Two simple reasons why most Don't Get it. . .

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Two simple reasons why most Don't Get it. . .

Reason #1: Most people (especially adults) are afraid to make a mistake.

Reason #2: Since most people are carrying on, without serious concern about y2k, then there must not be a problem (sheep metality).

The two reasons interrelate. Since others are not preparing or cashing out, then a problem doesn't exist. Therefore, why prepare or cash out? That would be a mistake.

A third reason is most people cannot visualize the "future." The future hasn't happened, so it does not exist in their mind. People don't realize that they get up every day preparing for the future. Shower, coffee, breakfast and off to work (a future event). The problem is most people do not think (fourth reason?) they can see the future. But to plan on the future, such as a business or vacation, one makes decisions today, for the future (research, planning, saving money, getting equipment, etc.).

I guess the main reason why most people don't get it, is they are stupid.

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), July 08, 1999

Answers

Another reason is that most people are vested in their comfortable lifestyles, and quickly realize that if they take Y2K seriously, it means that their lives, everything they worked for, is at risk.

-- Sure M. Worried (SureMWorried@about.Y2K.coming), July 08, 1999.

It drives me crazy going out in the world and being unable to talk about the ONLY thing of any importance--Y2K. It is unbearably stressful, don't you all think?????

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), July 08, 1999.

Most people do not want to face up to bad news until they absolutely have to. The British people and government ignored Winston Churchill's warnings about Nazism until Hitler broke the Munich agreement and seized Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Between this aversion to unpleasant possibilities and the spin of the powers-that- be, the public will not act until problems become evident to everyone. It will then be too late.

-- Mr. Adequate (mr@adequate.com), July 08, 1999.

I see Charter is building a Y2K wing. They figure 2 to 4% of the population will need Charter services in 2000. I'll honk as I go by.

Joe

-- Joe six pack (no2k@outhere2.com), July 08, 1999.


Yes, Mara, it is exceedingly difficult to relate to people any more. I'm reminded of some of the works of Alice Miller, in which she explains that the keeping of secrets is a major cause of insanity. I also worry about survivor's guilt, which well documented to occur almost universally even in cases where it is very clear that one could have done nothing to help those who perished. It seems to me that this kind of guilt may be especially potent for us, when so many of the suffering will be so shocked to see their worlds unraveling. Every time I haul home a trunkload of Y2catering supplies, I feel like I should be hauling a trunkload of Y2K brochures from the copy shop, to distribute to the neighbors, instead. I reallyl don't think people are in "denial" so much as having never picked up a habit of thinking for themselves.

Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr from near Monterey, California

-- Dancr (minddancr@aol.com), July 08, 1999.



Dancr,

Yes, the guilt. I see people and I feel they will be dead this time next year. I know I will feel worse when they are... And it's something I don't want to see (visually). I am a spoiled American. The only time I have seen dead people was once in a class outing to the medical school (YUCK)I don't want to see real people dead!!! I'm philosophical about things but by no means impervious.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), July 08, 1999.


I have been asked by two close friends and a couple family members not to talk about Y2K. I try to honor their request. I continue to prepare but struggle with deep anxiety keeping quiet about an event that has the potential to leave then suffering immensely if they don't prepare.

This forum has been essential to my sanity. I calms me to know that they're are others who can provide evidence of problems ahead and are preparing. I am extremely grateful to all of you here on the forum. Thank you for your insights, your arguments, your feelings and thoughts.

I continue to believe that many of us on the forum are coping with anticipatory grief, I know I am, and I see the stages, denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, in the postings here on the forum. An understanding of the grief process helps me better understand the diversity of postings on this forum and helps me feel thatI am not alone in the grieving of our society that many of us believe will not be lifve as we have known it prior to Y2K.

To those of you who have committed to posting thoughts and feelings on Y2K through all of the denial and stigmatism prevalant today, I want you to know, you have been invaluable as a source of solace, facts, theories and inspiration for my preparation, which I take very seriously. May you find the strength and committment to continue!!!!!

-- Leslie (***@***.net), July 08, 1999.


Sorry for the typos.

-- Leslie (***@***.net), July 08, 1999.

You want to know why some people don't get it? Cause they don't have a pea brain like you idiot doomers.

