Observation on a "darkness" that seems to hang over society

I can remember a time in the US, when kindness was considered a virtue. People helped each other. Maybe not a lot, but people seemed to have a genuine interest in their fellow human beings. People pulled together during hard times. If you had a problem, you could talk to people without them being judgmental. People cared about the general welfare of their society and their communites.


As of late, its changed a lot. I dont recognize the country I grew up in. People seem to be generally more cold and ruthless. Compassion and empathy are viewed as weakness. There is confusion as to what we define as for the common good. People are distrustful, hateful, and mean spirited. There are even some people who seem to take delight in the suffering and misfortune of others. No one wants to talk on a human level for the most part. We just accept injustice and immorality with indifference now. Violence and mass murder has become a weekly or monthly news event, and we are becoming desensitized even to that.

It seems, we are slowly losing our humanity, without for the most part, even being aware of it.

The rule of law seems to be in a state of chaos. A kid can go to jail for ten years for having a bag of weed, but a banker can steal billions and never see a jail cell. Movies glorify criminals and criminality display unbeliveable acts of violence and gore, and NO ONE even questions it anymore. Sociopathy seems to be an accepted norm now. Everyone is on the take, to beat the system, to come out ahead at any cost. And no one expects any better, people seem to anticipate and almost expect bad behavior.

And we used to be a nation of optimists. We were exploring space, technology was getting better and better, everyone knew and expected the future would be bright. And most everyone had a stake in it. Now its an epidemic of fatalism.Where people used to plan to prosper, they now just struggle to stay in place. And what is funny is, no one even gets mad or questions WHY things are so bad or why they should REMAIN bad. We have become like zombies, diddling with our smart phones and flat screens. Its scary to me because I wonder where the future lies if this trend continues. Are we all asleep? What will it take to wake us up and try to make things better? When will a sense of social responsibility and social justice return? Is our future just going to be a constant state of "every man for himself" and, "F" you, I got mine" ? Are there still moral virtues? What do we really stand for? Is our society going to heal itself, or is the decay too far gone?

And yet, with a little encouragement, people WANT to help others. Its our natural state. It is UNNATURAL for us to isolate ourselves and extinguish or compassion.

We MUST initiate a return to some sense of compassion and empathy for our fellow human beings. And we must take a long hard look at how we have arrived at where we are. I do not believe its too late.

And as this dark time descends on us now more than ever,this PROPHETIC speech by Charlie Chaplin, personifies our needs.

I think it started happening a long time ago. We're just now able to see it clearly.

Before recent times, you could walk down a street or get on a bus or a train and people would stare blankly out a window. Into a book. At the floor or ahead into nothing. They didn't look at the faces of the people around them.

I can only imagine a time when human interaction was something embraced and not something shunned. I actively try to change this in my local personal sphere these days. But rarely is it taken as what it is, often I'm seen as some freak. Oh well.

But these days, now, people have a distraction. Everyone has that gadget. So now instead of feeling a little guilty about not acknowledging your fellow human beings as you traverse life together, and perhaps fleetingly make eye contact, now you can bury your entire mind into a different place. Somewhere virtual. The internet, facebook, twitter.. no longer do you need to realise physical humans.

So when an old lady falls as you get off the train, you step over her... or you let the other guy help her. Or you wait for the other guy to step over her.

Can you blame humans for this though? I don't think so. It's just how it is. We're reluctantly social these days.

Think about it, people on youtube make a name for themselves by doing things that once people did without hesitation - Walking up to strangers and being nice. They are an attraction.

I removed myself from society for a long time...... and now that I've stepped back in, I can tell you I do not recognise this world. Not a single thing about it. The extremes at which change as occurred is profound.

But for all you folk who were in it all along, you wouldn't notice it. Frogs in a pot.

Funnily enough, from the lowest possible end, the homelessness and poverty, not much has changed apart from how dire they are treated.... but from a social and affluent angle, it's elysium for the living indeed.

Not everyone is like this.. But it's the majority now, when perhaps 15-20 years ago it was absolutely frowned upon to be so ignorant of each other to the point that everyone exists solely in their own personal sphere of seclusion, as they bump into and step on others in their meanderings around society.

Welcome to the New Age! Where pain and suffering is actually wanted or have been Hood-winked into enjoying this Hell. And if you do not play into this mind melt crap, you find out you have just become the out-cast.

It seem's like their has been a shift of some sort's, rare to find other's like yourself understanding this idea today. just going about your day bring's a craziness within you, somewhat like you might catch what they have!

