RE: Real Freedom - You don't have it, You Probably Never Will, and that's OK
A well articulated piece, but I don't agree with the idea of failure. I don't see it as failure if your integrity sends ripples into the world and provides generational change. Even if you are unaware of those ripples your self. It is and always has been the individuals with integrity that have propagated social evolution. Socrates is but one example.
Social paradigms don't happen on the flick of a switch, they happen over a slowly shifting gradient. Even if paradigms are much more rapid now due to technology, there is still a dimension of time.
I think what we are seeing globally is an ideological rift that can only be resolved by a single victorious collective unconscious (by this I mean universal preferences, not to be confused with collective ideology). However this time the battle is not within a single nation, but the global society. As has always been the case, this will involve much bloodshed, as those losing grips on the power they held within their ideology won't give it up quite so easily. But when the ashes settle, a new dawn of humanity will once again rise. Like you, I have much doubt that this will happen in my life time. But, the pace of these things is much faster than even in our parent's generation.
I find your comment encouraging.
When I refer to failure, I speak from my experience of attempting to achieve particular goals. Clearly, I have planted seeds in my day, and some of those seeds have sprouted, and cast their own seed. While this may result in wonderful things, as it isn't the particular goals I had in mind, and I may never even know of these wonderful things, I cannot count on such to consider as success.
It may, perhaps, be the best success I can hope for, other than such as I met raising kids. NOT that I met all those goals either! LOL
Regarding collective progress, I both hope and fear the rise of AI in this context. Most folk aren't particularly progressive, especially after being beaten down for a decade or two.
The possibilities are endless, beyond my imagination, and yet the horrors that might come all too dire.
Acceptance, to me, is recognition that I am not in charge of it, and can't do much about it, and when I tried I failed. As pissing and moaning about it does neither me, nor anyone else any good, I essay to hodl my principles 'til I die, and let the chips fall where they may.
Thanks!