this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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me_irl

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[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 3 points 4 hours ago

Realest shit I've read in months lol

Then the fun justified transformation into Dr. House begins to take root in your 30s, I don't even feel bad about it anymore (which is key*)

[–] wyldrstallyns@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 hours ago

Don't fret, you'll pick up the spare in your 40s.

[–] vapordays@leminal.space 9 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

*30s

still had too much hope in my 20s

[–] blady_blah@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

For me it was politics, it was all about politics. I couldn't believe the 60% of our country were blood thirsty pro-war fanatics who salivated at the chance to torture our enemies. Selfish old people. Vile religious fanatics. Hate fueled nuts. This is who we live with, this is the other half of society. It's depressing when you go from thinking "we just have an honest difference in opinion on what the government should do" to "holy shit these people are evil!".

[–] FlyingCircus@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

The US was founded on genocide, and psychopathy has a genetic component, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the US has a higher proportion of people with dark personality traits, but I wouldn’t underestimated the power of propaganda.

The US is the most propagandized place on earth. We are taught from birth the ideology of the Epstein class — from books, to movies, to advertising, to news media, to history textbooks, we are constantly taught that individualism and capitalist exploitation are not only virtuous, but indistinguishable from human nature.

And of course, capitalism itself incentivizes evil behavior. In a system that requires unlimited growth in a world with finite resources, people must stoop to the lowest behaviors just to survive the competition.

So I don’t think that most of these people are innately evil, I think they have just been conditioned to act and think in ways that have evil consequences, and that benefit people who actually are evil.

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I wonder what the shift is. I’m sure there’s a psychological or social term for it. These problems don’t really exist as a kid, or even a teenager. You have categories like jerks or your enemies, you’re indifferent to a bunch, and then there’s your friends. That’s kinda it.

But at some point people start to change. Their hatreds and prejudices really take hold of how they interact with the world and people around them. Even some of the people you thought were good as “friends” start going off the deep end.

So there’s this falling away as you get older of the cadre you started life with, and of the population as a whole around you, as you find out many of them have turned into horrible people full of willful ignorance, petty hatreds, and prejudices.

At least that’s how I feel as what I think should be normal viewing this happen, I guess? Why treat others so badly? Why aggressively stay ignorant and unaccepting of evidence?

What happens to people?

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 1 points 4 hours ago

I couldn't agree with you more, and I find myself ruminating on just the same more often than I'd like to admit.

[–] CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No one warns you you spend your 30s watching your and all your friends first dogs they got as adults die either

Getting old is a bitch sometimes

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] backalleycoyote@lemmy.today 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you don’t have kids and survive on ramen it’s possible. That’s only half sarcasm. I probably spend more per meal on my dog’s food than my own, they have health insurance while I don’t, and they see a doctor at least once a year while I only go… never.

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

god forbid you take care of yourself.

[–] Murse@slrpnk.net 84 points 1 day ago (9 children)

It might seem bad now, but later in your twenties you'll lose respect for people you don't know, too! By your early 30s you should be on track to lose respect for entire institutions, and eventually just humanity in general!

Mid to late 30s is an awkward phase of losing faith you didn't even know you had. Like, dozens of times. You'll hit rock bottom again, and again, and again, and whatever new low your brain just established for human malice and stupidity will be gut punched as your peers enthusiastically elect a pedophilic antichrist. Twice.

Eventually you realize there is actually no bottom, and you start to go numb - which is fucking great compared to the decades of getting dragged through through the coals!!

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

50s here. it gets worse before it gets worse.

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 3 points 4 hours ago

Ngl, I'm already 33 but you guys are scaring me a lil lol

[–] greenskye@lemmy.zip 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I lost most of my faith in humanity with COVID. I lost all of my faith in my countrymen in 2024.

In 2025 I found out that even losing your faith in everyone still isn't rock bottom. There are still somehow ways they can disappoint you even further.

Not sure what 2026 will bring at this point

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I suspect 2026 will prove disappointing.

[–] wyldrstallyns@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 5 hours ago

How unsurprising of it.

[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This has been my experience. I am pushing 40 and the last few years have beaten the optimism right out of me, and I already thought that was long gone.

I have often wondered if this is what most people have experienced throughout history or if this another fun millennial game we were forced to play. I'm sure every generation has had their stupid trends and societal problems but watching a country collapse under the weight of it's own stupidity seems less common. Not new, but certainly not something every generation deals with.

[–] other_cat@piefed.zip 2 points 23 hours ago

The ancient roman average citizen could probably sympathize with us?

[–] Photonic@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I’m at the numb part too. Congratulations for making it this far!

[–] oascany@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Numb in my 20s. I just try to look forward to the soonest nice thing in my personal life at this point.

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[–] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 78 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

I think realizing Hulk Hogan would celebrate a fascist pedophile authoritarian if you paid him enough was the worst part for me, personally. Chuck Norris, too.

[–] KombatWombat@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Chuck Norris suggested re-electing Obama would lead to 1000 years of darkness. He wasn't being subtle even before Trump's first campaign.

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[–] Console_Modder@sh.itjust.works 84 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Same with Snoop Dogg. Who could have guessed a gangster rapper would love the government so much?

[–] ThePantser@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 day ago

We call them posers. So many posers.

[–] BurgerBaron@quokk.au 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

So* many comedians I grew up with turned out rotten too. Fuck.

[–] Kraiden@piefed.social 23 points 1 day ago

Had to Google this. I didn't know about Snoop Dogg... deep sigh

[–] sleepmode@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

They’re both pretty gross people if you delve further into their history and it makes it less surprising.

The most surprising one for me is how MC Hammer was a legit gangster but low key about it after his fame.

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[–] Mac@mander.xyz 17 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Stop worshipping celebrities.

[–] FiniteBanjo@feddit.online 26 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Don't fuckin sit there and pretend you have zero childhood heroes.

[–] lauha@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Still respect Attenborough

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[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

Hulk Hogan would celebrate a fascist pedophile authoritarian if you paid him enough

Are we talking about the current admin or McMahon? Because the Hulkster has always sucked: he helped quash a wrestling union in the 80s, but I don't anyone knew about it until much later.

https://411mania.com/wrestling/hulk-hogan-admits-revealed-jesse-ventur-union-plans-vince-mcmahon/

*Including myself

[–] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 44 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's the process of life. Adults are incredible, nigh all-powerful beings to a child. Then you get older, and all the esteem you had for people is burned away as you realise we're all just idiots with a few talents and trainings.

[–] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

except yourself. you are pure infallible genius who knows all that is worth knowing...

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Finally, someone has read all my Lemmy posts.

[–] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 1 points 18 hours ago

That's one of the middle stages, usually hit in the teenage years, and sometimes the highest plateau the person ever achieves.

[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Perfect age to realize how bad your parents were at raising kids too!

[–] blady_blah@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I think that's really when you're raising your kids (hopefully in your 30s). That's when you look back and say "this isn't so hard, wtf were they doing?" "How could they have done that to their kid?" and you can't believe anyone ever thought that was ok. When you haven't been a parent you're more willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, but once you are that goes away.

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