting a battle of seeing things how they are and not having anyone to talk with them about because everyone around you drinks the same delusional Kool Aid … it’s lonely realizing you are powerless to change 99% of every painful truth you see …

If you have seen John Carpenter’s film They Live then you know the scene where two best friends are beating each other to death because one of them refuses to see the truth …

When people “wake up” and look around them and realize they’ve been living in a lie, manufactured by oppressors and they have been slaves the whole time … there is disbelief, fear … and then … a profound sense of helplessness that leads to anger … and that’s where most people stay; terrified in anger.

Related Reading >  Stop Hating People Who Don't Hate Themselves

Jealousy, guilt, shame, anxiety, anger, and depression are ALL derivatives of FEAR … so all those raging, negative, miserable, pissed off people … it’s always about fear.

If you don’t believe you are the same as all the other chattel that the 1% and others push around, lie to, and see as inferior and disposable then you are indeed living in your own delusional state.

I always found that interesting … why is the truth of the world so terrifying to people? Because they realize they are powerless? Because they feel like fools who have allowed themselves to be brainwashed and groomed into giving away most of their lives to greedy psychopaths? Because they can’t change that truth?

What do you do when all of your delusions are gone?

What do you do when you can’t UNSEE something about the world that you are trapped in?

What do you do when you can’t go back in time and change the course of your whole life so that it doesn’t feel completely wasted and a total lie?

What do you do when there is no solution to the pain, the slavery, the unfairness, the profound oppression in yours and everyone else’s lives regardless of gender or race?

What can you even do?

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself with are externals, not under my control, and which have to do with the choice I actually control?
Epictetus
All you need are these: certainty of judgment in the present moment; action for the common good in the present moment; and an attitude of gratitude in the present moment for anything that comes your way.
Marcus Aurelius
Anger brings about nothing grand or beautiful. On the other hand, to be constantly irritated seems to me to be the part of a languid and unhappy mind, conscious of its own feebleness.
Seneca

That is the key right there “conscious of its own feebleness“.

Seeing the world how it truly is and being your best self within it, both for yourself and for others, upholding goodness, kindness, and truth in the face of madness, greed, anger, and fear … that is what real strength looks like.

That is what mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual strength should be used for … for the good, for the survival, for the uplifting of others … not for locking reality out, not for building a fortress to hide in to protect only your own interests.

Does what’s happened keep you from acting with justice, generosity, self-control, sanity, prudence, honesty, humility, straightforwardness, and all other qualities that allow a person’s nature to fulfil itself?
Marcus Aurelius

You have no true power to change the reality we ALL inhabit as permanently oppressed, manipulated, groomed, and mistreated human beings.

If you don’t believe you are the same as all the other chattel that the 1% and others push around, lie to, and see as inferior and disposable then you are indeed living in your own delusional state.

We are ALL enslaved within a system that pits us against each other and relies on stupidity and willful ignorance to upkeep the lies we’re fed.

Embracing others, protecting others, empowering others is not weakness or “wokeness”. It’s humanity.

Related Reading >  Others Are Waiting

Recognizing the true enemies of all human beings, of this very planet, as greed and selfishness is not unpatriotic. It’s truth.

Knowing actual history, understanding how government actually works, and recognizing bullshit is not being “uppity” or “narcissism” or “being superior”. It’s educated.

Seeing the truth of the world is not pessimism. It’s strength.

Stop being afraid. Wake up.

TAGGED:angercosocountersocialdelusionfctfearFirst Coffe Thoughtsfirst coffee thoughtshealingJohn CarpenterKeith Davidmedia psykhemedia therapymental healthnegativitypersonalRoddy Pipersocial mediasocial media postsocietystoicismThey Livewokeism
VIA:Elaine Barlow (@thewebrecluse)

A Note From Elaine

This is my experience, not yours.

I don’t write reviews perse. I write about MY EXPERIENCE with media. If it resembles a review that’s because I’m trying to communicate what media means to ME which has absolutely NOTHING to do with YOU. The existence of my experience doesn’t invalidate yours in any way. If you are triggered by what other people write about art, that is a YOU issue and you should seek help for your emotional dysregulation problem instead of attacking or bullying others for expressing their SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE with art. You are not the center. Yours is not the default experience.

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© 2009-2024 Elaine Barlow / ☰ / The Web Recluse.
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