New Year's isn't just "another day"

[nobodylovesme]

I know many outcast and introverts here are going to justify being left alone with "it's just a day out of 365" or "I'd rather spend it with my family or alone" tier copes.

Technically true, but you know, and we know, those are just empty statements for some ego-preservation.

This day works to expose if there are people who want you around.

Ouch.

 

[Deleted member 178409]

I know many outcast and introverts here are going to justify being left alone with "it's just a day out of 365" or "I'd rather spend it with my family or alone" tier copes.

Technically true, but you know, and we know, those are just empty statements for some ego-preservation.

This day works to expose if there are people who want you around.

Ouch.

What would you recommend those people to do today?

 

[PrettyLights]

nobodylovesme​

 

[Gargantuan]

It’s an arbitrary date within a man-made calendar holding no natural significance. Framing it as a test of whether or not you're wanted is the actual ego preservation here, since you're outsourcing self-worth to attending a man-made ritual that only matters because people agreed to pretend it does.

 

[Nexom]

It’s an arbitrary date within a man-made calendar holding no natural significance. Framing it as a test of whether or not you're wanted is the actual ego preservation here, since you're outsourcing self-worth to attending a man-made ritual that only matters because people agreed to pretend it does.

While I agree with man-made events to be somewhat irrelevant and I love nature to utmost extent, I also think it's our way of holding what would be seasonal behaviors for animals. Many animals have rituals like mating seasons, their own types of festivals, migration, hibernation or even literally mourning (pretty smart animals do this as well, like crows, dolphins, apes, elephants, etc.). Sure it's mostly for survival, but since we got to a point in which survival isn't an issue anymore, we basically use it to cope or just for social bonding (which is also practiced in nature as well). Tribes have always held rituals as well for various reasons.

So, when survival pressure drops, at least for us, they turn into culture. There's a reason we managed to get this far, and that's because we're social mammals. I don't think it's about pretending it matters, but rather just coming together, getting involved in something, belonging, etc. We literally need bonding to function properly, we just dismiss "seasons" in this sense and use calendars.

That being said, I think it isn't meaningless but not a verdict on someone's value either (since we gave it value and it doesn't really exist naturally). It's simply something that resurfaces social dynamics.

- Typed from my man-made computer with man-made letters

 

[PsychoDsk]

Ouch indeed my nigga

 

[Godtis]

It’s an arbitrary date within a man-made calendar holding no natural significance. Framing it as a test of whether or not you're wanted is the actual ego preservation here, since you're outsourcing self-worth to attending a man-made ritual that only matters because people agreed to pretend it does.

Time doesn't even exist.

 

[Gargantuan]

While I agree with man-made events to be somewhat irrelevant and I love nature to utmost extent, I also think it's our way of holding what would be seasonal behaviors for animals. Many animals have rituals like mating seasons, their own types of festivals, migration, hibernation or even literally mourning (pretty smart animals do this as well, like crows, dolphins, apes, elephants, etc.). Sure it's mostly for survival, but since we got to a point in which survival isn't an issue anymore, we basically use it to cope or just for social bonding (which is also practiced in nature as well). Tribes have always held rituals as well for various reasons.

So, when survival pressure drops, at least for us, they turn into culture. There's a reason we managed to get this far, and that's because we're social mammals. I don't think it's about pretending it matters, but rather just coming together, getting involved in something, belonging, etc. We literally need bonding to function properly, we just dismiss "seasons" in this sense and use calendars.

That being said, I think it isn't meaningless but not a verdict on someone's value either (since we gave it value and it doesn't really exist naturally). It's simply something that resurfaces social dynamics.

- Typed from my man-made computer with man-made letters

That’s fair. Rituals acting as social ‘glue’ holding communities together make a lot of sense. Humans are social animals after all, and once survival pressure dropped, we started turning seasons and transitions into culture.

Where I draw the line is when a ritual stops being about shared bonding and starts being treated as a measure of personal value. When it’s about people coming together, there’s a clear upside, but once it slides into ego, that’s where it loses me. At that point, it’s no longer really about bonding but about tying self-worth to an arbitrary moment.

So I don’t think New Year’s is meaningless per se, just that it’s a very blunt instrument, and a poor stand-in for real social signal.

Time doesn't even exist.

 

[Nexom]

Where I draw the line is when a ritual stops being about shared bonding and starts being treated as a measure of personal value. When it’s about people coming together, there’s a clear upside, but once it slides into ego, that’s where it loses me. At that point, it’s no longer really about bonding but about tying self-worth to an arbitrary moment.

If this is your main point then yeah, 100% agree. That's the degeneracy part of it for sure.