I guess the main reason why most people don't get it, is they are stupid.

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com)

-- Y2K Pro (2@641.com), July 08, 1999.


Rather have a pea brain (vegetarian), then be a meat head!

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), July 08, 1999.


I know that for me this forum is a very valuable place. Perhaps a psychologist would call it group therapy. That refers to anything that some people have suffered with and can't find a sympathetic audience within the general population. It's a tough position to be in when very few people around you show any concern, or worse, laugh about it all. Another reason I like it here is that there is such good information and thinking going on about current events and possible contingency plans for the future. It's been a blessing.

As far as why people don't catch on to the data, and there's plenty of it, I offer the following observation from a past great thinker:

".....those who are learned may be, and often times are, stupid as well, and can be bigoted, obsessed.....in addition to having information and being able to reproduce it, there is such a thing as knowledge, which happens to be a higher form of human thought. The habit of confusing opinion with knowledge, a habit which is to be met with every day at the current time, (is) an epidemic disease."

El-Ghazali, 12th Century Sufi Master

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), July 08, 1999.


Leslie ****,

Don't forget to add to your list - this forum is a great source of humor, which really is the best neutralizer for maintaining sanity. I have had to pick myself off the floor after falling out of my chair with laughter many times after reading some vitriolic (albeit funny) responses to some ignorant troll posts. Also, very much agree with you!!!

DW, "the longer I live, the more I realize just how STUPID people really are."

Thanks Guys!!

-- gettin ready (hangin@by a thread.com), July 08, 1999.


I would like to thank everyone that has contributed to this wonderful forum.

I find it surreal, at this late stage, that so many are so unprepared for such a spectacularly disruptive event. I listen to the media and everything put forth as news is irrelevant. The great shock that most will endure when the "real" news finally hits home will weaken aa populace already weakened in the art of self-sufficency. I have moved from my suburb home near Detroit to the countryside to not be too close to the scene about to unfold. I would like to get more involved in preparedness of others, but I fear for my safety because, I know in my heart, that most won't prepare. It will just hurt me. So sad........

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), July 08, 1999.


Sure M Worried said

"Another reason is that most people are vested in their comfortable lifestyles, and quickly realize that if they take Y2K seriously, it means that their lives, everything they worked for, is at risk."

This is an excellent point but it may help to realize that most people today are on the "Jetson's treadmill" and *don't* feel comfortable with their lifestyles. We should try to make the best of our need to prepare and use this opportunity to simplify our lives, reduce dependency and get back to basics. It feels good to split wood.

br14

-- br14 (br14@bout.done), July 08, 1999.


Leslie:

I'm sorry to hear that those close to you are becoming increasingly deaf. I get the same reactions. It's depressing. They really don't see what is coming. They are blinded by prosperity and lulled by their comfort zones.

Here's a new example:

Today at work I saw a computer software specialist who was providing necessary programming alterations/allocations for the new financial software, which is Y2K compliant.

I saw her working alone in a large meeting room, and mentioned some standard Y2K doomspeak. Perceiving she was a DGI, I asked her if she thought Y2K would be a bump in the road.

She replied, "Not even that".

I was very surprised. I said, "You're a Pollyanna. Hello, I'm a doomer." She laughed loudly.

I've met the Pollyanna of Pollyannas. Further words revealed she has nothing prepared. She is very confident that nothing bad will happen.

When I encounter such a strong barrier of arrogant invincibility, I back off. Any more words are wasted.

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), July 08, 1999.



I'm really new at this. I actually started reading this forum because of my sister. She is really involved into the Y2K prep. I may not be on top of what is really going on, but I am getting prepared just in case. The people I have talked to don't believe in Y2K. My thinking is that most of the material out there in 'our' everyday lives keeps telling us everything is going to be ok, except for a few minor things. The ones that do know what is going on, are those that are directly involved or knows someone that is. If that hadn't been the case for me...I'm not sure I would be doing anything now. Maybe they are stupid...maybe not.

-- Beth (*****@***.com), July 08, 1999.

Time will tell who's stupid and who's not. Prepare don't dispair...175 to go. Tic tic tic

-- Doomer (Itsyourlife@over.soon), July 08, 1999.

