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Living in the 21st century has its perks, but there is no denying that, like every group of people living through their decade, we’ve got our own unique set of problems in front of us. Sometimes it can ultimately feel like some issues are way too much to handle.
We’ve gathered posts from this Facebook page dedicated to sharing people’s thoughts on modern society and why everything feels dystopian. So settle in as you scroll through, upvote the most poignant ones and be sure to add your own thoughts to the comments down below.
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#1
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
Or creating products with built-in obsolescence that cannot be repaired so that people are forced to buy new every few years,
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The term "dystopia" has become ubiquitous in contemporary discussions of literature, film, and political discourse, but its origins trace back to the mid-19th century. Understanding the etymology of this word and the common elements that define it provides insight into how societies conceptualize and critique their worst fears about the future.
It was first used publicly by British philosopher and economist John Stuart Mill in an 1868 speech before Parliament, where he employed it as an antonym for "utopia" by adding the Greek prefix "dys" (meaning "bad") to "topia" ("place").
#6
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
Authoritarian dictatorships ALWAYS attack, discredit and if allowed, persecute (and even execute) intellectuals... they can't have people thinking for themselves and challenging their authority.
In this speech on Irish land policy, Mill stated: "It is, perhaps, too complimentary to call them Utopians, they ought rather to be called dys-topians, or cacotopians." However, recent scholarship has revealed earlier usage. The original spelling "dustopia" first appeared in Lewis Henry Younge's work "Utopia: or Apollo's Golden Days" in 1747. Jeremy Bentham proposed an alternative term in 1818, "cacotopia" (from the Greek "kako" meaning "bad"), though this never gained widespread acceptance.
#7
John Dilligaf 1 month ago (edited)
yep. The people who gave us the I n q u i s i t i o n thought he went a little too far. That's something to think about.
#9
Rosecrucian Roeth 1 month ago
They don't want to because then they would have to admit that they are wrong!
The word "dystopia" stands in direct opposition to "utopia," a term coined by Sir Thomas More in his 1516 work of the same name. More's "utopia" derives from Greek words meaning "not" (ou) and "place" (topos), literally "no place," describing an imaginary island with ideal social, political, and legal systems.
#10
Rosecrucian Roeth 1 month ago
As Donnie boy would say, "if not for profit, then what is the use of health coverage?"
While definitions of dystopia vary across disciplines and contexts, scholars and literary critics have identified several recurring elements that characterize dystopian societies. Dystopian societies typically feature oppressive societal control through propaganda, restricted information and independent thought, and the worship of a figurehead or concept by citizens. Citizens experience a sense of powerlessness in the face of oppressive governments run by totalitarian dictatorships or organized into massive bureaucratic institutions.
#14
Analyn Lahr 1 month ago
Exactly. And you don't have to agree with everything your chosen political party stands for.
A defining characteristic is that citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance. This monitoring serves as a mechanism of control, limiting personal freedom and enforcing conformity. All dystopias feature strict division of citizens by intellect, ability, and class. Dystopian fiction frequently draws stark contrasts between the privileges of the ruling class and the dreary existence of the working class.
#17
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
Most (if not all) jobs could be performed equally well by a male or female person... Gone are the days when brute strength was the only requirement for a job. Women can work, given the chance, in any field men have traditionally dominated...
#18
Gebidozo 1 month ago
Norway has a program that basically finances artists so that they can focus on creating. My buddy, a jazz keyboardist, told me he basically never needs to think about getting jobs as long as he keeps performing and doing music projects in general. I wish this were the norm everywhere.
Citizens live in a dehumanized state where they conform to uniform expectations, and individuality and dissent are considered negative. Some dystopian works depict societies that force individuals to conform to radical egalitarian norms that discourage or suppress accomplishment and competence. Common elements include environmental devastation, mass poverty, and the loss of connection to the natural world. The natural world is often banished and distrusted.
Dystopian fiction features technology more advanced than contemporary society, with the group in power controlling it. This advanced technology serves as a tool for oppression rather than liberation. Society presents an illusion of a perfect utopian world. What appears on the surface to be an ideal society reveals deep flaws and oppression beneath.
#23
Day Andie 1 month ago
Yes. Read American history. The rich made socialism a dirty word so they would stay on top. They fought worker rights and unions and did everything they could to stratify society and make sure they were on top. They gave corporations the same rights as human beings, but gave them no responsibilities to society. Socialism was supposedly evil and society would collapse. Well, s**t's gonna hit the fan for the rest of us under the capitalism they created.
#24
Day Andie 1 month ago
But remember, corporations have rights. No responsibility, but lots of rights.
keyboardtek 1 month ago
Someone recently told me all of the tax breaks that billionaires get are all legal. Just because something is legal does not make it ethical to do.
