The Uber driver mother of 4 begging for her life before being shot dead by her passenger. Where there's no mercy, there's no hope. -u/h2ohow

The Holocaust and how the Nazis turned a nation of sane people into murderous, genocidal maniacs. The worst stories about the Holocaust to me aren't what they did to the Jews, but how normal the camp staff was outside of work and how they were just normal people who enjoyed the company of their families and friends, but during work time murdered millions of people like animals. It makes me shiver to think about how I would behave if I grew up in Nazi Germany. It truly shows the depravity and true evil humans are capable of. -u/_Steven_Seagal_

The response to covid. That showed that we can't cooperate, even when the proper course is clear and essentially cost and risk-free, and the danger is immediate and obvious. When there's something less direct like climate change, the fix for which will be very, very expensive and require real cultural change, it's hard to see how we have any hope at all. -u/TaserLord

A classroom full of dead first graders doesn’t make a difference to those in power. -u/brianbo402

No specific event, but literally just being a high school teacher. -u/Toihva

I have to limit how much I view social media because there are so many absolutely disgusting people being cheered on, celebrated, and supported for things that they should be ashamed of. -u/black_soul_gym

I work retail and we are running 50% off this week. People are unable to do the math, and tell how much 2 of the same product will cost. The products are priced with both the original price and the sale price. -u/aniacret

I realized the world was coming to an end after my first week in tech support. -u/LeftChoux

The toilet paper panic of 2020. -u/I_want_to_lurk

I studied ecology and then taught biology and environmental science for 16 years. Warnings from scientists on climate change have become more and more dire, and global leaders/corporations continue to talk about taking action but they don't actually do what is required. They have instead become skilled at making the average citizen feel bad and responsible for it. -u/aartadventure

Gestures vaguely. -u/LynxKuroneko

The absolute unwillingness to make decisions based on history. "The last 3 times we tried it this bad thing happened, but it'll work this time." It doesn't. -u/bludstone

I worked at a 24 hour convenience store in Harvard Square in the '90s and dealt with mostly tourists and Harvard students. Seeing all these people from around the world and all of our “brightest” minds collectively in one room made me realize just how stupid people are. It’s amazing we’ve gotten this far. Morons, all of us. -u/Sirnando138

When I realized psychopaths rise to positions of influence at a disproportionate rate. Something fundamentally self-destructive about humanity, not enough people seek positions in society to better society.

Far too often it’s selfish people seeking to abuse positions of influence for their own benefit even if it means screwing over everyone else. -u/Anagnorsis

Probably after experiencing how rapidly many people turn into selfish, aggressive, uncivilized thugs over mundane things. Each year, when shoppers are allowed out in public on Black Friday. I've seen deranged mothers clawing each other's faces over the last slightly discounted 4K TV. Fistfights over who is next into a store.

Then we had the lockdown in 2020 and I got to see people pulling each other's hair out over toilet paper. Ramming trollies in aisles. Spitting and swearing nutters charging and tackling other shoppers over pasta and water. Bedlam.

Recent 'fuel shortages' in the UK saw some areas beset by panic buyers, people getting assaulted on the forecourts. Road rage outside filling stations. Scenes not out of place in a Mad Max film. I shudder to imagine how people would react to a real crisis. -deleted user

I’d say 2 world wars in under 25 years would do the trick. -u/GooseOk4994

When I was in school I had a class on crime and mental health. I had to do a research paper and during the research I read a lot of studies about how many problems in the world can be solved with mental health treatment, housing and feeding people who need it.

And then reading other studies where the public constantly opposes said treatment. The reality is that most people in the world would rather spend $100 putting someone in jail than $90 treating them. We, as a species, would rather punish someone for crimes, even if it means continuing the cycle of criminality wherein WE ARE THE VICTIMS. -u/shaidyn

Every time I look around all I see are lobsters boiling in a pot, all arguing with each other whether the pot is made of brass or stainless steel.

These are the moments that will be described in future textbooks when trying to explain the downfall of western society, assuming anyone will be around to read & write them. -u/MrPoptartMan

I saw the great Pacific garbage patch in person. We f*cked, y'all. -u/Ghoti89

Moms doing TikTok dances next to their ill or dying children in the hospital for views and likes. -u/deleted

When the UN announced that the climate change point of no return will happen soon, and nobody did anything about it. -u/StationaryApe

When I learned that nukes exist. Basically, we're one mad dictator away from all dying. -u/orange-cap

Animal extinctions caused by selfish humans. -u/Theweekday0117

Having depression made me realize many things that made me lose hope very fast. The fact that there are people literally starving and asking for money in the streets, and then we have Kanye West, a millionaire, selling his new album for $350 USD and buying a mansion in front of his ex's. -u/STJ41

Not a specific incident but; the fact that it takes teams of people working in coordinated effort to build even a moderately sized building. Only one idiot with a bomb to destroy that building. -u/Skoziss