Lying Flat - A Trend. A Movement. Lost Hope.

a reply to: generik

Not to mention the fact that petroleum production goes into so many of the things we use. It's a key component in plastics and the chemicals we use for a ton of other products. Just sit at your desk and look at all the things around you that use a plastic of some kind. Restrictive petroleum production for "green" purposes will cause those things to get more expensive aside from higher fuel costs.

a reply to: generik

Most of that could be achieved with the simple message of just turning off the lights when you leave a room. My parents were big on that one. You don't have to preach the world message on top of it.

I have a long way to go to train my husband on that one. Apparently, his parents were born in a barn or something.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Great thread.

I wonder if this is an outcome of the early Boomers who have seemingly held on to their senior positions FOREVER (hello Pelosi and all the other octogenarians who are unwilling to retire).

From my perspective, it blocked upward mobility; first at the most senior positions, but later, working down the chain of authority to mid-level positions. Thus, we have cretins like Fauci who have been in their senior position since the 1970s, and who present a clear case for being wholly incompetent.

So yeah, the younger generations today-- might as well say "F it". For most of them, hard work will only be taken advantage of by unscrupulous supervisors and won't win them any special rewards.

Sad state of affairs.

Cheers

a reply to: YouSir

These are personal character flaws…IMO…

Success or failure is predicated on personal decisiveness…and the desire to achieve goals…as well as challenge oneself…

Different strokes…I suppose…

Our society will have to take a huge chunk of the responsibility for those character flaws.

Society has changed what is viewed as accepted and promotes the character presently being instilled in the populace.

Our society promotes, sexuality, hatred, discord, selfishness, greed, and materialism. From the beginning, many before the age of 2 years old, are handed a cell phone or an electronic gadget, that becomes a tool for distraction, comfort, and learning.

It goes downhill from there. But they have managed to make it through, couched between a section of society expecting to learn by osmosis all the characteristics the older generation expects them to possess. While the modern section of society expects them to reject all that came before and to embrace all of technology, to the point of relinquishing their humanity.

Neither section presents them with much hope. They don't even expect them to have a choice. Both sections just expect them to comply. I see it is inevitable that a large number will just check out and lay flat. They have little to lose, and even less to gain. When I ask the adolescents and young adults that I have contact with, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" I usually get a blank stare, a shrug of the shoulders, or an "I don't care to think about it".

If I am honest, I have to admit that there are times when I look forward to the possible futures for our children and country, sometimes I dont want to think about it either.

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

I wonder if this is an outcome of the early Boomers who have seemingly held on to their senior positions FOREVER (hello Pelosi and all the other octogenarians who are unwilling to retire).

The Boomers, and I am one, is indeed responsible for a some of the issues that we face. I will go as far as to say the majority of them. We were supposed to be the wise ones. We were supposed to be the ones that passed on the legacy of God, family, and country, as the foundation of our society.

We were the ones that did not vote those that were failing their constituency out of office. We were the ones that put identity politics before the needs of the country. We were the ones that embraced materialism and took "Keeping Up With The Jones", to the extreme.

We were the ones that swapped parenting for being the fun Mom, and the fun Dad. We were they ones that decided that being a grandparent meant being the jet setting cougar and the sexy old man. Grandmas that preferred to be called by their name, that spend more time trying to hide the gifts of time, than baking cookies and just holding the grandchildren on their laps. Or the grandfather that is too busy or wants little to nothing to do with the little monsters they helped create.

We gave into the establishment for the promise of more. We got less, an we kept doubling down. Now we have reached the point where less is more, but we are too conditioned and controlled to see it. Or we are too egotistical to admit it.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn


Usually when American society is in a economic slump and a cultural malaise; wars are started to ramp up patriotism and the economy. I wonder if they will reinstate the draft? Or will the laying flat crowd get up and heed the call to arms.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn


Usually when American society is in a economic slump and a cultural malaise; wars are started to ramp up patriotism and the economy. I wonder if they will reinstate the draft? Or will the laying flat crowd get up and heed the call to arms.

I thought about that.

Would you?

I think I would lay flat on that one. I am the non-compliant sort, so I guess there is no escaping the FEMA camps, brig or the gulag, for me.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

A little of it rests on The Greatest Generation too as much as I hate to say it. There were so many of them who had sacrificed so much, experienced so much pain, hardship and suffering that the greatest joy they could experience was to make sure their children never felt the same, and many Boomers never knew any hardship. They had it all, and I think some got spoiled as a result.

When plenty isn't accompanied by the right lessons, it's a disaster.

You have to have some pain, some adversity to temper your character and really appreciate the plenty.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn


Usually when American society is in a economic slump and a cultural malaise; wars are started to ramp up patriotism and the economy. I wonder if they will reinstate the draft? Or will the laying flat crowd get up and heed the call to arms.

