This may come off as really pretentious, but when I’m feel a wistful melancholy for the past, I hear this short poem I wrote a few years ago called Still Here:

I thought this feeling cast away

Though here it is, perhaps to stay

Though years have passed and I have cried

My inward plea is still denied

If you read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein that may give you an idea.

Otherwise, I attended Porcfest, the libertarian Porcupine Freedom Festival, back in 2016. Although it’s labeled libertarian, most folks I talked to discussed anarchy. One of the presentations I remember asserted that 8 is the optimal number of individuals in a decision making group. In his ideal anarchy individual people would assemble in groups of 8, who would then gather their groups or reps from their groups into a higher group of 8, and so on. Effectively higher level group decisions, if needed, would be made by a council that could be traced back to any individual.

I don’t know that that’s a good plan, but it may get your mind going on how to think about the topic.

Basically, life goes on regardless of whether something goes well or poorly. This is meant to help someone feel better when things go awry because they can move past it and there will be future opportunities for things to go well.

The ambiguity of that “it” is doing a LOT of heavy lifting here, but I see what you’re saying : )

I think I would call it a platform arena fighting game. One similar game I don’t see mentioned is an arcade game called Killer Queen if there’s a cabinet in your area: https://www.killerqueenarcade.com/

“Usually it’s considered pretty stupid to be proud of things you didn’t have a hand in.” Is it stupid to be proud of a friend when they accomplish something you didn’t help with, just because they are a part of your life and you want to see them succeed? Could that not be extrapolated out to pride in one’s country when it accomplishes something, even if all you directly contributed was your tax money?

“Why be proud of where you were born, when it was just random chance?” Because the place I was born creates the circumstances in which I was raised, forming the environment that shapes my values, worldview, and culture. I don’t think I should feel like I deserve credit, but why not have pride in knowing that I have the opportunity to carry on the legacy and work that accomplished pride-worthy things in the past?