Americans are less happy.

[initforme]

Happiness is found in quiet places where one can escape the god awful, immoral, go against God work day.

 

[citygator]

You’re all overcomplicating it.

It’s not religion.
It’s not college.
It’s not politics.
It’s not “educated women.”
It’s not some grand cultural collapse.

It’s simpler than that: it’s human connection.

America optimized for productivity. And it worked.


We work longer hours, take less time off, move more often, commute more, and spend more of our lives tied to work than most of the developed world. We built the most productive economy on earth.


That model created enormous wealth. It also came with a cost.

Less time with friends.
Less time with family.
Less time in community.
Less time in recreational places.
Less time just being human.

We replaced social connection with convenience.

• Work from home replaced offices.
• Delivery replaced errands.
• Streaming replaced theaters.
• Phones replaced gatherings.
• Efficiency replaced community.

The result is a richer country with a lonelier population.


That’s the tradeoff.


America’s problem isn’t that it became less religious, less traditional, or more educated.
It’s that we built a society optimized for output instead of connection.

Our productivity is high.
Our happiness is low.

That’s not a mystery. It’s the bill for the way we chose to live.

 

[eagle1462010]

 

[JohnDB]

You’re all overcomplicating it.

It’s not religion.
It’s not college.
It’s not politics.
It’s not “educated women.”
It’s not some grand cultural collapse.

It’s simpler than that: it’s human connection.

America optimized for productivity. And it worked.


We work longer hours, take less time off, move more often, commute more, and spend more of our lives tied to work than most of the developed world. We built the most productive economy on earth.


That model created enormous wealth. It also came with a cost.

Less time with friends.
Less time with family.
Less time in community.
Less time in recreational places.
Less time just being human.

We replaced social connection with convenience.

• Work from home replaced offices.
• Delivery replaced errands.
• Streaming replaced theaters.
• Phones replaced gatherings.
• Efficiency replaced community.

The result is a richer country with a lonelier population.


That’s the tradeoff.


America’s problem isn’t that it became less religious, less traditional, or more educated.
It’s that we built a society optimized for output instead of connection.

Our productivity is high.
Our happiness is low.

That’s not a mystery. It’s the bill for the way we chose to live.

Won't work your way....

It never has the 800,000 times it's been tried in the past. History is FULL of cities and nations that have disappeared....most by evaporation...some by disease, some by being conquered or invaded by foreigners.

Let's go with what has actually worked.
I didn't cite my studies....but all my points/suggestions have hard hard data.

It's not being "religious", or by being overly educated....but the lack of going to a community's church, or attitudes of superiority, lack of connection with others through VIABLE means causes problems.

Your conclusion of "connection with others" is correct....but connection still needs an appropriate vehicle or else you will have nothing but conflict and conflict avoidance.

Humans be people-ing.....
They can't help themselves.

 

[JohnDB]

We r too edumakaded to do dis..

 

[citygator]

Won't work your way....

It never has the 800,000 times it's been tried in the past. History is FULL of cities and nations that have disappeared....most by evaporation...some by disease, some by being conquered or invaded by foreigners.

Let's go with what has actually worked.
I didn't cite my studies....but all my points/suggestions have hard hard data.

It's not being "religious", or by being overly educated....but the lack of going to a community's church, or attitudes of superiority, lack of connection with others through VIABLE means causes problems.

Your conclusion of "connection with others" is correct....but connection still needs an appropriate vehicle or else you will have nothing but conflict and conflict avoidance.

Humans be people-ing.....
They can't help themselves.

I put no value on our where we find ourselves: good or bad. Its just a fact of tradeoffs. Connection can come anyway so sure religion can be part of it if it includes connecting with other humans and life. But it doesnt have to be.

Our model is geared to productivity, not happiness.

 

[toobfreak]

I've observed graduate students for decades. Since Covid there has been a change in them. There are less engaging, more solitary, and much less friendly.

Doesn't take a genius to realize that what they did in the name of Covid taking away a whole generation's youth, ability to go out, date, go to a prom, or even visit someone, did to these kids, who spent 2-3 years going to "school" on a laptop in their home?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Happiness is found in quiet places where one can escape the god awful, immoral, go against God work day.

Methuselah chimes in again with his secret to a happy life, despite the fact that he is a miserable POS!

 

[JohnDB]

I put no value on our where we find ourselves: good or bad. Its just a fact of tradeoffs. Connection can come anyway so sure religion can be part of it if it includes connecting with other humans and life. But it doesnt have to be.

Our model is geared to productivity, not happiness.

Most of your Sunshine clubs, Jaycees, Elks Lodges, VFWs and etc were Important but usually church sponsored in one fashion or another. (The funny hat clubs) They weren't exactly religious group's but still loosely associated with churches in the community....

