Hope seems to have fallen by the way side of life today to the point that what most humans are striving for is becoming more and more difficult to achieve.
At some point in the future when scientists unanimously tell us chillingly that a collision of earth with a gigantic space object is 100 percent inevitable in exactly 207 days, 9 hours, 11 minutes and 13 seconds, what will happen?
Amid the pandemonium, there will be a few more ways to behave than there already are today.
Some people will simply go back to work the way many winners of lotteries do today, because what else is there to do.
Some will make bonfires in their fireplaces to warm themselves with piles of their cash withdrawn from their banks.
Some, like the characters in Nevil Shute's On The Beach, will retire to a comfy place with cases of sherry and port and start to drink themselves into calming permanent sleep.
Some young people will dance and snort the nights away with passion fueled by drugs and no concern of any consequences.
And, some people will not believe that 'it' is going to happen and will start to plot how to gain advantage at your expense, if the threat fails to occur on schedule. What happens if the scientists are off by a few minutes?
What, in fact, do we humans strive for today, in the face of the increasing difficulty of living the way we wish?
Happiness. What is that really? Contentment, relaxation, confidence?
Health. Is it only the absence of bad health?
Comfort. Few worries about impending problems; confidence that the future will not bring too much discomfort -- and life will simply proceed?
Reputation. We do care to enjoy what others think of us, but only if there are others around to think.
If these points encompass a large part of what we strive for today, why should we worry too much [or at all] IF an apocalypse is really about to arrive?
When 'the last day' arrives for us all in masse, all those features of life go away simultaneously.
Therefore, what do we lose and therefore why should we care?
Perhaps we have a deep-seated grasp of the unfortunate ultimate reality that hardens us in dealing with today's slow-motion apocalypse. If we cannot do much or anything dispositive about it, why waste time worrying?
That seems to me to be the biggest single obstacle we face in coming to grips with all the messes around us that seem slowly and surely to get worse and worse despite we do or do not do.
Apocalypse, slow or fast, is a pretty nasty future. I imagine most of us would simply prefer to have it happen fast, if it has to happen in due course no matter what.
Today's slowly twisting in breezes of frustration seems like it just might be worse than simply seeing all the lights go out simultaneously and FOREVER!