Quote:
Originally Posted by Ihealyou
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
How is doing something you enjoy not productive? I'd say that my happiness is more important than working, studying, or improving my mind. I could have a successful career, be in peak physical condition, and do all the other "productive" stuff he talks about, but at the end of the day, if I'm not happy it doesn't matter. I'd rather enjoy life than do what I'm supposed to do because it looks good.
|
and this is the EXACT issue with an entire generation plus of americans (and arguably some other Western European countries) right now.
How is doing something you enjoy not productive? The answer to this should be obvious. That it requires any explanation at all to some gives an idea about how culturally deep the notion is.
Your happiness is more important than working, studying, improving your mind, having a successful career, being in good physical condition? Again, a good synopsis of a very dangerous cultural norm in our society.
You'd rather enjoy life than do what you're supposed to do? Again, a dangerous cultural attitude that leads to mediocrity and ironically (in the end) unhappiness.
There are a generation of young american adults already entering the work place that were raised in this culture. There is a couple generations of children behind them that are being raised with the same mentality.
I'm very hesitant to get on the "young people today have no sense of responsibility" band wagon as I think most generations have looked back in disgust at the young generations in their society, and everything has turned out fine.
I'm reminded of a quote on young people in society:
"The children today now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."
Socrates said this around 400BC...so there seems to maybe be a prevailing habit of the older generation to criticize the younger...
To some degree, I still have faith in our children to be of the same exact fiber of our older generations who fought in WWII and sacrificed everything for their sense of responsibility to family and nation.
On the other hand, I do think there is a real cultural shift that has gone on...and that it is a cultural shift that if left unchecked would ultimately represent a threat to our society.