Reply to: Signs of broken Britain

[xoggoth]

This is great news! Nothing cheers me up more than knowing other people are more miserable than I am.

[TheFaQQer]

I see what you did there.

Anyway, this from the Daily Mash. Although it's humour, there's a lot of truth in it:

[ratewhore]

Don't be hard on me

I see what you did there.

Anyway, this from the Daily Mash. Although it's humour, there's a lot of truth in it:

ONE in 10 young unemployed British adults is so dissatisfied with life that they are just begging to be kicked in the teeth, new research suggests.

According to a survey by the Prince's Trust a third of young people are less happy than they were as a child, mainly because they are now expected to pay for a lot of their own stuff.

Almost half said they were regularly stressed, usually at the thought of someone asking them to actually do something.

Meanwhile 10 percent are just pathetic little tulips who would benefit enormously from being dropped into the middle of an African civil war.

Sociologist, Professor Tom Logan, said: "Being unemployed must be awful for a young person. Then again I offered my nephew twenty quid to wash my car and he cut my achilles tendon with a fruit knife."

Charles Undungwe, 16, from Zimbabwe, said: "Life here can be dissatisfying too, what with all the cholera and starvation, but you just pull your socks up and get on with it. Except we've eaten all the socks."

He added: "Despite my poverty I hope that one day I will be able to go to college, learn valuable skills, get a job and make money so that I can buy a plane ticket, fly to England and punch every single one of you squarely in the face."

[Bagpuss]

Sadly, I thought when I typed it that someone would mention viagra.

Thank you for not letting me down...

Don't be hard on me

[ratewhore]

Not sure I understand that or why Viagra wouldn't help. But nice rant anyway

Sadly, I thought when I typed it that someone would mention viagra.

Thank you for not letting me down...

[Doggy Styles]

The problem is this - I've had my lunch but I'm still hungry.

Think about it.

I off for my lunch soon. I'll think about it then.

[ChimpMaster]

The problem is this - I've had my lunch but I'm still hungry.

Think about it.

[Purple Dalek]

I agree 100% The inability to empathise with others is dragging society downward.

I call it "alzheimers lite". I do believe it is a developmental problem in a growing group of the youth. They seem to have a problem with socialisation and interpersonal development is lacking.

[Bagpuss]

I’m saying that people sometimes forget how much luck is involved in success or failure. Sure, you have to create the circumstances where good luck can come your way, but people need to remember that someone who’s bankrupt may have worked very hard to make a success of life. Someone who’s successful may have done that too, but had the right lucky breaks along the way.

This lack of appreciation for the role of luck can make successful people arrogant, make less successful people blame themselves and lead people to be less sympathetic to one another, thereby generally making people miserable.

I agree 100% The inability to empathise with others is dragging society downward.

[sasguru]

The bish has a point, and I think that one aspect is the ‘meritocratic society’. I’ll try to make my point semi-coherently. In the past people accepted that they were working class, middle class etc and that they were going to stay that way. These days, with free education, a less rigid class system and opportunities to travel and learn, people have come to believe that success is entirely their own achievement, and conversely that failure is entirely the fault of the ‘victim’. I’m not suggesting we should return to a peasants and aristocrats feudal society; I do quite nicely out of meritocracy too. I’m saying that people sometimes forget how much luck is involved in success or failure. Sure, you have to create the circumstances where good luck can come your way, but people need to remember that someone who’s bankrupt may have worked very hard to make a success of life. Someone who’s successful may have done that too, but had the right lucky breaks along the way.

This lack of appreciation for the role of luck can make successful people arrogant, make less successful people blame themselves and lead people to be less sympathetic to one another, thereby generally making people miserable.

Very good point and worthy of new thread which I will start.

[Purple Dalek]

Sadness, yes. I see many young men walking about with hoodies and trousers half down, and I think they look incredibly sad. You smile to brighten their day and you get a "What you looking at?". To which I'm often stumped for an answer: what is it I'm looking at? An utter failure to choose their own character? A pathetic attempt to mimic someone they've seen on a music video? What is it, exactly?

[Bagpuss]

I seem to remember a report not that long ago about depression. A doctor was saying most causes of depression are not depression at all, merely sadness, for which blue pills were not appropriate. I suspect the authors of this latest report have a vested interest in receiving funding.

Not sure I understand that or why Viagra wouldn't help. But nice rant anyway

[Mich the Tester]

I caught a few minutes of some bishop or other on the TV over the festive period.

What he was saying was that more realism is needed - there seems to be an attitude that if you want something enough and work really hard you will get it.

The problem is this is simply not true - so a lot of people have false expectations

This in turn causes the depression and unhappiness of young adults - we all grow up wanting to be rich/famous/a great sportsmen/CEO of a topten blue chip company etc but when you hit early adult hood the realisation dawns that actually you will more than likely end up as Mr/Mrs average and your life will consist of the same monotonous grind which you have watched slowly kill your parents over the last 20 years.

Mind Numbing Spirit Crushing Gameshows anyone?

Choose life!

The bish has a point, and I think that one aspect is the ‘meritocratic society’. I’ll try to make my point semi-coherently. In the past people accepted that they were working class, middle class etc and that they were going to stay that way. These days, with free education, a less rigid class system and opportunities to travel and learn, people have come to believe that success is entirely their own achievement, and conversely that failure is entirely the fault of the ‘victim’. I’m not suggesting we should return to a peasants and aristocrats feudal society; I do quite nicely out of meritocracy too. I’m saying that people sometimes forget how much luck is involved in success or failure. Sure, you have to create the circumstances where good luck can come your way, but people need to remember that someone who’s bankrupt may have worked very hard to make a success of life. Someone who’s successful may have done that too, but had the right lucky breaks along the way.

This lack of appreciation for the role of luck can make successful people arrogant, make less successful people blame themselves and lead people to be less sympathetic to one another, thereby generally making people miserable.

[ratewhore]

I read that article in the paper this morning and I'm afraid I disagree with it. I don't have much time for all these do-gooders telling me that society is broken and our younger generation are potentially suicidal due to what is, in affect, 'the system'.

I would suggest these kids are not suffering from mental illness. They are pissed off sure, but not mentally ill, and certainly not a ticking time bomb.

Why can't we just call a spade a spade in this country? Why do we have to transfer responsibility to others in order to explain someones feelings?

I seem to remember a report not that long ago about depression. A doctor was saying most causes of depression are not depression at all, merely sadness, for which blue pills were not appropriate. I suspect the authors of this latest report have a vested interest in receiving funding.

2009 - seemingly more of the same old cobblers...

[Bagpuss]

Excellent article in The Guardian on Saturday about the demise of kindness. IMHO this is why society is so fooked up. Chasing money and materail goods is pointless out of context.