I am in my late 30's. For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older? Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age? Or is the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore? Or combination of both. I am not resistant to change at all, but for God's sake, what is going on in our society today?

The world has always been screwed up. We just get to hear about each story now with social media.

DDub74 said:

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I am in my late 30's. For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older? Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age? Or is the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore? Or combination of both. I am not resistant to change at all, but for God's sake, what is going on in our society today?

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Your last sentence is what turns older people into "get off my lawn and leave me alone!" types.

You sound like you are already there.

It's not a bad thing.

It means you can recognize bull$#!+.

Invest heavily in the Serenity Prayer.

The media and the Left being so hateful of their "political" foes in the middle or the right has never been so brazen, out in the open, and dangerous.

Their ability to LIE while looking into a camera without blushing or laughing has also become an amazing talent.

News and politics in the '80s and '90s had a few people saying things they probably shouldn't, but now it is more "coordinated" messaging, mainstream, and spouted by every single liberal media outlet available (all on the same script).

it is weird, it is dangerous, and it is a sickness to the Republic.

There was a Russian diplomat many, many years ago that predicted the US would break up into 5 individual countries because of the left's and the right's growing hatred of each other. My guess is he wasn't really predicting it, but actually telling us what the actual game plan was and is today. Divide the people by race, class, sex, hate, and income. Then divide the country.

JamesBREI06 said:

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Invest heavily in the Serenity Prayer.

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And ammo

DDub74 said:

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I am in my late 30's. For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older? Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age? Or is the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore? Or combination of both. I am not resistant to change at all, but for God's sake, what is going on in our society today?

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It's natural, and had the internet been around 100 years ago, your post would have been posted by someone every year since then.

Also, welcome to your 30s, quite possibly the best decade of your life, mostly because your body hasn't told you no yet.

It only tells you no if you don't put it in its place. Best shape of my life at 46, with the possible exception of when I was 18-19. Not going to lie, it takes a lot of work.

And yes, the instant gratification news cycle feeds us "bad news" on demand 24/7 like a lab rat at a feeder, because human beings are wired to pay most attention to and be most compelled by potential threats or danger. Negative news more powerfully compels us, so that's what we are fed between advertising spots, and we seek it out.

DDub74 said:

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I am in my late 30's. For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older? Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age? Or is the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore? Or combination of both. I am not resistant to change at all, but for God's sake, what is going on in our society today?

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IMHO, a combination of:

1) Social media is toxic, smart phones are changing the way our brains work

2) 24 hour news cycle where clicks/profit are 100x more important than reporting the actual news

3) Progressives play the long game and they have had quite a few wins lately, as their hold on the media, higher education and Hollywood have taken stronger and stronger positions and allowed them to spread their propaganda

4) They figured out how to cheat and "win" elections and so far, nobody has stopped it.

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Gaw617 said:

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The world has always been screwed up. We just get to hear about each story now with social media.

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Disagree. The massive expansion of anti-American, pro-Socialism in this once great nation is jaw dropping. Women proudly bragging about killing their babies is jaw dropping. 50% of this country not paying any federal income tax is jaw dropping, while they complain that OTHERS need to pay more. The massive growth of babies being born without a dad in the black community is jaw dropping. The amount of Americans on opioids is jaw dropping. The lack of concern about protecting the Southern Border is jaw dropping. How we have so much untapped energy and have shortages manufactured by this administration is jaw dropping.

Sorry but America hasn't always been like this.

DDub74 said:

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the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore?

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Thanks for asking. For me, it's mostly what I pulled from your quote. Tho with "LGBTQ" I don't care what people do in their bedrooms as consenting adults. Where I draw the targeting children and enforcing speech codes.

The root of much recent insanity stems from the post modernism (Foucault-based) "critical theory" reaching total dominance in our universities, then media, entertainment, primary schools, and politics. By intentional design, it destroys the meaning and universality of language and common experience, and subdivides humanity into endless, intersectional, warring tribes, brawling to wield the levers of brute power.

Honestly, you're dealing with the above 50 parents right now who have all the jacked up kids. So theyre partially to blame.

MouthBQ98 said:

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It only tells you no if you don't put it in its place. Best shape of my life at 46, with the possible exception of when I was 18-19. Not going to lie, it takes a lot of work.

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You're right, it takes work, and I'm in the best shape in about 25 years thanks to putting in the work over the past few years. But when I was 30 there was no work to it at all, and that's really what I was talking about. But yeah, being in good shape at this age is a big plus.

Yep. At some point it'll become a slowly losing battle to keep what you have, but all the more reason to keep improving while you still can.

Well stated

Muy said:

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Gaw617 said:

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The world has always been screwed up. We just get to hear about each story now with social media.

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Disagree. The massive expansion of anti-American, pro-Socialism in this once great nation is jaw dropping. Women proudly bragging about killing their babies is jaw dropping. 50% of this country not paying any federal income tax is jaw dropping, while they complain that OTHERS need to pay more. The massive growth of babies being born without a dad in the black community is jaw dropping. The amount of Americans on opioids is jaw dropping. The lack of concern about protecting the Southern Border is jaw dropping. How we have so much untapped energy and have shortages manufactured by this administration is jaw dropping.

Sorry but America hasn't always been like this.