"Two simple reasons why most Don't Get it. . .

Reason #1: Most people (especially adults) are afraid to make a mistake. "

In the absense of any real public information, they are just playing the odds.

-- B (hunting@nm.com), July 09, 1999.


My sister was at the dentist's office today and she said, "I wonder if your drill will work after Y2K, or if the electricity will go off." Then his assistant starting speaking her mind--she's a total doomer and is preparing. So that was good for my sister's state of mind because she feels no one she runs into is even worried.

The disconnect is incredible. Yes, all the news on television is trivial. All the things I was involved in--my hopes for my career-- are trivial. I might not survive. I'll try to, but many will die. Dancr, don't feel guilty about me. I can accept that...it's the flow of life.

And yes, people confuse opinion with knowledge. We might be headed for a better world post-apocalypse--people, anyway, if not us--a world in which knowledge, not opinions, shines.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWAyne@aol.com), July 09, 1999.


i, too, would like to thank everyone here for at least listening. it is truly depressing to realize how trivial our everyday lives and conversations are now (i'm not supposed to talk about "it" much, either) when all i want to do is scream at everyone i see to at least get SOME food, water, heat, and protection.

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), July 09, 1999.

I would like to thank Mara, dancr, and Leslie and everyone else who expressed many of my concerns so well on this thread.

I have been struggling since last Dec. over this. I have reached the point where I have done all that I can for friends and family. My immediate family does not want to hear about it. So I have no one in real life to talk to.

Some friends and family were open to listen and some even started to make some preparations. But all of them have some reason or other why they are unable or unwilling to make it top priority the way it is for me.

One thing I found to be a very difficult barrier is the fact that so much of the evidence is on the internet, it makes it impossible to educate someone who is not computer literate or who has no computer at all.

My mother in law has never owned or used a computer. She was willing to listen, so I gave her all my hard copies to read. But she is caring for a family member with cancer. The combined obstacles are proving too much for her. And then, it is hard to know just how she would react to the material online, if she could get it all. She lives in LA and has very little money to prepare with anyway.

But I decided that I would warn my immediate family and friends. I could not live with myself if y2k was bad and I had said nothing to them about what I know. Now, I can at least feel I have done all that I could do.

My sister has 6 children and very little time. She is new to the internet and does not trust it as a source and has difficulty surfing the web and handling email. So all my efforts to send her info, in spite of my phone calls to fill in, did not succeed. The more commitments to family and community, the more difficult it is to take the time to learn, and to make the effort to prepare.

I remember when my children were young and I worked full time. I could not have learned about y2k then, as I was completely exhausted every day trying to keep up. It is often the way that society is set up that draws us into the rat race to try to survive. Once trapped with dependents to care for and payments to make, it is very hard to make a change. Eventually I did, at great cost to all, when my children were a little older. But I would ask a little more kindness and understanding when speaking about the clueless. There are many reasons why people are caught up in their lives and decide to ignore y2k. There are a million important issues demanding attention which must be set aside just to get through the day. Not because they are not important, but because they do not contribute to day to day survival. Consider all the nuclear, political, ecological and other issues that people train themselves to ignore, including the homeless on the streets, in order to just get the food on the table. Y2k is just another one in the list.

But knowing this, now that my kids are nearly grown, does not help make me any less lonely when I am not understood, when I am thought crazy. I realize that it is the nature of y2k that few will see it coming, and I have the privilege and curse of watching it come.

Lately I have been feeling like giving up. There are some days when I get inspired, and some days when I feel overwhelmed with the whole thing.

I, too, would love to throw myself into organizing, but I feel like I would simply create a danger to my family. I was shocked when I heard of organizers who had people threaten them and had to move away because so many knew of their plans. If it is possible to help, I will. But if it is bad, I do not expect to survive here. I am just beginning to face the fact that I can't relocate or do much more to help my family.

But on my better days I continue to learn and gather information and skills. I can always do something. Even with no money.

So, I wish you all the best in dealing with y2k stress, DGI's, preps, and worries. You have all been immense help just listening to my ravings.

Lora

-- Lora (artemis45@hotmail.com), July 09, 1999.


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