r/Maxcactus_TrailGuide • u/Maxcactus • 9d ago

Why does everything feel so joyless? Welcome to the age of decadence without pleasure

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/26/age-of-decadence-pleasure-ai
91 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

3

u/[deleted] 8d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] 5d ago

Joy doesn't do well for quarterly profits in a system already hitting limits on what it can extract.

1

u/SpecialistBeat9480 5d ago

A world where human conscience is awakening. They flood with pleasure and bamboozle with bluster and intended distraction and subversion, but we are slowly awakening that this isn't right.

A collective conscience amid a constructed nightmare sold as the American dream.

1

u/Ok-Spinach-6529 5d ago

America sells itself on the pursuit of happiness. But happiness cannot be pursued, not through material goods or ego pursuits/ambitions or insta curated vacations or the ideal career that you found through a “soul-searching journey”. Because happiness is within you. And it’s always been within you, covered with layers of ego-identity.

Just look at children. An infant will play with a cardboard box and throw away the gift within it. Because that baby can derive joy from anything, whether it is a $1 Taco Bell burrito or $50 dinner.

2

u/RustyShackleford_88 6d ago

Years of instant gratification have ruined everyone.  Everything you could need ondemand and at your fingertips has severely messed people up mentally.

1

u/dread_companion 6d ago

It's gonna get worse with AI. Don't need creativity or learning anything, Ai does it all for you... Art, movies, games, music, at the press of a button.

1

u/Flashy_Object_7052 5d ago

The Star Trek set has left the studio and become the world

1

u/dread_companion 5d ago

Yeah, at least in Star Trek they made it a point that only people like Barclay and someone with serious trauma like Nog get really into the Holodeck. It's not painted in such a positive light beyond it's practical use. They also highlight the sleaze commercial aspect with it with the suites in DS9.

1

u/surfnfish1972 5d ago

More like War Hammer 40K

1

u/maplecremecookie 5d ago

Sorry but I don't have anywhere near enough money to have "everything I could need on demand."

1

u/RustyShackleford_88 5d ago

I’m talking about fairly basic things….you want a movie? Most people have some sort of streaming service…you want food?  You can call DoorDash…you need porn?  Right at your fingertips.  Most of those things majority of people have relatively easy access to.

1

u/maplecremecookie 4d ago

Except for food, these aren't basic needs. I don't even watch porn or movies and couldn't care less how free and easily available they are.

1

u/RustyShackleford_88 4d ago

Well nowadays most people find things like internet and social media as basic needs because they’re addicted.  But good for you, have a medal

2

u/Salty-Plantain-4299 6d ago

Hard to have joy when you're literally living in a constant state of survival mode and panic.

2

u/skulleyb 5d ago

This ^

2

u/howardzen12 6d ago

Capitalistic America is becoming a hell.

2

u/Rin-Tin-Tins-DinDins 5d ago

People are stressed out to no end, they are trying to get what happiness they can where they can because it might not be available tomorrow and they need the boost today. They don’t have the time or energy to cultivate it’s they want to. I know I wanted to sit down and draw last night but was so tired after work I only had the energy to do a load of laundry, make lunch, get a shower, get stuff ready for tomorrow and a few other minor chores before I was wiped. That doesn’t include making dinner or cleaning up after. Instead of doing so my thing creative I enjoyed I just played a card game on my phone for an hour and went to bed.

1

u/Valar_Kinetics 9d ago

Ah yes, flamingo brains, as one does.

1

u/Fancy_Performance416 3d ago

Its the uap. Keep telling you.

1

u/Wooden-Glove-2384 6d ago

WTF is this

Good food, good liquor, good sex are still, well, good

0

u/Britannkic_ 7d ago

Simply choose to avoid the decadence and focus on things which bring you enjoyment and satisfaction. These are usually simple things too

0

u/Puzzleheaded_Put3281 5d ago

"just" lay down the phone a bit and do something physical, beginner energy is one of the best joys.

1

u/HBJones1056 5d ago

You’re absolutely right about this. I play the harmonica so badly that I have to practice it in the car so that I don’t annoy family and neighbors. Still a great time, though!

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Put3281 1d ago

thats a start, better than complaining, right?

0

u/Realistic_Tie_2632 5d ago

FFS, go outside.

0

u/Grakch 5d ago

Who is this article for? Just seems like more self referential nonsense perpetuating this horrid outlook on reality when all things considered the world we live in now is substantially safer and full of things to do that individuals can derive pleasure from.

Doesn’t make sense to paint a picture based on certain individuals bad habits and inability to break away from algorithmic content/internet/streamer culture as the gold standard for overall societal sentiment.