Those clubs are GONE when we used to have a bunch of them. They used to perform various acts of altruism in a city. Helping kids with hospital bills (Shriners and Lions) Keeping the businesses involved with predatory behaviors out. (Certain Pawn shops, loan sharks, other cutthroats and even whore houses was the original KKK before reformulated into the racist Jerks they are today)
All sorts of clubs of various groups doing various things for the city. Ladies were also involved with specific groups and clubs too. (Flower beds and trees in various places)

I'm not disagreeing that community involvement through social clubs is needed. But....what drew the people together for these social clubs to begin with? (Prohibition alcohol most likely)
Drinking alcoholic beverages currently is way way down. DUIs are brutal.

Car clubs are seen as "scary".
Not much left for people to do.

 

[citygator]

Most of your Sunshine clubs, Jaycees, Elks Lodges, VFWs and etc were Important but usually church sponsored in one fashion or another. (The funny hat clubs) They weren't exactly religious group's but still loosely associated with churches in the community....

Those clubs are GONE when we used to have a bunch of them. They used to perform various acts of altruism in a city. Helping kids with hospital bills (Shriners and Lions) Keeping the businesses involved with predatory behaviors out. (Certain Pawn shops, loan sharks, other cutthroats and even whore houses was the original KKK before reformulated into the racist Jerks they are today)
All sorts of clubs of various groups doing various things for the city. Ladies were also involved with specific groups and clubs too. (Flower beds and trees in various places)

I'm not disagreeing that community involvement through social clubs is needed. But....what drew the people together for these social clubs to begin with? (Prohibition alcohol most likely)
Drinking alcoholic beverages currently is way way down. DUIs are brutal.

Car clubs are seen as "scary".
Not much left for people to do.

Its actually the opposite of not having much to do. Kids are almost overscheduled today. Between school, homework, high school sports, church, younglife, student government, volunteering work for college application experience and working for extra money kids dont have time to play wiffle ball in the back yard. They are doing things at 15 you never dreamed of. My son studied in Valencia for a semester which used to be crazy rare. Now 35-50% of students from good Universities do a semester abroad. My resume looked nothing like theirs at 22 when i graduated.

 

[JohnDB]

Its actually the opposite of not having much to do. Kids are almost overscheduled today. Between school, homework, high school sports, church, younglife, student government, volunteering work for college application experience and working for extra money kids dont have time to play wiffle ball in the back yard. They are doing things at 15 you never dreamed of. My son studied in Valencia for a semester which used to be crazy rare. Now 35-50% of students from good Universities do a semester abroad. My resume looked nothing like theirs at 22 when i graduated.

By the time they get to be "adults" post college they are exhausted and tired of groups. They wanna rest. No dating, no skirt chasing....at best they wanna veg on the couch playing some online video games with their buddies.

And that rut is too easy to get stuck in. Go to work and go home. Maybe come out for the holidays to the parents house.

(The bills are crushing post graduation).
No girlfriend, no money to go on dates, and just veg on the couch playing online games. (For the guys)

There are no social clubs the way there used to be. (Networking at those used to rock) Jaycees and Chamber of Commerce have now turned into things I don't recognize anymore.
The others have evaporated....
There hasn't been any meaningful recruitment for local community clubs in a long time. No advertising, no plaques or parade floats. Not even web page links anywhere.

 

[frigidweirdo]

I've observed graduate students for decades. Since Covid there has been a change in them. There are less engaging, more solitary, and much less friendly. This article goes a long way explaining this recent phenomenon. Very interesting.

MSN

Social media is killing the world.
I saw a British quiz show and they asked what ages was the youngest that 50% of kids had their own smart phone. It was seven years old.

I see kids. One kid was fine-ish before a holiday, then the holiday came and he was completely incapable. Everything he'd learned, forgotten, because his grandma had him on TikTok or whatever the whole time.

Can You Really ‘Rot’ Your Brain by Scrolling Too Much on Your Smartphone?

While that message has been spread on social media, researchers are just beginning to understand how the devices affect the mind

www.smithsonianmag.com

"In the post, Ruh claimed two or more hours of mindless scrolling daily causes reduced gray matter in key brain regions that are crucial for decision-making and information processing. As a call-to-action, he recommended that people break from their “brain rot” by going outside and doing “real” things, like hiking and surfing."

Imagine what's happening to kids' brains, they're just not developing properly.

Graduates now, are people who had smart phones maybe when they were 10-12. Now kids are getting the earlier, it'll just get worse.

 

[Mashmont]

I've observed graduate students for decades. Since Covid there has been a change in them. There are less engaging, more solitary, and much less friendly. This article goes a long way explaining this recent phenomenon. Very interesting.

MSN

A pastor once said sin causes depression. I have thought about that a lot,and have decided he is right. Whenever I get down, it’s usually because of something so I am not doing right.

 

[JohnDB]

A pastor once said sin causes depression. I have thought about that a lot,and have decided he is right. Whenever I get down, it’s usually because of something so I am not doing right.

Your pastor wasn't exactly right either....
There's more than one kind of sadness.....situational sadness can last a long time or a short, but it is dependent upon a situation....situations can change or you can grow past them.

At age 3 if you lost a cookie, couldnt get another, it was devastating....at 33 its barely an annoyance you probably didnt need due to watching your weight....
Situational depressive symptoms.....not sin.

