So there is a loneliness epidemic caused by capitalist alienation. However, I wonder if lack of material conditions also adds to this. I just keep seeing lots of my broke guy friends depressed because they can’t find a partner and it is so hard for them to meet new people. This makes me wonder if their financial situation is the main reason.
Okay, I’m gonna be the bad guy here and use this post to say something I’ve been wanting to say: I think a lot of online leftists are a bit too optimistic about how much socialism will fix interpersonal problems.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I’m sure abolishing capitalism will be an overall net positive for humans mental health. But I see a lot of people here assume that they’d have totally awesome social and love lives if it weren’t for capitalism still being a thing and I can’t help but roll my eyes a bit, it strike me a bit like incel logic, or basement dwelling AnCaps who think they’d totally be John Galts of industry if it weren’t for taxes.
Again, socialism would likely help, but you can still be an awkward and/or maladjusted weirdo who can’t talk to girls under socialism. I’d rather be a friendless weirdo in a society where I also don’t have to deal with the stresses of looming poverty over my head, and yeah maybe I’d have an easier time making friends if I had more time off and lived in a city with better PT. But I think a lot of the bullshit that makes me an anti-social dork wouldn’t be automatically improved by me living in a dictatorship of the proletariat.
As for dating and romance, again capitalism sure ain’t helping, but I also think there’s a lot less material incentive to get in a relationship these days and as a result a lot of people are finding they’re happier single and independent than in a mediocre relationship. The boomer phenomenon of married couples who fucking hate each other but stay together out of fear of “being alone” inspired a lot of younger people to try and learn how to be okay with being alone so they wouldn’t end up finding boomer “I hate my wife” comedy funny. Again maybe socialism would make it easier for people to network and find relationships that actually work for them, but I think some of it is also just an evolution of how humans feel about family building and cohabitation.
Would socialism be able to fix everything as it exists right now? No, obviously not. But socialism will change the conditions that cause these issues to arise over time. I think its fair for people to acknowledge the fact that capitalism and class society is the ultimate root of these problems and it is the fault of no single individual.
Exactly, it’s like the development of a vaccine. It won’t cure the permanent damage or disability that’s already been done, but it will drastically reduce the occurrence of such damage in the future.
Not just that, but our foundational social structures have been completely upended by capitalism. We are simply not meant to live like this and socialism will help us start to repair the damage. We are supposed to live communally, our isolation at the expense of capital has done incalculable social damage.
I think it’s more that socialism is a prerequisite of fixing interpersonal issues on a large scale. You can’t stitch the wound while the knife is still in it.
I don’t think is that comrades think that socialism will given them a harem or anything that incel profess, but that it will give the freedom and capacity to people to have the opportunity to socialize more and by that making deeper connections with other people.
Incel was probably too extreme of a comparison. My point is, while socialism would perhaps make it easier for individuals to confront these problems, a lot of the leg work to actually improve their situation still falls on the individual. I may have an easier time working on not being a basement dwelling troglodyte under socialism but i still would have to do the bulk of the work myself.
I imagine it would at least making working on yourself feasible, which might be enough. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to put some kind of self-improvement on the back burner because of the pressing need to focus on becoming more employable. I think having more free time and energy would do wonders for people’s personal development.
what kind of self-improvement had to go on the back burner?
Reading theory for starters. For long stretches of time, I just don’t have the mental bandwidth. Working, trying to find a new job, etc seem to leave me mentally drained more and more frequently.
Learning new things, developing hobbies, meeting new people. Going to the gym regularly or eating healthier. I have limited time and energy at the best of times.
For a recent example: I opted out of a reading and discussion group I’m really interested in, in favor of reading and learning about writing resumes and doing better in job interviews.
ok, and people are unable to do that legwork under capitalism, but they’d have much better ability to do that legwork if they weren’t being destroyed by capitalism.
I agree
maybe it won’t give you a harem but i’m built different
🙄
We’d need to cure incel type thinking and teach them on how to care for themselves so that they can actually care for women. Seeing women as objects of desire rather than people with their own wants and needs is antithetical to the socialist project. That is not to say that more secure resources will certainly make things easier for everyone.
It clearly is a collective problem in the west and when socialists are in power and see problems, we want to solve them. A portion of resources dedicated towards training psychologists to improve the interpersonal relationships of everyone would be a massive boon to everyone’s experience of socialism.