It still requires alot of effort, it's much easier to just go along with the flow.

A few exes that I know of.

Gas-lighting, suicide-threatening, super-controlling sympathy-vampire ex-girlfriend did it when I was in my mid-20s, I was so relieved bcoz I could then ditch the bitch without feeling guilty.

Useless, spendthrift, unilaterally unemployed wife 1.0 did it a few years later, to the surprise of noone except me.

I started making better choices after that

Personally, I think my opinion holds limited validity due to the fact that nostr is literally my first time actively using social media, but here it goes. I believe the internet has had some responsibility for the sense of "hollowness" that we often feel around others nowadays. While you are right about the fact that the internet can be used learn, formulate, and develop new ideas, it has also made it significantly easier to spread misinformation. I don't believe we can convince people to "be more human" as you say. Refusing to go against ruling powers has proven throughout all of human history to be an effective survival strategy. A type of fight or flight response.

Is that a consequence of the internet, do you think? Does being online and entertained to excess hollow out one's character? It's probably more complicated than that, because one can use the Internet to learn and develop meaningful ideas.

How do you think we can encourage the people around us to ground themselves more?

A phrase I like is "be more human." The "real" people you're talking about don't feel fully human. So the question is: How do we become more human?

appreciate your interest Michael

in short: the “real” people that surround me, for instance, professionally, feel hollowed out and stretched thin; in many respects they are almost facsimiles of one another, with mostly mainstream (for lack of a better term) ideas and talking points. it’s almost like they manifest as stereotypes. if they weren’t in general quite subdued and clad in smallness they would be crass caricatures

not sure if I’m able to make my point but they feel distant and a bit fake, like they’re grounded in a fictional, avoidant world

Is that a consequence of the internet, do you think? Does being online and entertained to excess hollow out one's character? It's probably more complicated than that, because one can use the Internet to learn and develop meaningful ideas.

How do you think we can encourage the people around us to ground themselves more?

A phrase I like is "be more human." The "real" people you're talking about don't feel fully human. So the question is: How do we become more human?

Alright. I deserved that. 😅

Aw I'm sure that made grandpa very happy.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

#asknostr

Nope