When was the last time you felt that the world was in a good place?

[99call]

I was going through my head, not necessarily political, or personal.  More just the last time I didn't fell like there wasn't an inevitable slide into crappiness, or 'enshitification'.   

2015 was what I came up with. Be interested to hear what FOH'ers come up with. 

 

 

[El Presidente]

This morning

You have to find ways to remind yourself life is good. The friends and family you have, the woman you love, the simple things.

[99call]

7 hours ago, El Presidente said:

This morning

You have to find ways to remind yourself life is good. The friends and family you have, the woman you love, the simple things.

Haha. I did preface it with 'not personal' Rob. Whilst I'm glad your loving life. And you are (and will always be) the perpetual Lemonade machine...I was trying to drill down to whether there was some tangible correlation for FOH'ers, if there was a critical point where everything seemed normal, and then a point with the internet and social media yadda yadda when it suddenly wasn't?

Like yourself, for me today was a good day, and I made it a good day, that wasn't really my zone of interest. 

Ever since 2015 I've felt a certain inevitable decline, a worsening of public mood. a bit like a slow motion car crash. I was interested beyond their own orbit (family, friends), if people also felt that and if they could pinpoint a year. 

[Ford2112]

20000 BC

[Chibearsv]

I’ve been told the world’s going to shit by parents, teachers, pastors, and politicians since around 1967. 

[qs210]

It has been awhile...

[madandana]

I agree with Rob - Life if good 

I was born in 1967. The I’ve heard my whole that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. It’s always been and always will be something.

Focus on the positives.

[ElLoboLoco]

Turn off the news and life is way better. Limit social media, even better.

Need reassurance, Red Foxx was 49 when Sanford and Son started. I thought he was at least 79. 🤣

[El Presidente]

7 hours ago, 99call said:

Ever since 2015 I've felt a certain inevitable decline, a worsening of public mood. a bit like a slow motion car crash. I was interested beyond their own orbit (family, friends), if people also felt that and if they could pinpoint a year. 

 

 

1980's were a riot. If you had the good fortune to live through that period in your late teens/20's +...you will never forget it. Minimal government interference, minimal middle class welfare, freedom with a capital F, strong local neighbourhood communities. 

I have enjoyed each decade but the 80's were something special. 

I disagree that the world has gone or is going to pot. There was crapola in each period. More today? I doubt it. 24 hr news cycle and social media simply magnifies it 1000X

[MrBirdman]

Right around the time FOH posted its original Monte Open review video? I recall an exasperated @Ken Gargett exclaiming “this is a disgrace to humanity - this is the end of civilization!”

Who could’ve known it was the cigars? It was truly a more innocent time. 

[ElLoboLoco]

💯 Rob, couldn’t agree more.

[JDoughty]

I think I was about 12. After that it got complicated. People make up the stupidest reasons to hate and persecute other people, and it's only gotten worse. 

[chasy]

Life’s good. People > screens. Break a sweat. Hang with family. Choose to be positive.

[rcarlson]

Now.  

Hate this question and the inference.

We're here talking about our shared passion for a luxury product. Like most of us, I'm certain, I've struggled. I still do. But I have a CC in my hand while I kvetch. How much of what's going on around us in the world affect us directly, really?  

My dad graduated high school to go fight in a war. By comparison, things in the world are good.

I'm not going to let the bastards that live through a perpetual lens of discontent convince me otherwise, no matter how hard they try. 

[Ford2112]

I jest. Yes the world has its share of issues but these are the best years of my life. Love the people around you and be grateful for what you got. 

[ha_banos]

There's no clear inflection point around 2015 but social media certainly came into it's own after that

[99call]

9 hours ago, El Presidente said:

24 hr news cycle and social media simply magnifies it 1000X

Unfortunately people seem to have taken this as some sort of attack, or a desire to be pointlessly pessimistic. 

The standard merry-go-round news cycle of pretty ugly stuff is a given, and as many have pointed out is nothing new.   I think 2015 to me felt like a saturation point of surveillance whereby it became definitive to me that the point of the internet wasn't for the betterment of the user.    I'm not sure if that period time coincided with change in algorithm design/evolution etc,  Ever since that point, there has felt like an inevitability of increased toxicity. 

