Knowing there's always someone living a worse situation was never a consolation to me. It's actually a reminder of how unfair life can be to many people.

The hardest part of life is when you realized that you are not the person you thought you are.

"Our parents raised us with hopes and dreams unfit for our time" so damn true man!!!

Being average or mediocre has become the new standard of failure. you're not good enough unless you're at the top of your game and better than everyone else. This leads us to the trap of toxic self-improvement: a disease disguised as a cure. Goal attainment does not equal happiness.

Letting go of expectations you've had your whole life is so difficult. It feels like giving up and liberating yourself at the same time.

At 65, I have learned to find peace in a simple life. My small home, my pets, reading, continuing to learn, walks in nature, just sitting out under the stars at night. Peace and love to everyone out there struggling with loneliness, and in these troubled times…..despair. ☮️❤️🙏🏻🌎🌍🌏

“It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.” Fight Club.Great video btw.

Understand that everyone will always disappoint you in everything ... that way you get to celebrate when they don't.

this helped me. for hours i’ve been broken because of something that is out of my hands and isn’t even confirmed to be true for that matter. your videos are where i run for help whenever i need it and they never fail to cover the exact issue i’m dealing with. i have so much learning to do, but i’m just going to be patient with myself, and with life, and take it one day at a time. thank you, einzelganger, for everything you do. these videos mean more to me than you will ever know ❤️

Last night as I pondered how my husband of 32 years and myself are separated, living in different parts of the city, I became steeped in sadness and regret. I pounded myself on all the things I did wrong, heaping blame upon my entire being. I bought into the 'normal' life for so many years and last night I wanted it all back. I was ready to give up. After watching this, I feel hope again. Maybe it's time move forward to find a new path in life.

Spot on... Not having relationships Not having friends Not being part of a community Is what gives me great disappointment and anxiety. But that's only in comparison to others. I used to be happy with what I had but wanting more in life has led to me feeling empty. 😐

All I ever wanted was connection, true friends & community Even that has been impossible for me. Some of us really do have tougher journeys though & it can be very hard when isolated & alone.

There is no dissapointment, where there is no expectation.

My problem is not going through life in hard mode (as opposed to others who have it on easy mode and look down on us) - is that anything everyone ever told me my entire life was a lie. They portray the world like it's easy for everyone - and if you struggle it's your fault because you are weak or stupid or just not deserving of a better life. Everyone exploits abuse and manipulates others while pretending it's not the case. Living inside a sociopath gaslighting society is too much - and why even bother when no one really cares about you (no matter what you achieve) - only about what value you bring to their life. The minute you stop being useful they throw you like a used tool.

Happy people focus on whatever little they have..... unhappy people focus on what's missing. So, always be that "happy" person.

i love how he sounds normal the entire time but then *aggressively german* when pronouncing Friedrich Nietzsche

I don't wish for positive things from life anymore, I just wish for a bare minimum of horrific things. Apparently that is also too much to ask.

This does not convince me. Reaching out and failing to connect does not make me tougher, it just lets me suffer more, hating life, wishing for a quick death soon. This life seems just torture with some breaks of false hope. Maybe also some periods of happiness but in the end it would be better never to have lived at all.

“You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” ― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Wife of seven years left me, I’m 34 and I realize it maybe sounds stupid but it seems too late to start anew. I built my life around her and any life I imagine for myself other than one with her seems futile. This video gives me a bit of solace. Thanks

You dropped this video at the perfect time man, thank you

Disappointment doesn't always stem from not getting what we feel we're entitled to; it can also creep in when someone consistently gives their best, consistently tries to improve, consistently tries to move forward, and yet fail. And that disappointment is soul crushing, and strengthening at the same time.

"School taught us that we should be the top from the rest instead of helping each other." -some random dude

When life gives you lemons... You squeeze them into green tea with ginger and cinnamon, that's my advice to you stranger.

Perfect timing. Feeling very disappointed with life right now.

It's all a matter of perspective, in the end. We're the ones that create our own hell.

It is the difference between expectations and reality that hurts us - when we let that go, there is no more disappointment

Solitude is the most blissful place to be. The problem is not being an outcast but not having the resources to survive. Outcast at the bottom will suffer greatly while outcast with ample resources will thrive. poverty is no joke!

No matter how terrible my life gets with each day and how hopeless and dull my perspective becomes, your videos lift me up

Even going in with the worst expectations, I was surely disappointed by life.