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Well stated.

Is there a generation that didn't go through that "the world is ****ed" realization as they got older?

Muy said:

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Gaw617 said:

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The world has always been screwed up. We just get to hear about each story now with social media.

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Disagree. The massive expansion of anti-American, pro-Socialism in this once great nation is jaw dropping. Women proudly bragging about killing their babies is jaw dropping. 50% of this country not paying any federal income tax is jaw dropping, while they complain that OTHERS need to pay more. The massive growth of babies being born without a dad in the black community is jaw dropping. The amount of Americans on opioids is jaw dropping. The lack of concern about protecting the Southern Border is jaw dropping. How we have so much untapped energy and have shortages manufactured by this administration is jaw dropping.

Sorry but America hasn't always been like this.

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It was like this in the late 60's. It's just that more 24 hour news and social media now. It was free love, no more war, burning draft cards, dropping out of college if one had a high draft number or going to Canada. Intercity riots were a nightly news event. Plus the assignations happening and race killings, it was not all roses.

Four Seasons Landscaping said:

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Is there a generation that didn't go through that "the world is ****ed" realization as they got older?

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The 80's and 90's were pretty freaking great as a 20-30 something.

It's kind of been downhill since 9/11.

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For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older?

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Yes, when people your age started being hired it seemed to us older folks that employers were bending to cater to Millennials. When boomers and gen x were hired they were required to bend to the employer. It seemed like a clown world. My first boss was a WWII USMC island hopper. It was his way or the highway unless you could show it would make him more $$$$.

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Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age?

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Yes!!!
Up until your 40s your life will be about acquisition.
After 40 it will be about relevance.
In your mid 50s the "I don't care what you think" is amplified.

Each generation thinks the next one is going to be the death of them because of lazy, dumb, etc.

I pretty much ascribe to the Strauss/Howe generational theory. We're in the midst of a crisis era. Maybe (kinda) similar to 1943 or 1864 or 1780.

Things will be different (hopefully better, but no guarantees) in about 2027-2047.

But yes, at 67 my life's goal is LMTFA.

One thing to be aware though, is the hubris is thinking that "now" is special. It's not. There really is nothing new under the sun.

I'm not quite 50, but damn close.

Late 30's is when I really started saying, "we're ****ed" more often.

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The 80's and 90's were pretty freaking great as a 20-30 something.

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Much like the music of your teenage years is always going to be the best, I've found that most folks think the decades of their 20s and 30s were great.

Culture wars absolutely existed in that time period and there were old geezers thinking the world is ****ed then just as there are now.

DDub, are you in Houston and friends with CatAgBQ04 (or something like that)?

I used to think it was the natural evolution of things to become the "these damn kids today" guy. But then again I never thought I'd see an American puppet President, a third world world election, a ministry of propaganda, freedom of speech being labeling white supremicist or children being openly recruited by deviants in their own schools.

So, no, the world has really gone to hell. And I think there is no turning back. Something is coming and it ain't gonna be good.

I'm turning 49 this year and I disagree with those who believe it a matter of perception as we age.

There were no school shootings.

There was no rampant human trafficking and child pornography.

Growing up on the West Coast, gangs were relegated to the inner city. Returning to California 30 years later, gangs are everywhere now.

This

was not happening across the country.

MouthBQ98 said:

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Yep. At some point it'll become a slowly losing battle to keep what you have, but all the more reason to keep improving while you still can.

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It'd be easier to accept that THIS TIME it's different if there weren't a constant cycle of old men saying the same thing for as long as there have been old men

I'm 2 years away, but I've progressed to I don't GAS about all the noise on cable tv and social media.

When I go out and about the town, there's always a very diverse group of shoppers/neighbors, everyone takes care of their stuff and there's none of this division in day to day life. Leave the echo chambers and you'll find a peaceful world in most places. No one cares if you wear a mask or not, this CRT/grooming claims are nonexistent in schools I have been involved with, and life is fine.

I turn 60 next week and I am becoming comforted by the fact it won't be my problem too much longer.

Back in the 50's and 60's, or before cable news, the major networks used to be fairly impartial and tell the truth. You pretty much knew what was going on with the world. (Oh yeah, boys were boys and girls were girls)

When I was in my teens my father adopted the "get off my lawn" attitude. (60-70's)
When you work hard all your life (and in his case, fight in world war II, D-day to Germany) and you have children and grand children, you tend to resist change and losing anything you have been sacrificing for all of your life.

I know how my father felt .... Now

DDub74 said:

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I am in my late 30's. For those older folks, is it natural to start thinking the world is screwed and doesn't make sense anymore as you get older? Is this a natural "get off my lawn" evolution of your personality as you age? Or is the current state of politics in this country along with wokeness, LGBTQ, taking no responsibility for your actions, blaming everyone else for your problems, etc. etc. just completely idiotic and doesn't make sense anymore? Or combination of both. I am not resistant to change at all, but for God's sake, what is going on in our society today?

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Worry about yourself and when you vote, all the rest of time don't. Reading this board as a measure of society could give anyone a complex.

Getting old sucks, OP. I'm in my mid 50's now and simply cannot do what I did just a few years ago. It sucks being in decline. My struggle is to accept this and not let it sour me on life or relationships.