I think this is bad. The only bright side is that young people (men especially) usually grow out of their radicalism when they get older and get some skin in the game.
Obama and Clinton were left wing radicals in their 20s and grew up and became corporate democrats. I know guys who were white nationalists in their 20s who are now centrists in their 30s and 40s.
I for one wanted to bomb the shit out of the Middle East, kill all their leaders, and convert them to Christianity in my early 20s. Basically I was Ann Coulter with a wanger. Now I am just a grumpy conservative.
I hear you. I was a pretty wild right-wing hellraiser 15 years ago too. I guess the key difference that I’m highlighting here is that this generation is just starting from a lower level of religiosity than previous ones. Political ideology is downstream from religious ideology, IMHO.
Yeah nonreligious people tend to be left wing. That being said, I have been running into more centrists and far right people who are nonreligious. Actually more far right people are becoming anti religious (or into Norse paganism)
Probably not in our lifetimes. Maybe things would swing backwards a few generations down the line. I really think we need to prepare for the culture to just degrade further, with technology just accelerating the decline. Apologies for being a prophet of doom, here.
"When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.”
But I TOTALLY agree with this one:
"...despite being “empty calories,” junk info still tastes delicious. Since your dopamine pathways can't distinguish between useful and useless info, consuming junk info gives you the satisfaction of feeling like you're learning."
This is TikTok culture hands down.
Limitless information. But too often delivered in tiny bites--very superficial bites--and the algorithms can lead a person to think 'everybody' sees it 'their way.' It feeds that beast unrestrained.
So yes, if an entire generation grows up that way, all bets are off.
But I mean that one can choose to believe in whichever moral value system one wants - communism, fascism, anarchism, monarchism. Etc. One can pick whatever system of moral values one wants.
That's just not how beliefs work in my mind. People either believe something or we don't.
We can be convinced to believe differently from what we currently believe. But ultimately, it's not a choice.
What you're talking about sounds more related to ideology, religion, etc., which are more about doctrine and adhering to a doctrine. But general beliefs about right and wrong, as far as I can tell, are more based in culture, family, environment and personal experience.
I think “doomed” is a bit extreme here. What you’re seeing here is the youth with no trust in institutions.
When the state is functioning as it should, I believe you’ll see a lot more trust. The fact so many young people turned out to vote for Trump shows they think it’s not hopeless.
Simply because I agree with you. It’s arguably the serious problem America faces, and one which will lead us to dangerous situations. As we’ve already seen all too well.
I do question if we’re “doomed” though. Seems a trifle too black pilled for me: People can - and frequently do - pick up religion as they get older and realise they don’t know all the answers. Solomon and the Book of Ecclesiastes spring to mind.
For example, look at how female opinions on transgender acceptance has changed drastically in the last four years.
Possibly we have a different definition of the words, because while I see the situation as unquestionably dangerous, I don’t think it is utterly hopeless.
😂 Lol yes. I think most people are orbiting that these days! I think one of the beauties of Israel is the public determination to strive in hope. It’s certainly the feeling I get when I travel there (but that was all pre-Oct 7).
To some extent, I agree Doug, but I don’t think the young are the only demographic where you’ll find one person willing to “take the law into his own hands” when ten thousand see no impartial legal system.
I think this is bad. The only bright side is that young people (men especially) usually grow out of their radicalism when they get older and get some skin in the game.
Obama and Clinton were left wing radicals in their 20s and grew up and became corporate democrats. I know guys who were white nationalists in their 20s who are now centrists in their 30s and 40s.
I for one wanted to bomb the shit out of the Middle East, kill all their leaders, and convert them to Christianity in my early 20s. Basically I was Ann Coulter with a wanger. Now I am just a grumpy conservative.
I hear you. I was a pretty wild right-wing hellraiser 15 years ago too. I guess the key difference that I’m highlighting here is that this generation is just starting from a lower level of religiosity than previous ones. Political ideology is downstream from religious ideology, IMHO.
Yeah nonreligious people tend to be left wing. That being said, I have been running into more centrists and far right people who are nonreligious. Actually more far right people are becoming anti religious (or into Norse paganism)
This is truth I didn't want to know. Oof! Can society recover it's senses?
Probably not in our lifetimes. Maybe things would swing backwards a few generations down the line. I really think we need to prepare for the culture to just degrade further, with technology just accelerating the decline. Apologies for being a prophet of doom, here.
Need a sad emoji here
I don't agree with this sentiment:
"When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.”
But I TOTALLY agree with this one:
"...despite being “empty calories,” junk info still tastes delicious. Since your dopamine pathways can't distinguish between useful and useless info, consuming junk info gives you the satisfaction of feeling like you're learning."
This is TikTok culture hands down.
Limitless information. But too often delivered in tiny bites--very superficial bites--and the algorithms can lead a person to think 'everybody' sees it 'their way.' It feeds that beast unrestrained.
So yes, if an entire generation grows up that way, all bets are off.
Why do you disagree with the first?
That if a person doesn't believe in God, they're subject to believe in 'anything?'
That's like saying a person can't have strong moral principles without a belief in God. That makes no sense to me.
But can’t they believe in whatever moral principles they want?
I don't think it's anywhere near that simple.
I don't think someone can be in favor of child sacrifice one day and totally against it the next just because.
But I mean that one can choose to believe in whichever moral value system one wants - communism, fascism, anarchism, monarchism. Etc. One can pick whatever system of moral values one wants.
That's just not how beliefs work in my mind. People either believe something or we don't.
We can be convinced to believe differently from what we currently believe. But ultimately, it's not a choice.
What you're talking about sounds more related to ideology, religion, etc., which are more about doctrine and adhering to a doctrine. But general beliefs about right and wrong, as far as I can tell, are more based in culture, family, environment and personal experience.
I think “doomed” is a bit extreme here. What you’re seeing here is the youth with no trust in institutions.
When the state is functioning as it should, I believe you’ll see a lot more trust. The fact so many young people turned out to vote for Trump shows they think it’s not hopeless.
- An example of said demographic
You’re not factoring in here the data about religion that I’m citing, which is my whole argument.
Simply because I agree with you. It’s arguably the serious problem America faces, and one which will lead us to dangerous situations. As we’ve already seen all too well.
I do question if we’re “doomed” though. Seems a trifle too black pilled for me: People can - and frequently do - pick up religion as they get older and realise they don’t know all the answers. Solomon and the Book of Ecclesiastes spring to mind.
For example, look at how female opinions on transgender acceptance has changed drastically in the last four years.
Possibly we have a different definition of the words, because while I see the situation as unquestionably dangerous, I don’t think it is utterly hopeless.
I think “black hole-pilled” would be a good way to summarize my perspective on humanity in general and America’s cultures in particular. 😁
😂 Lol yes. I think most people are orbiting that these days! I think one of the beauties of Israel is the public determination to strive in hope. It’s certainly the feeling I get when I travel there (but that was all pre-Oct 7).
It's a bit of a leap from not trusting institutions to supporting cold blooded murder.
To some extent, I agree Doug, but I don’t think the young are the only demographic where you’ll find one person willing to “take the law into his own hands” when ten thousand see no impartial legal system.