Happy Labor Day to all. Lots to unpack here and worth a deeper dive. I don't see this issue quite so black and white; or perhaps in this case, so red or blue. BTW, i loved the article because it made me think.
This won't be a short answer, it's more complex than just a few sentences. I live in Sun City Arizona, the first of it's kind age restricted community. We didn't exist prior to Jan, 1 1960, so as a "historian," reaching back isn't too difficult. It's all right there.
Whys does that matter? To use a boxing metaphor, it's simply a tale of the tape. The community was built by "the greatest generation." They owned it, we were self-governed. Accountability and responsibility were mainstays. New buyers were compelled to work together to insure we survived and flourished.
We moved here in 2003. We were the beginning of the baby boomers who would take over. In the course of work life, i had cause to try and understand the differences in the various generations. I heard all kinds of logic to explain how the various ages of people differed. The best may have been Morris Massey's work but that another topic for another time.
What we do know in this small community of 40,000 people is, there's a massive shift away from ownership and responsibility to one of letting someone else do it. The boomers and the soon arriving Gen X'ers have less interest. Time constraints are part and parcel, i would argue more so than dumbing down. Throw in the lack of human interactions that used to exist and we see people withdrawing into themselves.
The pandemic accelerated that, but it's been a movement away from sociability for years. Talking across the back fence or at gatherings has been replaced by posting on the internet. Those owning and running media outlets simply replaced the written word with sound bites and video clips lasting 30 seconds. We know readers these days don't want to click through more than one time.
The greatest generation has become the minority population and everything is geared to the younger folks. Who ever thought when opening Pocket, someone would tell you how much time it would take to read the article. Years ago, my parents would spend hours reading the newspaper, cover to cover. Today, newspapers are all but gone.
Does it make me dumber if i open my news feeds in the morning rather than a newspaper? If i scan the headlines and find topics that are of interest to me? We've all changed, does that make us less intelligent? The trade-off is i can search the net and find volumes of articles on subjects that interest me.
I'm more concerned by the lack of human interaction than i am on the dumbing down of people. If we understand the challenges, we have a better opportunity to reach others. Understanding how people communicate is more important than how long than communicate for.
You know as a writer, most everyone will tell you not to write too much. This article you wrote was longer than most but clearly was a topic i fancied. It won't be everyone's cup of tea and may not get much response. That's too bad.
Some will see it from a political perspective, rather than from a human nature one. That's even more too bad. Unless and until we recognize how we can find common ground, areas of interest and ways to talk to each other rather than insulting one another, we'll stay on the down slope as a society.
We've all changed, we've all lost some of the values the greatest generation were built on. That's not to say they didn't argue and fight for the things they believed in. They just didn't hate one another for those differences.
We have a lot to learn from them, but we better hurry up because before you know it, they will all be gone. Your article helped me better understand where you have been coming from. Thanks.
"I'm more concerned by the lack of human interaction than i am on the dumbing down of people. If we understand the challenges, we have a better opportunity to reach others. Understanding how people communicate is more important than how long than communicate for."
100% YES.
Too many people take the social atomization that Robert Putnam ("Bowling Alone") began to describe as an inevitability. The only way out of it is for folks to make concerted efforts to emulate the members of the Greatest Generation and take responsibility for the state of their communities (as opposed to just paying other people to do that work) which creates countless opportunities for the "being there" that is necessary for building that local social tapestry.
Well said Chris. I mentioned Sun City because i've long felt it was a vision for the road back. While some look at the age restricted nature of it and get angry, i look at the upside of it and see the potential to restore accountability, responsibility and ownership. Changing it is manageable.
I learned long ago the only way to eat an apple is one bite at a time. Sadly, most want everything now in one felled swoop. Life is a process of evolution and hopefully growth. At least it should be. We need to focus on where we live. As corny as it sounds, all politics are local.
The serenity prayer changed my life. Sometimes i forget and my eyes become bigger than my reality. Living within ones self is essential, moving beyond our limitations is when we get bogged down. Trump is beyond anything i can control. I simply refuse to let him affect my life (doesn't mean i won't share my thoughts on his evil).
I know you read Bulwark. The gang on there couldn't be further from my political perspective. I read it every day, i look forward to it. Not because it's changing me, but it has forced me to be open to understanding both sides.
