Traveling in China in the mid 1980s, the joke was that "mei you" ("there isn't any") was the mating cry of restaurant staff. What few restaurants there were were frequently out of a great many of their menu items - sometimes even rice!
And the staff couldn't have cared less. They were despondent, sometimes surly. And why wouldn't they be? The restaurant wasn't going to go out of business, no matter how lousy the product, and the servers weren't going to lose their jobs, no matter how awful the service.
We aren't quite there yet, here in the US, but we're getting closer (and the past four years gave us a big push in that direction), and you're right that these kinds of observations are signs of a much bigger dysfunction.
The loss of common courtesies have been going on for a lot longer than that, as far as I've seen. Probably a couple of decades, at least. They started eroding when "Feminist" as a class was introduced and got worse when "PC" was introduced, though slowly, still. And when "PC" started being pushed more, the manners/common courtesies started being far less common. A man couldn't hold a door open for a woman without being worried she was going to yell at him instead of thank him. People started getting offended at being called "hun". Teachers let themselves be called by their first names....by first graders. And even parents were letting their kids call them by their first names! Part of that is the erosion of language, the changing definition of words and the assertation that words are ideology instead of words expressing ideas. People are afraid to express even a simple "thank you, ma'am" because they might end up offending and then end up being shamed/bullied on youtube or tiktok followed by a cancelling, either by the corporation they were working for, or the customers. So, yeah, early to mid-eighties started the decline, but like any slippery slope, you go faster the further down you slide.
I have to say, there definitely IS a lot more going on. If one is looking at the "big" picture, there is an intentional destruction of many multitudes of things we have become accustomed to. Society at large IS devolving. People are easily triggered, angry, hurting, and looking to quickly lash out. (I'm NOT accusing you of any of this.) ~ But IMO, once God is removed from society, in every part of life, and any form of moral code based on God's Truth is eliminated, than we have nothing more than "every man, woman & child, does what is right in his/her own eyes"... (Luke 17:26-30) IMO this isn't something we are going to "fix" unless God is part of the equation. (And I truly do not mean the twisted syrupy "love" that is tossed around to force people to accept sin and evil actions.)
If you have not already done so, it may behoove you to read Atlas Shrugged...not necessarily for the Objectivist philosophy espoused, but for the accurate description of a world beset by collectivism and mediocrity.
You probably don't hear Sir and Mam anymore, because in today's "woke" society, people are probably afraid they will offend someone. It's when please and thank you starts to disappear that you know society is going downhill. Fortunately, a lot of people still use these terms. Linking your observations today @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
I have always judged society on their overall driving habits. Use of turn signals? Proper distance between vehicles? No one really speeding or weaving through traffic dangerously? No real use of horns and patience with older drivers apparent?
I can honestly say there is a critical shortage of nice-ness.
Traveling in China in the mid 1980s, the joke was that "mei you" ("there isn't any") was the mating cry of restaurant staff. What few restaurants there were were frequently out of a great many of their menu items - sometimes even rice!
And the staff couldn't have cared less. They were despondent, sometimes surly. And why wouldn't they be? The restaurant wasn't going to go out of business, no matter how lousy the product, and the servers weren't going to lose their jobs, no matter how awful the service.
We aren't quite there yet, here in the US, but we're getting closer (and the past four years gave us a big push in that direction), and you're right that these kinds of observations are signs of a much bigger dysfunction.
Great comment. I shared this story with a friend a couple days ago after your shared it.
The loss of common courtesies have been going on for a lot longer than that, as far as I've seen. Probably a couple of decades, at least. They started eroding when "Feminist" as a class was introduced and got worse when "PC" was introduced, though slowly, still. And when "PC" started being pushed more, the manners/common courtesies started being far less common. A man couldn't hold a door open for a woman without being worried she was going to yell at him instead of thank him. People started getting offended at being called "hun". Teachers let themselves be called by their first names....by first graders. And even parents were letting their kids call them by their first names! Part of that is the erosion of language, the changing definition of words and the assertation that words are ideology instead of words expressing ideas. People are afraid to express even a simple "thank you, ma'am" because they might end up offending and then end up being shamed/bullied on youtube or tiktok followed by a cancelling, either by the corporation they were working for, or the customers. So, yeah, early to mid-eighties started the decline, but like any slippery slope, you go faster the further down you slide.
Indeed.
this is why I like South Louisiana. we still call each other “baby” here all the time. people gonna “people” (vs h8rs)
I have to say, there definitely IS a lot more going on. If one is looking at the "big" picture, there is an intentional destruction of many multitudes of things we have become accustomed to. Society at large IS devolving. People are easily triggered, angry, hurting, and looking to quickly lash out. (I'm NOT accusing you of any of this.) ~ But IMO, once God is removed from society, in every part of life, and any form of moral code based on God's Truth is eliminated, than we have nothing more than "every man, woman & child, does what is right in his/her own eyes"... (Luke 17:26-30) IMO this isn't something we are going to "fix" unless God is part of the equation. (And I truly do not mean the twisted syrupy "love" that is tossed around to force people to accept sin and evil actions.)
I think you're right.
Maybe it was when society abandoned dueling:
https://www.anarchonomicon.com/p/the-purpose-of-dueling
I've thought about this before, but not in a very long time. I think you can make a strong case that bans on dueling are unjust.
If you have not already done so, it may behoove you to read Atlas Shrugged...not necessarily for the Objectivist philosophy espoused, but for the accurate description of a world beset by collectivism and mediocrity.
I've read it, and the book came up a few nights ago as I was discussing our collapsing society with friends (who are not libertarians).
You probably don't hear Sir and Mam anymore, because in today's "woke" society, people are probably afraid they will offend someone. It's when please and thank you starts to disappear that you know society is going downhill. Fortunately, a lot of people still use these terms. Linking your observations today @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
Thanks!
I have always judged society on their overall driving habits. Use of turn signals? Proper distance between vehicles? No one really speeding or weaving through traffic dangerously? No real use of horns and patience with older drivers apparent?
I can honestly say there is a critical shortage of nice-ness.
Spot on. And a basic respect for others.