The Modern Devil is Cheap Dopamine

Alluring whispers follow us constantly.

“Use my special system to learn anything overnight with no effort!”

“This magic pill/habit/superfood can give you eight-pack abs where years spent slaving away at the gym have failed!“

As do terrifying whispers.

“Country A might start a war with country B because the leader of A was never hugged as a child and has a pitiful need to be the center of attention at all times!”

“Yes everything is still getting more expensive! Can’t say why! Probably won’t do anything about it either! Oh, and your job might be automated soon too. Don’t sweat it, just thought you should know.”

As do heartbreaking whispers, furious whispers, condescending whispers, and every other type of whisper you could possibly imagine.

The strength of a whisper varies based on the individual. Some are susceptible to rage. Others fear. Some lean towards greed, and a disturbing number are pulled by lust.

But it doesn’t matter what your poison is, because the whispers are everywhere. Relentless.

And in a war of attrition, the human will surviving against that tidal wave is a Herculean effort. Not feasible for most people, and even when it is certainly not sustainable.

You and I can’t win that game, so why play it?

Stop doom scrolling.

Turn off the 24/7 fear-mongering madness.

Do some pushups and go on a run.

Eat a meal that’s made of real food.

Find something you’re interested in and pursue it.

Surround yourself with people who help you become a better you.

And if you can do all that, maybe you can tip the scales by 0.0000001% in a better direction. And if we all did that…things would be pretty fucking rad. 🤘

This is part 1 in a series on escaping from the addiction of performative compassion, and spending your time, money, and attention on things that truly matter. Read the rest here.