I wanted a family so much that I thought I would have to die if I grew old enough and realized I wouldn't have it. But as I grew older being alone became easier and easier, and even desirable, so much that I don't even care about friendships. I also hated my job, I wanted to be a photographer, but strangely enough I started finding meaning in it, excelled at it and started earning more to the point of buying some photography equipment and realizing I didn't really wanted to take pictures, at least not for money. And my life kept getting better. I learned to live a minimalist life when I was poor, so now I feel like I'm living in abundance. Even now I refrain from spending money because of old habits, like I never bought a car and still use my old, small and weak motorcycle that I love because I can move using it almost for free. All I had to do was enduring long enough. I have a cousin that is a photographer and has a family, sometimes I wonder if he is something I failed to be. In a sense, yes, but he also points out that he would prefer being in my place with a steadier job, so I guess I'm doing ok.

Thank you for giving me some awareness on my current situation. All my life I have been confused. Why was I so depressed, so anxious and afraid? It has never made sense to me, but It is slowly starting to come to me. The disappointment. Entitlement. My past, my expectations. Living in my head, and not in reality. Accepting it... has always been hard for me so I chose ignorance. It turned me into a bitter person. I am trying to get past the trauma. I refuse to keep living in misery. In the dark. I choose compassion. I choose life. Thank you again for this video.

I am 58 and I feel that I have just lived. Going through the masses with ups and downs and getting over things with outcomes. This is a great story and it equals out a lot going into my 60's hopefully ♥️

Why is it that you always upload at the right timing? The universe works in mysterious ways indeed. Thank you Einzelganger

What I’ve learned while struggling with adhd is that life doesn’t give a shit. It doesn’t care if you have it hard, if others don’t understand you, if you struggle doing things others find easy. And people don’t care either, not friends, nor family, nor work colleagues. In the end of the day only you can truly care. Life is hard and doesn’t give a shit so what are you going to do about it? Sit in a puddle of your own piss and whine and complain or get up, clean yourself off and conquer life? There’s no other choice.

I feel so alone and outcast then i saw this on my notifications the universe sending me message that i must feel the pain and enjoy being alive thank you for this.

If Einzaelganger came up with that phrase himself "when life disappoints us we don't have to disappoint life", well done thats a bloody good phrase.

It's not fate which kill our dreams... It's our own decisions

No reason for resentment, no reason for self-pity. Thanks for that quote! I'm gonna do my best to meditate on it. I love your content!

I think when people are wronged by life, they then adopt a victim mentality and as a result, adopt a very bleak view of life. The point of accepting the reality of life is to not make you depressed, but to make you prepared for it and still continue to do what you gotta do.

"The mind is a universe. It can make heaven of hell. And hell of heaven."

This is a light in a dark tunnel for more than any one of us can imagine, thanks for the video Einzel🙏🏼

When he starts talking about 'a normal life' I immediately recalled a passionate conversation with an old friend. He's sense of rage at 'being lied to for most of hes life', and I couldn't disagree with him. I had felt this but hadn't catagorized it as being lied to up to this point. The ideas we're handed by parents and teachers. The simple life that's always seemed just out of reach or snatched away. Even before seeing this video I've long surrendered the idea of anything that felt like family, or a close circle of friends. We have truly become atomized. I'm still trying to work out what the 'new normal' is. It sometimes feels like a dystopia less appealing than some of the dystopias I saw in films growing up. Something as insideous as the destruction as the family unit. Sometimes I play Scott Mackenzie's 'San Francisco' just to dream of the hippy girlfriend I will never meet. Feeling nostalgic for a time I never participated in.

"Let’s suppose that you were able every night, to dream any dream you wanted to dream. And that you could for example have the power within one night to dream seventy five years of time. Or any length time you wanted to have. And you would naturally, as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasure. And after several nights of seventy five years of total pleasure each you would say “Well that was pretty great!” “But now let’s - let’s have a surprise.” “Let’s have a dream which isn’t under control”. Where something is going to happen to me, but I don’t what it’s going to be”. And you would dig that and come out of that you’d say “Wow that was a close shave wasn’t it?” Then you would get more and more adventurous and you would make further and further gambles to what you would dream. Finally you would dream where you are now. You would dream the dream of living the life that actually living today." Alan W. Watts

The title is now my life moto! :)

.....I neeed redemption. Dear God deliver me. Yet I know that nobody is coming. It is only I who can save myself.

