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Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

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Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#271

Post by TheCoelacanth »

Tiktaalik wrote: post #216
tejohnso wrote: post #117

> Anyone else have other examples? Elected president who is so crass and generally offensive he wouldn't have gotten close to being elected 50 years ago. Elected president who is showing clear signs of age related cognitive decline (so they say) but continues to occupy the office. Elected presidents with criminal behaviour that is far worse than what previous presidents were impeached or resigned for. Mental illness,…

A European nation casually invading another European nation, something we thought was now unthinkable not too long ago.

Only if you haven't been paying attention or have the "war to end all wars" delusion that people sometimes seem to get. There have been all kinds of wars going on in Europe all the time basically forever[1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_Europe

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#272

Post by jccalhoun »

In many measures of health, education, lifespan, and income my state ranks in the bottom half. Yet the state had a record budget surplus. What did they do with it? Fund things like education or roads? Cut the state gas tax that is one of the highest in the country? Nope. They gave people a $140 check. Sure, that is nice but it would be better to invest in long term improvements. Yet, in my state, one political party has a supermajority in state politics with no sign of that changing any time soon.

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#273

Post by gpderetta »

Zircom wrote: post #67
PessimalDecimal wrote: post #25

> People are noisy as fuck and dont seem to give a shit. Seems like every night there's someone with loud as exhaust on "sportish" car ripping around the neihborhood. For months this guy would start up his loud car at 7am and no one care when I complained. > Police seem to not give a shit anymore. I've noticed what seems to be total lawlessness going on in my world. Folks stealing shit. People driving absurdly danger…

>being a grown-ass adult in pajamas out in public I'm with you about all the other things but people wearing whatever clothes they want to affects you in literally no way shape or form.

Arson, Murder and Jaywalking (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArsonMurderAndJa... warning, TVTropes link).

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#274

Post by zeroonetwothree »

I don't know your age but I'm going to guess 30+. This is just happens when you get old. When you were younger you probably noticed that all the older people you knew pined for some earlier time (say the 1970s or 1950s). And you probably thought they were being silly. Well, now you've become one of those people.

The fact is the world always seems better when you are younger, not because the world necessarily better, but because it's just more pleasant to be young. The future is full of promise, you haven't made any huge mistakes yet, and your body hasn't started the inexorable march towards decay and death.

Most of your points are subjective, reflecting people's mentality or thoughts. I can't really argue against this because it's your own perception. But I would say you should be a bit skeptical that people's behavior can really change that much over such a short period. It's much more likely that you interpret it differently than you use to. Scams have been prevalent throughout human history. Perhaps you are just paying more attention to the news lately?

Some of the things you bring up are valid objective things. For example it's true that many more things are subscription based now. But on the other hands, those are things that weren't even available before. You can still buy and play all the same non-subscription games that used to exist (I still play HOMM3 for example). If you prefer cable TV that still exists as well. So I find it misleading to argue that because we have more choice that it's somehow worse when the previous options haven't been taken away.

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#275

Post by dragonwriter »

keiferski wrote: post #260
meheleventyone wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it’s your subjective opinion you want to force on everyone else but previously didn’t want to admit is the case because it shows there is no actual argument as to why anyone else should agree. Like the clashes over wearing headscarves in Iran where people are literally being killed an imprisoned over that subjective value disagreement. “Everyone should share my values” is essentially an extreme position.

Thinking that it’s beneficial for people to live in beautiful buildings without pollution is my subjective opinion?

What is “beautiful” is, like, the textbook example of a subjective opinion.

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#276

Post by wesapien »

noud wrote: post #7

I think you're way off base. It's called rosy retrospection, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosy_retrospection . As you already mentioned in your comments, you're judging the past disproportionately more positive that the present. If you really want to know if everything is declining, try measure it everyday for the next five years. For example, every day, rate your personal well being, track how (un)happy you are wit…

This reminds of a classic Late Night with Conan O'Brien episode when Louis C.K. was the guest. He is very right. We adopt to the new normal so fast. We need more people feeling gratitude. It is tough since modernity is focused on consumption.

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#277

Post by lbotos »

bboygravity wrote: post #267
mouse_ wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah and we developed the most efficient graphene nanotube batteries that never degrade!! Sorry, I'm not buying it anymore. More than likely, none of that is going to help me or anyone I know from struggling just a little more each year.

This makes 0 sense to me.

They are arguing that "the system" changing would be more helpful to them and their friends than "technological advancement".

As the meme goes, ¿Porque no lo dos?

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#278

Post by maerF0x0 »

ignoramous wrote: post #245
somethoughts wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is just personal but anytime I feel similar to the OP, I watch something by Hans Rosling [1] or Anna Rosling [2]. Although 10 and 5 years old respectively, I feel the general sentiment is still true - that human progress is slow, in the background and might be ebbing and flowing in your specific sub-population. And when compared to the present, media narrative driven present its hard to see the improvements happ…

Reminds me of this tweet by Derek Thompson (writer at The Atlantic ): In 2022, we: - Reversed organ death in pigs - Made the first embryo from stem cells - Made a pan-influenza vaccine - Saw the beginning of time - Got best-ever results from cancer & obesity therapy trials - Maybe cracked the case of multiple sclerosis From: https://twitter.com/DKThomp/status/1600864770751860737 ( https://archive.is/pi95L )

To be clear I'm not suggesting that specific advancements aren't being made. It's more like things that matter are going away and the things we're getting do not affect most of us.

eg: something like 99.95% of the planet (all but 1-2 Million) have 0 or near 0 benefit from most of those findings (save for maybe the vaccine). But important things are going away -- treating people well, having happy lives, justice and being treated fairly. It's not a good tradeoff IMO.

Re: Ask HN: Why Is Everything Declining?

#279

Post by shigawire »

eldritch_4ier wrote: post #237
ok_dad wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It only affects people who care about what other people wear, and those people shouldn’t have any sort of societal influence because that’s stupid. Name literally one reason that wearing pajamas in public will cause another person actual harm and I’ll take back this statement.

Would you dress that way to meet your partner's parents for the first time? Or to see a friend you haven't seen in years? Or to represent your company at an event? What about going somewhere where you are expected to be a role model? Of course not. That's because you give a shit about the impression you give in those situations and understand the kind of atmosphere and impression it gives if you dress like a bum. Now…

So if I get milk I sweatpants I'm degrading to social fabric of my community?
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