When did we lose our minds?

[Flying Scotsman]

Ah, the original thread question has morphed into many different questions as to the state of our sanity and civility to ourselves and others in our community.

Douggie

[domwilson]

I guess there's no easy answer...

[HappyOne]

Fascinating thread...

I believe the real reason for most of the ridiculous laws is that most people are unwilling, or incapable, of accepting responsibilities for their own actions (read, stupid stunts). Example; a woman buys what she expects to be a hot cup of coffee, places it between her legs and then gets burned. Now does she think "Geez, that was a real stupid thing to do, guess I'll get this treated."? Heck no, her first thought "D&mn, that McDonalds should make me rich for my stupidity!" and sues them. Next stupid piece to the puzzle, the liberal judge who hears the case and awards in her favor instead of; "Hey Lady, you bought the coffee expecting it to be hot. You did something stupid and got burned. Then you did an even stupider thing and tried to sue the restaurant! As a reward, I rule that you get to reimburse the restaurant for their costs to be here for this ignorance, now get your ignorant &^% out of here!!"
Had this been the result, and had a similar result occurred in so many similar cases, things might be a little better.
Case 2: a man breaks into a house in the middle of the night, he leans on the kitchen counter and cuts his hand on a knife, yells, home owner turns on lights, he flees the house. Next this upstanding citizen sues the home-owner and WINS for the damage (cut) to his hand and is awarded damages!!
As long as cr^p like this continues in our courts our society is doomed to continue to get worse.
This doesn't even begin to address how bleeding hearts financially reward the lazy and worthless for refusing to work for a living and in fact gives them a pay raise every time they pop out another welfare recipient!
OK, I'll get off my soap box now!

You know, I tend to think that it starts before taking responsibility for one's own actions. I think many folks are effectively incapable of thinking deeply enough to even consider the repercussions of their actions and then the 'it's someone else's fault' position is actually a reaction to the sudden realization of the consequence. I think this trend has been developing for a long time now and has accelerated with the rise of the popular mass media. Now we have expanded beyond traditional print and into TV, online programming, email, IM, Tweeting etc. Society has developed an ever more shallow grasp on any particular subject or topic. We scan headlines but don't read the whole article or develop opinions based on unsubstantiated 'sound bites' we are exposed to on TV or through social media. Perhaps 100 years ago most society knew very little but their immediate business. Today, most have been exposed to a very wide variety of subjects and material yet very little has been adequately digested.

[LuckyDuc]

When did we, as grown, free americans, lose our minds?

I saw this on the news last night here in WI.
Lemonade stand shut down by police

http://www.kmov.com/news/off-beat/Lemonade-stand-shut-down-by-police-125937868.html

I'm not sure when we lost our minds, but it seems pretty clear that we have.

[domwilson]

A lot of good responses. No easy answers. So we have Politics, Social issues, personal responsibility, parenting and gadgets. I'll add apathy, cynical, hopeless, demoralized in to this. Maybe, people need to see hope for a brighter future, have more control over their own destiny's and fairly judged for the consequences of their actions? Maybe a fair chance to succeed and the appropriate rewards for failure? I'm curious to all this because my nephews and nieces have asked me this. When teenagers, who have access to a vast wealth of recent history ask you something like this, it really makes you think. I don't get to talk about the "Good Ol' days" without someone asking me why people were smarter back then.

[domwilson]

One of my co-workers says it all started with the boon of the credit card industry...1979

[LuckyDuc]

Credit cards definitely played a major role in the creation of the age of decadence... An age that is at it's end now.

[Flying Scotsman]

I do not tweet, facebook, blog and I do not watch any of the silly reality shows on the telly. I guess I am an old fart and is proud of that status.

Douggie

[befu]

Many of this countries financial issues could probably be traced back to Woodrow Wilson and his Liberty bonds. They were a good idea at the time but he underestimated the greed of his fellow Washingtonians.

But keep it coming....

Oh, you nailed it on this one! Politicians just keep building on it.