And when you are around them, they have such the bad vibe thing. When it's someone you care about and try to help them, you just became unfriended. I find this hard sometime's.

Good side to the story is their are other's of like mind people out there hiding! Hiding might be a strange word to use, must be though. I haven't found any where I'm at yet! All I see is the "I Want" and nothing else mode.

Everything is now done on computers so actual talking to someone is outdated! No eye contact needed, and if things are not going right for you. There is always a Dr. who will gladly give you a Pill to Fix it!

So in a way their are 2 kind's of people now. One's who look Outside of themselves for happiness and the other's who look within for the Happiness. Would be nice though if others could join in though, seems the World no longer need's Personal Contact.

World has just gone Fake, eye's lie all the time. Only the one's who use their Heart are never Zombies!
I do Feel Your Pain!

I was Born in 1956. As a Child , the World back then was a Beautiful Place . It all seemed to Change around 1980 . I feel like I have Lived Two Lives , Then and Now . The World I Live in Now is Cold and with No Compassion amoung the People I interact with . Now I know why others like me Relish the PAST..........

Undeniale isn't it?

I'm guessing this shadow of overpopulation above humanity and the "measures" taken to reduce population is not going to be done in bliss uh!?

Our technology has surpassed us as a species. In return, we are regressing.
Humans can't be digital.

You will be screwed with in the age of Aquarius,the of Aqariuuuuuus.
The song didn't get it right.
Thank God my father taught me to shoot at 5.

reply to post by openminded2011

Things may appear dire, but global consciousness is shifting and evolving quickly right now, so don't worry too much about it. We won't be continuing down this path much longer.

Concentrate on cultivating love for self and others. That's all you need to do. The rest will fall in to place.

Blessings *

Things aren't so bad here in Texas ... yet. The past couple of years though, I have noticed the number of people who refuse to make eye contact, refuse to smile back, and refuse to wave back on the increase. I really hope this trend does not continue, else good old fashioned Southern charm will be extinguished.

Three years ago I ETS'ed out of the Army in the DC area and I was definitely glad to get out of there. The only time I ever got a stranger to talk with me was if they were a bum and they wanted money or a cigarette.

reply to post by Kumo77


I would be one of those asking for a cigarette haha.. But then I would try and engage you in some conversation

not a bum but i do "bum" cigarettes

Wow, I know everyone can relate to this OP. Amazingly well put. I, as most, have thought of most of these things, but you put it together perfectly in my opinion. Thanks.

That speech makes my eyes water every time. There's hope in humanity.

reply to post by winofiend


Those devices. Yes, the trend of 'looking at your phone and acting like you're actually doing anything' got started early. I remember when cellularized telephones came out. I was one of those people, for a minute. Then I realized, hey, i'm just doing this so I don't have to talk to who ever is around.... i'm at the point where I don't want a cell phone. But the cell phone has become a necessity for my peeps to contact me. Which is too convenient to give up right now.

nimbinned
Things may appear dire, but global consciousness is shifting and evolving quickly right now, so don't worry too much about it. We won't be continuing down this path much longer.

Concentrate on cultivating love for self and others. That's all you need to do. The rest will fall in to place.

Blessings *

Interestingly, thats my plan. Only took a few decades to get there!

Must remember however, that ignorance is everywhere, complacancy is overwhelimg and broken people are running amok. Not to mention the cyborgs are desperately trying to make sure they win.

Hard work to do.. hard work..

The frustrating thing about your very accurate observations is that a solution appears possible, we just need to remove from society completely:

1. The Banksters.
2. The current US and other governments as they exist and their agencies.
3. Criminals intent on exploitation of innocents.
4. The UN as it currently exists.

The parasite must be cleansed completely so we can fully heel.

Then, at the same time, install grass-roots level, non-political representatives at the local level and re-start society with the intention of taking human kind to the next level of existence - both socially and spiritually.

Now, if we can just get enough people to see the forest through the trees.

S&F OP - very well articulated and my thoughts exactly.

reply to post by openminded2011


Well said. And, unfortunately true. I live in a mountainous rural area, where people still lift a finger on their steering wheel to passersby driving the opposite direction, a little friendly acknowledgement of each other as we drive past. It's always been the way up here.

But get down the mountain, and try that...it will probably lead to someone misinterpreting your friendly gesture as being flipped off, and lead to a case of road rage.