I learned this lesson the hard way and I can’t believe how much I’ve transformed by not requiring the world to meet my expectations. I’ve broken the generational curse.

One proverb I absolutely can't stand is WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER. Whether it's growing up in a broken home, being bullied constantly in school, having your identity stolen, getting injured in an accident, losing a loved one, or getting fired from a job, what doesn't kill you leaves you hurt, bitter, betrayed, paranoid, withdrawn and suspicious of others. It LEAVES YOU DAMAGED...FOR LIFE.

Thank you Einzelganger for another great episode. I have Learned so much from your philosophical insights over the past 2 years. The likes of yourself and Ryan Holiday never fail to give me a different perspective.

Very helpful. Life disappointed me because of how I was born in, where I went and what I did is worth nothing. I'm focusing on getting my life back on track but finding a job that I'm passionate about is the hardest thing in life. So with this video, I understood what you mean so thank you.

Yeah. My dad is on team Nietsche. He started kicking my soul at an early age and did al the above to me. When i showed that i could not endure it, i was found unworthy. This has made it really hard to take responsibility for bad outcomes as i am desperately trying to protect my self image.

Aspiration took me a very long way,spiritually& physically.Striving to overcome limitations of your beginnings/ancestry is worthwhile.Soon enough you may be old,obligated, or trapped by a plague!Entitlement is an attitude,resignation & embracing limitations does not have to be the alternative.Have dreams,if you are young,work to make them true if you are able.

That's brilliant. And so succinct. I watched the Olympics and Paralympics and got so annoyed every time a winning medalist said, 'You too can achieve your dreams.' What a pile of crap. I'm a novelist. I've had so many disappointments over many years. Takes a year to write a book. You put your heart and soul into it, send it out, only to hear nothing back. Tell me that I didn't work hard enough. (I self published some of them. Excellent reviews but few readers. That's life). Great video. Trying to adopt this philosophy though after a lifetime of Western indoctrination is another matter.

This is why we're all obsessed with bad news, so that secretly we can comfort ourselves watching those who are suffering more than us, due to natural disasters, wars and sickness. It's sad but I think that's the case.

I lived a life of no entitlement and low expectations and for year or two I had the same dream. In my dream I was suposed to live In an old and ruined house. I was strugling with this dream untill one night I asked what does it mean. The message I heard was " don't settle for less". Since then I try to improve my life and the lifes of others. Now when it comes to the others i usually have success of helping them. But when it comes to me, I rearlly have success, unless someone heples me or at least encourage me. When I ask for help on the other hand, I receave none, only when I deside to give up people try to help me. And I think this state of sircumstances is totally unfair.

Somewhere someone wishes they had what you had. It can always be worse so be thankful.

I've been trying to focus on what I do have not what I don't have. I have love of my family, a home, a vehicle, food and water and breath in my body. At least that's where I am at right now. In a couple hours I could be feeling something else but I want to hang onto this moment.

To all my dear fellow sufferers, know that u r not alone and that many of us r going through a lot. Regain ur strength and fight. Make sure u smile and greet death and not regret it. And work for it, work for who u r meant to be :)

I love how Stoicism helps us to put things in perspective by telling yourself in the morning that disappointment will come, people will be rude, and circumstances won't always go our way. Our thoughts, emotions and reactions, are what we can control. So today we choose to remain calm, and gracious to everyone who comes across our path today. No matter what happens, or what is said.

I don't always agree with your videos, but this one had meaning for me. Because, yup, life does not. I used to be so full of hope, chasing dreams, living life as I wanted. And then loss happened. Loss after loss after loss. Sometimes so quickly I couldn't take a breath before the next one. In my 30's I laughed at life and wanted to live until at least 100. Now I am 61 and wish every day NOT to live that long! If I wasn't worried about what would happen to my animals, I would be ready to leave this world today.

Whilst troubles can teach us and help us learn resilience and strength, they are useless without first gaining some self-awareness. Without the ability to look long and hard at oneself we can learn nothing of value, ever. Our ego will always be trying to keep us safe by making up its stories about everything that happens....We'll never be able to either take responsibility, nor see our real worth and care for ourselves properly.

great, now i gotta add *life* to the list of people i disappoint.

A simple thankyou for this video. Made me realise what I have, and what I've held onto for far too long for the sake of normalcy. Going to look for those open doors now and close the others. Your voice is very soothing and I appreciate the time you put into making these great videos.

I am NEVER disappointed in Einzelganger videos!

