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This sort of thing is an old, old sport. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/hesiod/ http://thinkexist.com/quotes/hesiod/ I see no hope for the future of our people

This sort of thing is an old, old sport. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/hesiod/ http://thinkexist.com/quotes/hesiod/ I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was a boy, we were taught to be discrete and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise and impatient of restraint. ~700 BC

gaius 18y ago
That quote is often trotted out but all it actually means that is at some point in history, people thought that the kids of today are soft. It doesn't imply any continuity between that thought then and the same thought now.
- gills 18y ago
  Maybe there is something to it. All of the great civilizations eventually collapsed.
  - jcl 18y ago
    I agree -- the logic is inescapable: Complaining about kids brings about the collapse of civilization. :)
    - steveplace 18y ago
      Get off my lawn!
pgebhard 18y ago
Maybe it's this perpetual chastising by the older generations that gradually "teaches" the younger generations. What if the older generations never said this sort of stuff? Would the younger generation never grow out of it? Just wondering. I'm a 23yr old myself.
tx 18y ago
Whatever. Living with your parents in your 20s is disgusting, sir.
- rewind 18y ago
  Living with your parents if you're lazy or a freeloader is lame. There are countless good reasons beyond those to live with your parents if they're cool with it. What's disgusting about that? I lived with my parents until I was finished my degree when I was 24. I've had friends who hit tough times move back home to get back on their feet (who were accepted with open arms). I've had other friends stay home longer than I did because their goals did not bring them the financial benefits of others and it took longer to become self-sufficient. Their parents were more than happy to support them when they did not have the means to achieve their goals on their own. I don't personally find any of this disgusting.
  - tx 18y ago
    Listen to yourself. You could be speaking Chinese right now with a similar effect. If my dog could understand (and speak) your language, he could have explained why licking his own balls isn't disgusting. He's cool with it.
    - sutro 18y ago
      It is a rare day when a HN comment makes me laugh out loud. Here is your plus one karma. Don't spend it all in one place.
    - rewind 18y ago
      You know, I'm not sure if that was meant to be harsh of if you're just joking around, but I don't even care... that's damn funny stuff either way. I know most people don't like the biting responses, but that was gold.
      - tx 18y ago
        Man, this ain't real life, it's only Internet and my name isn't "tx" :) Besides, I lived with my pops in my 20s myself and speaking from experience. (I hated it).

gaius 18y ago

That quote is often trotted out but all it actually means that is at some point in history, people thought that the kids of today are soft. It doesn't imply any continuity between that thought then and the same thought now.

gills 18y ago
Maybe there is something to it. All of the great civilizations eventually collapsed.
- jcl 18y ago
  I agree -- the logic is inescapable: Complaining about kids brings about the collapse of civilization. :)
  - steveplace 18y ago
    Get off my lawn!

pgebhard 18y ago

Maybe it's this perpetual chastising by the older generations that gradually "teaches" the younger generations. What if the older generations never said this sort of stuff? Would the younger generation never grow out of it? Just wondering. I'm a 23yr old myself.

tx 18y ago

Whatever. Living with your parents in your 20s is disgusting, sir.

rewind 18y ago
Living with your parents if you're lazy or a freeloader is lame. There are countless good reasons beyond those to live with your parents if they're cool with it. What's disgusting about that? I lived with my parents until I was finished my degree when I was 24. I've had friends who hit tough times move back home to get back on their feet (who were accepted with open arms). I've had other friends stay home longer than I did because their goals did not bring them the financial benefits of others and it took longer to become self-sufficient. Their parents were more than happy to support them when they did not have the means to achieve their goals on their own. I don't personally find any of this disgusting.
- tx 18y ago
  Listen to yourself. You could be speaking Chinese right now with a similar effect. If my dog could understand (and speak) your language, he could have explained why licking his own balls isn't disgusting. He's cool with it.
  - sutro 18y ago
    It is a rare day when a HN comment makes me laugh out loud. Here is your plus one karma. Don't spend it all in one place.
  - rewind 18y ago
    You know, I'm not sure if that was meant to be harsh of if you're just joking around, but I don't even care... that's damn funny stuff either way. I know most people don't like the biting responses, but that was gold.
    - tx 18y ago
      Man, this ain't real life, it's only Internet and my name isn't "tx" :) Besides, I lived with my pops in my 20s myself and speaking from experience. (I hated it).