Psychologists claim evolutionary biology leaves humans ill-equipped for giant, slow-moving problems, but today's issues are speeding up. The climate crisis now brings floods and wildfires that destroy communities in hours, while artificial intelligence grows rapidly, with some creators warning it could kill us all. We listen as tech billionaires speculate about our survival, and this constant pressure is wearing us out.

A CDC survey from early September found that in 2024, 71.5 percent of adults felt fatigued at least some of the time. Lead author Natalie A.E. Young told NBC that fatigue is now one of the most reported health concerns in primary care, raising risks of disability. The American Psychological Association's Stress in America report also shows widespread weariness, with many Americans waking at 3 a.m. wondering what new strain is coming.

This isn't fragility—daily news of A.I. mayhem and record heat would challenge anyone. The author has spent four decades fighting climate change, using exercise and movement-building to stay mentally healthy, but even those strategies now fall short. The pressure on engaged Americans is nearly debilitating.

In past crises, Americans had institutions to lean on, like Franklin D. Roosevelt's reassuring words during the Depression. Today, President Trump's response to A.I. fear is to rename it "superintelligence,", while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. focuses on chemtrails. Tech leaders wring their hands about the trouble they've caused, then return to making fortunes, leaving few people willing to place trust in those in power.