Quote:
Originally Posted by fastboy21
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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.
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Though its very late and im intoxicated right now. I personally agree with a lot of the statements you have made. If we all just did what made us happy in the end. The world would be one chaotic place.
Just imagine how many more obese people would be in america? I have so many responsibilities that don't make me happy. In the end though I am much more happier with a sense of accomplishment having done them. Evolution is apparent. If you disagree with the fact that the younger generation is being brought up tremedously differntly you are a fool. It guys like Ben Stein we need. I'm no fan of Ben Stein , but comments like his have more of a positive effect then a neg one. We need people to push us into responsibilty aka productive things. We need people to encourage us and to point out time wasted. Back in the day when the diagnosis of ADD wasn't around. Parents would just discipline you harder. Instead we medicate society often way to much. As far as our education system being so low. You can thank the public school system/ polotics for this notion. Maybe if we got rid of the illegals attending these schools with no profound way on learning english maybe then we could concentrate on studies that matter for the children that are hear legally. Or maybe if parents just took the time and payed proper attention to their kids there may be more hope. Back in the day it was normal for the wife to stay home with the child. Now in days its demonized into a cultural norm that the wife has to work. The economy has now responded... double income parents.... It was much more plausible for one parent to work back then. Now its a lot harder. You can thank womans right groups, and the socialistic terror it has brought onto this nation. The day woman aren't demonized for staying home with the children, and the day the average male can support his family on his own. Is the day we might be able to focus on our kids/schools more. I hope more people like Ben Stein come out of this generation of kids. Its people with a driving force that gets things done in this world. Not people doing theings for their own happiness. But for the greater good of others and their hapiness. Think jesus perhaps?