The epidemic of weak-minded whimps

[flowboy]

I don't mean this as negative and judgmental as the title perhaps sounds.

I'm also not complaining.

I'm just noticing some things in myself and others and wonder whether our forefathers would laugh at us for that shit.

Basically, I'm wondering whether the generations from the "babyboomers" onwards are generally a lot weaker mentally than those before that.

Some symptoms:

• Procrastination is socially acceptable. It seems to me that it's the norm to identify as a procrastinator.
• Being lazy is socially acceptable.
• Having trouble with focus/being distracted is also very common. Victimhood and excuse making around this subject is generally accepted in the mainstream.
• Books like 'Deep Work' are necessary these days to inspire people to use their time for something productive. Kinda crazy if you think about it.
• People have to be taught how to get off their bum, socialize and meet people from the other sex. My grandpa didn't do a lot of pickup training, I bet.
• It seems everyone is slightly depressed and anxious these days (myself included)
• Punishing your child for bad behaviour seems to be socially unacceptible now
• As far as I can tell, schools are moving towards making competition taboo and rewarding everyone equally for participating in contests
• Women whom I meet complain about men crying after sex, or being extremely needy/creepy
• Women whom I meet are surprised that I'm able to state clearly what I want, apparently that's not the norm
• Complaining about "friend zone", red-pill, mgtow and incels, all that victimhood shit is becoming popular
• Books like 'No More Mr Nice Guy' are necessary to help the epidemic of people with problematic pleasing behaviour
• Too many people are labelled with ADD these days, and use that as an excuse to not get their shit together.
• Watching TV and playing videogames for many hours a day is normal, there's no shame around it it seems

I'm guilty of most of the above, so don't get me wrong. Just thinking about how crazy these actually are, compared to real survival-threatening problems.

I discussed this with a friend last night. She made a good point that we may be flooded with information thanks to the internet and media, that that may cause us to malfunction in this way.

Personally I think most of us are not brought up with a sense of urgency, and are just way too comfortable. Maybe because we haven't had a war in a while? (I'm talking from the perspective of my own country)

I'm interested in:

• More symptoms if you can name some more
• Different perspectives: what do you think? Are we a weak-minded generation compared to our grandparents', or not at all?
• Counterexamples
• Possible causes you can think of

EDIT: I should clarify that I'm talking about people in modern 1st world societies.

Edited May 8, 2019 by flowboy

[flowboy]

Another example: the generation just before me (gen X? Not sure) was given the option to go to college for 10 years on full government funding. No requirements. You could stretch one bachelor's degree out over 10 years, not graduate, and not have to pay anything back. Many people lived as perpetual lazy students. Unfortunately for me, this option is gone now.

[ZZZZ]

I think life is just easier now in modern 1st world societies. There is no urgency to obtain or keep food, shelter, water, and basic medical care. The Average person can do the bare minimum and exist in just about any way they want, as long as they pay their dues to society. For many people, this means working whatever menial job they get for 40+ hours a week. They can largely ignore their own health, make a weekly trip to the grocery store, and they'll probably approach the average life expectancy. Does this means they're fulfilled? Absolutely not.

There's room to procrastinate. There's room to be lazy. There's room to do the bare minimum. There's room to remain complacent. There's really just no real dire consequence to any of the above.

Of course you're generalizing millions or billions of people, depending on who you're talking about here. We should keep in mind that there are even more people in the world who have it just as hard, if not harder than the average "baby boomer." Marginalized groups, minorities, etc. are enduring this battle for rights and survival every day.

I think you could be projecting or labeling here a bit, but I do think there is a societal shift that makes survival much easier than the World War era of rationing, etc.

[flowboy]

@ZZZZ Thank you, I clarified indeed that I'm talking from the perspective of a 1st world society. And yes I'm definitely projecting. I'm talking about some symptoms in myself, and it's very possible that I'm in a bubble of similar people, which would distort my experience.

[ZZZZ]

6 minutes ago, flowboy said:

@ZZZZ Thank you, I clarified indeed that I'm talking from the perspective of a 1st world society. And yes I'm definitely projecting. I'm talking about some symptoms in myself, and it's very possible that I'm in a bubble of similar people, which would distort my experience.

Instead of looking at this as a problem, look at it as a potential positive. It's easier to remain complacent, but now those bottom levels of Maslow's Pyramid shouldn't be much of an issue for most people. You have air, water, food, shelter, clothing, sleep, etc. You also most likely have the second level covered too: security, employment, resources, health, property, etc.

Now focus on your friendships, relationships, self image, self esteem, etc. This should give you a modern way to find motivation and purpose that isn't "I'm not going to be able to feed my family if I don't work 20 hours of overtime this week."

There's no reason to get caught up adopting a different perspective from an environment that largely no longer applies to us.

Edited May 8, 2019 by ZZZZ

[flowboy]

17 hours ago, ZZZZ said:

There's no reason to get caught up adopting a different perspective from an environment that largely no longer applies to us.

Either that or the western world is about to collapse under its own weight due to complacency, just like the Roman Empire did.

[Bill W]

We have a saying in AA of "carry the message". Why don't you just do the best you can do. You can't do the best others can do. If you develop it might help someone else develop. I don't know if ruminating on all that's crap will get us anywhere. Help yourself. Help others. That's what I'm trying to do. Not everyone can be helped. 

Some of the people or groups you describe would probably think we are the bat shit crazy ones on this forum. Who gets to own the Truth and say my way is best? 

I feel your pain somewhat. There are billions of idiots on Earth. I would imagine there are other planets watching us and using us an example of how to fuck things up. Hopefully we will evolve into something better. 

[SFRL]

Its just very different now. 

Nowadays it's pretty much expected that you follow a secondary education after Highschool. That's a lot of extra pressure. Before WW2 most people didn't go to college. 

Also a lot of work used to be manual labor. That and there was not all this junk food around. So people naturally were fit. Fit like hitting the gym 5 days a week fit. 

Also the whole dating g/relationship game was mapped out. People didn't date around usually. It was the church and the village that played match maker. And then people got married in their late teens/early twenties and divorce was taboo. So that whole thing was taken care of. 

That's just a few examples. 

If you just take the pressure of going to college and dating away from modern life that makes a huge difference. 

Life was harder back in the day, but in a lot of regards also a lot simpler. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by SFRL