This!!!! John’s take on this in TFIOS and in vlogbrothers videos has been hugely important to my fight with my own internalized ableism

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And yet I'm sure you don't need to be reminded; if you're like me, anyway, you kind of absorb what the surrounding culture's saying about you, and believe it a little on some level, and deep down don't believe it at all. Sadly, it takes work to reach that deep down inside even your (well, my) own self. I don't know you, of course, but I suspect you totally rock.

I really needed to hear this today.

Now, say it louder for the people in the back and front of the line, please.

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Gotta take it down a notch in 2023. -John

Yes and it’s actually taking it up a notch

I just like that it's "The Format". There's no attempt to describe it or categorize it.

It my favorite format. I get excited when I see a new one.

I'm dealing with a (hopefully) temporary sort of disability and I'm finally learning this lesson

I’ve also seen comments that say “don’t call me temporarily abled or differently abled or special needs” or any other euphemism that you feel will make me feel better about my condition. Being disabled is not a curse. Having a disability is what it is yet it doesn’t dictate who I am or what I choose to do.

Wow, great.

​@@terrycrews1760 As a paraplegic who needs a wheelchair... Yes. I get so tired of the "differently abled" feel good stuff that people say to make themselves feel better. Guess what, all that feel good talk doesn't change the fact that I can't stand up or control some of my bodily functions, but I'm super glad it makes other people feel less uncomfortable when imagining what my reality is like /s

Exactly this. Sometimes people are born with it. Sometimes it's acquired. If you live long enough, chances are you will become disabled in some manner, whether by an accident, illness, or the consequences of aging. What is death, if not the ultimate disabling event? It's incredibly frustrating that we treat disabled folks so poorly. Same goes for our elders in care homes. Do we not have the foresight to recognize that we'll suffer as they suffer now should we end up in care homes?

Mostly Sarah. :) -John

Oh don't they just!! A beautiful home in what looks to be a beautiful bit of the world. But then they are beautiful people, so it's well deserved!

I mean, Sarah is an artist, or whatever lol. She ought to have a good sense for decor.

I am really envious of their house. It just looks so nice.

It's somehow not at all what I imagined their house would look like and simultaneously exactly how their house should look lol

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I'm truly not convinced a full NHS would ever be sellable to the USA, never mind practical. Alternatives for the Yanks to consider from my amateur snoop into it all, is either the strangely mixed Singapore model, which is admittedly fuelled by astronomical pay and living costs in Singapore. Another is the Japanese Universal Health Insurance where people only pay for 1/3rd of their healthcare costs. When it comes to speaking to your opposition, it very often helps if you can try speak it in their language. So instead of saying "healthcare is a human right" which they see as tantrums by people attempting manipulation; You make *economic* arguments and debate in ways which leave them pincered between conceding the point or looking like the illogical ones. Eg: More nationalised healthcare even if not fully, is not a punitive tax on the rich. It's an adjustment of the economy which frees up consumer liquidity and increases meritocracy by making it much easier to escape Poverty Traps, and whilst for a brief time the wealthiest would notice a small dip in their porfolios; long term there'd be no meaningful change, as increased spending by the massive working class demographic will only result in most of them getting equivalent profits back whilst increasing free market competition nationwide and increasing chances of currency staying in local economies. Don't you like competition, GOP? 😛

@@TheHorseshoePartyUK Maybe the comment you're responding to was taken down - I don't see it. But the reason a NHS not working in the U.S. is entrenched and extremely profitable health industries that are deeply committed to preventing it - medical insurance, medical device, pharmaceutical, and healthcare administration. They've found the golden cow - a dependent, captive and increasingly sick body of vulnerable consumers. This is morally bankrupt, of course, but they have an advantage they don't want to risk parting with. At the very least, switching to a less profitable (read, less predatory) model would be expensive in itself. So what's needed is tapping into a more influential body - voters. That's where arguments for it might find purchase.

The social model, that it's not individual flaws that make someone disabled, but society not being willing to accommodate them. I found great help in getting accommodations in university, but I had to pay to get them because the free diagnosis program had a 4 year wait list. I'm on the wait list for another chronic condition to get tested (likely genetic, but not sure), and there is no private version of this one. It's been hard to exist in this middle ground where I have things I need to do, physio, special foods, etc to meet my needs, and society says that's too far. Thankfully things have improved a bit here in Canada in terms of getting in more options for medications and supplements that help, but it's encouraging to hear messages like that while I'm waiting to find out what I have, and if it qualifies me for disability or not.

Neither is poverty ... ***MARXISTS INTENSIFY***

That’s so true.

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This is so true! Art on walls: Amazing Aesthetic: Very Style of human being walking around the house: Frumpled.

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Frumpled is such a great word

I've been focusing on the chairs... Especially the eames chair.

