“Numquam evanescemus.”

We shall never disappear.

Let me level with you, reader. The world is a horrible place to be in right now.

Senile men who have somehow found their way into power seem hell-bent on taking away our rights, multiple wars are actively happening, I$R4e1 still exists, and I have to pay a monthly subscription to breathe.

All terrible things, of course. (Of varying degrees)

However, we keep going; but why? Why do we keep living in such an exhausting and dystopian world? How have we not simply just given up yet?

I think the world, despite having so many flaws, has a certain grace in it. If you manage to look through the grim aspects in it, you’ll see the love, the community, and the hope that lingers even in the worst times.

It’s so easy to give up, to just lie in bed watching Reddit stories for hours on end that don’t have a second part, to believe nothing truly matters.

The world is terrible, yes—but there will always be amazing things in it.

I’ll relay a personal example.

When I was 12, my family was evicted, and we had to move into my aunt’s house. I felt hopeless. I felt as if the world didn’t have a place for me; I didn’t have an education, I had issues concentrating, I was terrible at socializing, and I was in a chaotic, messy household. And then... I met a friend. Someone who made me realize that I had something, a future! Even in a world that didn’t want me to, I could live and carve my own path. For the first time in so many years, I managed to see a future where I wasn’t homeless or in a graveyard, because for the first time, I saw that even with the world having so many issues, I felt resilience.

Even in a grim world, I ask that you find something to hold onto, a future, friends, even something as simple as outliving Sam Altman.

People, no matter what situation they may be in, can still smile. Allow me to give another example—I was in a taxi ride, and we were stuck in traffic, so I decided, why the hell not? I’ll converse with the driver.

He told me that he came here two years ago and hasn’t seen his family since then. Of course, I asked, “Don’t you miss them? ”

He said he did, to a painful amount, but simply calling them every few days gave him the strength to keep going to support his children and wife, to one day give them a better life than he has. He was... happy, even in a system that abused him; he was able to enjoy his life and carry on despite everything seemingly being against him.

That driver made me realize even more that we don’t need a perfect world to have a reason to keep going.

My point is—I'm not asking you to delude yourself into seeing the world as pure bliss and blind yourself to the horrors, reader. I ask you to see that even in this bleak world, solace still exists, and it flourishes everywhere. It’s in the stubborn choices to get up in the morning, holding the door open for a stranger, or even simply see someone you love. Don’t look for a perfect world; look for those defiant acts of joy, no matter how small. Prove that no matter how bad things get, you will survive and not give up.

Find your anchor, whatever it is, and hold onto it with all the strength you have.

(PS. A major inspiration for this article is a game called Disco Elysium, and the main character’s ability to carry on despite everything he’s lost affected my perspective on the world a lot, because even when you lose everything, you can still find your way. The game is really good; seriously, play it!)

Written By Cassie P.