Why would they? The current trend is to teach that America is evil and not worth fighting for or saving. Would you want anything to do with volunteering to fight for a place you've been taught is inherently racist and evil, and if you were forced to fight for it, how hard would you fight?

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn


Usually when American society is in a economic slump and a cultural malaise; wars are started to ramp up patriotism and the economy. I wonder if they will reinstate the draft? Or will the laying flat crowd get up and heed the call to arms.

I thought about that.

Would you?

I think I would lay flat on that one. I am the non-compliant sort, so I guess there is no escaping the FEMA camps, brig or the gulag, for me.

No, I wouldn't sign up for this one either. But plenty of young poor people with little hope would sign up just to escape their pointless existence in the cultural wasteland.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

A little of it rests on The Greatest Generation too as much as I hate to say it. There were so many of them who had sacrificed so much, experienced so much pain, hardship and suffering that the greatest joy they could experience was to make sure their children never felt the same, and many Boomers never knew any hardship. They had it all, and I think some got spoiled as a result.

When plenty isn't accompanied by the right lessons, it's a disaster.

You have to have some pain, some adversity to temper your character and really appreciate the plenty.

I was born in the early 50's. None of my elders had very much. The one thing we all had in common. We were all poor. The Greatest Generation worked hard, and they passed that fortitude on to us, along with the understanding that life is hard and hard work was the way out.

Those of the Greatest Generation in my life, cut you no slack. The didn't care if you were a boy or a girl, big or little. You were expected to carry your weight. The only reason we made it as well as we did, is because we knew the importance of community, and the churches did more than their share.

I was the first in my family to go to university. The same was true with almost all of my friends.

I was raised with the understanding, that if you wanted something, you had better figure out a way to get it, because that was the only way that you were going to get it. You would never ask a parent or an elder for anything. If they wanted you to have it, they would give it to you. It was almost an issue of respect.

That is another thing that was demanded of you, respect. I remember hearing someone say one time when I was in university that, respect is earned. While that may be true, one way to earn it was for you to be disrespectful to an elder. I guarantee you would earn the cost of that neglect, and would not likely make the same mistake twice.

Those of the Greatest Generation in my life, had nothing to give. Sheer determination, and commitment were the motivations that carried me forward. That and the Sears, Roebuck, and Montgomery Wards catalogs. My wish books.

My dream book of things I had never seen in person, but knew they were obtainable, and all I needed was money, that was not needed for something else. Thank God there was no credit cards. Lay away wasn't even a thing back then. That was the problem for us poor folk. Every dime was critically needed for something. Something that was needed now.

My father spushed education as the ultimate key. It worked out for me, but he never got to see it. He died at 40 years old, from hard work, with a little help from the bottle.

So I can't blame the Greatest Generation for anything. I have to take full responsibility for this mess we are leaving in our wake.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Those were the ones I knew too, but the Boomers didn't get spoiled all by themselves. The Boomers I knew weren't spoiled ones either.

Somewhere things went wrong with a lot of Boomers and they raised a bunch of dysfunctional kids who are raising their own dysfunctional brats.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Those were the ones I knew too, but the Boomers didn't get spoiled all by themselves. The Boomers I knew weren't spoiled ones either.

Somewhere things went wrong with a lot of Boomers and they raised a bunch of dysfunctional kids who are raising their own dysfunctional brats.

I can't speak of those. I don't know any spoiled Boomers. I know a few that were trust fund kids, but even all of those, that I know, had to work for a while.

Most of the Boomers I know worked hard, fought and crawled their way to the top. Once there, too many became egotistical tyrants that thought, "If I made it, anybody can".

I wasn't spoiled, not in the least, but I wanted my children to have more than I had, and I made the mistake of not wanting them to struggle to get it. It did not take long for me to realize what a mistake that was, so I had to put on the brakes.

I only have one of the three I raised, that got it right, straight out the gate. One had to have his arse dragged raw, before he realized it was way less painful to stand on his own two feet and walk. I still have one that is living the lying flat life, and I guess she will continue to do so as long as she continues to find someone willing to put up with her. She knows that someone is not me.

Boomers did a good job of spoiling their children. Most, not because they were spoiled themselves, but because they had lived a sparse, hard life, but dreamed of more, and much more for their children.

I personally have observed that the young people...who are our future...are intelligent and are accomplishing a lot to bring us into the future space tourism etc. Many of them we can count on and they are doing a lot more for (we the people) than many are.

originally posted by: alexandrae
I personally have observed that the young people...who are our future...are intelligent and are accomplishing a lot to bring us into the future space tourism etc. Many of them we can count on and they are doing a lot more for (we the people) than many are.

I hope it doesn't sound like I am beating up on the youth.

I also think they are very smart. But that does help them much with the future that they are being groomed to accept.

Many of these children have not even been allowed to have dreams, aspirations, or desires. Some are being told what they should think, how they should feel, what they should desire. Many are given things all the time, just because the parent thinks they will like it. For some, even what sex they should be.

