bluescreenlife Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 So it seems to me that there are way too many underloved people in our society, and I don't just mean romantic love. Does anyone see ways that our culture promotes that? I have a few theories... one is the bowling for columbine idea, that the media reports the nastiest crimes to alienate the people from each other and make them easier to control. Not sure I but that but there it is for discussion. Another is that the lack of physical distance in our cities necessitates some psychic distance, a psychological response to crowding. Then you have materialism and consumerism taking the place of interpersonal relationships as a priority in many people's minds. Add all our non-social entertainments (TV, internet, movies...) and the idea that romance is more about strategy that anything else, and you have, basically, an army of ones. Has anyone traveled enough to compare different cultures in this respect? I've spent basically my whole life in Canada. Are people more or less open and friendly elsewhere? & why do you think that is?
InsanityImpaired Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 I have a few theories... one is the bowling for columbine idea, that the media reports the nastiest crimes to alienate the people from each other and make them easier to control. This does not explain why this tactic should be effective. Another is that the lack of physical distance in our cities necessitates some psychic distance, a psychological response to crowding. Aristotle made the a similar point. A few modern philosophers have come up with the explanation that the city is not built on the needs of man, but on the imposed need for transportation (car). The human is simply not the measure of things anymore. Then you have materialism and consumerism taking the place of interpersonal relationships as a priority in many people's minds. Multiple options here. A better explanation would be that consumerism distorts interpersonal relationships. Appearance, the hallmark of consumerism, has never been as important as it is these days, since the start of civilization. Perhaps the 'since' is too optimistic. Any sane rational being knows that it is a mark of civilization not to be swayed by mere appearance ... Add all our non-social entertainments (TV, internet, movies...) and you see that even that step is denied by civil society 24/7, in its commercials, its Public Relations Management, in its 4- year old beauty pageants, in its adult models, in its plastic surgery ... the idea that romance is more about strategy that anything else, and you have, basically, an army of ones. The idea of romance is a civil joke. Allegedly it is the only domain in which a person can be pure. Which is of course absurd: the pure cannot accept the impure and remain unaffected by the impurity. As for "strategy", that is what civil marriage is all about, despite all of society's self inflicted delusions. Sell high, and improve one's lot. Basically not much different from negotiating a labor contract. As for different cultures, it is hard to comment. Some people are friendly, some people are open and indifferent. Some people are hostile. Within any given culture, all three occur. Sometimes, racial tensions play a role, so whether one belongs to the same racial group or not can make a huge difference. Whether it is in the US, Canada, South Africa, the UK or Qatar.
Trialbyfire Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 From a global perspective, Canada is one of the most underpopulated countries in the world thus overcrowding isn't the issue here. If anything, we are distant because we do have the space to spread out. As for Michael Moore, please don't take any of his conspiracy theories seriously. He's a man with the need to spin... I agree that materialism and consumerism have substantial impact. More and more, we value community far less than material goods.
Poboy Posted November 28, 2006 Posted November 28, 2006 So it seems to me that there are way too many underloved people in our society, and I don't just mean romantic love. Does anyone see ways that our culture promotes that? I have a few theories... one is the bowling for columbine idea, that the media reports the nastiest crimes to alienate the people from each other and make them easier to control. Not sure I but that but there it is for discussion. Another is that the lack of physical distance in our cities necessitates some psychic distance, a psychological response to crowding. Then you have materialism and consumerism taking the place of interpersonal relationships as a priority in many people's minds. Add all our non-social entertainments (TV, internet, movies...) and the idea that romance is more about strategy that anything else, and you have, basically, an army of ones. Has anyone traveled enough to compare different cultures in this respect? I've spent basically my whole life in Canada. Are people more or less open and friendly elsewhere? & why do you think that is? ive travelled enough i think to try to answer this one. No matter which culture , region people are from .... in the end , we all are same ...i.e there are good people , bad people , open , closed ,friendly , not so friendly etc etc. in some places like where I live , love is a very sacred & respectful thing because of the heavy influence of culture. at the same time , it can also be a negative because the pressure of it can be a lot demanding. but due to modernization like TV , internet etc , culture & its aspects are loosing out in many ways so societies in general are becoming more or less similar everywhere so ou can say people are becoming more similar everywhere if that makes sense
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