tingdzin wrote: ↑Wed May 02, 2018 11:02 pm
In one of C.S. Lewis' sci-fi novels, he predicted that men and women would someday lie down not with actual human beings, but cunningly-fashioned images of people, and thus avoid real human contact. In the modern industrialized societies of Europe, America, and East and Southeast Asia, young people are facing an economic and environmental future that is doubtful, to say the least. Traditional societal norms by which young people used to find intimate partners are breaking down, and instead of being properly led by older adults, many of whom remain emotional children, they are faced with an anarchic absence of standard,s and rules for social interaction which seem to change month to month. It is hardly surprising that many of them are falling into defeatist narcissism.
I've recently been incarcerated with many of those children you're speaking of, and you are right, but it's beyond a simple lack of face to face communication.
They have no real role models anymore; because society has become so inundated with this fictitious narrative of social media fame; of beauty standards which are impossible; and the religious/spiritual cultures which we've always had to rely; has been replaced with a narcissistic lack thereof; and many of them are left wanting; but with nowhere to turn, at least nowhere healthy.
They will either speak of their atheism, but in their voice I hear the desperation, fear, trepidation, and anger. Granted I was locked up with mental patients, and then drug addicts. However; most communities are so inundated with drugs, and drug users that most people really don't understand the full extent of the issue.
The USA has been literally RAVAGED by heroin, crack, meth, and etc... entire communities are in ruins, and you will never hear about it aside from a sparse article here and there that flies under the radar.
And of course, the mental health and prison systems aren't helping the situation at all. A young man who was my room-mate, only 18.. already he had been incarcerated simply for drug use, multiple times.. and the thing about jail; it ruins peoples minds. If you've ever heard the term institutionalized well, It's not a pretty thing. It renders people unable to function in this society as healthy individuals, because society does not deliver 3 hot meals (as shit as they may be) per day, they don't shelter you for free, they do not provide the necessities of living, nor do they give out the other requirements to live an emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy life.
I've lived a fairly sheltered life; and recently I've come face to face with just how cold this world is, and I feel for the children of this generation, because the generations before them, have left them a torn, and horrible world; speak as you may about the world improving, because out there; they aren't seeing the benefits of it.
So Lonely? Is sleeping with a new person every night, and having meaningless relationships just to dull the ache in your heart considered emotional fulfillment?
That's what most know. Tinder and Facetime are how people in meatspace relate, and interact, and it's really nothing meaningful, but I suppose that begs the question; what is a meaningful relationship in this day and age? Has it changed from 'how things used to be'?
Perhaps I am naive; but in my own way I want to help people, sometimes I go too far; definitely indulge in idiot compassion too much, and aside from my own issues which I think I try too hard to ignore by helping others; I just can't seem to find the right ways to go about doing the whole bodhisattva thing.
What do yall do? How do you help in your communities, if you do. What can we really do, because as much as I love to believe sitting in meditation chanting om mani padme hum, and dedicating the merit helps, it doesn't feed the guy down the road begging for change to get a burger, and a 40oz beer; nor will it give him a place to sleep when it rains tonight.
sigh;