Skuka's popular narrative says that we are all doomed. i refuse to be doomed describes how this is psychological warfare on people that is done to break us, make us docile, make us accept that things are always just getting worse and there is no point in anything other than buying shit on amazon and embracing generative AI. I also refuse to be doomed. I'm not denying that things are bad. But I refuse to be doomed. My being doomed helps no one. It's a fight, oftentimes. I watch what I allow in my brain. I have rules. It's hard work, refusing to be doomed. In Not the End of the World, Hannah Ritchie uses this neat collection of statements The world is much better; the world is still awful; the world can do much better. All three statements are true. I'm going to write more about the book as soon as I get my copy back from my mum. But even just this one concept is so helpful as a way to encapsulate things. It's also addressed by Our World in Data. There are people everywhere making real, good change. Doing amazing things. Being doomed does them a disservice. Our energies would be better spent helping them, surely. If not, getting out of their way. One way to fight doom is look at the actual facts. Anecdotal but many of the most doom and gloom people I know are also the people most accepting of what the algorithm gives them and the least likely to look it up to see whether it's true or not. Spoilers, it generally isn't! Do not assist the psyop! The algorithm is the ultimate 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story.' History also shows us things are not that bad. They might feel bad, but most things generally are not. Whenever my wife dooms and glooms about World War III being about to happen I say, "I don't think it will, based on the fact it hasn't yet." Not the most logically sound argument but things have been a whole lot worse historically without World War III. For the record, my wife is an exceptionally non-doomy person. Which makes it all the starker when she is and I fully blame the psychological warfare for when she is doom and gloomy. This I think is another important factor in refusing to be doomed: being around similar people. The people I am closest to are more upbeat. Some naturally, like my wife. Some because they feel they have a duty to be, like my sister. Some because they work hard to be, like my mum. Also I've sort of started this irl project which I think is going to be really useful for my doom levels. Your focus determines your reality Qui-Gon Jinn said. It's such a good, concise quote. And it's so, so true. Here's some anti-doom resources Our World in Data 'increasing understanding of the world’s largest problems and drive informed action to solve them' Fix the News 'Real progress on health, climate, rights, conservation, science. All the good news that never makes the front page.' solutions journalism Factfulness by Hans Rosling is a little out of date but the principles are good the Factfulness-associated Gapminder Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie is new and like Factfulness for the environment Rutger Bregman's oeuvre I'd like to read How to Fall In Love with the Future by Rob Hopkins places like Good News Instead , Reasons to be Cheerful, and The Progress Network I've heard of similar 'good news' instagrams all the people everywhere making real, good changes If you're of the "if I didn't laugh I'd cry" persuasion here are my favourite Onion articles Scientists Politely Remind World That Clean Energy Technology Ready To Go Whenever Climate Researchers Warn Only Hope For Humanity Now Lies In Possibility They Making All Of This Up Climate Scientists Announce Earth Doing Pretty Good Today So You Can Take Afternoon Off And Have Fun Honestly I feel like we owe it to ourselves and others to fight this as hard as we can. And it is hard! But I don't see any other choice. See also Facts and Feelings 5th June 2026