That's what makes it such a perfect aesthetic. The best thing about the house is that it's somewhere where someone just lives.

Wait, that 's a thing? Professor of disability history? I want to know more!

"We will all become disabled if we live long enough" is equal parts terrifying and enlightening. Also, I am also fascinated by the idea of a professor of disability and would love to learn more about that.

@@grantbaugh2773 as someone who has lived long enough to be disabled for most of my life: there is life after disability. It's not the best, but it doesn't have to be the end of everything

Absolutely! We should strive to allow everyone to have quality of life, no matter any physical impediments they may have. After all, there's only one other option to disabilities in senior age: dying young.

@@christafranken9170 that makes sense, and from an intelligent standpoint I wholeheartedly agree. But there's a sort of primal fear I feel when I think about becoming disabled. And, of course, that's really just more of an argument for removing the stigmatization surrounding disability. How much of our fear of becoming disabled stems from how society views disabilities versus the actual impact of said disabilities?

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I’m sorry you’re having problems sleeping.

This really hits home! I’ve been having a time with my ADHD lately, and my mother responded: “sometimes we just have to get things done, even if we don’t want to.” That is neither the issue nor the solution.

"No, I haven't tried just visualizing this unending stone wall in front of me out of existence." Sleep trouble is extra fraught because of how modern Anglo-Western society moralizing about keeping the same hours as everyone else. I'm convinced that arises from High Society wanting to be Seen and working society being judged lazy if not seen working despite literally physically falling apart. (Based on personal experience in pet sure farmers are innocent in originating much Time Moralism.)

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@@MissPokey411 THIS. “just try harder! just get it done! you’ll feel better after you finish it!” those have plagued me and it’s so frustrating when they just don’t understand that executive dysfunction is not a choice. i logically KNOW that it'll be a relief after i finish it, but the problem is that i simply _can't._

I have to, because we're in the same boat! 🌹

YES. I can't even add to your comment other than you're not alone.

That last sentence made me tear up a little. My girlfriend has severe chronic pain and a lot of health conditions, and it's always a fight for her just to get prescribed the medication she needs. She gets ignored and denied and gaslighted by the people who are supposed to be there for her. It's heartbreaking and infuriating. I'm so sorry you have to go through something similar. You are completely valid in your feelings. I wish you the best.

@@somepunkinthecomments471 Well the best to both of you. Just remember you're legit and deserve the best, always. 💐

Hank too!

The Format

Came here to say this

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You sure have empathy!😉🌹

Sorry

beautifully written. i hope that you find shelter and stability in your life.

Thanks for this. So often, doctors are thought of as gods and, as someone else in this thread who is sick and hasn't found help or even answers, it's nice to hear it spoken that the medical profession doen't know how to solve everything. Healthy people often treat unhealthy people as though they just haven't had the sense to listen to a doctor because, if they had, they'd be fine

Right it's the best thing about "taking it down a notch" it's sublime in it's artistry the perfection in it's execution, and he makes look all so effortless.

I hear you! I'm finally emerging from feeling a need to apologize for "not being up to it. " Prize the insight you gain and apologize to no one. 🌹

Yep. It is so hard to reckon worth when you treated like your income and ability defines you

I hate that it's always the first question to establish someone's worth and identity "what do you do for a living".

I hope you feel validated and supported. I wish I could help you feel that more, best of luck

that sounds horrible, i'm very sorry! i hope that there will eventually come people in your life again, who will see your worth and who you will be able to trust... but until then i hope you find a way of appreciating life despite the feeling if isolation

"Do humans get frustrated being stuck to the ground all the time? I don't know what it's like to be a human. I only know what it is to be a bird."

The bird version of John Green is trying out a new format where he's just in one tree for four minutes.

Good work everyone

That is a great description!!

@@piotrwaniek it's a fucking terrible system

The KZfaqr "Physics Girl" has a bad case of long COVID and a lot of her followership hadn't heard of that (somehow??), so there might be awareness stemming from that a bit.

