Do You Think People Lack Character Now?

It seems iike people are greedy and think of themselves more now than they used to.

The politiciians are corrupt and so is Wall Street. We were led into war by misinformation.

People gave out false information to obtain home loans, etc, that is why they lost their homes. They could not afford them.

What happened to honesty? Is it vanishing? Did we used to think people were honest who were not?

Is character an issue anymore and is it taught in school?

12/4/2010


Alice..

Honesty, Character, Morals and manners are taught
in the home, it's up to the parents to show the way..


Cheers..Joe

Parents born after WWII adopted a new attitude to bringing up children. Those parents are now becoming grandparents and finding that parenting has changed yet again. No sweets (candies), no sodas, no treats between meals. Grandparents used to be able to spoil their grandchilden -- who burned off all the excess calories running around and having fun. Today's kids spend too much time playing computer games and watching television and too little time exercising.

With both parents out at work earning money for all this electronic gadgetry and expensive holidays, children have to entertain themselves. They end up thinking only of themselves -- the me me me generation.

12/5/2010


I agree with Shelagh..I was born the late 40's, my Mother always
knew what we did, homework after school, then you could go out
and play, their were no computers, no gadgets, you made up
games with other kids and when your Mother said be home at 6PM
for dinner , we'll you better be there, no excuses and she always
knew where you were, it was telephone, telegraph, the neighbors.
My mother believed in the way she was raised, that's how we were
raised, she had a girlfriend named Gracie, you were told you either
called her Aunt Gracie or Mrs. Heeriline.....That was the good old
days. Today kids are allowed to rule themselves, that's wrong..


Cheers..Joe

I think that character is still there, just expressed in different ways, because of the different perspectives that all of your responses have pointed out.

May I use a personal example? My daughters and I come from different generations and different ways of looking at the world. In particular, we have different ways of looking at the mother/daughter relationship.

I had serious problems relating to my mother from a very early age. While she occasionally abused me, she regularly used me as a means of bettering her own interests, and that was more significant in my attitude toward her. At least, this has always been my perspective. In spite of that, I always thought of her as my mother and recognized an obligation to her. As a child, I obeyed her, or accepted the inevitable punishments when I chose not to; as an adult, I recognized and fulfilled my obligations to her, and after she could no longer take care of herself, I took her into my home, and reversed the roles and took care of her.

My daughters and I, from my perspective, had a much better relationship when they were children. I honored their needs whenever I could and gave them the freedom to be themselves that I missed in my own childhood. When, as adults, some problems developed, they chose to walk away from having any relationship with me for a period of several years.

But during that time, I learned that I did not need their approval to feel good about myself, and that I did not need to carry responsibility for any unexpressed unhappiness they felt as children. They, during that same period of separation, learned that my presence, or lack of it, in their lives, did not have a significant impact on the choices they made, or on the resultant consequences of those choices in their lives. They eventually came back, on their own accord, and today, our relationship is a strong one, based on mutual appreciation rather than empty obligation.

It is not as though that period of separation did not exist, nor that it was not painful on both sides. It is more about acceptance of the needs of the other, and a recognition of the value of the other's choices.

I think that young people today live in a different world than the world we grew up in, and so, require different means for approaching their lives and relationships.

We cannot judge them by our standards, for they live in a different world, and must make their choices accordingly, based on what is best for the reality they live in.

Ann

I think children hold the hope of this world. They believe stuff we used to believe before. They believe in miracles. They see with joy.

I think that character or the lack of it is often interpreted by what our own idea of character is. It means nothing other than that the person whom we consider has none does not agree with our idea of character.

Love,
Betty

As usual, Betty has said the thing much better and in far fewer words than I.

Good post, Betty.

Ann

Thank you. All of your answers were interesting and on target. I heard a sermon on character and that got me thinking on the subject.

Ann, I am so glad you broke the cycle and so did Betty. Your children and grandchildren will be grateful to you.

I realize my mother did not like me and I don't blame her. She did love me and did the best she could. That is all we can expect and each person's ability differs.

Every generation bemoans the succeeding generation's behavior.

"These kids today...," "Why in my day...," "They'd never survive in my outfit..."

It has always been thus and it will always be thus.

Perhaps it's because we tend to recall only the best of times. For example, folks often look back on the 1950s and say, "Those were simpler times." Yeah, right. Segregation, McCarthyism, polio, and, worst of all, no air conditioning.

Al,

You sure hit that right about the air conditioning and most kids are fine--just fatter now.