I think the loss of personal space has caused a lot of people to close themselves off to those around them. To put up a wall of indifference as if to say...this is my space...not yours. Cramming people into living in tiny spaces, does strange things to them.

I was born in 1950...things were so different back then. I don't think we can turn back the hands of time, nor progress, to recapture what many call...the good old days. It's really sad.

Des

When a people are surrounded by images of violence, corruption and arrogance from the media; it's bound to make an impression on their psyche. And be outwardly expressed in their interaction with other people.
People know that TV/media is unreal fantasy, but their is some unconscious self preservation component in our minds that make us fearful and isolated.

At one time there was a movement to enable people to express peace and love but that was co opted by commercial interest and eventually destroyed by those people that were fearful of change.

Ha, I just figured out....this what is meant by Jesus saying...." the love of many will grow cold because of iniquity "

Zanti Misfit
I was Born in 1956. As a Child , the World back then was a Beautiful Place . It all seemed to Change around 1980 . I feel like I have Lived Two Lives , Then and Now . The World I Live in Now is Cold and with No Compassion amoung the People I interact with . Now I know why others like me Relish the PAST..........

Absolutely feel the same way, but I had a couple different "breaks" when things seemed to change. One of them was November 2000. Then September 11 2001. Fall of 2009. And just recently, this past summer.

And yes, early 80s.

reply to post by openminded2011

All my life I've had to deal with not interacting well with others. The thing I dislike the most is I want to make others comfortable around me, but I think my social failings do just the opposite. Inside, all I want is for others to be calm and to not be nervous by my clumsiness, but outside I fear it's not like that. I think some people think I'm conceited or awkward or maybe even some think I'm a pervert or a pedophile or some kind of nut. I try to smile and acknowledge their presence to extinguish those things, but I'm not a natural happy go lucky person and I'm not a natural people person, so I have to cope with being judged.

It all boils down to socials skills and being able to be on the same wavelength. Since I fail to read others well and don't do what they're familiar with, all I do is make them uncomfortable.

I've always been an outcast. I turn to various things to escape from it. When I was very young I was sociable, but around 8 years of age I started to not fit in. I started to get teased. I just couldn't figure out how to not attract unwanted attention to myself. Funny thing is, my dad tells me he was the same way. He never had many friends in school and got teased too. Computers and books and the nintendo and sports were my escape.

I genuinely want others to be happy and comfortable. I never ever want to step on an old lady by accident or not help someone if they need help. I just am not a perfect person and don't always do things right. In a lot of ways, I've went inside myself to escape other people, but it's not because of hatred, it's because I've been this way for so long.

I know this comes off as me having a pity party or trying to lay the blame on something else or not taking responsibility for my actions, but whether all that's true or not, my life feels like it has been tough to deal with. Many people would laugh at that and would say I haven't been through anything, but to me it feels like it has been rough. In many ways, I haven't lived. In many ways, I'm a kid in a guy's body. I've made many bad decisions in my life. I'm wrong about a lot of things I think. I oftne don't listen to others when I should. I can be a real air head. Maybe this is kind of a pity party, but just doesn't feel like a party to me.

reply to post by openminded2011

I've tried to live this last 23 years on my life helping people (karmic debt payment?), usually with things they don't understand like fixing their computers and networks, or their cars, or their plumbing and electrical systems, driving them to hospitals in the middle of the night or sometimes just staying with them so they don't feel alone. I've listened for hours to people going through divorces, illness or depression and I have really listened. I can't give money but I give my time and my attention freely.

I've found though that this kind of "good" behavior is becoming less and less appreciated, it's taken fro granted and I am seriously feeling like I am just being used. I went out-on-a-limb for a friend and tried to help them with a very complex legal problem (a couple of developers are trying to bribe the mayor and planner into expropriating my friend's property under a fraudulent pretext which would put the local taxpayers on the hook for about a million dollars and I was a witness to the conversation and have video/audio evidence as well). So, I started putting the video/audio together from the security DVR and in this particular case I discussed an agreed upon payment, as it's a long drawn out process. Well, parts of the video are now done and he doesn't want to pay, so I guess I'll just leave him to his own "devices" but it has been a real eye-opener for me.

Funny thing about jobs and contracts/quotations these days as well. I remember when if you applied for a job and didn't get it, at least you received a thank-you for applying letter. Or when you quoted on a job and didn't get it, the office requesting the quote would at least tell you that you didn't get the job. People could stand to be less cowardly and at least a little more considerate.

But theses days, people are ef'ing ignorant!

Cheers - Dave