We need more porches. I remember when very young in the 60s, we'd go to relatives' homes and spend hours out on the porch. It's what you did, watching cars go by, chatting, pickup stix, or contemplating.

I'm at the verge of ending it all, though I don't want to hurt others unlike what Elliott did. I feel as if I was just born to pay the bills. In short, yes, I feel like my life disappoints. I feel like I can't enjoy life because I need to earn money for my family. I can't even focus on my love life because my parents don't have a job. Honestly, I'm just so exhausted. I just want to sleep forever. After all of the sacrifices, stressful moments, and days that I can't stop crying, what's the lesson of this all? After I die, I will not even be able to touch the money that I made. I just don't know what the point of living is. I think we're all just being played at, you know. Some are just really lucky than others.

I've been so unhappy with my situation lately. I joined reddit recently and reading other peoples problems made me thankful for my own problems. It did help.

That Nietzsche quote is savage... “To those human beings who are of any concern to me I wish suffering, desolation, sickness, ill-treatment, indignities-I wish that they should not remain unfamiliar with profound self-contempt, the torture of self-mistrust, the wretchedness of the vanquished: I have no pity for them, because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not-that one endures.”

I vibe with this completely word for word.Thank you for creating such amazing content. The thinkers of the past live through you. It is so heartening to realize that so many kindred souls exist. Our individuality and actions as a person after having passed through all this will be our contribution to the story of life on earth. As you rightly quoted Nietzsche, we might see many amazing things come out of this age as more people re-center and find a more practical approach to life. Wishing that you grow in wisdom and continue to spread these ideas. Let the experiments unfold...

You have seen that the universe is at root a magical illusion and a fabulous game, and that there is no separate "you" to get something out of it, as if life were a bank to be robbed. The only real "you" is the one that comes and goes, manifests and withdraws itself eternally in and as every conscious being. For "you" is the universe looking at itself from billions of points of view, points that come and go so that the vision is forever new. Alan Watts

I needed to hear all of this so badly. Thank you

Thank you so much for making these videos. You have helped me, help myself, even love myself again.

I have felt like that most of my life. With my career mostly. It never earned me respect especially in my family. I studied several years to only find that in order to get somewhere I have to keep studying more and more and even then still being belittled by a few people. Also disappointing how many people with no school end up doing the same job as you. I agree, that makes you bitter, angry (even if passive aggressive), and yes self destructive in behaviors and in thoughts, insecurities. I used drugs, drank and lived promiscuously to lessen the pain without fully seeing how I was hurting others as well. As of late I feel I ruined my life because of something very serious that happened to me, it was my fault. Sometimes you feel like something is owed to you, but it's not. I have come to terms with it but that doesn't make it easier. All I can tell you is that sometimes following someone else's dreams (like pursuing a career), might mean not paying attention to your own dreams. I have certain mixed feelings about it but in the end I have come to understand that life in general isn't fair. It's just that some people are able to endure more. Some aren't. As crappy as it all might be, there are things in life worth living for, there are still dreams to pursue. I have to constantly remind myself that one of my favorite books (Robinson Crusoe), was written by Daniel Defoe when he was 59 yrs of age. We're not all going to make it big like that, or maybe we could. But I think that it's better to just focus on cruising around in a figure of speech. Paradoxically what happened to me as terrible as it might be has shown me how fast and how carelessly I've lived my life. For example I always said I wouldn't get married. Personally I did want to get married, even had names for my "future children", but lied about it because I felt vulnerable to people, they take advantage of what you tell them. It's hard to trust people in general. I learned it and I'm relearning this. I've been that person too many times, Why even lie? Last thing, it is better a live dog than a dead lion so just live. Some believe they'll come back (reincarnation), but nobody really knows about that so just live and give it your best shot. God bless you!

So to summarize: 1)keep expectations low so you will be pleasantly surprised 2)don't hold on to negative stuff such as people, memories, emotions, etc 3)have the courage to explore and go out of your comfort zone.

One of the best topic Einzelgänger ever brought to think! Thank you! I love most of your videos.

I find this philosophical pessimism oddly comforting. Acknowledging the disappointments & suffering is life is a huge part in accepting what we can not change, and an invitation to compassion for self and others.

This video popped up after I watched some videos about gratitude journaling. I definitely feel some of the hopelessness and absurdity of life as mentioned in this video, as many of you probably do. However, the gratitude journaling is starting to make me feel a little bit better about things, despite how silly it sometimes may feel when I begin the process of writing things I'm grateful for and how those things make me feel.

