"Guys, do you think if we provided for people's basic needs they'd feel better and behave better?"
Yes. Obviously.
this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2024
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Yes. I think a lot of our mental health problems are a result of insecurity. Like, we have a civilization based around civility. But then we have people fighting for their lives within it. And we get on those people’s cases for being warlike, but they’re literally living in a state of nature.
But I also think that poverty isn’t the only source of mental illness at a societal level. I think aspects of our culture make it worse. For example, the expectation that life should be easy fucks people up badly.
My mental health has improved enormously as I’ve taken more responsibility for myself. In many ways, my own mental health issues were an extension of the fact that my mother would respond to me crying by comforting me. There’s a significant part of myself that believes that if I fall apart, it will trigger affection.
Realizing that I have no rescue coming has helped me stabilize myself.
But yes, we definitely don’t take care of people right. Earlier today a pregnant friend showed me her eviction notice, and I just felt so sad. It’s not even a legal matter. It’s a cultural one. That anyone, at any time, would consider profit above allowing a pregnant mother to stay sheltered, is beyond me.
She’ll be staying with me, in my 250 SF apartment, because I’m not a moral imbecile like her landlord is.
It’s a sacrifice. My privacy and decompression time is very important to me. More important to me, I’d wager, than the $$ this landlord gets from that one apartment. But I’m not a fucking moron, and I know that my own peace of mind is less valuable to me than the stress levels of a pregnant woman are to the entire lifetime of the child inside her.
Like what the fuck is this guy thinking, to evict a pregnant woman? What the actual, ever-loving fuck? I want to slap him and be like “Dude are you awake? Do you not see the precious human life in your hands?”
How much of a reduction is "massive"?
Stress is undoubtedly a massive factor in mental illness, but there are others. Genetics plays a huge factor, as does trauma. I suspect lack of community is pretty huge too.
It just seems like society is knowingly creating hell on earth.
Yeah. I agree with this one. We're too invested in the current order to seriously consider anything else.
A ton of "trauma" is indirectly caused by poverty and stress as well. So you might need to wait decades for these effects to really show.
Idk what massive is tbh.
But I think a lot of youth have some form of trauma from watching their parents try to survive.
Yes.
Societal issues like crime would be greatly reduced if people were able to live with relative security regarding housing and food.
Hobbies and recreational activities provide significant mental health benefits. If everyone was able to afford housing, food, and some recreation we'd have a massive shift in this country.
I'm not even saying working particularly hard. Everyone seems to need a job and they don't all have to be back breaking hard work to earn these things. Mcdonalds and Kohls aren't prestigious jobs, but shouldnt those workers deserve to know they have a roof over their heads and food on the table?
It certainly would help. Unfortunately there are tons of variables that can lead to mental health issues beyond one's basic needs being met.
It's Maslows hierarchy of needs, if you have a full stomach, a warm home, and a safe place to sleep at night then you are halfway up the pyramid. Of course there's loads of other things that can cause issues, but knocking off the main ones is going to improve everyones life even there's still problems.
Yeah I just feel like it would help a lot and save a lot of life from existing pointlessly. I wish the current world was a place where people could play their part. There's too many people losing time and life because the full spectrum of humanity is denied. So much Good goes unmanifested.