I have a dear friend that was told last week, that her 13 year old granddaughter was gay. When she replied, "Well as long as you are happy." The granddaughter was a bit perturbed, because she didn't respond the way she expected.

The granddaughter wanted her to ask her a lot of questions about her choice, and to try to talk her out of it. My friend told her, I don't need to know the particulars, all I need to know is, did "you" make the decision, and are you happy with the decision you made. Her granddaughter told her that she is pretty sure she is, but she would think about it a little more.

The internet, influencers, memes, viral videos, tic tok. These have become the life lessons 101 for dummies guide most go by. I don't see that ending well.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Another part of the pervasive message is that they are victims and cannot make it, not without government to help them.

The message from all angles is that you are a victim and cannot be or do for yourself without someone victimizing you, taking advantage of you, or you are being demonized on behalf of making someone else feel like a victim.

Victimhood is where you have power conferred on you, but at a high cost.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Once I realized it was a response by the young to a society that they have no faith in, and a world they feel is without hope, it really hit home.

'The Young'? Who are they, exactly? Young people are stupid, they also try all kinds of things, they always fall prey to all kinds of gimmicks, they try, experiment, try their limits and others' and all that. Don't look to 'the young' for anything other than stupid madness that's part of growing into a responsible adult (though not sure that even happens in this world anymore).

Society is not a cult. It's a construct, but more importantly, it's a veil that has been pulled over our eyes - we talk about society a lot, but can we name it? What's the name of your society? If you belong to a named society, the 'power structure' doesn't like it, because it hinders their power to control you. There's a lot of hidden power behind the word 'society', but most people don't know it for some reason.

But let's just talk about it the way people usually know it (though I bet most people couldn't even instantly define it).

Society is not supposed to be something anyone has 'FAITH' in, it's not a religion, church or a cult. So it's fine if you have no faith, who cares about faith in something like that. There's a more important source you should have faith in - the hand that created you (and the rest of existence).

Having 'faith' in society could actually be seen as a sign of mental illness. Who the heck has FAITH in something as hard-to-define as 'society', especially as there are so many kinds - for example, 'high society', etc..? That would be stupid.

World is also not the place that is supposed to provide anyone with HOPE. Hope was one of the things in Pandora's Box, for crying out loud! Do you even need hope?

I mean, hope is basically 'anxiety about hopefully good future'. It focuses your attention away from THIS moment and what it offers, into some distant future that may never come. Maybe hope is not such a good thing to have, maybe people are better off without hope, just focusing on THIS MOMENT instead, and being happy with what they have NOW.

Why talk about 'hope' and 'faith' so much anyway? Can you examine, observe and look at the world, the Universe, the surrounding environment without those things? Can you just observe neutrally, without judgment, and just be, and do your thing without expectations?

Does everything have to flow according to some predetermined expectation, or can we just look at things without labels or judgments?

Our existence in this world is only temporary, people shouldn't take it too seriously. We all have our karmic debts to pay, and we can learn a lot and create a bit and that's it. Find something fun, like creating visuals or aurals or doing animation projects or whatnot, and just focus on that kind of stuff. The world doesn't have to be perfect around you, you won't be here long anyway, soon you will be trying to find 'faith and hope' in some completely different world. In 1862 years, who will even know you were on this planet?

So who cares if this world doesn't offer you 'faith and hope' on a silver platter. There's a lot to be said about making your own happiness instead of expecting it to be handed to you by the world.

originally posted by: cleverhans
The young are being told so many lies it’s no wonder they’re “laying flat”. First they were told that climate change would wipe out their future, and now it’s a virus. They’ve been ingrained with so much fear and hate for much of their lives. Not only that, but they’ve been told their country is systematically racist and evil and always has been. Then they’re told it’s all because of republicans, anti vaxers, and climate deniers. I think some of the younger people, especially the generation after millennials, are starting to see through it, but still a long way to go.

Absolutely nailed it!! THIS^^^

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

The way I see it, this is the result of liberal indoctrination. Why work hard when we can just redistribute all the wealth so we all have some? Go ahead and take out that school loan. We will just wave a magic wand and the loan will disappear. Of course we will take the price of that magic wand out of your pockets on April 15th, but don't worry about that. Be happy you no longer owe on your school loan. We will keep raising minimum wage so everyone can earn a living wage. Well, the ones who still have jobs anyway. The prices will keep going up until virtually everyone besides the 1% need help from the government to make it day to day. And that is when the full price of this indoctrination will come due.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I agree with what you have written...I was raised by a family where I got to be who I am...they just watched over me...they did not dictate my personality etc. I was fortunate.; and I got to sit down and ask questions a lot of questions and have major discussions; and I felt protected and safe.

So yeah...sometimes it seems like the younger people (not all) are being groomed to be mind control robots.