Amazing video, I really needed this today after a series of disappointing events

This has been the only self help video that has kept me from jumping off the ledge.

Einzelganger, thank you so much. This video was yet another great one. Blessings to you and our Einzelganger community. 🦋🍀☀️

Kipling's 'If' addresses this issue . . .

I realized some truths about myself while watching this video. While I don't necessarily think I deserve anything, my expectations for life were definitely more than I could achieve. And what's more, I've been working all my life towards them without proper result. Realizing this is soul crushing. Makes me want to give up Now all I need to do is get past it. Somehow.

This hurt so much to hear and how familiar this feel. I was constantly crying before watching this since I am a delusional who can't get out of his fantasy. Now I'm just feel empty.

your videos and insights are such an enrichment in these bizarre times we live in

I know people who are unfortunate AF but they don't give up. And I know people who are fortunate AF but easily give up (me included).

When through some terrible emotions recently, even seriously contemplated suicide for the first time in my life. I persevere, and kept moving though, and this video is further encouragement. It's a good thing to have a voice of reason even if it comes from a stranger on youtube. Thank you.

Omg this really hit home for me. The falsehoods we are sold! Excellent video. Try to enjoy the day if you can and enjoy the small things.

Maaan this video hit hard.... soo much truth about the disappointment of life. It's true that I'm generally happy when I'm doing my own thing but as I compare myself to someone else (same age) I feel I have underachieved. I'm talking about what happens subconsciously, like when your browsing social media. Telling yourself "not to compare" is pointless in this regard.

Always keep your expectations in check, otherwise you'll be disappointed. Always keep your wants in check, otherwise you'll be dissatisfied.

Simpson kid: This was the worst day in my life. Simpson dad: The worst day of your life so far.

This channel brings me such perspective. Bless you

So much real life and relatable wisdom in your videos, thank you so much.

“I have lived nearly fifty years, and I have seen life as it is. Pain, misery, hunger... cruelty beyond belief. I have heard the singing from taverns and the moans from bundles of filth on the streets. I have been a soldier and seen my comrades fall in battle... or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I have held them in my arms at the final moment. These were men who saw life as it is, yet they died despairing. No glory, no gallant last words... only their eyes filled with confusion, whimpering the question, "Why?" I do not think they asked why they were dying, but why they had lived. When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams - this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness - and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!” ― Dale Wasserman, Man of La Mancha

This video was really inspiring to me, i always had a good life and i'm very grateful for it but sometimes i'm still quite depressed because it seems to me that everything was givven to me without efforts or merits. I always had since childhood many ambitions and i still have some of them right now but i was never able to realize them and this often makes me feel like a failure, especially because i have many friends who seems to be what i always wanted to be.

For too many decades, I suffered from envy over what others have but i don't, but very slowly something shifted. Instead of envy, bitterness, etc. because of what I lacked, I began to ask myself this: "So, I want something, say a house; that takes a great deal of money, which means that I must devote a great deal of time and energy to earning money, which can come with stress and uncertainty (work politics, lay-offs, etc.). But once i have the money, there are all the challenges of finding and purchasing a house, followed by ongoing maintenance, more money for insurance, repairs, etc. So i spend my life to fulfill a dream, which once i have attained it does not bring me the joy of the dream. It's best summed up by the saying, " Sometimes, we should thank God for unanswered prayers." Oh, I still have dreams, but now I rarely feel the better regret over what I lack. Remember, be careful what you ask for- you might get it!

Compassion and gratitude are very important positives to engage with daily. We need to live as part of a whole. Togetherness is a powerful antidote to the ailments of the individualised, stand alone human condition of the current era.

Sounds great, but I'm still depressed and I've tried everything. My life is working for someone else, eat, sleep, repeat. At which point does being positive and meditating and all that becomes escapism? Shouldn't there be a change? I've felt happiness from practicing positive habits, but when the fuel runs out and everything is still the same... what then? I'm just a worker, my life has no meaning at this point.

the green knight movie encapsulated this extremely well

Einzelganger, I’m applauding your learnings and observations on life’s devastating, yet impersonal obstacles and the way to turn poison into medicine, as we do with snake venom. I applaud, likewise, the research team and your writer(s). Compassion for ourselves and all others is the only path capable of healing our humanity. Bravo! For your contributions!

Thank you Einzelgänger, I needed this!