this post was submitted on 02 Feb 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted, clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts: 1

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[–] [email protected] 101 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Don't forget the millions of us chained to the bottom because we have no choice

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Oh hello my friend, you fully drowned yet? I'm getting there.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 days ago (10 children)

Having no choice people think we can just jump ship (or I guess the pot) when they don't realize the people who can't do it at all because there chained to it

For instance trans people can't get passports or renew them meaning they have absolutely no way to leave.

We need to stay and help the disenfranchised instead of jumping ship

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Its such a shit situation. If you want out, you generally need to get a job in another country. A job in a different country generally pays significantly less than the cost of living in most of the USA, so you need to already have a significant amount of money already saved to even consider it an option.

Most of us are just fucking trapped.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 6 days ago

And in the case of the EU you probably aren't getting in unless you're highly credentialed. For all their shit talking they sure hate large-scale immigration.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Maybe I'm missing the point, but COL in other countries is also only a fraction of the US's. We don't live in hunger and squalor over here, you know. Plus, to move, you won't need significant savings.
No, the real issue, as with all migration from high- to low-wage countries, is that you cannot easily return for retirement because you're not going to be able to save enough for the US's housings prices or rents.

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Called my mom last night, told her to renew her passport asap.

Most people are like “the waters warm, this is nice, what are you going on about???” And I’m like “hi yes this water is scalding hot and about to boil we need to get out!”

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Renewed mine online in October. Received in 12 days.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago (1 children)

That was under the previous administration… musk is hollowing out federal jobs so I bet the wait will be tough. Especially as more frogs realize that the pot is boiling…

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago

Longer wait times? B...b...b...but he's the head of the department of government efficiency, who could've seen this coming!?

[–] usrtrv 53 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

As an American who just emigrated, I guess I jumped. I can still vote from overseas, but I'm pessimistic about the future.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Where to, if you don't mind

[–] usrtrv 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Japan. I had an offer from an EU country that logically would have been a better choice. But I couldn't resist my inner child/weeb.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

Do they ever harass you for leaving the designated tourist areas?

Not bait I'm legitimately curious.

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

I don’t think I’ve known of a “designated tourist area” in Japan. I lived there for a month in some town that I doubt there’d be any foreign tourist and nobody harassed me and my friends. We were even helped by the locals and police when one of my friends lost their wallet, and they were super patient about it too.

[–] usrtrv 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

No, I've never experienced anything like that. Even in small towns. I'm sure it happens, but I don't think it's common as long as you're respectful.

The worse thing I've personally seen were no foreigner signs on bars during new years eve.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I’ve read (in Japanese, written by Japanese people) that those places will actually welcome you in if speak Japanese and is respectful of the place and other patrons, the latter 2 conditions just like any respectable human should. It could be that they’ve put those up due to xenophobia, but there are also those that just don’t want to deal with people who don’t respect their culture.

[–] usrtrv 2 points 5 days ago

Yea these were in a heavily touristy spots. So I don't blame them.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 6 days ago

Yea.....

Post UK Brexit was when I thought the same thing.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 days ago

Billionaires are keeping us in the pot, using levers of power that we don't access from the pot.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

This isn't the first empire. Masses can be brainwashed. You can even have multiple layers of brainwashing, like how Republicans are extremely brainwashed, and Democrats are secondarily brainwashed to think they're the moral opposition, while both of them unquestioningly support the undercurrent of global imperialism.

Literally the only escape is the entire population being fully educated on the nature of politics, economics, societies, history. A people cannot realize a free and just society without completely understanding what that requires. Until then you're all just a fish flopping around on the floor of a boat.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 days ago (1 children)

This would imply that they're not surrounded by other pots filled with water which is (varying degrees of) boiling. We don't really have a Socialist Utopia meeting spot, let's say.

Beyond that, eloping requires a not insignificant amount of money (as a Romanian, I can say that homes/apartments aren't cheap here, either, and we're not exactly L.A.)

And at the other end of the line, immigration's not exactly thought of with fondness, even in Europe. Don't forget, we're stewing in our own pot even if the heat's still relatively tolerable.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago (3 children)

This is a problem I'm having now with my boyfriend. I want to get out of the US and he says, "Where? Everywhere's falling to fascism right now. And it's hard and expensive to emigrate." It doesn't help that he also thinks it's not worth it to think about leaving until the water's actually boiling and he has verified it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Your boyfriend is right. Unless one of you has an in-demand technical degree or a lot of money, immigration to Western countries is going to be out of reach. That leaves you with weakened economies which are either already authoritarian, or trending authoritarian. Even if you could get to a place like Europe, far-right parties emboldened by their new U.S. support are rising in popularity and receiving centrist support in places like France and Germany.

There is no green field to relax in while the rest of the world collapses. You'll have to fight to prevent the slide to fascism wherever you go.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

True - it's the rising tide right now and probably for humanity's future since we're on a sinking ship globally. I do have the benefit of working for a global company and a boss who's already told me I can transfer to whichever country I pick that they operate in. But he's not as optimistic for his own job needs, and it's still about choosing a country that could possibly just let us die in peace before it also goes to shit.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yeah most people were like "I'm moving to Canada!" Ignoring the fact that the person most likely to be PM in a couple months is also fully a Musk shill. Europe is pushing right-wing and the UK's been down bad for a while. Maybe Australia or New Zealand?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The Scandanavian countries currently look the safest to me. I think Iceland would be nearly ideal, in a lot of ways. but I worry that they may be annexed by one of the larger powers as things get uglier.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Yes I was gonna say Scandinavian countries too but I have heard of a lot of institutional and general racism there (although where isn't there that right now...). Probably still a top choice though when it comes to run of the mill racism vs full on Nazis I guess.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

he's not wrong..

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 days ago

They jumped into the pot.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 days ago

Well, duh. A slowly boiling pot of water is just a fucking hot tub for 90% of the time you're in it.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 days ago

ok. ok. ok. this is a bit of a stretch. I mean its really not all that slow.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 days ago

Hahaha...

No just the ones who jumped out had means. The pot has a lid.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Inside the pot: slowly boiling water

Outside the pot: raging inferno that is heating the pot

When given the option to slowly boil, or jump into a raging inferno, I think most people would think twice about jumping out of the pot.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Pot boiling and the raging inferno are both in America. Go and explore, the world is more peaceful then you think

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I understand, but like lots of people in America I was born here and have have had my wages suppressed because of multiple “once in a lifetime” financial crises to the point I can’t afford to travel, and therefore I can’t afford to immigrate.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 days ago

That's what the woke mob would have you believe! The water isn't getting warmer at all! Believe me!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago
[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Isn't it for all animals. If you keep slowly increasing temperature their body temperature will more easily come to equilibrium with outside temperature than it will if you just put them to hot boiling pot?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 days ago (1 children)

No, it's a fallacy. What is true is called "creeping normality", and it's absolutely what humans do to large scale and/or slow changes.

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[–] themoonisacheese 6 points 6 days ago

Yes but you have to lobotomize the frogs first.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 days ago

Water? Preposterous!

A giant pot of delicious soon-to-be stew, however... mighty tempting, doc! You'll have to treat me right though, you wouldn't want to get food poisoning from stringy meat would ya?

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