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Right, Ive said that before. We have a huge explosion of knowledge, but wisdom hasn't changed a bit, and can't break out from a 4,000 year old code of orthodoxy
88, Should I be getting scared, since I agree with this? Man if ever we became anything like friends, which ain't gonna happen no matter what, but if it did...... Well I guess it would take an asteroid bigger than manhatten for that so thar's no need to worry........ right
88, Should I be getting scared, since I agree with this? Man if ever we became anything like friends, which ain't gonna happen no matter what, but if it did...... Well I guess it would take an asteroid bigger than manhatten for that so thar's no need to worry........ right
"When I find that the majority agrees with me, I rethink my position." ---Mark Twain
Is Humanity on the decline? If so, whats the reason?
I think so... I think most societies are evolving into one's that are more isolated. People are selfish and looking out for their own needs.... and no longer want to be accountable for anything but their immediate satisfaction. There is definitely a decrease in respect and concern for one another.
Technology definitely has a lot to do with it (Cell phones, internet, etc.). For example... people communicating with each other on a message board (often blasting other's for their different ideas/ values) as opposed to neighborhood gathering spots. It runs deeper than technology though.
Sue first... get paid.... ask questions later.
Its the teachers fault, my kid is perfect.
Mortgage underwater? Walk away.
Profanity in prime time television- no problem.
Lack of values. Lack of honor. Seems to be going downhill. I am not super religious.... but this sort of thing is mentioned in the bible. Sodom & Gemorrah.
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Memphis1979
I personally believe that we are on the decline. We are naturally explorers, and we just aren't doing that anymore.
America's hay day was back in the 1900's, largely in part to the growth that we had. We no longer seem to be growing in the same way. We need more places to go to.
But where? All of the habitable world is conquered.
Space seems to me to be a long way off.
It just seems to me that some people, maybe most, are unhappy today. Some of us are just happier when we are moving, exploring, breaking new ground.
I have not read any other posts on this thread aside from yours, so I do not know if anyone else has stated these things;
Charles Darwin studied the evolution of species. I believe that technological advancements is the same way, with each passing day, we are driven more and more into a technology driven world.
Having stated that, humanity is losing it's "natural" abilities, our children will be heavily dependent on technology for nearly everything they do.
We went from brushing our teeth manually to now having electronic brushes, making fire with sticks and coal, to lighters.
We are losing ground, we have adapted to a less skillful way of life by our way of life.
I disagree with you, America is to powerful of a country to even play back seat to any other. Remember we're all linked now, no matter how much any other country denies it, if we go down, they all go down too. Economically we are linked. Yes, we have seen some hardships recently but the entire world has. Do you think China has been all growth lately? They've had obstacles of their own to measure.
We have already established ourselves as a super power, that's not going away.
Did you know mid this decade America will launch the very first space station on the moon?
Global competition with other countries is a good thing, it's what drives us to out do others, these are the factors that help save lives. Look at Russia, recently their biomedical research and technology center created the first prosthetic heart, with a life span of 6 years. Do you know with more advancements how many lives that can save?
Competition is a good thing, it drives a country to try harder, and it leads to advancement.
People are indeed mostly unhappy today, but not because of the catastrophes but because they allow themselves to be.
People need to better educate themselves, they need to take charge and do what they know is right, not what their peers think is right.
Look at Detroit, the city is getting closer and closer to a point where it cannot pull itself out of the hole it has fallen into, it still has a chance to save itself, but the people i Detroit aren't doing anything, they're not electing the people that guarantee the changes Detroit deserves, they're just electing people that can buy them off for temporary amount of time.
If you want to be happy, then be happy, create your own happiness by creating happiness in others. Making someone else happy and washing away their sorrows will give you a great feeling, the role of humanity is to coexist with nature and everything nature consists of, not to aimlessly plunge into war with it and conquer it.
I think so... I think most societies are evolving into one's that are more isolated. People are selfish and looking out for their own needs.... and no longer want to be accountable for anything but their immediate satisfaction. There is definitely a decrease in respect and concern for one another.
