being caught between the "need" to fit into the life around us, (avoiding exclusion), and this surmountable "desire" to stay true to our essence gnawing at us inside is, i think one of the biggest problems we face. basically, what we want is at odds with what we need, rather than being complementary.
plus, this exclusion is serious and can be more devastating than a child being left out of a game. hence, we live in this strange `cancel culture `where exclusion is announced to everyone and their granny.
yet, the silent destruction happening within a person who cannot live authentically goes completely unnoticed, thus receiving no attention because it is invisible. it's a game we all know, but one we collectively agree to play in order to maintain our societal sanity at the detriment of our individual mental health.
so the question becomes the reverse: what are the biggest problems humans are having with modernity?
most favorited (6)
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the biggest problem of modern human
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intj
if only they could stop treating every subject like a scientific case, they might actually succeed in fitting into society to some extent. as camus said, the world is absurd and doesn't align with rationality. what they're doing is like dissecting the laws of physics in a cartoon. yet, if you approach the world with the mindset of a child, embracing the absurdity and integrating it, you'll find joy. but every time you question the nonsense, you're pulled deeper into loneliness and depression.
an intj is often alone; even those who manage to blend in with society have a world inside their heads that includes only their own understanding, no one else. subjecting widely accepted societal principles and values to a rational filtering mechanism and mocking them isn't a common practice.
so, from the start, society positions them as "different," which inevitably leads to experiencing social interactions in ways that are unlike anyone else's. those who keep these thoughts to themselves feel the weight of social pressure, while those who boldly voice them are seen as cold or rebellious because they perceive themselves as being on a different plane from others.
if this opposition to the values that shape modern society isn't controlled, it can morph into an overwhelming ego, leading to the destructive depths of isolation. i'm not talking about the kind of loneliness where you can't grab a few beers with friends, that's easy, you can fit in for a while.
what i mean is not a lack of people around you, but the gap in understanding between you and them. it's the kind of isolation where you know you can't communicate what you feel, and you have to bottle up the topics that excite you so intensely because you know others will remain indifferent.
this is precisely why, in a tyranny where the abnormal is considered normal and the majority oppresses the minority, an intj's unmet need for the basic human desire of "being understood" drives them to despise society. -
epidemic of loneliness
i think it all starts with the realization that the environment you're in or can access have an intellectual level that's lower than what you need or can tolerate.
it continues with you having to put in way too much effort to be understood and to express your ideas. eventually, you come to realize that you just can't change the stupidity surrounding you, which leads you to silence and to play a role for the sake of your social connections.
as a result, this role will start to wear you down over time, causing you to gradually withdraw and become isolated, but hey, at least you'll be free from all that baggage. a good deal? sometimes it's the best deal one can get, sometimes it's just not. we need socializing, and i'm not sure how long we can keep up like that. -
avatar the last airbender
it's an incredibly educational show. there are many lessons to take away for both kids and adults.
--spoiler--
as mentioned above, the series features many strong female characters. take 'katara,' for instance. she's one of the strongest characters, not just among the women but in the entire show. toward the end of the first season, our heroes travel to the northern water tribe to learn from the great waterbending masters there. but as soon as they arrive, they encounter a backward mindset.
the male masters refuse to teach katara because she's a girl. according to their system, girls can only use waterbending for healing. katara can't stand such a senseless and primitive view, so she stands up to the system on her own, and she's not afraid to challenge one of the tribe's most talented waterbending masters in the process.
the show also doesn't engage in shallow political correctness by just writing strong female characters for the sake of it. for example, through 'azula,' it presents a brilliant female villain, a character type we're only just starting to see these days. it shatters the ridiculously naive idea that 'if women ruled the world, everything would be sunshine and rainbows.' the show bluntly tells us, 'whether you're a man or a woman, unchecked power will eventually corrupt you.' when you think you've got everything under control, all you'll really have is loneliness, with nothing but your insatiable ego and ambitions by your side.
through 'sokka,' the show praises logic and science. in one episode, our heroes come across a village where everyone believes whatever the local fortune-teller says. even though the nearby volcano is showing signs of erupting, no one believes it because the fortune-teller said nothing bad will happen this year. but in the end, they see that sokka's rational warnings were right. with aang's help, the village is saved from being buried under volcanic ash.