 

[initforme]

I think alot of all this stuff is the cellphone. Young people dont know how to regulate its usage. Teenagers have meltdowns when they get it taken away. It becomes the center of their being. Go outside and play? Nope, sit on the phone. What they read now aren't books, it's social media. And they are bombarded by that stuff. Teachers who try hard now have to deal with phones. Parents fight to let their kids have phones during class while the teachers are asking for no phones. Its happening a district away from ours. The teachers asked if the school could ban the phones during class. A group of parents went ballistic and tried to fight to let kids use them during class. It never ends.

 

[JohnDB]

I think alot of all this stuff is the cellphone. Young people dont know how to regulate its usage. Teenagers have meltdowns when they get it taken away. It becomes the center of their being. Go outside and play? Nope, sit on the phone. What they read now aren't books, it's social media. And they are bombarded by that stuff. Teachers who try hard now have to deal with phones. Parents fight to let their kids have phones during class while the teachers are asking for no phones. Its happening a district away from ours. The teachers asked if the school could ban the phones during class. A group of parents went ballistic and tried to fight to let kids use them during class. It never ends.

Some schools have discovered that a "return" to paper and pencils is better for learning and are banning ALL electronic devices.....including laptops, tablets, phones, and all music storage devices.
Its been working in the testing phase.
Teachers like it because they dont get recorded saying abusive and horrible things to children. Zero viral videos out of that school....

And mostly because AI use makes you stupid....you dont have to think when using AI.

It's the whole calculator vx figuring it out conundrum.
Regularly doing simple to complex math restores and strengthens neural pathways in your brain....deductive skills are retained and used in other areas requiring thought processes. (Anger and impulse management)
Seems kinda dumb to do what I can set up a spreadsheet to do for me in seconds....
BUT IT WORKS MIRACLES.

Writing computer code is similar to writing algebra, writing calculus, writing "how to" manuals or even writing chemical formulations. All done by AI or computer modeling quite easily today....but....its not helping our individual cognitive functions and our abilities to learn more complex topics.

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those good at math
Those who arent good at math.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

The job market doesn't accommodate everyone's 'talent'.

MBA Motto: "It's Not a Job; It's a Position"

By not caring about the quality of the human structural materials, making an edifice out of deadwood, the status-quo system is dysfunctional and has no right to continue this way. Those who created it for their own undeserved positions within it, all the time claiming that it was impersonal market forces that created it, a magical Invisible Hand doing the best job possible, are also inferior people in superior positions. They must be pushed out by those who have been left out.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Actually, people aren't smart enough to be happy, regardless of education. People don't go to college to be happy. They go for the prospect of wealth, and so they don't have to do physical work, and to be able to say, "Hey, look at me, I went to college!"

Degreed Greed

Why would someone after wealth go through student poverty? Obsession with money is the result of that poverty, not the motivating factor. After being unnaturally deprived, living like a young adult who is afraid to grow up, the graduate reacts by a controlling desire to make as much money as he can, as fast as he can, any way he can.

Would a sex fiend submit to four or more years of celibacy if the reward was sex-on-demand for the rest of his life? Not in human nature.

 

[Woodznutz]

Degreed Greed

Why would someone after wealth go through student poverty? Obsession with money is the result of that poverty, not the motivating factor. After being unnaturally deprived, living like a young adult who is afraid to grow up, the graduate reacts by a controlling desire to make as much money as he can, as fast as he can, any way he can.

People were less materialistic in the past because it was a given that riches were not something the average person could ever attain. In today's economy, thanks largely to the proliferation of credit, wealth is actually possible to attain by most, and college is the 'ticket' that is sold as the means to attain it.

The rush to attain wealth has changed the culture.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Exactly....
Nobody wants to follow orders....even in the military which is why Hegseth is firing generals left and right. (if they were any good they would have been in the private sector already)

as we get more edumakated we tend to thinks we da bomb and schmartest of all the other campers in the campground. When in truth the other campers wish we would head for the next campground down the trail...because they know they are the schmartest. And since I wont follow their orders....I just need to be canceled, leave, made uncomfortable, or forced to comply by laws.

And we can see these attitudes EVERYWHERE....including in this thread.

Lonely women without kids....no hope of even gaining a husband and family of her own. Good guys who cannot find a woman who will simply show some respect for anyone including herself....

But
I gots me some edumakashun real good.

(Yes, we are ALL freaking idiots)

"Pride Goeth Before a Fall" Wants Us to Have an Inferiority Complex

We should be suspicious of common sayings, which are really propaganda from those who placed themselves above us. Only they can circulate this nonsense; it is not a natural process and neither is how they got where they are.

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way" is one of those misleading slogans. Those who don't deserve their positions want those who do deserve them to drop out.

Likewise, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" was preached by a Lord, a member of an illegitimate ruling class. He secretly wanted Commoners to believe they would mutate, by some mysterious process, into becoming just like that power-mad trash if they took action, so why bother?

This is why the academons misinterpret MacBeth, who was a sicko from the get-go.