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Riley Quinn 1 month ago
And if Congress really represented their constituents instead of their bank accounts, they would regulate these greedy SOBs back to the Stone Age. Blame Congress, both the Reps and the Dems brought this greedy beast into our lives.
Dystopias, through exaggerated worst-case scenarios, present criticism of current trends, societal norms, or political systems, and typically reflect contemporary sociopolitical realities. Dystopian fictions invariably reflect the concerns and fears of their creators' contemporaneous culture.
#25
2WheelTravlr 1 month ago
I admit I laughed when someone who is bemoaning decreasing numbers of readers uses a word that essentially means the opposite of what they're trying to say. They mean "discord" rather than "discourse".
#26
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
Everyone deserves a liveable wage... More money needs to be invested in mental health and support programs to help people get back to being able to cope in the (working) world and have a decent life.
The power of dystopian fiction lies in its ability to serve as cautionary tales, warning societies about potential futures if certain trajectories continue unchecked. By understanding both the origins of the term and its defining characteristics, we can better appreciate how dystopian narratives function as mirrors reflecting our deepest anxieties about power, technology, freedom, and human nature.
#28
shg stewart 1 month ago
China is an authoritarian, state-capitalist hellhole that's ethnociding its non-Han minorities, executes almost as many people as the United States, practices forcible organ harvesting, and is rapidly developing income inequality as bad as anywhere else in the world. Plus, they're desperately in need of writing reform if they ever want to achieve universal literacy. That's not worth emulating any which way.
#29
#31
Rosecrucian Roeth 1 month ago
We have reverted to the Naz! era.......only this time it is spreading with little resistance!
#32
Nikole 1 month ago (edited)
As someone who lives in Chicago (actual city, just south of Pilsen), it's been fúcking terrifying and infuriating. I'm just waiting for them to come into Pilsen, Chinatown, and my neighborhood. Yeah, disappear that 80 year old Chinese grandmother who has lived here for 25 years. She certainly is the "worst of the worst". I bought a fúcking "respirator" mask because I'm just waiting for ICE to arrive and I will confront them. We're being invaded and it's not by "illegals".
#33
Multa Nocte 1 month ago
Seriously. I used to live in that neck of the woods and it is whiter than white. As white, perhaps, as sheets.
#34
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
I can see this starting to change with the younger generations (I'm in my mid 50s). People do want an actual work-private life balance, enjoying their lives as they go along rather than seeing enjoyment as reserved for their retirement years they may never get to experience.
#38
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
Being apolitical is being right-winged. Look at this hill, and see me ready to d!e on it.
#39
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
"It"s not that deep" well if someone is offended maybe it IS that deep !
#41
#42
#43
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
I don't understand how anyone can possibly be threatened by a minority which makes up less than a percentage point of an entire population... Take a reality check folks. And stop falling for the propaganda of the fear and hate mongers who are trying to have people infighting to distract them from political matters that actually matter.
#46
Analyn Lahr 1 month ago
Not an actual in circulation coin, right? Because then I'll have to stop using cash.
#48
Rosecrucian Roeth 1 month ago
At the rate America is going, there isn't going to be much time left.......................for anything!
#49
Oskar vanZandt 1 month ago
That guy is a joke! Just like most of President Cheetos' handpicked psychotic and completely unqualified sycophants...
#50
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
The day white people will be able to admit that they have a privilege is the day I can rest in peace. And yes, life is hard no matter your skin colour but at least when you're white it's not an everyday concern.
#52
Rosecrucian Roeth 1 month ago
Most people love the constitution as long as they can use it for their own nefarious purposes.
#55
Michael Fernandez 1 month ago (edited)
We’re where I feared we’d end up when Reagan was elected.
#58
#61
Plentyofoomph 1 month ago
I don't understand how anyone supported Charlie Kirk, or even took him seriously. He was such a terrible debater.
#64
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
I said it yesterday under another post, but I saw someone say that men want kids the same way a child wants a puppy. They want the concept of fatherhood without the responsibilities. My own @sshole of a sp3rm sh0oter is a great example of that, and he even managed to do it twice in 2 different continents ! (that I know of !)
#67
Namanmehta Mehta 1 month ago (edited)
They pool money from many and give to those whalo need claims the sum insured is always higher then premium you pay
#72
Andrew Keir 1 month ago
I tried dialectical materialism. It was too difficult for me to understand.
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What do you think ?
Multa Nocte 1 month ago
There are some really good ones here, good enough to trigger a few people I can already predict in advance. 🤣
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago
This isn't society. This is America. You need to understand the difference.
Rick Murray 1 month ago (edited)
What happens in America... spills over like p*ss in a bed. Is there any country that hasn't been affected by random tariffs for bull-manure reasons? Or the EU pussyfooting around because they don't want to offend the Tangerine T*rd in case he says "sc*ew Ukraine" out of spite? After all, look at his reaction to Canada over a satirical advert. Or Elon Musk proudly supporting Germany's AfD, and stringing along that moron Farage... So, what happens there affects *everywhere*.