@@RedHair651 it is utterly beyond me that three years and Covid there are people who have no clue what long Cove it is. Even more disturbing is that doctors didn’t see this coming. I SW THIS COMING. The vast majority of the POTS and chronic illnesses Community saw this coming because long Covid is “Long Covid”. It’s just the convenient name that’s been given because COVID-19 was an entirely new in humans infection which went through the human population like a wildfire all at once instead of like a seasonal flu or cold resulting in nonstop infection and therefore nonstop long-term disabling illness even after the infection had technically cleared. What Long Covid actually is is a long-term, *Post Infection Chronic Illness* that is poorly understood as must sufferers test negative for any infection yet suffer symptoms very similar to the original infection plus several new ones such as crippling fatigue, brain fog that makes the most simple daily tasks almost impossible having to completely relearn your limits which is beyond devastating because those limits, if you’re lucky, all strong together manage to give you maybe two hours a day of partially functioning life. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, otherwise known as POTS, is another very common side effect of post infection illness. According to one of the lead researchers at Johns Hopkins POTS, just like post infection illness, exist on the spectrum from mildly debilitating to incredibly disabling in which he compares it to the quality of life of a patient in chronic heart failure. And I can attest to that, I have almost no quality of life. My hope is that with so many new cases there will be a lot more research and hope for the future and that those who acquired this year Covid won’t have to spend the next 14 years in the way I have. I couldn’t of made it this far without my husband and that is without a doubt. And while being sick and not really understanding why am never knowing if I’m doing the right thing or doing enough is its own kind of torture please don’t forget the caregivers in these situations. The only thing that has kept me from taking my own life all the shares is the times where I’ve got to see my husband thrive and do things that matter to him and bring him joy because otherwise I would just feel like I am ruining his life, that my bad luck is taking the man I love more than anything in this world down with me and wasting his life to be my caregiver before we ever even had a chance to just be a married couple. Caregiver burnout is so real and be there for your friends who are sick but also be there even more for your friends Who overnight have had to become caregivers and advocates and insurance agents and researchers and secretaries and nurses and all the things that come with taking care of someone who is chronically and endlessly ill. Because as far as I can tell we can live like this for decades it’s not a life, it’s barely living, but it’s what we have and it’s only sad when we lose everyone because they move on because they feel like they can’t talk to us about anything happy because it will make us sad. It doesn’t make us sad, it makes us happy for you just like we would be if we were healthy. The only thing that makes us sad is you treating us differently. Maybe hanging out will it differently, maybe it’ll look more like hanging out at our house instead of out to lunch or dinner but by the same people we were and we appreciate your friendship more than ever so please don’t abandon your sick friends and especially not the people who are taking care of them Because if they wouldn’t need you more people having to live through the pain and the illness it’s the people having to watch the person I love living through the pain and the illness. I promise we are not just walking talking misery we still have interest and one of those interest is you and your life and Cary is not a finite resource, we care about you and we just want you to keep caring about us and being your friends just like you were before. And that while we understand very little about This illness,we do know what happens if it happens and it can happen from literally any interaction where you can catch from a common cold to strep throat to Covid to the flu etc. which means it can happen to anyone, including you, tomorrow. And some people to recover, though they seem to be the ones with milder cases and and still others after several years will go into remission for sometime, even fooling us into thinking we are healthy, only for that remission to end. It’s a terrible disease because it takes so much from you while leaving you looking perfectly young and healthy and normal on the outside and so many people believe you and they will call you lazy and tell you it’s in your head and tell you it’s all anxiety but we know what anxiety feels like in don’t let these people second-guess you because they just make an already painfully impossible situation even harder and they do so I will fear for themselves and out of a desire to believe that it can’t happen to them, it’s their coping mechanism and there’s no talking them out of it so don’t even waste your time bringing you down is what helps them differentiate themselves from you and convince them selves that “it could never happen to them“. It’s just simply not true but there’s no point in arguing the leaves or get it or they won’t. no, if they choose to be rude to you I personally attacked you over it for things such as using a wheelchair to gain some mobility and independence back into her life then, well, I consider that open season. Wife don’t even have a lousy cads that you don’t have to put up with the cards that perfect strangers feel entitled to hand you as well. And if they just insist that you’re faking and it’s all a big help whatever other conspiracy nonsense they choose to believe that it’s pretty simple just cough in their direction and their true colors or shown at instant. They may want to say it’s a hoax but a little cough shows that they don’t really believe that.

Hey, it's been 3 months, I hope you're doing okay or at least holding on. I have a chronic illness that, granted, isn't as bad, but I know the struggle of feeling unseen. I'm here if you want to talk

@@yourfriendlyneighborhoodne6554 oh my gosh thank you so much for your kind reply! i'm doing pretty well emotionally right now since the stresses of school aren't impacting me but i really appreciate you reaching out

@@doc8186 Of course! I hope you continue to do well in the future :)

I'm really glad you feel like you're finally being heard and getting some validation. -John

Bless your heart! I am so glad you are finally getting the care you deserve, thank you for sharing your hopeful day with us, I fervently hope that you will see positive change in your healthcare journey

I'm disabled, including with chronic autoimmune illness and have also been finding that my healthcare providers are only recently now taking me seriously and compassionately. Wonder if something's going on. Happy to hear things seem to be improving for you on that end, too. :)

The doctors who take the time to empathize with people's issues, those are some of the most important people.

Me too! Finally have some clarity on my asthma after so long. Specialists are much more helpful than general care

Best wishes to you - if they don’t listen, keep looking for someone who will

I've seen many people comment that the distance between camera with the consistent volume is really striking or jarring for them in The Format. That had not been my experience until this moment. This moment, I was physically startled by the dissonance between distance and volume. I think because of the trees in between? It was weird and cool

oh my word the Fault in our Lungs!! yes!!

