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My husband and I were just talking about this last night. He is avid watcher of the News and I personally have to give myself a break from it. Rarely do you see a feel good story and after awhile it makes you think all that is going on in the world is bad. I hate to read viewers comments from online news stories because people are eager to rip someone apart. The politics are another source of negativity. I am never been all that political but I do not remember such a divide as there is today. People feel a loss of hope and sometimes it makes some feel better to hate on someone else. Kind of keeps them from thinking about their own problems. I think negativity sells.
Reality tv is horrible and the most viewed shows are because they are over the top with discord and dysfunction. Facebook is just an overall PITA. It causes a lot of drama. I went from an active participant to just a lurker now. There is a small group I joined on Facebook that someone started from my hometown. It was meant to be a page to rehash the good things from when we grew up but now I see a lot of bickering on it. I unsubscribed. I even have to give myself city-data breaks because it can get pretty nasty on here. I can only imagine what the site would be like without mods. Aside from the news, internet and forums people that I care about have become negative. Sometimes I just don't answer the phone for a day or two. When something good comes my way I find myself reluctant to share it. I suppose my post is a bit negative but I find myself trying to remain positive and don't get bogged down by hatred and complaining. This is why I take breaks from people, the internet and if I can the world. I get a good book, curl up in my favorite chair and mentally escape for a bit.
Largely, it's the economy. The US in particular is very hard hit just because there is less community spirit, fewer people have families to fall back on than they did 50 years ago. So what you have are a lot of very scared, stressed out and lost people, partly thanks to decades of being an extremely consumerist society with a notion of the American dream, which is nothing more than a bygone era for many people, as they struggle to make ends meet, despite seemingly making all the right choices and working hard, while you still have a large chunk of the population blaming people for their financial plights, even though there simply aren't enough jobs to go around.
This is very true. People are having to re-think...capitalism and abject materialism does not yield happiness.
One way to feel better though is avoid mass media and its negativity, it isnt necessary and indeed harmful for some who are depressed. Turn off the news and read a book. Sounds simple, but it does work.
No, it's just your very narrow minded opinion. It's like saying all cancers are caused by smoking. You discounted the hundreds of others reasons why people may become more negative or jaded.
Last edited by dragonborn; 02-29-2012 at 05:08 AM..
I got much to be deppressed about, I almost got nothing... my parent taking care of me and that is the only thing I have, other than having a career by going to school... wish I could live on my own with a job, and it is hard dealing with a drama family and my mother she have real anger problems to the point where she can hit me and scream at me for no reason like I am in a boot-camp (she bi-polar by the way)... I would love to have a relationship, hate being single, too... I havent worked for one year ( and not having any income at all, because I dont get unemployment) and trying to find a part-time job, and would be easy if I could drive to find a job. It's been very hard for a while, I do wish to just give up and die and believe me I have ended up in the hospital because I was going crazy about how my life is like right now. Tough time for me, wish it could end. I be happy on anything that is realistic.
Here's what I'd do if I were you...research volunteer opportunities out of the country and GO!!!!! Get out of this nonsense that is the USA.
This is very true. People are having to re-think...capitalism and abject materialism does not yield happiness.
One way to feel better though is avoid mass media and its negativity, it isnt necessary and indeed harmful for some who are depressed. Turn off the news and read a book. Sounds simple, but it does work.
tv news media in the U.S. is primarily trash.
Good advice. I seldom watch television anymore for those reasons.
People haven't always been this way. I think it's a sign of our changing society. We live in an entitlement state so people tend to get MORE dissapointed if they can't have what they want, thus taking out their anger/attitudes on everyone around them. It's as simple as that.
I agree that this is a big part of it. Life used to be a whole lot simpler. Now we are constantly bombarded with 'you must have this' and 'you must be that' and it's just overwhelming. Humans were not meant to live this way. Of course it puts us in a negative state. The real question is when will we wake up and realize this, and CHANGE IT???