I've long lamented that so few politicians are statesmen these days. The funny thing is, many of those hard core right leaning Bulwarker's appear to be finding the value of moving back to the middle. We all need find compromise. Or as Steve said in his close, we'll just keep growing further apart.
Actually Curtis, when i wrote this my thoughts went directly to you. I know you are a member of the greatest generation, that you are a passionate conservative and while we often disagree, you are always a gentleman in your responses/rebuttal. Thanks, i appreciate your compliment.
True. I was referring to the characteristics of the silent generation described in your link. I'm ten years younger than what I think of as the greatest generation. I never heard of the silent generation until I clicked on your link. I am skeptical of anything on Wikipedia.
I wonder if there is anything that could really be said by Biden or Democrats that would actually persuade any of the Trump voters at this point. So many view the Dems categorically as evil, plotting, dangerous, communists, etc... The dehumanization has consequences, though those that did it likely are more happy than not for this to break us apart.
Pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists that sounds like asking to be labeled "soft on crime": nor do I think it would have any effect in terms of persuading those that did commit those crimes that the Democrats are a better option than Trump/GOP...
I'd also like to push back and say that the Democrats do still try to advance policy: it's not always the best policies, but then again it's a one-sided conversation for the most part as the GOP had given up policy entirely.
You can't persuade people who aren't listening. And you can't get them to listen when all you do is call them evil. The same criticisms that were made against G.W. Bush for going after Muslim "evildoers" while saying it's not a war on Islam apply to Biden and MAGAs. If you make people your enemy, but say "not all of you" everyone assumes you're talking about them as the enemy.
I imagine that getting anybody who is already on the "All Democrats are evil baby eaters, and are my mortal enemy" train to listen to anything a Democrat has to say.
And with that in mind, it means that it's incumbent on the "sane" voices in the GOP to actually grow a spine and say something. I'm not holding my breath on that happening, as all evidence points to them continuing to lower their gaze in the interest of maintaining and growing their power and influence.
Happy Labor Day to all. Lots to unpack here and worth a deeper dive. I don't see this issue quite so black and white; or perhaps in this case, so red or blue. BTW, i loved the article because it made me think.
This won't be a short answer, it's more complex than just a few sentences. I live in Sun City Arizona, the first of it's kind age restricted community. We didn't exist prior to Jan, 1 1960, so as a "historian," reaching back isn't too difficult. It's all right there.
Whys does that matter? To use a boxing metaphor, it's simply a tale of the tape. The community was built by "the greatest generation." They owned it, we were self-governed. Accountability and responsibility were mainstays. New buyers were compelled to work together to insure we survived and flourished.
We moved here in 2003. We were the beginning of the baby boomers who would take over. In the course of work life, i had cause to try and understand the differences in the various generations. I heard all kinds of logic to explain how the various ages of people differed. The best may have been Morris Massey's work but that another topic for another time.
What we do know in this small community of 40,000 people is, there's a massive shift away from ownership and responsibility to one of letting someone else do it. The boomers and the soon arriving Gen X'ers have less interest. Time constraints are part and parcel, i would argue more so than dumbing down. Throw in the lack of human interactions that used to exist and we see people withdrawing into themselves.
The pandemic accelerated that, but it's been a movement away from sociability for years. Talking across the back fence or at gatherings has been replaced by posting on the internet. Those owning and running media outlets simply replaced the written word with sound bites and video clips lasting 30 seconds. We know readers these days don't want to click through more than one time.
The greatest generation has become the minority population and everything is geared to the younger folks. Who ever thought when opening Pocket, someone would tell you how much time it would take to read the article. Years ago, my parents would spend hours reading the newspaper, cover to cover. Today, newspapers are all but gone.
Does it make me dumber if i open my news feeds in the morning rather than a newspaper? If i scan the headlines and find topics that are of interest to me? We've all changed, does that make us less intelligent? The trade-off is i can search the net and find volumes of articles on subjects that interest me.
I'm more concerned by the lack of human interaction than i am on the dumbing down of people. If we understand the challenges, we have a better opportunity to reach others. Understanding how people communicate is more important than how long than communicate for.
You know as a writer, most everyone will tell you not to write too much. This article you wrote was longer than most but clearly was a topic i fancied. It won't be everyone's cup of tea and may not get much response. That's too bad.
Some will see it from a political perspective, rather than from a human nature one. That's even more too bad. Unless and until we recognize how we can find common ground, areas of interest and ways to talk to each other rather than insulting one another, we'll stay on the down slope as a society.