Rule of thumb: if John Green is keeps going back to a particular subject, he's probably writing about it. I don't know if tuberculosis will be central to the story (like cancer in TFiOS) or if it will be tangential (like last words in Looking for Alaska or tuataras and spirals in TATWD), but I strongly suspect it will feature in some way or other.

This is one of the most beautiful thoughts I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing that.❤️

2023 is the year where John is taking it down a notch, except for his tuberculosis fixation, which he is taking up 100 notches.

The fault in our lungs really made me laugh so hard. Especially because it would apply to the characters in the novel also but in a different way 😂

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It seems to be in step with our kind of bizarre denial of death. The old, "if I don't think about it, it won't get me". And it is a very old injunction not to say that word, its "scariness" will come get you if you do.

The simplest way for most well people to deal with death is to sort of just ignore it. It doesn’t make the way the housebound are treated right.

I 100% could have written this. I actually pointed out to my very energetic former roommate that the depression she fell under from being isolated is what I'd felt for years. She responded to this by asking me to move out a month later. 😑

Yes, yes, yes. I'm speaking from a lot of personal experience. My first husband was very ill and eventually he died from complications of an autoimmune disease (part of the complications were from the pharmaceuticals). I went from well spouse, to young widow and now years later I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I've lost the use of my dominant hand. People act like it's catching ("it's" being chronic illness or death), but the reality is that they do not want to be reminded that they are one car accident, doctor's appointment or phone call away from illness and/or death for themselves or a loved one. We do not raise people in our society to deal with either in a healthy or respectful manner.

Just like people want the details of every grizzly murder, so they can judge how they are different from the victim(s) and sooth themselves into believing it could never happen to them.

I think of it as a sibling of "Thoughts From PLaces" -- but more fun than monologue. (Also, much more like early Vlogbrothers videos.♪)

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Since John went to divinity school, that’s quite apt.

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Health as an indicator of morals is deeply ingrained in our society and it's dangerous. It causes people to hide pain and avoid seeking help.

Not a one of them sees the value in endurance, and the strength and courage it takes to endure daily. Phooey on that! You got this. 🌹

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I do really love this perspective, but to add a slanted counterpoint: as someone with a chronic illness, I do feel like I'm fighting, but it's not a single fight. It's a series of never ending battles, to do one thing after another. And sometimes I lose. I think the key to the fighting analogy is to understand that some fights are unwinnable. And the lesson to be learned is that chronically ill people shouldn't be left to fight to live on our own. There are so many fights that could be completely eliminated by a simple act of kindness by someone else. And there are some, like not dying, that can never be won at all.

“is it me or a tree” thats empathy right there

I used ... MOVIE MAGIC. :) -John

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This resonates with my experiences so deeply that it has moved me to tears. I am so happy to see so many vocal, disabled nerd fighters in these comments. ❤ we are not alone, we are telling the truth, and we deserve better.

@@armerls Sending you so much love

Thank you🌹 I also have " nonexistent" fibromyalgia and narcolepsy. I at least have started to claim the chaotic enjoyment of being weird. 😸🐒💕

@@morebirdsandroses Oh poor love, I know how cruel fibro is, I cannot imagine trying to deal with narcolepsy too! With love from your sister in weirdness!!

@@katbairwell Thank you you lovely weirdo you. 🙃💐

+++ It's a good mood.

@@untappedinkwell 💖💖💖

And my several chronic health conditions do not sum me up. Nor you either, if you hear me. Nor if you don't.

Genuine question, do you recognize her by her voice specifically?

@@IrisGlowingBlue More by location than anything, some belted kingfishers are migratory but some stay in location year round even as far north as Massachusetts where I live. I see this one year round. I'm not an expert on them, but I've heard they're territorial and fight each other. They actually live in mud burrows too, and my office (which is on an estuary) has a large hill next to it that I suspect is where hers is. There's a power line that runs across the river right upstream of me, and that + my dock are her favorite hunting spots. In good weather I'll see her there daily. I keep saying 'her' because only female belted kingfishers have a brown belt marking.

It's always there! -John

CBR- Cosmic Background Ruminations

I'm also prone to suffer from background anxiety. Although mindfullness/acceptance based therapy has improved this a bunch - In combination with "taking it down a notch". I do really have to limit day to day stressors or it will rear it's head again. It is a bit waxing and waning. But it's definitely better - A very significant proof in point; I do not feel anxious at this moment. As someone who's been there and is often still there - I wish you a bit of calm

@@Annemoontje I’m currently waiting to be allocated another psych and begin another round of therapy, so I’m hoping for some more calm too, thanks for your reassuring and kind words!

@@bookworm272 I like it…