Anyway haha! I have my answer it seems, the FOH community don't agree in the slightest.

[SirVantes]

30 minutes ago, 99call said:

Anyway haha! I have my answer it seems, the FOH community don't agree in the slightest.

No, mate.  Some of us are just still thinking very hard on the question of exactly when; whether there is was an identifiable tipping point, or if there's at least something emblematic of a "before".  My first instinctive reaction was to say 2008, when a certain electoral candidate defended his opponent against his own putative supporter by insisting that his opponent was a decent man.  We're not likely to ever witness something like that again.  My "when" is obviously not science, and I don't have the slightest when it comes to why or how - but be assured that you are not alone in your premise.

[99call]

2 hours ago, SirVantes said:

No, mate.  Some of us are just still thinking very hard on the question of exactly when; whether there is was an identifiable tipping point, or if there's at least something emblematic of a "before".  My first instinctive reaction was to say 2008, when a certain electoral candidate defended his opponent against his own putative supporter by insisting that his opponent was a decent man.  We're not likely to ever witness something like that again.  My "when" is obviously not science, and I don't have the slightest when it comes to why or how - but be assured that you are not alone in your premise.

Again, I don't really want to focus on politics,  but I agree with you that the concept of shame, bipartisanship and personal responsibility in public life seemed to have ended at some point in the last ten years. 

To be non-political in a way, I will say something hugely positive about a Tory (which is incredibly rare).   In 2018 Amber Rudd who was then Home Secretary resigned because one of her assistants provided her with incorrect statistics, which in turn made her 'mis-lead the house'.      In UK politics you can basically just apologise to the chair, and correct the record and that will be the end of the matter,  but she chose to resign.    Journalists and commentators were shocked and confused,  but I have nothing but admiration for her.   If she had her own personal standards and thats what she cared about...good for her..massive respect. 

A very working class Labour MP Denis Skinner famously once said to David Cameron  "When posh boys get in trouble, they sack their servants".    On this occasion Amber Rudd proved him completely wrong, she basically fell on her assistants sword.      A real and increasingly rare "the buck stops here' moment.

[Ruggerpgh99]

Before reading any of these comments, my first thought was 2014/2015 being the last time things felt like they weren't terrible on the way to getting worse. Statistically, honestly, I can trace most of the issues in wealth disparity, and the socio economic challenges that come with that, specifically in the US, to 1987 and the end of the fairness doctrine. The vast marjority of these challenges can be traced back to Ronald Reagan and his policies, and then the capitulation of the American left to not reign those back in. 

[99call]

*********Please refrain from discussing American politics as it's not permitted within FOH house rules***************

This thread is not about a personal or political takes at it's core.      It's discussing a general sense that something has changed, when was that?     By a 'good place' a don't mean no wars, no liars, no crime.       By 'good place' I mean normality.   I can't quite describe it or put my finger on it.   But I feel as if something changed in and around 2015 that has set us on a particularly toxic and divided course that seems to only have the possibility of getting worse and worse. 

Again my best guess, is that changes made to algorithms in and around that time may have something to do with it.    

 

 

[JohnnyO]

Globalization 1993. It was "suposed to" benefit lesser developed countries and the US would benefit as well. Guess what? It turned China into a monster. We have less jobs as its cheaper overseas. A lot of out of work Americans have to resort to drug manufacturing, selling or distribution. Many say it parlayed into the finacial crisis of 2008, creating further separation in the economic classes. My suggestion is you get it out of your mind. The world as we know it is not going to get better with social media or any economic policies. The guys at the top pulling the strings get the gold bars. Once you concentrate on your world you'll be better off.

[Rhod]

I've found that staying off of Reddit and disregarding all news has done wonders for my outlook.  It keeps me focused on what's important, namely my family and my business.  And of course a nightly 3 fingers of Scotch or Bourbon and a nice smoke add to my calm.