Describe an experience you had that made you lose hope in humanity.

#1

The entire experience of being American since Trump entered politics. No hope for the future of this country and all the blowhard idiots.

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#2

When they overturned "Roe vs. Wade"

When the police used anti-riot tactics on my then 10yr old son and his dad while doing a peaceful march for "Black Lives Matter"

Watching the endless stream of decent human beings who just happen to be in a fixed income lose their housing and become homeless due to the skyrocketing housing market

Watching the country devolve around the lunatic ranting of an orange pumpkin.

The endless violence in our communities where people think it's perfectly okay to kill kids and school shootings...

And the list goes on... It grows longer each day.

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#3

Working in a public school. Parents lie through their teeth to teachers and administrators, blame everyone but themselves/their children for their kids' bad behavior, claim their children are being bullied when we know their child is, in fact, the bully, do their kids' homework/projects (it's glaringly obvious your 7 year old did not make that perfectly executed __________), demand their child receive special treatment from teachers/coaches, complain when their child is making poor grades after you've been asked multiple times to meet with their teacher to help fix the issue, sending kids to school sick (fevers, vomiting, diarrhea) because you think they're "fine" (then half their class gets sick as well as staff members), and watching parents bully their own kids because the parent refuses to take responsibility for their own mistakes.

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#4

The way anti-choice "sidewalk counselors" treat people going into or coming out of clinics where abortions are performed. Such as the she-demon who yelled at a couple "Congratulations - you just killed your daughter!" Or the ones shoving pictures of chopped up babies in the faces of people who are already traumatized by a tough decision. Or who aren't even getting abortions, but seeking health screenings they can't get anywhere else.

These vermin have the chutzpah to call themselves Christians!

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#5

"Alternative facts"

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#6

October 17, 2022. I woke up and turned on the news. The lead story that would dominate the headlines for weeks was the ambush killing of two Bristol Ct police officers, both of whom I had known personally. They had been lured into a trap by the killer when they responded to a fake emergency call. The third officer who responded was wounded but managed to kill the shooter with a single shot. The outpouring and sympathy for their families and love and support from the community was incredible. But the horrible fact remains that this person chose to take the lives of two people whose job it was to protect and serve their community. And there are still those-some right here on Bored Panda-who do not support the police. I agree that not every cop is honest or trustworthy, but it is not right to condemn them all for the actions of a few. Blue lives matter. They place those lives on the line every day to protect us all.

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#7

Waves arms around pointing at everything*

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#8

When a pig like Trump got elected...and the aftermath. He mobilized a most horrific attacks on minorities and democracy. The ignorance in this country is unconscionable.
He has brought America back to it's horrific roots.

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#9

When AI began making "art." The number of people who want this to happen so they don't have to pay a living person the actual value of their work and time is staggering.

If you're an artist look up Nightshade and Glaze.

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#10

a white kid 4th grader walked up to my black friend the other day and said the n-word.

also, i looked in the mirror :(

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#11

Teaching at a private school makes me lose and regain hope in humanity on a daily basis. Lying and bullying, amazing talent and curiosity, indifference and apathy, sensitivity and humanity in one big, amazing, all flavored package. Don't give up hope yet...

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#12

I spent 20 years as a crime/investigative reporter, saw it all, smelled it all, that's the job. Everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day, you question humanity. You wonder if there is even such a thing as kindness. I'm hesitant to write this but I do so as someone who has seen the worst of us up close, but please know there are more good people out there, than bad. People who help strangers, people who run toward what others run from. Yeah it is messed up, brutal, but I still believe we've got a chance. I did walk away spent the last 20 years covering sports, but from seeing the caring of many of these responses, good to know, we still have a chance, don't give up on humanity, we need ya.

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#13

Wars over the stupidest f*****g things that cost people millions of lives. Rasicm, people hating the LGBTQ+ for no reason, people I hear in VR saying slavery should be legal. People hating all Cops for the small amount of cops that make the news. The last one is religion because even when I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade I had classmates saying I will go to hell because I don't believe in God. People making wars over the tiniest differences in their religion. This one is huge to me since I love animals, but when people kill or hurt animals just because they can, I just want to strangle those people for cause animals pain for no reason.

