this post was submitted on 21 May 2024
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when things get too real for me_irl

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For relatable posts that are too real for !me_irl. Meaning jokes/posts about mental health issues and self deprecating humour.

This is a subreddit for memes that hit too close to home or are too real for communities like !me_irl

If you have depression, talk to a therapist, it really does help. You are not alone, and recovery is possible and worth it.

If you find jokes about suicide, depression or self harm upsetting, this sub might not be the right place for you. This is a place for people who use self deprecating humor as a coping mechanism, not for those making fun of mental illness.

With that out of the way, the rules are as follows:

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From the desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

Thoreau, Walden

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

”and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats”

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

According to Brittanica, muskrats are in the same subfamily as lemmings! I think Lemmy has its new motto.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I love this! Except it won't take because it starts with "musk".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation

Bravery in this context is likely the same "brave" that is used in the phrase "O brave new world. That has such people in't!" from The Tempest. It's not "brave" as in courageous, but rather refers to handsomeness, beauty, splendor, etc. So Thoreau here is probably saying, "you go from the city into the country hoping to find something beautiful and all you find is a bunch of rodents."