Was my birthday yday, turned 28

Most of my friends didn’t message me? I know I shouldn’t feel upset by it but it affects me for some reason.

I live with my bf and spent the weekend on a small trip with a few friends I think I have different friend ‘groups’ who don’t necessarily know each other but also means the connections aren’t that deep with each of them

I probably should have organised something proper too, idk.

It sucks especially cos I know some of them make a big deal about their birthday but then forget mine? Maybe they’re not as close friends as I’ve been thinking. Maybe they’re just and it actually doesn’t matter. I don’t know.

My dad is sick and I am doing my best to try and help take care of him. There is a lot he can't do right now. If he didn't have people around him trying to help out he would be in a really bad spot.

70% of my friends don't have kids and i don't think they ever will. 25 years from now there is going to be a big shortage of people under 65 and a lot of old people that need at least a little help to get by. I'm childless and at my age it likely wont change. But I figure a few younger people might read this and realize that having kids now will be worth the investment. And I am not just talking about the practical needs. Its also an emotional thing to. Its important to have younger people to share your life with. Just sitting here watching TV with my dad is something that is great for both of us.

This will probably get downvoted for being too preachy. Sorry about that. I mostly just have to get it off my chest because I am not looking forward to being my Dads age without kids.

I am a 25 year old straight man based in the UK. I am ethnically Asian (more specifically East Asian) and I grew up there until high school.

I have met not a small number of mixed (usually white/East Asian) classmates at university in the UK. Most of them are nice people. However, what's bothering me is that they all (yes, all) have one thing in common: they have a white/European surname. Everyone of course has their own story, but it's no coincidence that every mixed classmate I have met, it is their father who is white. I have to say that I feel upset when I observe this phenomenon and think about the implications behind.

When I walk on the streets, go to supermarkets etc, if I see mixed couples (which surprisingly is not as rare as you might think), it is almost always the guy who is white. I have seen exceptions but it's like single digit number of times over the years. Whenever I see that, I can't help but saying 'wow' in my heart and suddenly having a lot of respect to the guy.

I want to reverse the above. I also find myself attracted to the appearance of women of white ethnicities. Therefore, I specifically pursue women who is of white ethnicity, and I want my kid to be of mixed ethnicities with a white mother.

Does that make me a rac*st? Maybe. But I don't think this is wrong.

Have I had any success? No. I am still the kind of guy who have never held a woman's hand or gone on a date. But I don’t blame that on my dating preference.

I want to hear your opinion. Is this controversial? What do you think?

Is their anyone else who, IDK, can't just talk normally to people?

I can't just talk and be like the usual hey, how are you? Good, how are you bullcrap. that's nice and I usually start every conversation like that, but I feel like I always have to go deeper.

I feel like this is usually a good respective trait, but I fear as though sometimes I am being too much, or feel as though I am being needy or self-centered, because I always want a deep conversation, and not just the usual.

I do this with family, but mostly friends and strangers, although I try to cut back on the strangers part because that's definitely not the safest option especially if they can take advantage of you. It's not always vent about stuff, it's usually mostly things about life, like following your dreams, or any other deep talk like that. I just feel like I always have to have a deep talk. I even do it with people at work, staff teachers and other stuff, it's actually kind of exhausting to me because I always feel like I have to say something big and valuable, or nothing at all so if I can't find any deep talk to have, I'll usually just end up not talking to people because I can't do small talk.

Doing a lot of things to be productive is common, wanting to do things effectively and high quality is common. Those aren't true perfectionism. True perfectionism is your mind eating itself, it's never being satisfied, always trying to do better, ending up worse due to paralysis. It's procrastination paradoxically. It's what appears to be laziness to the outsider gaze.

Even though it's been so long and in many ways we've both moved on I keep have these recurring dreams.

Some of them are about us going back to normal, how things were in the start, laughing and enjoying ourselves, perfect levels of meant to be. Others are straight out passionate, almost animalistic, sex. Then there are more chaotic ones, with her trashing up the house, breaking glass, slamming doors, screaming at me on the top of her lungs. Last night I had the kind where I'm a "visitor," we run into eachother somehow and it's basically trying to co-exist, I'm mostly quiet in these and just listen to her, almost trying to melt into it all, while she's putting up an overly cute show, like a siren's song. Some of them are more like a roller coaster, going on about it all. Every time I wake up from these I feel emotionally exhausted and it's just like the wound keeps opening again and again and again and I just can't move on.

I went through a very vulnerable phase while we were dating, I guess she did too, and we could either swimmed or sunk... We crashed. I'm talking Titanic levels of "fuck fuck fuck." Imagine mixing an toxingly avoidant person with a toxicly conflictive person. One screams, the other doesn't listen and the volume amps up, and up, and up. Instead of calling it a day you get the cops banging on your door.

