I have a question for y'all. What ever happened to respecting other people or treating them with kindness or just pass them along. I used to work at kohls and the custodians that cleans up the trash and such I noticed that they aren't appreciated by other assosuqtes or just a conversation just for helping out. I always express my gratitude towards custodians because they actually appreciated that.
Not sure where things changed but you are right. A lot of people don’t take the time to be kind. I’m sure I’m guilty of that at times too. But it’s good to be respectful and be aware that everyone has a story.
I think this just happens when there are more people in the world. For example, when I was growing up our school had only 1 custodian and we all knew his name and said hi. But these days even rural schools are packed with students and instead of 1 custodian there is a rotating cleaning crew so you don't get familiar with regular faces. Same thing with the entire town, when I was growing up there was 1 row of shops where you'd regularly encounter familiar faces, but then Walmart & strip malls moved in, again with rotating staff so we don't recognize the same faces, nor do they recognize the same customers. This assembly-line environment trains us to depersonalize. Head down, don't make eye contact because what's the point if nobody remembers anyone. I think humans are still as friendly (or unfriendly) as they've ever been, but nowadays they're less inclined to make personal connections due to the fact that there are way too many of us to keep track of. Sometimes even when I recognize a familiar face I don't show it, because it would be awkward if they don't recognize me. (It's happened.) So yeah... head down, don't make eye contact... The closer we are, the greater the distance...
I think the internet age has helped.... It's easy to be an asshole for some when all they see is a screen, as opposed to a human face. If you were to start saying some of the horrible shit many do, but were able to be standing next to them, I think most would be horrified and would feel very bad...... but in most cases never even go that far. People don't like confrontation, especially in person, so they'd just leave it inside. And then once it becomes the norm, people just follow along -- like flowing with traffic.
People stare at me when I am nice to the street sweeper, the garbage man, the store clerks. Everyone else rushes by and ignores them, or has the nerve to complain = as if the fault with everything in the world is the poor worker bee that makes everything work... It's not right!
I have a habit of telling people thank you for working for a living, Esp. now that I'm retired. Always interesting the different reaction I get.
Maybe because I'm out walking for miles every morning and see a lot of people or not but I say good morning to every single person I run into. Also living in Spain kept me sociable. It is seen as most disrespectful if you don't acknowledge every one in stores, libraries etc. I do think that people, for a lot of the reasons already stated, are less inclined to engage. Then again walking about with a mobile phone welded to your ear is not helpful! We need to go back to more civilized times when people actually "saw" others regardless of occupation or social status.
Ahhh... living in Spain does open ones eyes to polite civilization. I lived in Barcelona for a bit, then moved down to near Malaga for a year, then to the east coast, a town called Calpe for another year. It was great! Here in Mexico it is the same, one must always say buenos dios, buenos tardes, etc. and be respectful of old people.
I know Barcelona and Calpe well! I have found all Spanish speaking countries that I have been in have a sense of community, respect for elders and a general feeling that everyone has dignity regardless of their social or economic status. The "more advanced" countries have a lot to learn from this attitude to life.
Gosh I loved Calpe... here's a picture from my rented villa at that time...2004-2005. Sunrise... And nearby in Moraira, a lovely town. A view of the rock at Calpe... Humanity is respected in Spain!
Fuck sake man! I was either in Alicante, Benidorm or Altea that whole time. Shame we didn't know each other then.
Humanity was respected. That was why so many people united against fascism. My old neighbour was in the women's prison in Madrid twice during the the civil war and an old friend from Scotland was in the international brigade. I have heard much first hand of the camaraderie as well as unfortunately the faction fighting in Barcelona. The only inhumanity though was perpetrated by the fascists.
Yes Etherea darlin' - as I said before, my Father fought with a Communist cadre in the International Brigade and saw the Nazis bomb Guernica !!!
Such a terrible time, and history is repeating itself now in the Ukraine. How inhumane can we as a people get???
I assume that was a rhetorical question. There are no limits to how low some humans will sink when it comes to power and/or money
We are a sad bunch indeed. That picture of the tiny earth in space taken by one of NASAs interstellar travelers makes one wonder why humans can't just settle down for once and become civilized, empathetic and peaceful. We mistreat one another and the earth to such a ridiculous degree.
Dont get me started............. Just a bunch of Ants(humanity)......................or Parasites(planet)? Mzzls
