Re: Pendulum (AWESOME DISCOUNT! ALSO, PLEASE READ FIRST POST EDIT)
You know, in the past I would have thought that straight-up asking for money on the internet was futile, but... times have changed. It's the internet age.
Beggars on the street might reach like a few hundred people over the course of a day. They have to combat the negative stereotypes, the opportunity cost of having to sit there all day, and the off-chance they get beat up or mugged. Plus, most people will immediately ignore someone they've identified as a beggar. But on the internet, if you ask for money you can easily reach thousands of people or more. Additionally beneficial is that those people will actually listen to you because they can't identify you as asking for money until... you know, after they've listened to you. You also incur almost no opportunity cost, since all you're doing is taking 15 min to write a post.
I mean if we try to quantify it, the numbers are totally reasonable. If you take the kindest 10% of the wealthiest 10% of a population of 1000 viewers, you've got ten people. Out of ten rich and generous individuals, it's totally possible that 2 or 3 of them will feel empathy for you and be willing to part with a few hours' wage in order to help you out. I regularly see twitch streamers getting donations in excess of $100, and I regularly see "top donator" lists with donations exceeding $1000.
All I'm saying is... don't give up. Life is a meaningless and sorrowful trudge through a bleak and desolate landscape, but it becomes more than that through the connections you make with others along the way. I don't know you, have never spoken to you, and have no way to know if you're lying. But I recognize -- or at least I think I do -- the desperation that has to be roiling through your mind for you to ask for help here. I know that feeling, and I know that it's a terrifying agony that I wouldn't wish on just about anyone. That's all it took to compel me to "donate" what I can to you, which is a heartfelt 20 min of writing a forum post. It's not much, but it's what I have, and I desperately need that time for other things. The fact that there are people out there like me, that are willing to do what they can to help you... it matters. A few of them might also have money, which is great, but more important is that you remember that there ARE people out there like that. We don't do it because we think we will "save" you -- we do it because we want to inspire others to do it too.
I find the greatest respite from the howling winds is the knowledge that, frigid and empty as life may seem, there are others out there in the mist, shielding their eyes from the wind and trudging through the snow, glancing over at you and smiling as you both move onward into whatever lies ahead.
Life is meaningless, but the smile is not.
. You'll do it alone?