Technology definitely has a lot to do with it (Cell phones, internet, etc.). For example... people communicating with each other on a message board (often blasting other's for their different ideas/ values) as opposed to neighborhood gathering spots. It runs deeper than technology though.
Sue first... get paid.... ask questions later.
Its the teachers fault, my kid is perfect.
Mortgage underwater? Walk away.
Profanity in prime time television- no problem.
Lack of values. Lack of honor. Seems to be going downhill. I am not super religious.... but this sort of thing is mentioned in the bible. Sodom & Gemorrah.
Actually in the Hindu scriptures there are 4 levels in creation of the world. In the first everything is sublime (like our garden of Eden. People in this time don't need faith because they know the reality. They are living the religion. They know God.). The other levels decrease in man's spiritual connection with the divine and loss of awareness and knowledge and harmony. People become more selfish and lack compassion and understanding. This gets so crummy that at the forth level, the Kali Yuga, (where we are now) man pretty much has to believe by faith because he is no longer able to have (or, rarely) direct knowledge of the spiritual, godly realm. (the bible says something to the effect that no man would be saved without divine intervention).
But the Kali Yuga lasts for a very very long time.
Then the world is destroyed and then reborn and the cycle starts over again with man living in paradise.
Native Americans also have some similar teachings, I think.
So there is very little chance, I think, for the world to end in my lifetime, though we could be winding down for a new start. It may be some sort of natural process recorded by early people. I speak of the Hindu religion because it is much older and perhaps a bit more accurate in some things or, at least, puts things in a slightly different perspective.
Danny -
I agree that a people gets the sort of government it deserves, but on the other hand if WE kicked the current Congress out of office the replacements would probably be no better. They'd be like the President, promising so much but once in office just pleasing the power structures that are in place.
Look, too, how Greece screwed up the EU with its 'spend today and the heck about paying tomorrow' policy. Now Merkel is contemplating backing out of the EU. Why should Germany be the only one to bolster the Euro?
Sure is a bumpy road, trying to get along with each other.
Personally, I believe we are in decline, due to a lack of morals/ethics and plain, old, family values. With an "anything goes," style of society, etc. Look at these reality shows. What do people learn from them? Absolutely nothing, except: How to lie, cheat, steal, manipulate, and screw over anyone/everyone, to get what you want.
Our government's, politician's, corporations, et al are just as much to blame. They lie, cheat, steal with the best of them, if not worse.
Finally, another huge issue: A break down in family values. There is no such thing as a "family unit" anymore. Anything, in this day and age, is considered a family.
One of the greatest downfalls of the Roman Empire, was a break down in the family structure and a lack of morals/ethics.
Those who do not study history, or doomed to repeat it. We are already deep, and I mean deep, down that path.
If humanity IS in decline, I believe it is because we've become so materialistic.
I can't imagine this being a reason for decline, as humans have been materialistic ever since someone first decided one shell was prettier than the other.
I think this thread needs to first define decline. Some seem to mention the "kids these days" morality hand wringing that happens with every generation, others point at economic factors (although that itself needs specified what factors) while still others have more earth sustainability related arguments.
On the economic side, if a hell of a lot more people's lives are improving economically in China/India/Brazil/etc. than are no longer expanding in US/Europe/etc. is humanity as a whole declining? Would someone in China who now has a new cell phone and flat screen TV agree?
Is it possible an economic decline in the US is relative, given that only wealthy had computers and phones you could walk around with 20 years ago?
If national power and international political hegemony are the sole criteria by which nations are judged, we Americans have little to worry about.
On the other hand, if national power and international political power are the sole criteria by which cultures are judged, humanity is in very deep trouble indeed.
On the economic side, if a hell of a lot more people's lives are improving economically in China/India/Brazil/etc. than are no longer expanding in US/Europe/etc. is humanity as a whole declining? Would someone in China who now has a new cell phone and flat screen TV agree?
First of all.... the is ASSUMING that a flat screen and a cell phone are major improvements for Humanity. I do not see the connection there. I think all societies are becoming more isolated.
These said cell phones and flat screen TVs are being made by huge corporations offering low wages in poorer countries. World wide... globalization is taking away the local community and shared common values.
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