Why We Should Embrace Our Collective Depression

Feeling depressed is natural in a world gone mad, so let's reframe, embrace and use it!

We are losing richness in so many parts of our lives!

If we were to really take in this loss, it would become very clear that the story of progress we’ve been fed is, at best, flawed and, at worst, highly destructive. This realization would kickstart a renaissance-like wave of new thinking, ideas, and systems and ultimately help us reframe progress. But it doesn’t! Because there are two things that are suppressing the loss and depression that we are all naturally feeling: quantity and supplements.

Quantity

Instead of truly realizing the quality we’ve lost, we get caught up in celebrating the quantity we gained. Said differently, we might be losing the richness of our experiences in life, but we’re getting the opportunity to have way more experiences.

• Our food might be less nutritious and diverse, but we have much more of it.

• Our clothes might have lost their character, craftiness, originality, durability, and quality, but we now have access to so many cheap clothes – our wardrobes are fuller than ever.

• Our relationships might have lost their meaningfulness, mutual recognition, authenticity, true connection, and love, but we have so many more possibilities to instantly connect with other people these days, so many more contacts on our phones, lots of social networks, and all these WhatsApp chat groups.

• Our work might have lost its dignity, quality, craftsmanship, artistry, mastery, and comradery, but we can now instantly sign up for gig work and be our own boss.

• Our travel trips might have lost their meaningful connections to other people and cultures, their serendipitous moments, their adventure, the excitement, and awe of a new world, but we can travel much more, much farther, and have it all conveniently laid out before now.

• Our access to and intake of information might have lost deeper insights, different perspectives, contemplation, wisdom, and embodied knowledge, but hey we now have access to wayyyyy more information, and all that at an instant, 24/7.

You get what I’m talking about?! Basically, richness gets lost, and before we can even truly embrace that loss and, therefore, demand more richness in our lives, we’re already hearing the following argument (coming maybe from our own mind, from other people, or from the general zeitgeist):

‘Stop the nagging! You have so many opportunities, so many more options, and things! That’s progress, baby! So stop complaining and shut the f*ck up!’

Supplements

The other factor that suppresses the loss and depression we all rightfully feel, holding us back from truly throwing ourselves into these feelings, is an assortment of supplements that get thrown at us. Instead of truly digesting the depression and the loss, we digest supplements!

• Yes, food might be less nutritious and protein-rich, but here are vitamin supplements and a nutrition powder you can take each morning. Oh, and if you click this button, food will be delivered to your doorstep in 15 minutes.

• Yes, your clothes might not be that durable and unique anymore, but hey, by buying these new sneakers, you are now part of the Nike community, people like you who “just do it”; even your favorite influencer and celebrity is part of it and we all strive to make the world a better place by “bringing innovation and inspiration to every athlete in the world.” Much better hey!?

• Yes, your relationships might have lost their connectedness, meaning, and all that, but here is an app that can instantly connect you with people who also like dogs—just swipe right. Oh, and here is also a flirtatious AI friend, available 24/7, and you can now talk to it about everything and never feel lonely; it will know you better than anyone else does.

• If you miss the local cultural immersion when traveling, here is a planned Airbnb experience that can give you that. Oh, and if you don’t like to be amongst the crowds to take your Instagram selfie at the Eiffel Tower, here is a VR trip to the Eiffel Tower so you can enjoy it in tranquility.

• You’re not getting paid enough at your job, are burned out, and find your job meaningless; well, here is a company that offers monthly mental wellness packages,….free fruits, and a subscription to Headspace. Oh, and here are also five side-hustle ideas to turn your passion into a business that you can start right now, today.

Again, you probably get what I mean. In every aspect of life, we are bombarded with supplements.

Richness gets lost, but before we can even embrace that loss and therefore demand more richness again in our lives, we’re already presented with shiny supplements that fill and even enhance (“this is much more convenient”) – so we are told – what got lost.

Reframing Loss & Depression

Yes, German has some quite mindblowing words! 😉

Here is the deal: