People in general do not seem to be as nice as they used to be. We know that is a very broad generalization, but the number of times one of us has been pushed out-of-place in a line or interrupted while asking a question of a sales clerk of late is really becoming bothersome. Society is turning mean and selfish.
And now a University of Michigan study reports that college students are no longer as empathetic as they once were. When compared with students of the 1970s, college students of the 2000s are less likely to agree with statements such as “I sometimes try to understand my friends better by imagining how things look from their perspective” and “I often have tender, concerned feelings for people less fortunate than me.”
The study reports that college students today are about 40 percent less empathetic than students of 20 or 30 years ago.
Our personal experience is not a scientific study, nor is it quantitative in any way, but we must say that the situation does not just apply to college students nor are we convinced that the general public’s empathy has only declined by 40 percent. Many times it seems to have fallen by much more than that.
Cold hard history versus memories can be very different. The Summer of Love didn’t really fix anything. Well that is actually not true, while the Summer of Love was going on, tremendous and wonderful social changes were occurring in our country. The Summer of Love created a nice image that made us at least think we were fixing things in the midst of difficult times. Maybe we need another time like that just to make life a little more pleasant. So we can feel happy while we tackle some real social issues, like why we are turning so mean and selfish toward each other.
Is Still Here & Still Here Too
I read somewhere recently that if values are not reinforced, they will be eliminated in TWO generations! Not very long. That means that the older generations didn’t make sure that the younger ones understood the rules of the game, so those rules have changed — almost completely.
I shudder to think where we’ll be two generations from here. Ugh.
Oops; we were one and two generations back — IT IS OUR FAULT!!! — Oh crap, no one else to blame.
At some point, we ALL will be one or two generations back, so no blame, just understanding what has happened and how to affect the future for the better.
Every member of society needs to pitch in to carry real, honest, HUMAN values forward, and appreciate the potential consequences if we don’t.
Nope it was all that New Math stuff, I just know it was! That and TV, and video games, and … no, you are right, no easy answers. Probably best way to fix it is to just be nicer.
I’m in highschool and finding it harder and harder to give a shit about people, i dont know why, but i hate it
Also, if you want another summer of love, try to make it happen, i mean some one has to right?
Anonymous,
FWIW, High School can be a very trying period in a person’s life, when added to some of the general nastiness of today’s society I can understand “finding it harder and harder to give a shit about people”. The fact that you hate it is good. As was commonly said was I was young (a few years after High School for me) – don’t let the turkeys get you down. Unfortunately, we seem to have an excess of turkeys right now
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As for making a Summer of Love – nothing says you have to do it on a big scale. If nothing else, try to make one where you can.
Good luck,
Is Still Here