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#14

Not really one experience, but collective things I encounter or witness on the daily.

Instead of waiting for people to be able to move aside or waiting a turn to go, there's more pushy, impatient behaviour with no manners. Instead of an "excuse me, please.", people are barking "MOVE."

There are people who have mentioned they expect the government to not care nor fund social services, and that disadvantaged people should rely only on privately funded organizations and donations. Unfortunately, donations and charitable contributions are at an all time low. Society is becoming more on focusing on just ourselves and saying "you're on your own." to people in need. Less and less people are willing to help others and help to create teamwork in our communities.
Just recently in a FB group for people in my city, someone was offering services to shovel snow for people. He got just a couple genuine, interested inquiries and a lot of comments slamming him for charging $40 an hour, and saying they can do it themselves for free, or know someone else who could do the work for less. Sure, no one has to take up on his offer. But it's the principle. He's offering a service many could use, as shovelling snow in Canada, with the windrows of ice chunks the city plows leave in front of boulevards and driveways, and how much snow we got dumped on us, I would gladly pay $40 to have someone else do the shovelling. But I don't live in a house.

A women (I've noticed particularly, and others have, too.) just can't say anything positive with others leaving it positive. On that same group mentioned above (people in my city), I posted that it was so nice to hear the coyotes howling somewhere in the outskirts of the perimeter. Some jackass actually took that post as a tone of lament, and told me "Calm down. Stop complaining about coyotes." ...What??? It's not the first time someone told me to "calm down". I swear people are programmed to automatically assume any time a woman has something to say it's negative and nagging. Just something I've noticed. Maybe it's not anything new. I just thought society was moving forward better. Not backwards.

History DOES repeat itself, but in different contexts and situations. People really like organization and pitting people in neat, exclusive groups. However it may be done. We're doing this with divisive politics, generations, and still with race. It's never going to end.

There are more people in the world than ever in history. That means more sadists and manipulators than ever before. Human trafficking, slavery, killers and the like. It's happening in our towns, close to our homes.

Human meat, I learned recently is a thing somewhere. I'm not certain if it's something in North America to be concerned about.

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#15

Got bullied in 7th grade by someone I thought was my friend. Went on for a lot of the year before a teacher finally came to talk with us. She lied about everything and my teacher eventually just said “Just stay away from each other”. That was it. Little b***h got away scot-free.

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#16

Bored Panda posting the daily sewer line of celebrity gossip and TikTok garbage from Andréa Oldereide.

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#17

You expect only ONE answer??

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#18

Reading this article. We all need to stop focusing so much on the negative and look at the good that's going on around us.

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#19

Certain individuals are relentlessly trying to deprive those who don't conform to their beliefs, like transgender individuals, of their basic human rights. It's truly astounding that even in modern times, prejudice remains widespread. From xenophobia, transphobia, and homophobia to racism, ableism, and beyond, bigotry persists. Although it's acknowledged that complete eradication may be impossible, the pervasive discrimination is still alarming. The events such as January 6th, 2021, and The actions of certain political groups, like the MAGAs, evoke a visceral reaction, despite my disinterest in politics. The doomsday clock nearing midnight, the closest it's been since 1947, which starkly reflects on the state of humanity. Furthermore, within families, some parents exhibit abhorrent behavior towards their own children, motivated by a craving for dominance, or twisted satisfaction. I have seen multiple times from my fellow BP friends on here, that they're in vile families, and its disheartening to hear such a thing. The catalogue of injustices appears endless.

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#20

Until 2016 I thought humanity was okay. I believed the Dalai Lama when he said that the majority of people are peaceful, want to live-and-let-live, do not want to harm anyone. It was a minority who managed to always get in the news, that wanted otherwise. I thought the problems of the past were mostly due to lack of education, access to a wide variety of information and lack of personal safety. That if those things were removed people could not be inspired by someone who wants to create threats. Most of the world was happy to live in liberal democracy.

