Does the world change?

[cicerolion]

I mean do you expect things out of the control of you as an individual: culture, society, politics, economics, technology, healthcare,to change over the course of your life in a way that would effect your life significantly. If so, positively or negatively.

I ask this because a lot of the issues, not all, that people bring up are related to these kind of external factors. So, while we might toil away in despair over our own pasts, and we might feel confused about how to change our situation today, do you feel that the world of tomorrow will be different? (Please give some detail in your response)

 

[Runciter]

Mankind seems to be pretty destructive in nature and I think it's only a matter of time before we take one step too far and cause a lot of irreversible damage to ourselves. We're able to spend trillions on militaries yet we are still incapable of feeding the poor. I have little faith in humanity these days and can't see our species surviving unless we drastically reassess what is in the best interests of everyone.

 

[9006]

Worse for sure, especially economy, basic living, employment, society, healthcare etc.. but it IS getting better in terms of technology, medicane and transportation.

I think the cons completely outweigh the pros and the most important things are always the one's compromised.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

To be honest, if you look at relationships and life in general 100 years ago, you'd see many of the same similarities and deviations. We haven't changed all that much.

If you look at science and technology, though, you'd see that we have evolved. In many ways, science has evolved, and we, as a human species, are trying to catch up.

 

[Runciter]

To be honest, if you look at relationships and life in general 100 years ago, you'd see many of the same similarities and deviations. We haven't changed all that much.

If you look at science and technology, though, you'd see that we have evolved. In many ways, science has evolved, and we, as a human species, are trying to catch up.

This is what worries me though, humanity seems to be set in its ways, unable to change. Better technology leads to more destructive weapons. Combine the two and all it will take is another prick like Hitler and then its lights out and goodnight. Disturbing times.

 

[Walley]

the world definitely changes constantly. and more frequently than it seems.
with every new generation we advance in more ways than I could list. the world around me has changed so much from when I was a kid that I don't think we could have imagined it back then..
the thing that is very slow to change though.. is human nature.
most people would agree to the above statement " We're able to spend trillions on militaries yet we are still incapable of feeding the poor."
but then again, there have been tests and studies done saying that: if we divided up all of the riches in the world equally between all living people today, we would be back to the same social and financial situation that the world is in today within 1 year.
some people would make money grow and be a success, while others would piss it away and be living on the streets.

the world is full of stupid people.
and although I know someday it will change.. I doubt it will truly improve until we are rid of the things that hold us back and keep us separated.
like religion, capitalism and politics.

 

[9006]

To be honest, if you look at relationships and life in general 100 years ago, you'd see many of the same similarities and deviations. We haven't changed all that much.

Are you kidding? Relationships?

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

To be honest, if you look at relationships and life in general 100 years ago, you'd see many of the same similarities and deviations. We haven't changed all that much.

Are you kidding? Relationships?

Benny Hill was a person who suffered from the same rejections that a lot of guys complain about on here.

The serial killers and pedophiles are still the same. They just use different weapons.

Albert Einstein was someone who struggled with autism, but managed to advance science. Autism existed back then.

I can name more examples, but in a hundred years, from 1913 to today, we haven't changed all that much. Just wearing different clothes, and have things like televisions, computers, and smartphones.

 

[cicerolion]

Wow, this feedback is overwhelmingly negative. I find that culture, technology, social structures are more beneficial to me today than they would have been had I been born even a decade earlier. Also, I like how some are saying that culture hasn't changed much with time, considering that we are all having this conversation within the context of a kind of subculture that wouldn't have been able to form without modern technology.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I do find that technology is great nowadays.

However, the current young generation seem more disconnected from each other than ever. With the rise of technology, there is no need for physical communication.

 

[cicerolion]

I do find that technology is great nowadays.

However, the current young generation seem more disconnected from each other than ever. With the rise of technology, there is no need for physical communication.

I think is has disrupted etiquette and made people a little more defensive, but I'm skeptical that is was so much better before digital communication. As it is probably relevant to most people on this forum, there was always a system by which certain people were outcasts because they were weird or just socially inept. The average person in the 50's wasn't more inclusive than people today. In regards to things like racism, sexism, religion, and people with mental issues, they were far less inclusive. They don't get depicted in retrospective as much, but there were always people who were shunned and disconnected from society. If anything, that we can meet on online communities like this is reason enough to feel more positive about the present than the past. And, this was the main point of my question, how does the way the world changes (or the way it doesn't change) affect you personally.

