Faith is irrational confidence based upon inappropriate evidence. I deal in trust, and it’s mostly gone. The minimal pockets of rationality and common decency are shrinking and we’re headed to a right wing hate-based dystopia from which I don’t see a way to escape

Yes. And always will.

Yes, just not the ones in charge.

Although, you shouldn’t have faith in those in charge even on a good day - especially if you can even slightly influence who gets to be in charge (by voting, for example - if you have a right to vote, you have a responsibility to vote well).

What do you mean ‘still’?

I don’t think I ever had

“Still?”

Never did. Still don’t.

Humanity’s potential…yes.

Humanity’s actuality…no.

“Still”? That would imply that I ever had faith in humanity.

No.

Yes, 100%. Go talk to people. Travel. Trust. Love. The internet, social media, the news are as real as lord of the rings, or fortnite.

I have almost never met someone evil or truly unreasonable. I have of course left places that were not working for me. People trying to rope me into status games I didn’t care for etc, or pressure me to do stuff I didn’t want to do. Sometimes it’s unpleasant, even painful. But not remotely something that can counterbalance all the great interactions and great people I have met. Heck, it’s doesn’t compete even just the kindness complete strangers have given me.

Catch people who do you harm in a different situation, years later and talk about it, and the same people are often reasonable, open to change, open to talk about why they do what they do.

You don’t have to forgive them. But for me, it helps.

Absolutely! Turmoil comes in waves, and after each major challenge, we come out a little better than we were.

We’ve survived worse than this and eventually the world will look back at what was happening now and think, “Sure am glad we aren’t like THAT anymore!”

Last year I was feeling really down on people and how the world was going. I signed up for a volunteer gig to get outside and be a little productive.

I mainly expected the work to be satisfying, which it was, but my biggest surprise was how great being around like-minded people that also wanted to make our community better felt.

It feels more like hanging out with friends, even though we’re busy as hell, and not like a job because we’re all there by choice, and we get to see on a daily basis how our efforts are helping. It may only be a drop in the bucket, but it’s not as though we’re the only group working for our cause.

It’s one of the most satisfying choices I’ve ever made in my life, and if you can find time (my commitment is 4 hours a week for half the year) it may improve your outlook on things if you’re feeling like everything around you is bad.

I have faith in people, but not in humanity as a whole. Our governments are run by some of the most disgusting people imaginable, politicians, who are controlled by even worse people, the rich.

Humanity? Sure.

Human institutions? Less and less.

Never had. How can you have faith in a species which puts most effort towards advancing weapons to destroy as much as possible of it’s own species.