[properchopper]

Very heuristic topic. Thing is, while it's saddeningly easy to point out society's ills, focusing on the cure(s) is the important direction to go in. Considering that the bulk of developmental psychology thinking agrees that one's behavior, and moral compass, is passed on from parent to child in the first several years of human development, the child-rearing environment, when correctly focused can be the all-important curative factor of the ills discussed here. Not an easy task, as any parent can tell you, but if the focus on correct upbringing can be practiced for several generations the game changes from legislating morality to teaching and practicing it. Of course the argument can be raised that the requirements for parenthood are not much more than a functioning reproductive system and a pulse, so where do we start ? What works for me is model boating and giving back more than I get and maintaining a spiritual connection which gives me a daily reprieve from my demons and keeps the bracelets off.

[domwilson]

I'm not a parent, yet. But I see more and more of both parents working. Less quality time being spent with their children. Personal lives being invaded by employers, media, government, etc. Where do we start? How can we cut out some of the negative influences that affect us and replace it with positive role models? Yes good parenting would help. But is it enough?

[m4a1usr]

Very heuristic topic. Thing is, while it's saddeningly easy to point out society's ills, focusing on the cure(s) is the important direction to go in. Considering that the bulk of developmental psychology thinking agrees that one's behavior, and moral compass, is passed on from parent to child in the first several years of human development, the child-rearing environment, when correctly focused can be the all-important curative factor of the ills discussed here. Not an easy task, as any parent can tell you, but if the focus on correct upbringing can be practiced for several generations the game changes from legislating morality to teaching and practicing it. Of course the argument can be raised that the requirements for parenthood are not much more than a functioning reproductive system and a pulse, so where do we start ? What works for me is model boating and giving back more than I get and maintaining a spiritual connection which gives me a daily reprieve from my demons and keeps the bracelets off.

Good points Tony. We do give the benefit of doubt to those who imply morality in their family lifestyle. We consider it healthy and the assumption is it will continue to add value. But us as a whole have degraded from a steady family enviornment to a "change" with the times due to influences, whether from friends/media/social expectations/financial status.

Back in the 1800's (when a family was truely centered around itself) it was not uncommon to have a large family, yet most offspring might all die from disease, malnutrition or social issues such as war or similar hostility issues. Today a so called similar "Family" will sue a hospital or doctor because their brain dead or genetically mal formed child is not given a fair chance to consume air. I didnt say anything about becoming a contributing member of society. I mean all they will do from birth to death (however long that may take) is occupy space and somehow provide comfort to the parents. They lack any sense of honest intelligence. Because we can prolong life, it must be so. Damn anyone and their opinion. My child has a right to exist no matter the cost. All because of emotion. Cold? Yes. But we somehow managed to get past that discussion 100 years ago. Were we barbarians? No,............ they were honest to themselves. Today life is our right no matter the cost. Look where its taken us. We cannot even kill covicted murders today without a court hearing on the amount of pain and suffering that will be inflicted upon them. And yet today we call ourselves educated, intelligent, sympathetic to our surrounding society members. Nice little hypocrites our society has become.

John

[properchopper]

Because my mind is incapable of weighing all the societal complexities that place our current "civilization" in the stew that is now obviously boiling over , I have to stick to the rather simplistic notion that we desperately must produce offspring that are , and these are powerful words : Givers, and not Takers. And steer them, as best we can, regardless of the personal sacrifice involved, in a morally driven productive direction. While a tired argument; "If you need to study and practice to qualify for a driver's license, why does "qualifying" for parenthood only take the ability to (you know)." The countries of the world, ours included, are vastly overpopulated with children thrust into the world by parents incapable, and in far too many cases unwilling to provide in any way for their care and upbringing. Don't get me started there!

[Flying Scotsman]

Tony, you are correct and as I watched some idiot kids who rioted after a defeat of a hockey game in Vancouver..the parents should be also responsible for their actions....frankly I am fed up with today's youth...there are many great kids but a lot of morons as well.

Douggie, the old fart and proud grandfather of two amazing kids and no, they are not allowed to run my boats. They are 4 and 7 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH9IgJZCx4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXKEMnDnQ4c&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQDakdp5WZ0&feature=related

Just a few blasts from the past.

And one from a different era

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSeg69d3CQ8&feature=related

Douggie

[domwilson]

No doubt that today's society has a myriad of problems. Fixing them will probably have to start at the individual level. For some, (maybe a large number), that may require some professional help. But I think we can do it if we bond together like mature adults and avoid the bickering, Political correctness, apathy and narcism that has thus far, engulfed a large number of the masses. Just ask yourself...Are you up to the task? Do you have the strength of character and will to make a positive difference?