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In the documentary 'Flight from Death', Prof. Sheldon Soloman touches on the idea that there are serious psychological consequences of the rising expectations w

In the documentary 'Flight from Death', Prof. Sheldon Soloman touches on the idea that there are serious psychological consequences of the rising expectations we as a society put on people in a world of diminishing opportunity, which I found rather profound. Here's the relevant clip, if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXZB9t_ypO4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXZB9t_ypO4

maroonblazer 8y ago
At about the 3:00 minute mark in that clip he claims that we don't have a set of values in place that makes it acceptable for a person to simply be someone of integrity. I.e. our culture demands that you be rich, famous, thin and good-looking. This is a ridiculous claim. While our culture certainly places an outsized (IMO) emphasis on celebrity and wealth most people, most of the time, aren't fixated on becoming the next Musk or Kardashian and are able to lead exceedingly satisfying lives. If the the conditions of the hikikomori - or the West's version of them - are rooted in their anxiety about living up to what they see on TV and in celebrity media then a healthy dose of Buddhism or Stoicism is probably called for.
- bjourne 8y ago
  My view isn't that the kids these days are asking for more than their fair share. What they want is what their parents had; a wife and family, a home and a decent job. But the hoops they have to jump through to get there are much higher than there were for us in the old generation. So they give up and spend their time on video games and porn. They aren't chasing the billionaires of the world - they are chasing Al Bundy!
- jimmydef 8y ago
  I doubt that most people are able to lead exceedingly satisfying lives. And I don't know about celebrity but wealth is something that has always been fixated on. Not just today, but since a long long time ago. In fact, I think it's a natural human instinct to gather as much resources as possible.

maroonblazer 8y ago

At about the 3:00 minute mark in that clip he claims that we don't have a set of values in place that makes it acceptable for a person to simply be someone of integrity. I.e. our culture demands that you be rich, famous, thin and good-looking. This is a ridiculous claim. While our culture certainly places an outsized (IMO) emphasis on celebrity and wealth most people, most of the time, aren't fixated on becoming the next Musk or Kardashian and are able to lead exceedingly satisfying lives. If the the conditions of the hikikomori - or the West's version of them - are rooted in their anxiety about living up to what they see on TV and in celebrity media then a healthy dose of Buddhism or Stoicism is probably called for.

bjourne 8y ago
My view isn't that the kids these days are asking for more than their fair share. What they want is what their parents had; a wife and family, a home and a decent job. But the hoops they have to jump through to get there are much higher than there were for us in the old generation. So they give up and spend their time on video games and porn. They aren't chasing the billionaires of the world - they are chasing Al Bundy!
jimmydef 8y ago
I doubt that most people are able to lead exceedingly satisfying lives. And I don't know about celebrity but wealth is something that has always been fixated on. Not just today, but since a long long time ago. In fact, I think it's a natural human instinct to gather as much resources as possible.