For me, I try to educate myself and continue to open my heart and mind to the suffering and problems of the world. This is painful and only recommended in small doses. I see a lot of suffering, and not just human suffering, and I am a white male human in Colorado, so I probably don't see the majority of suffering due to my privileges and luxurious life. The only other option is to turn away from it all, and I don't want to. I don't want to be part of the problem and live with so much blood on my hands. I try to cope with it by waking up each day and trying to make a positive difference in any small way that I can. Learning, sharing what I learn, talking with others, learning the problems of others, volunteering social services, voting, and brainstorming economic, social and political solutions. I find happiness daily in the beauty of the sky or animals or plants. This is truly an incredible world and I must be blessed to have had the chance to experience it, even if things are not going so great for the community of Earth.
I'm inclined to agree. I think if we can't stop a person from continually hurting others, like a serial killer, then yea we should probably put him/her/etc. somewhere safe. But other then that (and I am sure a few other cases) this whole locking people up thing seems inhumane. I don't advocate theft, but I don't think people should be kept in cages for it. After all we were born with nothing but our bodies to start with. Also one shouldn't be prosecuted for what they put in their own body. It's pretty odd that folks will bust down my door and lock me up for posession of heroin, but the doctor can deal it all day down the street.
Yea I think that's spot on, at least the long-term thinking in chess part. I think that thinking about future actions is more often involved in chess than soccer or many other activities. In soccer the players on the board change positions too quickly to think very far ahead.