Modern life in UK and US

[Solomon79]

I thought I would take some time out to find out all your thoughts on life in the typical westernised country in the 21st century...I warn you this is quite a contemplative thread, but it's not my attention to be alarmist or defeatist. This post is certainly not intended to be a whinge. Rather, I am just interested in the different stages in life that the regulars on the board feel they have arrived at, what they are aiming for in the future, and what they want to gain from life...

I've done a lot of travelling recently and it seems most of western Europe and north America are in a similar place culturally. Sure, there are regional differences, but the mass media and music industry has certainly commoditised sex very effectively. The New World Order is well and truly underway, possibly with some even more dreadful developments on the horizon to edge it into its final stages.

How do you find meaning - and excitement in life - in these cultural conditions?

In my daily life I am surrounded by people who do nothing but watch TV and worship celebrities. It seems you are a minority if you don't enjoy these things, or find comfort in other people's weaknesses or failures. It seems some Nordic countries, like Norway and Denmark, and former eastern Bloc countries, are holding out quite strongly against these influences, but even they are on their way under.

In the US and the UK, almost EVERYBODY you meet has some form of accumulation approach to life. Undeniably, you need money to do things and live life, but what I am talking about is the fear crutch, and people's fear that they are not deserving of love...that they will not be loved...and so they lash out and try to achieve other people's attention by more dishonest means...

Am I the only person in here who is scared by this? I see this kind of evil everyday, and it has lead to me leading a more detached life - a happier life in any case - because I think the less dependencies you have, the fewer reasons for fear and hatred that you have....

I don't know if this is unusual for the forum, but to see people totally submerged in the TV and music subculture - after everything that has been going on in the past few years - leads me to be very sceptical about human nature.

Do the US and UK posters here feel that their societies have become atomised?

That life has become about collecting stuff, to prove your worth...

I can literally feel the evil all around me...

I warned you that this was a deep thread, but it goes way beyond women and just pulling...it's about the direction our societies are going in...

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

[Centaurion]

You have to put down the crack pipe if you dont believe that people in norway worship celebrities.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

On one hand, society is going a bit buggered.

On the other hand, this kind of panic about society being screwed happens all the time. I mean, during the 1950s people were paranoid about nuclear war, and spent billions building bomb shelters.

 

[Julian]

im pissed off because i can never find any clothes that fit me because all these americans are so fat that sizes only cater to them.


I was in a store a couple months back looking for jeans (it was a marshall fields i believe) and the size they had most is 34/30 and 36/30.

can you believe this ****?

Whats it matter anyway, we are heading face first into a mass extinction. The world is overpopulated. Soon enough war and plague will ravage the globe and we weill start anew.

 

[MetalFortress]

...umm, this wasn't deep, this was just dumb.

 

[whistler]

The upside to a culture utterly consumed by unnecessary markets, postponing payments, and advertising is that you can pull far ahead of everyone else by being selective about what you buy and buy into.

 

[Solomon79]

Thanks for your thoughts everybody.

It's good to know that a few of you know where I am coming from.

I only decided to post this because I feel that as you plan ahead, and start to think about careers, families etc., our field of interest changes, it expands, and sometimes I feel limited in what I can do and what I can achieved because of these cultural restrictions...

When I referred to Norway, I meant more socialist countries where there is a bit more common identity than what you find in the traditionally Anglo-Saxon countries...a greater feeling of social duty and an obligation to help others...though that is fast becoming history everywhere...

But yep, as you say, nobody wants to be a doom-monger...I just see things changing rapidly around me...and just wondered what people thought.

 

[diceman]

well, I used to be a bit like you.

Thinking that the world was full of idiots with no meaning or capacity for greater thought while they worry about insignificant trival matters between their predictible & boring experiences.

Have you heard the song "The world is full of crashing bores" by Morrissey?
That kinda sums up how i used to think.

But, you know, so what? Just because someone reads 'Heat' magazine doesn't mean you can judge them or see them as infearior to your perfect self.

I got angry when the charts were infested with stupid, truely awful music & everyone was loving it. & while they all listened to Limp Biscuit, claiming it was the best music ever & i was ignored while i tried to explain the wonders of Radiohead or The Beatles, it doesn't matter really.

People are individuals. They're free to do, think, be whoever they want. No-one likes a self rightious prick who thinks they're better than everyone else.

