Burn It to the Ground

The Reckless Pursuit of Collapse and Its Consequences for Future Generations

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A disturbing trend is gaining traction as more people embrace a desire for societal collapse.

It’s not just frustration—it’s a wish for destruction, a call for everything to fall apart.

The argument goes something like this:

The institution is struggling. I disagree with who’s in charge. I’m unhappy with the choices being made. And I hope it fails miserably and crumbles entirely.

The vocal factions are calling for certain institutions to crumble because they see the system as worthless if it doesn't align with their desires and expectations.

When did this despair over the future become so pervasive? And more importantly, what are we teaching our kids when we, as parents (and grandparents), choose to adopt such a toxic, self-destructive mindset?

At best, this mentality is short-sighted. At worst, it's dangerous, bordering on evil.

People who wish for the disintegration of our social fabric based on their dissatisfaction aren’t just being negative—they’re actively contributing to the breakdown of everything that could provide a better future for the next generation.

When we abandon the hope that our kids can have a better life than we did, we reject the very thing that made our own progress possible: the belief that things can—and should—improve.

As JFK once suggested, a society’s strength lies in the belief its members have in the future. This truth is under attack by those advocating for collapse without understanding the consequences.

Baird Brightman posted a provocative note last week that directly connects to this point, categorizing people into Builders/Creators, Destroyers, or Bystanders. While this argument is my own, his insight highlights the core issue: those who wish for the downfall of institutions—or nations—out of personal dissatisfaction fall squarely into the destroyer category. They aren't offering solutions; they just want to tear shit down.

This mindset is both selfish and immature.

It’s akin to the athlete who, after losing to an opponent, hopes that same opponent loses in the next round because their ego can’t handle the defeat. Instead of learning, adapting, and growing, their response is to wish their opponent feels as miserable as they do.

But mature competitors understand that losing to the eventual winner actually elevates their own game. It’s not only about what they can learn from the loss—it’s that the opponent’s subsequent victories raise the status of everyone they’ve defeated.

The problem with the ‘burn it all down’ mentality isn’t just philosophical; it’s deeply practical. Our kids are watching.

They hear the endless bashing of the school, the parish, the country—how everything is falling apart—and they watch as their elders resign themselves to an apathetic, 'I hope it all unravels' attitude.

So, what do our kids learn from this mentality?

They learn that when things don’t go their way, retreating is acceptable, rather than pushing through the discomfort of persistence. They learn that when faced with a challenge or conflict, abandonment is sufficient, instead of putting in the hard work to improve their circumstances. They learn that hoping for the misfortune of others is permissible, fostering a mindset that erodes empathy and justifies division.

What kind of future are we building for our kids when we storm off, taking our ball with us, ruining the game for everyone? What do they inherit when we quit mid-play and set fire to the field? And how will they ever learn to build a team worth playing for if no one teaches them how?

Our kids are absorbing how we respond to adversity—how we deal with disagreement, how we handle disappointment. If we only show them how to give up, point fingers, and wish ill on others, that’s precisely what they’ll learn to do.

Those rooting for collapse forget one thing: it’s our kids who will suffer. They won’t just bear the fallout—they’ll live in the wreckage of what we were too bitter, entitled, or stubborn to repair. If we leave them a world too broken to fix, we’re not handing them a challenge—we’re inflicting a horrific consequence of our own making.

It’s time to start thinking about the legacy we’re leaving for our kids. Do we want to leave them a world destroyed by our inability to adapt, or do we show them that, even in hardship, it’s possible to improve the hand we’re dealt? This isn’t just about systems or ideologies—it’s about how we respond to life’s challenges and how our responses directly shape our future and the future of those around us.

It’s easy to tear things down—it’s far more challenging, but infinitely more rewarding, to fix what’s broken or build something better.

Let’s choose to create, not destroy. Let’s show our kids that, even when things don’t go our way, we roll up our sleeves, engage, and get busy making, mending, rebuilding, and improving.

Our kids deserve more than what they’re getting from us right now. They deserve a world where resilience and progress define the future—and it's on us to deliver it.