Then it became 2016 and I was shocked to discover how much of the world does not want to get along, doesn't appreciate the variety of experience and opinions that a liberal democracy allows, and only wants everyone to think and act exactly like them. I never realized how deeply fear was ingrained that even a decent education, access to information, freedom of thought and having consistent food in their bellies could not dispel.

That so many people could not spot such a charlatan, liar, conman, so full of hate and a threat to everything that was safe and secure. That they could be so convinced of threats that did not exist.

The ignorance, superstition and emotional immaturity of the Middle Ages were not an anomaly that humanity had to live through and learn from in order to become better persons. They were very likely the default. Humanity might struggle to get out of that and the mindset that started the Second World War, but it always going to revert to that.

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#21

seeing those "ideal" aesthetic bedrooms filled with currently trendy items without any valuable artwork or books or life or a sign that a person with personality or interests live here.

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#22

when at school (im a kid) most of the kids got phones at 3 and i look at how dumb they are.

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#23

A certain orangish bad actor won the presidential election in the US in 2016. Anyone he doesn't like has suffered. He doesn't seem to like anyone so... good luck. I'm booking a vacation to begin just after election day, abroad, somewhere in the world.

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#24

hmmm.... the creation of skibidi toilet. apparently it aired on nickelodeon and my baby cousin watches it and idk what to do ;-;

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#25

There's so many on a large scale, so I'll focus on a smaller, more personal one. Long story short, I was about to be kicked out of my house at 17. I was planning to sleep in my car that night, and I didn't know what to do. I was scared for my safety. I had no money, no clothes, nothing. I had run out to escape my abusive mom. I didn't know if I would ever be able to go home again.

I texted my friends asking for help. Not a single response. I had given these people years of my life, had helped them through countless crises, given up my own mental wellbeing and health to make sure that they were okay. And they couldn't even take five minutes to text me back. That was the most alone I've ever felt in my whole life.

I'm in college now, and have friends who treat me like family. To anyone reading this, it does get better. The world has so much good in it. It just takes time to find it.

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#26

Nothing, I have faith in humanity. As a whole.

I accept that my values are not shared by others.

Personally I am very impressed how the extreme vast majority of humans work together.

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#27

Wasn't just one experience but a complete failure for homeless people. I was in a RV major accident. Because I was living and working from it I lost everything. Spent almost a week in a trauma ward at a nearby hospital. Had no place to go and no clothing to even leave the hospital. The social worker would have had no problem letting me leave in nothing but a hospital gown (no shoes, no underwear, no clothing.) Thankfully the nurse went to Walmart and bought me sweats shoes socks and top with his own money. She gave me a list of 3 homeless shelters and nothing else - two were Christian. Both Christian homeless shelters said they wouldn't take me because I couldn't walk across the street to go to Bible studies. Third one wouldn't take me because I was physically disabled.

My experience with social workers and homeless agencies

* You have to lie and say you are severely mentally ill, a drug addict or a domestic violence victim if you want to get into a shelter for 30 - 90 days.

* You have to agree to convert to christianity, morning and evening Bible study even if you have a job. You cannot miss Bible studies for any reason and attending church twice a week.

* 47 States in the United States do not have any kind of homeless shelters or transitional housing programs specifically for people who are physically disabled even though most homeless shelters refuse to take them because they are a liability.

* Once you are homeless, everything you did before becoming homeless is meaningless and no matter what happened it wasn't some way your fault. Anything you do while you're homeless is not good enough.

* Reading and talking to, with and about all the homeless people (specially women and youth) who are murdered, raped, drug and forced into trafficking because they are homeless.

* Police stealing homeless people's belongings happens in every single state and is legal.

I've never had major anxiety about people or the police..... Until now.

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#28

I was out walking with my partner, John and our dog, Ben in a lovely wooded area by a river a few years ago. I hadn't realised it but, my fave walking shoes no longer had any grip on the bottom at all. I was part way down a steep, uneven and wet set of steps when both of my feet went out from under me. I went full out onto the floor including banging my head. There was another walker just behind me who I could hear was also descending the steps. I thought he was about to stop and help me. No, he stepped over me and kept going. he didn't even look back.

