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Comment by murm

2 days ago

Well, the Hebrew word for adversary or opponent is satan. Regardless of whether you actually believe in satan or god(s), I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to point out that there are lots of adversarial things happening in the world at the moment. All sorts of things in opposition to peace, to harmony, to human flourishing, etc., which are the good things any sane human would pursue.

I think the main goal of an opponent, concrete or imaginary, is to leave you in a discouraged state. When you get discouraged, you start to lose your momentum and your will to live. You become anxious, paralyzed and confused, which is to say: easy to defeat. This is exactly what an adversary would want you to do.

So, to answer the question: I do everything in my power to not get discouraged. I keep on trucking, being productive, helping out people, taking care of my loved ones and maintaining a positive, lighthearted mindset. I am hitting back by the sheer audacity of staying cheerful in these times, because that would absolutely enrage an enemy that wants to see me discouraged and defeated.