You know, people aren't as bad as you think. They may spend their time watching Corrie & Big Brother instead of reading or traveling, but they're still good people with more depth than you give them credit for.

I learned that, instead of moaning & growing indignant towards the world, just except it for what it is. I learned to even love the vairiety & excitment of life & it's crazy population.

er.. i don't know if thats answered what you posted, i can't even remember what it was you said, but i wrote all this now so you're gonna bloody read it. So, enjoy my ignorent, inconsequential, banal mess of an opinion. &.. er.. i'll shut up now.

 

[thefonz]

Ya, I think the media makes it increasingly difficult for people the think for themselves and question authority.....WHY THE HELL DO I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT EVEN THOUGH I DON'T CARE....but I have little fear since there is still an overwhelming focus on college education going on around the world and if it weren't for these institutions i would feel absolutely hopeless about the future of civilization. They are a safe haven from the superficial world of Entertainment Tonight.

 

[diplomatic_lies]

Besides, the world would be very boring (and stressful) if we only did intellectual things all the time.

Don't know if you work fulltime yet, but can you imagine coming home from work with a headache, turning on the TV, only to be faced with a barrage of intellectual crap which makes your headache worse?

People want to come home to something "shallow". It's relaxing after a hard day at work. Leave the headache inducing intellectualism at work or college where it belongs.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Originally posted by Julian
im pissed off because i can never find any clothes that fit me because all these americans are so fat that sizes only cater to them.

I'm right with you on this man...

 

[Metalixia]

The worlds always been materialistic. back in caveman day, people used to have things that were vaulable, in order to get loads of allies and be socially strong, so they could defend themselves and attract loads of females. i remember reading somewhere the simple rule: "Alpha males have things".

You wanna get deep? I can go deeper...

this world of yours, your society... it isn't real. it's a perception that's manifested in you based on the emotional rewards and punishments you felt during the first few months of your life. my world, your world - two completly different things all together... and guess what... you're perception can change... and everyone's a PUPPET, what we call our own beliefs and personalitly was given to us by our life experiences... and we're simply following them. We're all slaves to some kind of trend or fashion.... you'd better beleive it.

but the weather's nice isn't it?

 

[PuertoRican_Lover]

Solomon, "The wise one"! Yes, I feel you brother - I am in sync with what you are conveying and you are 100% on the mark!! There is a reason for this "New World (SATANIC) Order!! They (white people - wicked so-called christians and jews - who you call "western') have been in progression to rule the earth but first they must destroy the earth!!!!

And to destroy the earth they must corrupt the earth to such a state thate it opens itself up to new rule!!! UNDERESTAND? Thus, a New World (Satanic) order will be put in place and a new wicked ruler will be in command since the corrupted masses will always put in place a corrupted leader!!!!

Hence...we are being corrupted to bring in and to select and elect a new corrupt and wicked world leader!!!!!!!!!!! All hell is going to break out bud -- billions dead - are you ready for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Metalixia]

Ha ha! Not of I destroy it first.

I'm not joking by the way.

 

[PuertoRican_Lover]

Originally posted by Metalixia
Ha ha! Not of I destroy it first.

I'm not joking by the way.

Mossads from Israel, MI6 from England and the defunct CIA from US have your address and will be to your house shortly to rape and torture you!!! As they have done to the rest of the inhabitants of the earth in the last few hundred years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[squirrels]

People these days avoid the things they fear instead of facing them.

We're being taught as a society to seek comfort and avoid scary stuff as much as possible.

Which is why REAL men are so rare now. BOYS avoid fear. MEN know fear better than anyone, yet still face and defeat it.

 

[Visceral]

Humans have always sought comfort and ease ... every aspect of civilization exists and has always existed towards that end, whether for the few at the top or the masses at the bottom.

Humans have always wanted more than they have ... where would we be today if every generation before us hadn't wanted more?

 

[quest]

Originally posted by Solomon79

I've done a lot of travelling recently and it seems most of western Europe and north America are in a similar place culturally. Sure, there are regional differences, but the mass media and music industry has certainly commoditised sex very effectively. The New World Order is well and truly underway, possibly with some even more dreadful developments on the horizon to edge it into its final stages.

dude. the new world order ended with hollywood hogan.