This VERY subject has been on my slow burn for many years. People wonder why I detest crowds, and *this* is a primary reason.
I've often railed about how expletives are much more effective when used sparingly, rather than a standard vocabulary. I constantly bristle when I hear anyone abusing them. In your restaurant situation, I would've gotten up and *left*.
I'm not sure its really a reduction of class, but more a rise of self entitlement and personal arrogance that necessitates trivializing your neighbor's significance. I think this might be the dark half, or perhaps the beginning of the decline of "American" culture. I don't have enough knowledge to judge if this is uniquely a "first world" problem of developed civilizations, but my gut tells me that this isn't *just* an American problem. I'm quite sure you'll find this same social deterioration in Canada, Britain, Germany, France..etc.
The really scary part is that I recognize that behaviour in myself sometimes! I catch myself and go "whoa... what the hell?" Is it my defense to my environment or a symptom of this culture? I don't know..but at least, I've still got the common decency to recgonize it and *correct* it... and if necessary, apologizing when necessary.
Dammit.. now I"m going to be thinking about this topic off and on all week! :)
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Date: 2007-04-11 05:58 am (UTC)I've often railed about how expletives are much more effective when used sparingly, rather than a standard vocabulary. I constantly bristle when I hear anyone abusing them. In your restaurant situation, I would've gotten up and *left*.
I'm not sure its really a reduction of class, but more a rise of self entitlement and personal arrogance that necessitates trivializing your neighbor's significance. I think this might be the dark half, or perhaps the beginning of the decline of "American" culture. I don't have enough knowledge to judge if this is uniquely a "first world" problem of developed civilizations, but my gut tells me that this isn't *just* an American problem. I'm quite sure you'll find this same social deterioration in Canada, Britain, Germany, France..etc.
The really scary part is that I recognize that behaviour in myself sometimes! I catch myself and go "whoa... what the hell?" Is it my defense to my environment or a symptom of this culture? I don't know..but at least, I've still got the common decency to recgonize it and *correct* it... and if necessary, apologizing when necessary.
Dammit.. now I"m going to be thinking about this topic off and on all week! :)