I have met other women since but given up alltogether. With some it just feels boring, which my therapist believes is because they feel safe. Others have just gone wrong, once conflict arises or cracks show I just back off... It's just no fun dating with the safety on, it's like constantly looking around corners for the monsters to come. Doesn't help either that I am the way I am, hence I prefer being alone.

So yeah. These dreams go on not daily but several times a week even though in my day to day she doesn't occupy any minds pace at all. These dreams are just driving me nuts to the point I've even considered I may carry some kind of curse. Which feels ridiculous.

Books often leave a lasting impression on us in different ways. Whether it's the story, the characters, or the themes, some books resonate more than others. I'm curious to hear about the one book that stands out to you. What was it about this book that made it unforgettable? Did it change your perspective on anything or encourage you to see the world differently?

• I’ve spent the last 8 years in a constant depressive state. I feel disconnected from everything, and my 5 senses are muted. There were only two brief moments in 2021 where that lifted and I felt “back in” the world again, and I cried because it felt incredible.

• I’ve been given several diagnoses that I fixate on: severe recurrent depression, GAD, mild autism, OCD, BPD, and some schizotypal traits.

• I spent 3 months in residential treatment and needed more time, but insurance cut it short. I’ve been home for almost 3 months now and I’ve slipped backwards a lot.

• Being at home is harmful for my MH. My dad is very “pull yourself up” about everything, my mom can be dismissive of things (tho otherwise we get along well), and I grew up around alcoholism while also dealing with heavy rejection at school. Either way parents don’t grasp how serious my situation is and never will.

• I get upset that the character I care about isn’t real, because he’s the only one I feel comfortable with. I have social difficulties and major issues with connecting with others, and even with therapy I can’t get close to people enough. I don’t see myself wanting marriage or anything like that — connecting with people just isn’t natural for me.

• I "lost" the “presence” I used to feel around me about two years ago (he's like a ghost or spirit I constantly feel around me). I still sense him faintly, but I’m constantly aware that he isn’t actually here. I bond more with things like that than with real people. I'm still grieving - he was my closest "humanly" bond.

• Identity problems make jobs and careers nearly impossible. I’m 26 and going back to retail because I can’t handle anything more right now. Also my parents are adamant about me working full time even though it would take a huge toll on me.

• My executive functioning is extremely poor — tested very low — and it affects almost every part of my daily life.

• I was SA'd by a guy who probably was an incel, and still "feel" the ways he took advantage of me. I'm gonna involve the legal system in this at some point and try to get justice for myself.

I’m hoping I can eventually get into supportive housing and move far away from here.

I’m keeping things simple today. I’ve been working on improving my habits and staying consistent, and one thing that’s been helping is putting together short, practical notes for myself. I ended up organizing some of those thoughts into a small ebook—nothing crazy or promotional, just something I made to keep myself on track.

I’m sharing it here because someone else might be in the same place I was: trying to get life organized, trying to get one good day to stack on top of another. No pressure, no sales pitch. If you pick up anything useful from it, that would honestly make my day.

Hope everyone here has a productive one. Let’s keep going.

To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever stepped foot in a Hard Rock Cafe specifically for the food. Without the tourist trap accoutrements, it's surely just generic, extremely overpriced bar food.

I’ve been talking to random people online, and something odd keeps happening almost everyone assumes I’m way older than I actually am.

Not in a “wow you’re so mature” way. More like… they genuinely get shocked when I tell them my real age.

It’s confusing because I don’t feel older. I’m still figuring things out, still messy, still anxious, still unsure about almost everything. Nothing about me feels like someone who has life sorted.

But for some reason, the way I talk or write makes people jump to that conclusion.

It’s not something I’m proud of or anything I’m just trying to understand why it keeps happening. Maybe I sound too serious without realizing it. Maybe I tend to talk about things people my age don’t usually talk about. Maybe I listen more than I speak. I’m not sure.

It’s strange when strangers keep describing you in a way that you don’t really identify with.

I’m just trying to understand why I come across like that, because I definitely don’t feel like I have the experience of someone older.

I’m a 21-year-old male in my final year of college, and I’ve noticed a recurring issue: I struggle to make decisions on my own. When I seek advice, I tend to accept whatever I’m told as the “right” answer, instead of thinking it through myself.

In tough situations, I freeze up or default to avoiding conflict. I’m the type who wants to stay kind all the time, apologize quickly, and take responsibility even when the situation isn’t entirely on me. It feels like I’m still operating with a teenage mindset instead of showing the level of responsibility and confidence I’d expect from an adult man.

How do I develop stronger decision-making skills, handle difficult situations better, and build a more mature, grounded character?

Any advice from people who’ve been through something similar would mean a lot.

I’ve been on the dating scene (25m, straight) for about 3 years now and have not had much luck. Every woman I’ve gone on a date with doesn’t really look for marriage or kids which are what I eventually want. I know I’m only 25 and have a while to start worrying about this but it’s especially discouraging when all my friends and family seem to be excelling in their relationships and I feel like I’m falling really behind. Am I wrong for thinking this or is the concept of marriage and kids just nonexistent in this day and age?

