TEOTWAWKI

Gabriel's having his afternoon nap, so I thought I'd do some searching on Doomsday psychology. It turns out there's an awful lot of stuff on various Doomsday scenarios, but not much (apart from, y'know books) on why end-of-the-worlders are so damned set on ending life-as-we-know-it.

So, in a brief and irreverent run-down, the nominees for Best Planet Destruction Event are:

(1) The Mayans. Their long-count calender (not their short one, or teensy one, or super-dooper long one) runs out tomorrow. Despite this, they didn't prophesy the end of the world. I guess that's because calenders don't signify anything other than ending of a period of time.

(2) Planet X/Nibiru. I love this one. HUGE planet hurtling towards us (by tomorrow) is apparently also an invisible planet...has been for ages too. Right now, we should be seeing something in the sky the size of the moon..at least. A while ago, a random astronomer or two probably should have seen something in their super-dooper observatory set-ups.

(3) Magnetic Pole shift (I sooo blame the 2012 movie for that one..I mean who wouldn't believe Dennis Quaid??)...for that matter, who wouldn't want to snuggle up with Jake Gyllenhaal in a library in front of a fire?

(4) Mega Sun Flares. Crispy us. Pesky scientists are assuring us that this is about as likely as me winning a Nobel prize, but what would they know? It's a conspiracy!

(5) The black hole in the middle of the universe is going to suck us all in...well, something has sucked a lot of people in, but it ain't a black hole (unless we're talking the intellectual variety...)

(6) The Rapture! Lots of Christians floating up into the sky (I assume Jesus has some kind of 'off-switch' on atmospheric conditions? I mean 8000m is currently touted the "death zone" on Everest, and I'm assuming Heaven is a bit higher than that?)...

I'm sure there are others, but I'm a bit over reading the bunkum and pifflery to be honest. What really interests me is why people really really want the world to end.
At first I assumed that said 'people' mustn't be very bright. It turns out though that various important surveys have been done and that Doomsdayers are often 'above average intelligence'. As measured by what?

So here's my theory (such as it is).
I think people are bloody overwhelmed.
It's a very big and very scary world out there. In 2012 we know far more about the various goings-on globally than we can reasonably manage to process.
I get overwhelmed. Like my recent ancestors, I have to live, provide for my family, pay taxes, work, laugh, dream, play, foster my mind/ambitions, act for my community and try to help others less fortunate. Unlike my recent ancestors, I am in constant contact with the whole world, it's massacres, it's wars, it's tsunami's and hurricanes, it's starving millions, it's disabled and elderly, it's struggling animal populations, it's human rights violations, it's religious manias, it's climate and environmental destruction.
It is definitely overwhelming. Where to help? What are my responsibilities? What can I reasonably expect to achieve here? I can 'Think Globally, Act Locally', but to be honest, between caring for a 6 month old and getting the dishes done, I don't do a whole lot of 'acting locally either.
On this point alone, if the WAWKI ends, I have far less to worry about.
In fact, I get to return to the basics really. Surviving.
Of course, doing that probably won't be quite as romantic and heroic as some might like to think. No water or electricity supply would put quite a dint in things...even if you were snuggling Jake Gyllenhaal in a library.

I think people really really fear death. Atheists and Theists alike. Perhaps there's something quite comforting in the idea of not 'getting old' ?. Perhaps it's even more comforting to imagine everyone going out together in one fell swoop? Perhaps only the belief that you can predict death (of yourself and the planet) makes you feel a bit better about it?. I mean, there's a Doomsday for everyone, but the trick is that you can't predict it.
I get that 'the Rapture' is quite comforting for Christians, -you actually get to avoid the 'death' bit entirely and just go straight to heaven where everything is just-lovely-thankyou, but it does seem a bit smug doesn't it? "Ooh, sorry everyone else! We did tell you...thanks for that delicious choccie cake last thursday, but I'm off to heaven. Enjoy your catastrophic destruction".

In fact, I think pretty much all Doomsday philosophies have quite a bit in common with religious belief (even if they're 'secular' in nature).

So, in my-very-own-doomsday scenario here's what happens;
The Magnetic poles shift and that effects the Atlantic Current thingy (toldya I like that movie). This means that I now live in a cold place, which is a jolly good thing.
The Government collapses and I no longer have to worry about tax/superannuation, buying a house, paying bills etc. This has no consequence other than freeing me from annoying obligations.
All my family members (well, OK some of my family members) survive, as well as the most excellent friends and we all manage to get together somehow.
No no, I have it figured. I've got a really good mix of scientists, medicos, artists, gardeners, tradies etc, so I get to have a cool micro-community full of people I like.
We grow vegetables, write new books and plays, save important bits of previous human culture, sing songs by firelight and go to bed early every night. Someone also figures out how to make great wine, and we storm some great property with heaps of arable land, lots of grape vines, an underground aquifer and a picturesque location. Maybe a lake nearby for fishing.
Eventually we may accept other tribes (for the sake of genetic diversity you understand), but it will all be peaceful and lovely and stuff.
Oh, and there'll be horses and goats and chickens and a huge stock of soy-bean seeds so I don't have to revert to caveman-style eating of dead creatures.
Yay apocolypse!