 

[Cavey]

Speaking from a UK perspective, I'd say that things are far better nowadays than they were 30 years ago. Back then, there was little understanding of mental illness; even something as common as clinical depression. Most people were either told to pull themselves together or were treated like a complete basket case.

Racism was definitely FAR worse and the use of racial epithets was both common place and socially acceptable.

Like all things, technology has it's benefits and it's drawbacks.

 

[Runciter]

Speaking from a UK perspective, I'd say that things are far better nowadays than they were 30 years ago. Back then, there was little understanding of mental illness; even something as common as clinical depression. Most people were either told to pull themselves together or were treated like a complete basket case.

Our understanding of mental illness is getting a little better, I agree. The problem to me is that we still haven't learned to simply accept people who suffer from it. People with mental illnesses are still branded as undesirable to society, which is a shame. I don't think the profit driven pharmaceutical industry is helping either, far too many kids are being diagnosed as having ADD and dosed up when the real issue, in a lot of cases, is unsuccessful parenting technique. I don't know if you watched the documentary on BBC3 recently called 'Don't call me crazy,' but I was shocked at the way they were treating some of the kids there.

As for technology, don't get me started. I have a love/hate relationship with modern technology. I love certain aspects of it, especially being a digital artist, but the obsession over Facebook I really don't understand. Am I the only one who thinks social media is actually rather antisocial in most cases?

 

[cicerolion]

In the case of social networking, I think the problem is that the tech grows faster than the culture. If you are around my age (I'm 20), then you are part of the first generation to grow up entirely with the internet, especially social media. So, its not surprising that social networking isn't used properly.

 

[Cavey]

Speaking from a UK perspective, I'd say that things are far better nowadays than they were 30 years ago. Back then, there was little understanding of mental illness; even something as common as clinical depression. Most people were either told to pull themselves together or were treated like a complete basket case.

Our understanding of mental illness is getting a little better, I agree. The problem to me is that we still haven't learned to simply accept people who suffer from it. People with mental illnesses are still branded as undesirable to society, which is a shame. I don't think the profit driven pharmaceutical industry is helping either, far too many kids are being diagnosed as having ADD and dosed up when the real issue, in a lot of cases, is unsuccessful parenting technique. I don't know if you watched the documentary on BBC3 recently called 'Don't call me crazy,' but I was shocked at the way they were treating some of the kids there.

As for technology, don't get me started. I have a love/hate relationship with modern technology. I love certain aspects of it, especially being a digital artist, but the obsession over Facebook I really don't understand. Am I the only one who thinks social media is actually rather antisocial in most cases?

It's still far from perfect, but it's infinitely better than it was 30 years ago. I didn't watch the documentary, but I did see a few adverts for it and I read about it briefly. I'm sure that things will continue to get better as the years go on.

You're definitely not the only one who doesn't understand the obsession with social media. My views on Facebook can be read in many threads here - I think it's the spawn of the devil!

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

I think is has disrupted etiquette and made people a little more defensive, but I'm skeptical that is was so much better before digital communication. As it is probably relevant to most people on this forum, there was always a system by which certain people were outcasts because they were weird or just socially inept. The average person in the 50's wasn't more inclusive than people today. In regards to things like racism, sexism, religion, and people with mental issues, they were far less inclusive. They don't get depicted in retrospective as much, but there were always people who were shunned and disconnected from society. If anything, that we can meet on online communities like this is reason enough to feel more positive about the present than the past. And, this was the main point of my question, how does the way the world changes (or the way it doesn't change) affect you personally.

Speaking in terms of mental illness, there is less of a stigma against it nowadays.

Back in the day, if you were mentally ill, you were either institutionalized, or murdered via lethal injection. There was no middle ground.

Nowadays, there are actual medications which can change brain chemistry, which can help you lead close to, or an actual, normal life.

 

[Runciter]

You're definitely not the only one who doesn't understand the obsession with social media. My views on Facebook can be read in many threads here - I think it's the spawn of the devil!

Runciter likes this.

But seriously, we're going to get on just fine, you and I.

 

[PieBeNice]

Albert Einstein was someone who struggled with autism,

Lol no.

 

[LeaningIntoTheMuse]

Albert Einstein was someone who struggled with autism,

Lol no.

Einstein was autistic. He had Aspergers.

Maybe he didn't struggle, but he did marry his cousin.

 

[Cavey]

You're definitely not the only one who doesn't understand the obsession with social media. My views on Facebook can be read in many threads here - I think it's the spawn of the devil!

Runciter likes this.

But seriously, we're going to get on just fine, you and I.

But will we be able to remain friends without knowing what each other ate for breakfast or what you saw on the way to work?