For most of the last half-century, the charge has been that American culture is stuck in adolescence. But adolescence, it turns out, was not the floor. Disney is leading the transformation, expanding into new age markets for maximum profit.
American culture is stuck in adolescence because culture has shifted towards the complete annihilation of any and all significant rites of passage into adulthood.
A child is someone that needs to be told what they can and can’t do.
An adolescent is someone who tests the limits of what they can and can’t do.
An adult is someone who enforces socially responsible limits of what they themselves and others can and can’t do.
Never telling people “these are now your responsibilities towards others and we all expect you to take them seriously” in an in-equivocal ceremonial way is how you destroy a society.
I don’t think you can say that no rites of passage means not becoming an adult. Rituals smooth or explain transitions, they’re not a requirement for the transition to happen.
And besides their are plenty of rites of passage into adulthood in the US - first car is huge, moving out of home, first job, etc.
people can’t afford cars, they don’t move out of homes, and they struggle to get jobs outside of menial labor.
the only people who achieve those things regularity anymore are the rich. because their parents buy everything for them. they buy them that first car, they buy them a college education from a rich school to get them that first real job, and they give them money to pay for rent so they can move out, and eventually give them a downpayment for a house so they can become a home owner.
very few people are able to achieve those things on their own personal merits and efforts anymore, like they used to be able to 20-40 years ago. kids these days aren’t buying their first car that’s 10 years old for 2K w/ money from working pizza delivery all summer. 10yr used cars now go for closer to 8-10K, and people with college degrees w/ full time jobs struggle to afford them. gas is also not 1 dollar a gallon like it was 20 years ago.
Yes, i have noticed a huge uptick of selfishness the past decade. People don’t give a fuck about anyone else but themselves. The lack of basic respect and courtesy towards others is insane.
And further they feel they have the right to assault you if they don’t like you. Rather than just leave you be.
Nothing wrong with escaping here and there if responsibilities are fulfilled.
The problem is when escapism becomes the purpose of living.
The great lie of western culture is that we are first and foremost, individuals and we should strive for maximum freedom i.e. our purpose is to be free. Let’s take a look at the people in the world that can afford maximum freedom and have no practical accountability and see how/what they’re doing… yeah…
Purpose is important. If purpose strays too far away from “the best for others”, bad things start happening really fast.
Nah read a real book watch a real movie. Sure like play your cod but follow it up with some disco Elysium cruelty squad specopstheline something read your ya fiction but then read some fucking literature have a meiville or a leguinn or something if you only ever escape you never engage or grow
American culture is stuck in adolescence because culture has shifted towards the complete annihilation of any and all significant rites of passage into adulthood.
A child is someone that needs to be told what they can and can’t do.
An adolescent is someone who tests the limits of what they can and can’t do.
An adult is someone who enforces socially responsible limits of what they themselves and others can and can’t do.
Never telling people “these are now your responsibilities towards others and we all expect you to take them seriously” in an in-equivocal ceremonial way is how you destroy a society.
I don’t think you can say that no rites of passage means not becoming an adult. Rituals smooth or explain transitions, they’re not a requirement for the transition to happen.
And besides their are plenty of rites of passage into adulthood in the US - first car is huge, moving out of home, first job, etc.
those rites of passage are disappearing?
people can’t afford cars, they don’t move out of homes, and they struggle to get jobs outside of menial labor.
the only people who achieve those things regularity anymore are the rich. because their parents buy everything for them. they buy them that first car, they buy them a college education from a rich school to get them that first real job, and they give them money to pay for rent so they can move out, and eventually give them a downpayment for a house so they can become a home owner.
very few people are able to achieve those things on their own personal merits and efforts anymore, like they used to be able to 20-40 years ago. kids these days aren’t buying their first car that’s 10 years old for 2K w/ money from working pizza delivery all summer. 10yr used cars now go for closer to 8-10K, and people with college degrees w/ full time jobs struggle to afford them. gas is also not 1 dollar a gallon like it was 20 years ago.
Telling people they don’t have no responsibilities to others is the thing
Yes, i have noticed a huge uptick of selfishness the past decade. People don’t give a fuck about anyone else but themselves. The lack of basic respect and courtesy towards others is insane.
And further they feel they have the right to assault you if they don’t like you. Rather than just leave you be.
There’s nuance and nothing is absolute, sure.
I don’t think they reached adolescents. They are still just wasting time escaping like when mum hands em the iPad so she can do the dishes.
Nothing wrong with escaping here and there if responsibilities are fulfilled.
The problem is when escapism becomes the purpose of living.
The great lie of western culture is that we are first and foremost, individuals and we should strive for maximum freedom i.e. our purpose is to be free. Let’s take a look at the people in the world that can afford maximum freedom and have no practical accountability and see how/what they’re doing… yeah…
Purpose is important. If purpose strays too far away from “the best for others”, bad things start happening really fast.
Nah read a real book watch a real movie. Sure like play your cod but follow it up with some disco Elysium cruelty squad specopstheline something read your ya fiction but then read some fucking literature have a meiville or a leguinn or something if you only ever escape you never engage or grow
Barely.