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#29

How stupid and brain-dead people can be about what is going on in their country or even neighborhood. Look at US politics. Many, although definitely not all, people in this country are sheeple. Blindly following where a stronger personality leads, even if it's the wrong way.

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#30

The sheer amount of COVIDIOTs and anti-vaxxer's that reared their heads during the pandemic.

Living in a time where blatant misinformation being paraded around as fact.

People blindly following the most ridiculous conspiracy theories that fall apart under even the slightest critical thought.

And worst of all, my biological "father" being involved in all of the above.

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#31

Instagram comment section

The American education system

School shootings, how we handled/how people reacted to the pandemic, how that orange idiot got elected, how people have to pay to live, how we’ve handled global warming

How I realized that people with the money control everything and election campaigns are just marketing, and that businesses and corporations can just pay people off for anything they want

I’m only a teen, but my world has completely gone upside down over the past 6 years and I’ve completely lost my faith in my country and a lot in the world in general. I’m not saying that I’m giving up; I love life, I’m just not that proud to be a human sometimes :/

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#32

I was a closeted Arab-American teaching high school US history at Hebrew Academy in SF about 20 years ago, and I heard kids talking about how it was OK to round up Japanese Americans during WWII for security purposes. When I outed myself as an Arab-American and asked if the student thought that people liked me should be put in concentration camps, the class was silent. A few moments later, I heard laughter and intercepted a note saying, ¨Dr. Karam is a terrorist.¨ When I reported the incident to the principal and turned in the note, no disciplinary action was taken by the administration. Fast forward to today, when I am teaching in Oakland, and the OUSD superintendent blocked an OEA teacher union-approved teach-in about Gaza. When I wrote an email complaining about her anti-Arab views, OUSD posted the job I currently have on EDjoin, and I will soon be unemployed once they hire a replacement. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Palestinian children are being massacred while the US helps pay for it.

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#33

At my previous job, I experienced bullying, including physical attacks. Eh yes. As if we were still at school. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything or complain, because the people were "protected" by my stupid boss. One day, during a meeting, they all exclaimed, full of empathy, about a television commercial denouncing bullying. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

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#34

Living among people.

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#35

I've worked retail in various forms for years, so more customer interactions than I'd like qualify here. I'd have to say my worst was while I was manager at the party store. There were dealings with stereotypical sitcom soccer mom Becky's and cupons that were a year old that " you guys HAVE to honer, they're for your store!" Try joining your kindergartener in class to get a refresh on reading dates, love.
But I'd have to say my absolute worst was during my first year transitioning from a humble cashier to management. Outside of the month and a half leading up to Halloween, we were always understaffed, usually to the point where half the day was an associate on register, half the day was a manager on register to stand in as a cashier. One day I had a customer come in for a return, and I recognized her from personally ring her out about 2 weeks before. I'm not going to use her real name, so let's call her "Gabriella Fordam". She introduced herself on the day of initial purchase as "Gabriella Fordam, of the Boston Fordams" as though that meant something to me. It made a bit of my soul wither. But nothing compared to the scene she was about to make with her return. Folks, this woman was livid, simply APPALLED, that a $4.99 pack of 20 plates wasn't the same quality as the fine china on the Queen Mary and had brought them back. USED. These kiwi green plastic plates still had week old food bits on them when she pulled them out of a bag I quickly realized was a trash bag. Then began demanding a refund and further compensation for her stress and mental anguish. I painstakingly explained that we don't take in servewear products once the packages have been opened, and certainly not with food visible on said items. They had clearly served her purpose, no refunds. Cue "do you know who I am? My lawyer will..." etc.
Sorry ma'am, but policy is policy. And as you're disturbing customers, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave.
This creature upended that trasbag over myself and the counter. Trash. Food. Leftover drink.
To cut an already long story short, the police were called and her 7yr old son got to witness the entire ordeal. I worked at that place for another 4-ish years and used that incident as a training example for all of my new hires.
But just knowing that there are more like her, and raising the next generation of their family name... it doesn't give me much hope for humanity.