'toph' teaches us that our limitations don't have to hold us back. as a blind earthbender, she's incredibly strong in every sense. the fact that she can't see doesn't stop her from becoming the only living metalbender. she's an amazing character who even makes fun of her blindness and is totally at peace with her 'disability.'
'zuko' shows us that we can change. he teaches us that we can't betray evil; we can only fight against it. zuko's transformation isn't a betrayal, it's a redemption. by changing, he saves not just the fire nation but the entire world. his journey is one of the deepest in tv history.
and then we meet one of the greatest characters in tv history, zuko's uncle, iroh. he could command armies, yet his favorite thing in the world is simply making tea. he reminds us that power and authority are overrated lies. to him, nothing compares to the joy of a good cup of tea. he's a man with a heart so big he helps everyone but couldn't save his own son. he holds no one responsible for his son's death, and he bears no grudges. he mourns at his son's grave with a deep, quiet sorrow.
and then we come to our avatar, aang. what can be said about him? despite his extraordinary power, he never uses it for evil. he could make the world bow before him, but that means nothing to him. his purpose is different. he chooses to be with his loved ones over ruling the world.
what makes him happiest is dancing wildly. what makes him laugh is sokka's terrible jokes. what fascinates him in this world is katara, and what matters most to him is soaring freely in the sky on appa. when he faces his greatest enemy, his only concern isn't whether he can defeat him but that he doesn't want to have to kill him. that's all that worries him. even if his enemy is a villain sworn to bring evil to the entire world, aang chooses to preserve life, not take it.
--spoiler--
avatar is an amazing animated series that can make you laugh out loud, move you deeply, and keep you excited at all times. on top of everything, it's such a well-made show that it's one of the few you can watch with your child without getting bored. it's not easy to appeal to people of all ages and genders. so no amount of praise for this series will ever be enough. -
dark academia
dark academia is known as a subculture where a dark, nostalgic aesthetic blends with deep intellectual curiosity. gothic architecture, old libraries, worn leather-bound books, rain-darkened university corridors, and a melancholic mood are its cornerstones. (see: harry potter)
everything from ancient greek philosophy to classic literature, art, and history is open to deep exploration. but this journey isn't just about knowledge; it's also about confronting the darker, more complex parts of oneself.
it promotes the idea that education is about inner enlightenment rather than superficial success. it offers a world filled with the scent of coffee, cold stone buildings, poems written in dim light, and sleepless nights spent chasing unfamiliar words. alongside the romantic glorification of knowledge, themes like death, loss, and loneliness lurk in its shadows.
in the end, dark academia is shaped not just by old books and classical music but by the desire to explore the endless depths within. in a way, it's as much about the passion for knowledge as it is about the art of bearing the weight that comes with it. -
enjoying sad music
i've always found this to be quirky about myself. i don't know why *, but whenever i feel sad and down, i tend to listen to happy/energetic songs. perhaps i'm trying to subconsciously protect myself from sinking any further.
the moment i'm happy though, all those restrictions and repressed emotions seem to come back like old friends, as if it's safe to listen to them now, and they're begging to be heard usually through sad music. honestly, i love sad music; it's my favorite. i don't even know if i truly like sad music for its own sake or because i listen to it when i'm happy, which might create a strong affiliation and bias towards it.
let me share my latest favorite: (see: 'belle' by slimane). i've always found this to be quirky about myself. i don't know why *, but whenever i feel sad and down, i tend to listen to happy/energetic songs. perhaps i'm trying to subconsciously protect myself from sinking any further.
the moment i'm happy though, all those restrictions and repressed emotions seem to come back like old friends, as if it's safe to listen to them now, and they're begging to be heard usually through sad music.
honestly, i love sad music; it's my favorite. i don't even know if i truly like sad music for its own sake or because i listen to it when i'm happy, which might create a strong affiliation and bias towards it. let me share my latest favorite: (see: 'belle' by slimane).