My DH is virtually 24/7 optimistic. Always sees the bright side of things. It drives me crazy!!!!! Once in a while it would be nice if he would sympathize with me instead of offering the optimistic (and opposite) point of view.
Yet it probably is much easier to live with an optmist rather than a pessimist.
If you're a pessimist, it's highly advisable to live with another pessimist, as two negatives make for a positive. The risk of living with a 24/7 optimist, for me, is I know, at some junction, I'd be arraigned for murder charges!
I recently went through the roommate selection process, those that showed up brimming with happiness, talked optimistically, were rejected!
The one I chose, openly admitted he was a loner, and his dark moodiness and depressive nature shone through during the entire interview. Discovering him was like winning the lottery!
He's been here since 11/1 and we're both good medicine to each other!
Let the optimists live with each other, and what becomes of two positives living together, 2 positives make for a negative? Let's hope so!!!
My husband and I were just talking about this last night. He is avid watcher of the News and I personally have to give myself a break from it. Rarely do you see a feel good story and after awhile it makes you think all that is going on in the world is bad. I hate to read viewers comments from online news stories because people are eager to rip someone apart. The politics are another source of negativity. I am never been all that political but I do not remember such a divide as there is today. People feel a loss of hope and sometimes it makes some feel better to hate on someone else. Kind of keeps them from thinking about their own problems. I think negativity sells.
Reality tv is horrible and the most viewed shows are because they are over the top with discord and dysfunction. Facebook is just an overall PITA. It causes a lot of drama. I went from an active participant to just a lurker now. There is a small group I joined on Facebook that someone started from my hometown. It was meant to be a page to rehash the good things from when we grew up but now I see a lot of bickering on it. I unsubscribed. I even have to give myself city-data breaks because it can get pretty nasty on here. I can only imagine what the site would be like without mods. Aside from the news, internet and forums people that I care about have become negative. Sometimes I just don't answer the phone for a day or two. When something good comes my way I find myself reluctant to share it. I suppose my post is a bit negative but I find myself trying to remain positive and don't get bogged down by hatred and complaining. This is why I take breaks from people, the internet and if I can the world. I get a good book, curl up in my favorite chair and mentally escape for a bit.
Good post, I agree, especially when it comes to news, entertainment, and online forums. I swear you can pick ten random threads and there will be an argument in at least eight of them. Try as I may not to get sucked in, I have a low tolerance for a-holes, and I sometimes stubbornly allow myself to engage these people rather than walk away. It's been my nature since I can remember, I've never taken crap off anyone, but sometimes it's better to cut your losses and let the petty, angry people have the last word.
I've taken breaks from this forum before and it feels good. I see this on many online forum sites and it's not just here. It's everywhere. For some reason forums seem to bring out the worst in some people.
Fortunately it's easy to ignore negative people so long as they aren't living under your roof or you don't have to work with them all day. It's even easier to cut ties with online downers and pests.
I don't know if people are necessarily more negative today than they were a few decades ago, but now they have more options and methods of spreading that negativity than ever. Cable television 24 hours a day, internet, texting, social networking sites, online forums, news, politics etc. Lot's of ugliness out there. Sometimes you need to step away from the gadgets and technology and rinse your mind of all the clutter and hostility. Spend a day at the beach or the park, crack open a book, meditate, treat yourself to a massage, go for a walk in the city, or whatever helps take you to a better place.
Part to blame is in the last 30-40 years we have created so many laws, so many do this don't do that, disappointment after disappointment. The days of true freedom are gone. In the 50's a family could take a trip, today if that family takes a trip its on credit n the kids are now drones doing nothing but texting n playing stupid video games. Im 35, not young not old, so far the changes I have seen since I was a kid in the 80's have all been crappy. The economy sucks. Employers now hold the upper hand so they are treating employees like dirt, it eats away at you and creates negativity. It's only going to get worse.
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