Why Are We So Negative? One Simple Reason To Be Positive!

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So anyone who has studied thermodynamics will know of the word ‘entropy’, they will also know a lot of other words. But in their terms entropy is ‘a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system.’

Or to put it in Trumpian terms; things get badder over time.

This is true, things do become disorderly over time in the world of physics; stars collapse, buildings collapse, things crumble, rocks turn into sand, and we turn into compost. Basically no matter what we observe, if you look at it long enough, it will ultimately perish. Don’t fret America, you guys are exempt from the laws of physics and the ‘theory of’ entropy, so you shall remain Great© forever*.

OK, so things get worse over time. We are all going to die, the world will crumble and our star will implode. But why are we so negative?

While entropy applies to the laws of physics it does not seem to apply to society. Yes, you will now point to Hitler, Mao, and Stalin. I concede those were horrible moments in history. So let me change that to: yes, we are all going to die, the world will crumble, our star will implode, Hitler killed millions and Mao starved millions.

But why are we still so negative?

I should interject at this point and explain what I mean by ‘negative’. I am not talking about the mental illness kind of negative; such as Depression or Bipolar Disorder, those are illnesses, and thus exempt from logical explanation*. I mean, negative in our outlook for humanity. The Idea that humanity is going backwards all the time, getting worse.

Now my blog was never intended to be a place for politics and it isn’t. I will however, share my views on recent events. My views may not be popular and people are free to criticise me as much as they want, but I am entitled to free speech as much as anyone else. I never wish to alienate anyone who reads my blog but I also think I have a responsibility to be honest with you. So I will just come out and say it; I don’t like Donald Trump. And while we are at it, I don’t like Hitler or Stalin either. There I said, it is out there now. No going back now Mindfump.

So Trump is in power, the right is rising in Europe and this genuinely isn’t a positive thing*. They will definitely hold us back or take us back to places we have been before.

Much like a terrible holiday camp you went to as kid. 30 years pass, you’re hit by a wave of nostalgia, and you go back. Only to find out that your caravan is cold, wet and noisy. The playground was installed before EU regulations on child safety came in, so you fear for your child’s wellbeing and the pub is a pub, pub. Dank, old, full of drunk people pub. But you revisited this place with your child, and so you are now worried they will have the same nostalgia trip in 30 more years with their children. And the holiday camp never dies.*

So why cause for optimism?

Well if you go back to the 5th paragraph, first sentence. It reads (something like) ‘entropy applies to the world of physics but not society’. This is a phenomenon. As time goes on we actually get better. Not everyone progresses at the same time or rate, but life ultimately gets better for humanity. If we broadly analyse humanity in 50 year periods, all the way back to year dot, we make huge progress. We have dips and we have bad moments (he says with championship level understatement) but humanity moves forward, and will still move forward.

But what about the guy on TV who said the world is badder place? Yes, you will see, and hear, people on TV saying it is worse, and they will say the same on the radio, and the internet and on the phone. This does not mean they are right. We have been saying this for centuries. Europe used to be run by dictators, we would publicly execute people in the streets, we had witch craft, we would kill homosexuals, not allow women to speak or vote, enslave people and the list goes on. We have progressed and we will continue to do so.

It is like looking at the body under a microscope and worrying that we are going to die everytime we get a cold. The biggest actual issue we have, is that negativity and controversy sells. It sells newspapers, TV shows, blogs and youtube videos. So that is all we are surrounded by, constantly. Because of this, all forms of media then present a twisted version of reality. It creates a kind of metaphysical Body Dysmorphia. Or Positivity Dysmorphia*. We are so bombarded with negativity we cannot see the progress, the positivity. It is there, if you step back.

We have a had a good run, 70 years of relative peace and progress, working together, helping each other, and educating each other. We passed laws to to stop discrimination and embrace integration. Now we will have a run of 5-10 years of none of that stuff, but I am confident when I die in approximately 67 years the world will be a much better place than it is now.

Mindfump.

 

P.S This post isn’t an argument for why we should be content. We should still protest and argue for truth. We keep going until we have equal rights for everyone, without war and without prejudice. 

P.S.S One interesting conundrum as a result of entropy: Nuclear waste is highly toxic and lethal to humans, animals, nature, ok basically everything. But it remains highly toxic for 10,000 years. Nothing humans have created has ever lasted that long. So in Finland they are building an underground structure to house this waste in which it needs to last for 10,000 years. It poses so many fascinating questions, watch the documentary. 

*Sarcasm

*Much like the Trump administration

*One might even use the word negative.

*The best metaphor for cyclical political support there has ever been.

*Just made that up

 

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