Progress Notes

What Is Happening To Us?

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by
Doc
, 05-01-2014 at 05:32 PM (9883 Views)
There are two people who I talk to all the time who keep saying that the World is changing, that people are different. People have become more self-centered and some of the social norms we grew up with are fading away. In particular these two tell me that people feel no obligation to return telephone calls and messages. They also report that the idea of balance in friendships, that one side shouldn't have to do all the calling for example, has been fading away and there seems to be far less empathy for others.

They think that there are two reasons for this change: One reason is the parenting or lack of parenting, that has begun to turn out more selfish and less courteous adults. The other reason, they tell me, is the rise of social media, texting, Facebook, Twitter which has made people less personally engaged with one-another and less "immediate", meaning that social media don't require answers right this second and that many people like to respond later, when they have had time to think.

I don't know how much of this is true. The people telling me this are adamant that the phenomenon they describe is real, they are not so sure of the answers. I have noticed some of this myself and found some reasons of my own but not really given it all that much thought. My interests and the number and kind of people I interact with have changed over the years and I have attributed most of the changes I've notice to that sort of thing, not so much to any global or generational change.

So, now to the real purpose of this: Do you see the World changing? Are people becoming less involved with each other? Are people more rude? Do you find you make what you think are new friendships only to find that your messages go unanswered for days or longer? I'm sending this out like a message in a bottle. Let's see where it drifts and who picks it up!
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  1. CasperParks's Avatar
    Do you see the World changing? Yes...

    Are people becoming less involved with each other? The type of involvement is different. People are more stressed. More than in decades past. More people are causing personal problems that could have been avoided. I encounter more people who are self-centered.

    Are people more rude? Without a doubt, yes.

    Do you find you make what you think are new friendships only to find that your messages go unanswered for days or longer? If they owe me money, yes.

    Some of these factors are playing a role:

    Good paying jobs have vanished, and employers are not loyal to their long term employees. Comments often left at ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and so-on: Show people are out of touch with the vast majority of others. Many jobs are now outsourced, with factories subcontracting half or more of their labor force to avoid taxes, healthcare and workman's comp insurance. Many companies have placed a middleman taking a cut between them and employees.

    No matter which way Middle-America turns, Corporations and big business are squeezing every drop of money from consumers. Voters are disenfranchised and believe, criminal conduct between corporations and politics is at an all time high. People feel powerless to do anything about it. Following corporate lead, many feel it is every man for him-herself.

    I could continue at great length but will halt myself.
    Updated 05-02-2014 at 02:47 AM by CasperParks
  2. Doc's Avatar
    I just thought of Joe Walsh's 'industrial love song' - Life's Been Good To Me So Far :

    "It's hard to handle this fortune and fame
    Everybody's so different, I haven't changed..."

    http://www.theoutpostforum.com/tof/s...1973#post31973
  3. atmjjc's Avatar
    I have been dealing in the mental health field for the last 20 years and of course most of my dealings are usually skewed to behavioral extremes of one sort or another, but what troubles me the most is how many people have this sense of entitlement about themselves which gives them this strange aura of naïveté about the world and society as a whole.

    What I have been noticing is a behavioral shift; especially among the young as an attitude of ‘entitlement’ which I am not alone in my observations as most of my colleagues have noticed the same thing as you are becoming aware Doc.

    At first you might take them as being a little slow in the brain department or mentally impaired in some way but most are totally out of touch with the reality and empathy of others and many are well educated but completely egocentric and literally not drawing any connection with social interaction or in touch with how to react to feelings of others. Even when brought to their attention nothing jives with them.
    Updated 05-09-2014 at 12:40 AM by atmjjc
  4. Doc's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by atmjjc
    I have been dealing in the mental health field for the last 20 years and of course most of my dealings are usually skewed to behavioral extremes of one sort or another, but what troubles me the most is how many people have this sense of entitlement about themselves which gives them this strange aura of naïveté about the world and society as a whole.

    What I have been noticing is a behavioral shift; especially among the young as an attitude of ‘entitlement’ which I am not alone in my observations as most of my colleagues have noticed the same thing as you are becoming aware Doc.

    At first you might take them as being a little slow in the brain department or mentally impaired in some way but most are totally out of touch with the reality and empathy of others and many are well educated but completely egocentric and literally not drawing any connection with social interaction or in touch with how to react to feelings of others. Even when brought to their attention nothing jives with them.
    My observations were coming from the mental health field also. I was trying to protect the anonymity of the people I was referring to by not mentioning the origin, just a courtesy. They would use almost the same wording as your first paragraph. They think it comes from general social change in the world and from parenting. Do you have a theory as to the origins of this phenomenon?
  5. atmjjc's Avatar
    Sorry for the delay in responding to your question Doc I will try and reduce my opinion to a simple sentence with a follow-up link worth a read.

    The problem I am seeing which is presently effecting the U.S. but has spread globally is the net effect of putting psychopaths in charge of our society who have the power and know how to manipulate ideologies of the people creating zombie like sociopaths.

    worth a read...> http://www.wolveswolveswolves.org/mo...lEvolution.htm
  6. CasperParks's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by atmjjc
    The problem I am seeing which is presently effecting the U.S. but has spread globally is the net effect of putting psychopaths in charge of our society who have the power and know how to manipulate ideologies of the people creating zombie like sociopaths.
    Well, you stated that very well. No disagreement from me.