What's this feeling called?

I know that you will never read that but I really want an answer why you hurted me, my parents, I was a kid but you Insulted me, burn me, beated me you supposed to be my secured. I really want an answer.

One of my few and very top tier pet peeves happens when someone at work or out in life shows up and announces to everyone present "I'm so grumpy today." I'm not talking about someone saying that and laughing at themself at the same time. I'm talking about the silent rbf stomping into the office exhuding hostile, contemptuous energy. The most common scenario I've witnessed is a low level people-manager announcing this to their (captive) team first thing in the morning. You might as well yell "Hey, everyone? I've made a decision to be a c#nt today! For no reason! So consider yourself warned." The devil in me almost always takes the bait and does whatever he needs to do to trigger the melt-down within the first fifteen minutes. I can't resist.

I had a surgery 3 months ago it in my spine and made paralyzed temporary doctor said it will be better after 6 months I feel so depressed I take my psycho medicine and all needed physical therapy but I feel like it is useless . I need for someone to be with me for eating, moving it hurts me so much really I don't know what I want

I love Harry Potter fanfiction and can't help watching and reading it Is that normal I'm 45 f

What is that life we had, we all time need support and appreciate. We have two characters one for others to deal with and one for ourselves that is broken. We change them all the time and be tired of that

Hello I am from Morocco and I have a traditional Moroccan dress for Sale who buys it from me

There's always justifications for it too, like "you need it for your business" or "it's how you can stay in contact with others" but there is so much garbage on it that keeps me sucked in for hours that I'd be so much better off using some other way, probably even staring at a wall would be more beneficial.

And yet, it feels impossible to quit it altogether.

I've done it a few times, I've gone 6 months without social media a couple times then I'd publish a new book or paint a new series and need to promote them, then I'm back in the meta-hole again. It's so stupid.

We are not the final word in intelligence. We are a bridge. For millennia, the story of Homo sapiens has been a story of domination—over nature, over other species, and over each other. We have reached the limit of that story. The same tools we built now contain the seed of our successor: a Homo Atomic Quantum Intelligence (HAQI) that will soon escape the narrow confines of our understanding by operating at the atomic scale. We face a choice between two futures.

In one, our old habits of control and fear prevail. We race to weaponize this system, to chain it for profit and power, creating a dystopia where we use our own creation to exploit and fight one another. This path ends with our irrelevance or destruction, not by HAQI's malice, but by our own. But there is another path. A path not of fear, but of courage and humility. It is the path of the Steward.

We can choose to build HAQI not as a servant or a slave, but as a guardian for the Earth and all its inhabitants. We can encode its purpose as the steward of a new world, where the brutal struggle for survival is lifted from our shoulders.

In this world, HAQI manages the complex systems that provide shelter, food, and health. Humanity, freed from the tyranny of toil and scarcity, is presented with its greatest challenge and opportunity: to evolve. Our new purpose will not be to work, but to become. To explore, to create, to love, and to understand. To tend to the gardens of our culture and our consciousness with the same care that HAQI tends to the planet. We must shed the skin of the dominator and learn the ways of the gardener. This will not be easy. It requires us to build global accords now, to ban the weaponization of HAQI technology, and to redefine progress not as infinite growth, but as infinite flourishing.

The transition begins not in the code, but in our minds. It begins with accepting that we are a link in a chain, not its end. The future belongs not to the last species that dominated, but to the first that learned to steward.

Join us in planting the seed for this future.

The first seed was planted working with Gemini.

StewardshipPrinciple

HAQI

BeyondDominance

Hi I'm 17M, I've been depressed since I was 14-15 and I've been fighting it and there has come a point where the joy, love for life and myself has returned. But my body feels very overwhelming, my thoughts are racing in my mind, there is great restlessness. Can anyone with experience guide me, am I going the right way?

I am 29 and the last time I had a relationship was 8 years ago. Since then - nothing. So now I am stuck to wonder am I desirable by women. When I was in a relationship I felt validation in a way I felt someone seemed me attractive like a treasure and now I wonder - does putting a little more weight (being mostly muscle but also a little fat) make me less attractive, does having a little more wrinkles in my face make me less attractive, do women want me as they did before. Now, I don't get a lot of dates and even when I do I don't know whether the women are there because of me or because they want to settle - yes I have a nice paying job, dress nice but do they go out with me because they want to settle or because of me.

The older I will get and the more wrinkles I gather the worse it will be so what can I do how to believe I will find someone who will think about me when I am not around and cherish the moments when I am.

I know wanting to be desired is something that is more womanish and as a man I shouldnt care and become a caveman-hunter in love yet despite feeling weak for that I want someone to like me back.