How would you rate your confidence level?
With respect to what? Am I confident that by summer I’ll be able to walk normally and have full range of motion in my right shoulder after I finish my physical therapy? Yes, highly confident.
Am I confident that the Democrats will keep control of the White House, the U.S. Senate, and regain control of the House of Representatives in 2024? No, not confident at all.
Am I confident that, in the event the Republicans do take control of the White House and Congress, democracy in America will survive another four years. No, not at all.
Am I confident that anything will ever be done about the proliferation of guns and mass shootings? About restoring a woman’s right to manage her own reproductive healthcare? About gender equally? About improved race relations? About a reduction in hate crimes and domestic political violence? No, no, no, no, and no.
Am I confident that, if we humans don’t get serious about climate change by the end of this decade, human life on Earth will survive through the end of this century? Fuhgeddaboudit.
My bottom line is that I’m highly confident about personal things that are reasonably within my control, and not at all confident about any those big societal and political issues I’ve mentioned being resolved. And, for what it’s worth, I’m fairly confident that I probably won’t still be alive twenty years from now.
So in the long run, none of these things will matter anyway. At least not to me. Thus, the question about my confidence level is irrelevant.
This, That, and the Other 
Yep. Similar feelings here…
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My reaction to this question was also “with respect to what”
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I think you just summed it up.
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Agreed but I hope for better things for my family’s future
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
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I do too, but my confidence level isn’t high.
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Actually, I’m kinda confident that human life will continue on this earth… only the most hearty or lucky or something. Very few people. I’m additionally confident- before then -that people will talk about climate change like they care while we as a whole won’t do anything big enough to matter. It’s bullshit that it’s in our political rhealm (not that we couldn’t do anything about it but it ain’t gonna happen even if Democrats are in charge… the current dominant crop). Then, when larger catastrophes hit, our order as is will be gone (I don’t know what will happen to gender and race rights and equality and democracy at that point).
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/3/14/cop_city_wrongful_death
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AUTOPSY Reveals New Key Details About the
Activist Killed at “Cop City” [site near Atlanta]
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@22 minutes in, the guest comes in (until 1:02); tries to boost confidence 🧐
Columnist for The Nation, author of the forever wars newsletter and
“how the nine eleven era destabilized America and produced trump”
Lessons America Refuses to Learn …
3/21/23 (MR live with Spencer Ackerman)
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1:02:00 — effort at a boost in confidence or motivation
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I share your political and world views. I used to be confidant that the country I lived was a great one. Sadly, I no longer have that opinion.
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Nor do I.
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Neither do I. 😥
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Things that are out of our control, we mostly despair about them.
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Yep, my views and confidence levels are about the same as yours. I would add one: Am I confident that I’ll be here to see the year 2024 in? Not so much. Ah well, I’ve lived a good life, a meaningful and fun life. Such as it is, nothing lasts forever.
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You’d better keep on keeping on, Jill.
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Doing my best, but parts start to wear out when you get old, my friend.
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Yeah, tell me about it.
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How’s your hip? Are you getting around better these days?
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It’s coming around slowly. Still need a walker to get around, but I’m hoping to transition to a cane by early next month. Thanks for asking.
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It’s good that you have confidence in your physical therapy! I’m almost there but I will never be overly confident that I won’t trip again. I’m not taking my mobility for granted anymore.
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It’s slow going and can be painful, but I feel pretty confident that I’ll be okay at the end.
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I completely relate to your low confidence in the future of humanity, although I must say the outcome of the Dutch provincial election positively surprised me. Okay, an until then small farmers’ party won, but thankfully Thierry Baudet’s conspiracy theorist/ultra-conservative/pro-Russian party lost a lot.
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Change in the world happens when people press for it. Be part of a movement to make the world better if you’re passionate about seeing change or being involved in those conversations. Enjoy life for what it is and be present in every moment, because life is what you make it and we won’t be here forever!
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Hi
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