This article evoked memories of living through the dissolution of the USSR, an experience characterized by gradual deterioration rather than a single cataclysmic event.
Each day brought new disheartening news and incremental decline, until eventually reaching a tipping point where the cumulative weight of issues overwhelmed the entire social structure, causing it to unravel.
Looking back, what was most interesting was how effortlessly one could acclimate to a new status quo amidst mounting challenges. As long as issues accumulated at a pace manageable enough for adaptation, individuals would readily embrace alterations in their lives and continue onward. This widespread phenomenon served to stifle any substantial efforts aimed at halting the descent into decline.
Besides the right turn in to a brick wall at the end (probably a requirement to get the article posted tbh) I feel this a lot. All social interactions feel wrong because everyone is afraid to talk about reality. If you get to close to a real topic everyone is socially trained to change the subject to avoid talking about something uncomfortable.
It’s the whole emperor’s new clothes phenomenon.