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#36

This is more personal, but I saw a guy at my school shove another student down the stairs because he was "walking too slow." The one who got pushed was alright (it was two steps above the floor), but that just is disgusting.

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#37

I don't know that it made me lose hope for humanity, but I definitely lost any sense that justice was real when the cops that beat Rodney King were all acquitted. For decades, Black people had been complaining about police brutality, only to be told, "Bring us proof and the system will address it." Then the entire world watched video evidence of Rodney King getting beaten, kicked, stomped relentlessly but those cops. And I thought, "FINALLY! PROOF!" And it didn't matter. That's when I was convinced that my life as a Black man in America meant nothing.

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#38

Oh several but for some reason this one came to mind when I read the question.
On a wildfire. I was assessing an area to come with a plan of action should it reach that far. A car pulls up. Fellow gets out and pointing to his home informs me that he is the only 'important' person in the area and that all resources are to be devoted to protecting his place as the rest of the residents were insignificant. Not the first or last time I encountered these types. Another was outraged that we would not send crews on a certain suicide mission to save his place. I can understand the heightened emotions at times but no excuse for this attitude.

.

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#39

Once in 5th grade I was talking to the teacher and like his desk is near the door so like I said I was talking to the teacher and one kid had to leave the room. Let’s call him Jeff (sorry to all you Jeff’s out there I bet you’re a wonderful person) anyway Jeff was leaving the room and instead of saying “Excuse me” or “Coming through” or even just saying he was there, he just straight up walked into my side and when I started to face him to say “Excuse me you’re in my space. Can you please move?” He had the audacity to say “MOVE” and I’m just standing here like “Sir what did you just say to me?” I hope you get my point

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#40

First childhood, then marriage.

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#41

The Israel / Hamas war. Everything about it.

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#42

Oooof, being a kid sucks, don it?


Grade School, round 10, 11, maybe 13? //I’ve no clue of my age anymore lol// I had a ‘friend’. Well, let’s just say, they almost had a teacher call the cops on me //they put a pencil sharpener that wasn’t mine on my desk- wasn’t entierly their fault, but they know I hate using normal pencils, so I wouldn’t have those//, Stole my plushies/stuffed animals when I brought one to show and tell
//it was like a weird mermaid thing, they asked if they could take it earlier so they could sleep with it at him and I said no. Later in the day, I couldn’t find it, and it wasn’t in my backpack, where I last put it. The next day, the6 came in the classroom with it wrapped up in a shirt saying ‘my brother took it’. Darlin, your brother isn’t even in the same bloody classroom!//
And I’m fairly certain that they lied to me when they said my ex was lying abt lovin me. Great, thanks for that, totally needed that self confidence drop as a bloody kid.

Maybe this why I ain’t too right in the head lol. But seriously- if there are jerks to this extent at ages as low as this (and I’ve seen some lower, too) our future is compleatly shattered.

Kids suck. Online school rules. Go introverts!!

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#43

Yanks and their car cult, not "car culture". They ignorantly believe that paying $800-1000 per month for a car is "freedumb!" while also paying thousands annually for gas, repairs, parking, fines, etc. And they "think" public transit is the "socialist enemy".

I live where there's public transit, both buses and a subway. I pay the fare for a ride. I pay ZERO for repairs, fuel, insurance, licensing, etc., NEVER need a parking space, and I can go ANYWHERE that I want at ANY TIME that I want. And yanks call that "tyranny".

You want to know what tyranny is? Cars, trucks, and SUVs terrorizing anyone who isn't inside of one. The death toll of pedestrians and cyclists on yank roads doubled to 7600 in 2021 after SUVs became the dominant car around 2010. (8,000 pedestrian deaths in 1980; 4,000 pedestrian deaths in 2000) And car companies ENCOURAGE violence, the "conquer" mentality, larger engines and heavier vehicles that go faster but can't stop.

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#44

Nothing. There are always things we need to change about the world. There will always be times like this. Things will get better.

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#45

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