We've all changed, we've all lost some of the values the greatest generation were built on. That's not to say they didn't argue and fight for the things they believed in. They just didn't hate one another for those differences.
We have a lot to learn from them, but we better hurry up because before you know it, they will all be gone. Your article helped me better understand where you have been coming from. Thanks.
Thought provoking commentary. We need to learn to live in the present world.
"I'm more concerned by the lack of human interaction than i am on the dumbing down of people. If we understand the challenges, we have a better opportunity to reach others. Understanding how people communicate is more important than how long than communicate for."
100% YES.
Too many people take the social atomization that Robert Putnam ("Bowling Alone") began to describe as an inevitability. The only way out of it is for folks to make concerted efforts to emulate the members of the Greatest Generation and take responsibility for the state of their communities (as opposed to just paying other people to do that work) which creates countless opportunities for the "being there" that is necessary for building that local social tapestry.
Well said Chris. I mentioned Sun City because i've long felt it was a vision for the road back. While some look at the age restricted nature of it and get angry, i look at the upside of it and see the potential to restore accountability, responsibility and ownership. Changing it is manageable.
I learned long ago the only way to eat an apple is one bite at a time. Sadly, most want everything now in one felled swoop. Life is a process of evolution and hopefully growth. At least it should be. We need to focus on where we live. As corny as it sounds, all politics are local.
The serenity prayer changed my life. Sometimes i forget and my eyes become bigger than my reality. Living within ones self is essential, moving beyond our limitations is when we get bogged down. Trump is beyond anything i can control. I simply refuse to let him affect my life (doesn't mean i won't share my thoughts on his evil).
I know you read Bulwark. The gang on there couldn't be further from my political perspective. I read it every day, i look forward to it. Not because it's changing me, but it has forced me to be open to understanding both sides.
I've long lamented that so few politicians are statesmen these days. The funny thing is, many of those hard core right leaning Bulwarker's appear to be finding the value of moving back to the middle. We all need find compromise. Or as Steve said in his close, we'll just keep growing further apart.
I'm gonna steal the apple line:
"You eat an apple one bite at a time: try to eat it whole and you'll likely choke."
I suppose that, as a pre-boomer southern hillbilly, I will never agree with a lot of what you write. But I will compliment your well written comment.
Actually Curtis, when i wrote this my thoughts went directly to you. I know you are a member of the greatest generation, that you are a passionate conservative and while we often disagree, you are always a gentleman in your responses/rebuttal. Thanks, i appreciate your compliment.
I think not Greatest but Silent, same as Biden
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation
I suppose that's true by Wikipedia standards. But anything can be true (or false) by those standards - depending on when you are reading.
Would you prefer other sources?
I have always seen it defined that the Greatest Generation are those that lived through the Great Depression and fought or provided labor during WWII.
You are not of that age.
True. I was referring to the characteristics of the silent generation described in your link. I'm ten years younger than what I think of as the greatest generation. I never heard of the silent generation until I clicked on your link. I am skeptical of anything on Wikipedia.
I wonder if there is anything that could really be said by Biden or Democrats that would actually persuade any of the Trump voters at this point. So many view the Dems categorically as evil, plotting, dangerous, communists, etc... The dehumanization has consequences, though those that did it likely are more happy than not for this to break us apart.
Pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists that sounds like asking to be labeled "soft on crime": nor do I think it would have any effect in terms of persuading those that did commit those crimes that the Democrats are a better option than Trump/GOP...
I'd also like to push back and say that the Democrats do still try to advance policy: it's not always the best policies, but then again it's a one-sided conversation for the most part as the GOP had given up policy entirely.
You can't persuade people who aren't listening. And you can't get them to listen when all you do is call them evil. The same criticisms that were made against G.W. Bush for going after Muslim "evildoers" while saying it's not a war on Islam apply to Biden and MAGAs. If you make people your enemy, but say "not all of you" everyone assumes you're talking about them as the enemy.
I imagine that getting anybody who is already on the "All Democrats are evil baby eaters, and are my mortal enemy" train to listen to anything a Democrat has to say.
And with that in mind, it means that it's incumbent on the "sane" voices in the GOP to actually grow a spine and say something. I'm not holding my breath on that happening, as all evidence points to them continuing to lower their gaze in the interest of maintaining and growing their power and influence.