Load More Replies...
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
What happens in the U.S. affects other places sooner or later.
Load More Replies... Chich the witch 1 month ago
You ever wonder if other people get sick of americans whining about every f*****g thing about themselves all the f*****g time?
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
It’s an interconnected world. Like it or not, what happens in the U.S. does affect other places.
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Kris Tyler 1 month ago (edited)
Still too many of y'all think there is hope in your team. They are in on it together
Peter Bear 1 month ago
History will record, later down the line, that America as a nation died in 2001 with the passing of the PATRIOT ACT. That was the fatal wound. Everything since has been the corpse rotting.
Rick Murray 1 month ago
Every country passes dumb laws from time to time (Britain's OSA, anyone?). No, the death of the United States will be recorded as when the populace voted in Trump for a second term. The damage he has done - not only to foreign relations but also to his own citizens... it's rather mind-numbing, really.
Load More Replies... Max(pronouns/whatever/hamster) 1 month ago
again americans, who think that the world moves around them. Europe were before america, and will probably still stand, when people in usa find a stone to k**l eachother with
Progressive Nihilism, the mansplainer 1 month ago (edited)
The headline reads "50 pics". At 32 I had seen one picture and the rest were cartoons or printscreens of social media posts with individuals' opinions. But it seemed to work well as documentation for most here, so....
TheWickedOne 1 month ago
Isn't there a lot of other countries you could go to if you hate it in America so much?... the crying here, omg. :))
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
In case you didn’t notice, it costs a lot of money and you have to jump through a lot of hoops to move from one country to another. Personally, I wish everybody could just live wherever they want to live, without all the hassles. If you don’t want to hear me pointing out the things I don’t like about the U.S., then make it easier for me to leave!
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Bartlet for world domination 1 month ago
The ideology being everyone deserves the resources to start their pursuit of happiness.
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Nikole 1 month ago (edited)
That’s not how Prozac works. I’ve been on it. No anti-depressant suddenly is super anti depressing because youve doubled your dose.
Load More Replies... Multa Nocte 1 month ago
There are some really good ones here, good enough to trigger a few people I can already predict in advance. 🤣
Zig Zag Wanderer 1 month ago
This isn't society. This is America. You need to understand the difference.
Rick Murray 1 month ago (edited)
What happens in America... spills over like p*ss in a bed. Is there any country that hasn't been affected by random tariffs for bull-manure reasons? Or the EU pussyfooting around because they don't want to offend the Tangerine T*rd in case he says "sc*ew Ukraine" out of spite? After all, look at his reaction to Canada over a satirical advert. Or Elon Musk proudly supporting Germany's AfD, and stringing along that moron Farage... So, what happens there affects *everywhere*.
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
What happens in the U.S. affects other places sooner or later.
Load More Replies... Chich the witch 1 month ago
You ever wonder if other people get sick of americans whining about every f*****g thing about themselves all the f*****g time?
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
It’s an interconnected world. Like it or not, what happens in the U.S. does affect other places.
Load More Replies... Kris Tyler 1 month ago (edited)
Still too many of y'all think there is hope in your team. They are in on it together
Peter Bear 1 month ago
History will record, later down the line, that America as a nation died in 2001 with the passing of the PATRIOT ACT. That was the fatal wound. Everything since has been the corpse rotting.
Rick Murray 1 month ago
Every country passes dumb laws from time to time (Britain's OSA, anyone?). No, the death of the United States will be recorded as when the populace voted in Trump for a second term. The damage he has done - not only to foreign relations but also to his own citizens... it's rather mind-numbing, really.
Load More Replies... Max(pronouns/whatever/hamster) 1 month ago
again americans, who think that the world moves around them. Europe were before america, and will probably still stand, when people in usa find a stone to k**l eachother with
Progressive Nihilism, the mansplainer 1 month ago (edited)
The headline reads "50 pics". At 32 I had seen one picture and the rest were cartoons or printscreens of social media posts with individuals' opinions. But it seemed to work well as documentation for most here, so....
TheWickedOne 1 month ago
Isn't there a lot of other countries you could go to if you hate it in America so much?... the crying here, omg. :))
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
In case you didn’t notice, it costs a lot of money and you have to jump through a lot of hoops to move from one country to another. Personally, I wish everybody could just live wherever they want to live, without all the hassles. If you don’t want to hear me pointing out the things I don’t like about the U.S., then make it easier for me to leave!
Load More Replies... Bartlet for world domination 1 month ago
The ideology being everyone deserves the resources to start their pursuit of happiness.
Load More Replies... Nikole 1 month ago (edited)
That’s not how Prozac works. I’ve been on it. No anti-depressant suddenly is super anti depressing because youve doubled your dose.
Load More Replies...
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