The grown -ups are the problem, not the kids. The grown-ups are in charge.


The good old days weren't so good and a lot was covered up. Women were abused and so were children. We just didn't know what was going on.
Our children will probably looik back on these days as very good.

Al is right about the bemoaning. That is because older people do not want things to change. They have worked so hard for the times that they lived, but living is fluid. Like water over rocks, it never can be the same or go back. The trick is to look with forward eyes and temper it with the experience of the past. It all connects like dots in a puzzle. No one ever solves the riddle of life in their life time because the answer to the riddle always changes with the times.

Every day is a new day and a new chance to open the mind.

Love,
Betty

Bettty, You are so wise.

Dear Alice,
Today, I got the tree. It is a lovely 8 and 1/2 feet. Just the smell of it makes me happy.
I look forward to tomorrow.
Love,
Betty

Dear Betty,

Please post a picture on Joe's thread so we can all see it.

Thanks.

I don't think people lack character, but a question of what kind of character.

Betty Fasig wrote:

Al is right about the bemoaning. That is because older people do not want things to change. They have worked so hard for the times that they lived, but living is fluid. Like water over rocks, it never can be the same or go back. The trick is to look with forward eyes and temper it with the experience of the past. It all connects like dots in a puzzle. No one ever solves the riddle of life in their life time because the answer to the riddle always changes with the times.

Every day is a new day and a new chance to open the mind.

Love,
Betty

I need a Betty Fasig widget for my home page, next to my Joseph Campbell one. This is another keeper.

Ann

Quote :

It seems like people are greedy and think of themselves more now than they used to. The politiciians are corrupt and so is Wall Street. We were led into war by misinformation. People gave out false information to obtain home loans, etc, that is why they lost their homes. They could not afford them. What happened to honesty? Is it vanishing? Did we used to think people were honest who were not? Is character an issue anymore and is it taught in school?

and then, as if to spoil it, the goblin showed, saying "...the world of adults is lying is it not, trouble is that is it then spirals out of hand in its continuation, for today has no american dream now, nor a job for life either, so people have become a product of a hard reality, simply every man for himself here, compete with others, and expect nothing less than to be lied to, and the need to lie in return, for these are "fall of empire" times are they not...", and yes, the decline was masked and still the fanfare all around continued too, but no one sees an upheaval coming until it is upon them, because the world of adults is the one of clinging to those secure lies which we ourselves so much want to hear

Abe brought up an interesitng point. People alll have character it is a matter of what kind.

Do you think people are more honest and trustworthy now? It seems like we would not be in such a financial mess if they were.

I think the most dangerous people are those who are "almost honest". They are honest when it suits and dishonest when it is expedient to be so. I don't know how to characterize them. Many pose as Christians.

Alice,
You have to ask "What people?" If you mean people with the power to influence our financial state, I would say that information is more available than it once was, so we are more aware of the honesty or lack of it on an individual basis.

If you mean people in general, I think that maybe people are more honest than they once were. It shows in our attitudes toward the dishonesty of those in power. We expect more today than we did a few years ago. We care more because we have better access to the truth of what these powerful people are doing.

Ann

It uaed to be though that home loans were verified. if you said you were employed and made X amount of money, someone from the bank called your employer to verify that information.

They quit doing that and even encouraged folks to falsify their salaries.

I took back a broken piece of electronics to have it replaced by insurance. The sales person called the insurance company and told them it was lost. When he was done, I reminded him it was broken, not lost. He said this way I would get a whole new one and not have to send the broken one back.

I didn't like the whole process. He had good intentions; but what he said was just plain lying. What do you do in this situation?

He was the liar, not you.

I think this fits in the category, though, of creeping dishonesty. Dishonesty in small ways leads to bigger things; comfort with a lack of integrity is not a good thing.

alice wrote:

It seems iike people are greedy and think of themselves more now than they used to.

The politiciians are corrupt and so is Wall Street. We were led into war by misinformation.

People gave out false information to obtain home loans, etc, that is why they lost their homes. They could not afford them.

What happened to honesty? Is it vanishing? Did we used to think people were honest who were not?

Is character an issue anymore and is it taught in school?

In answer to the post question. Yes and No. Some people do and some do not.

Some people are greedy. But there is no more greed than there used to be. It is just there is more media power.
There are still many generous and wonderful people too. Just as much as ever. They just don't get as much attention.
Think of all the doctors going to poor countries and performing surgeries on children with cleft palate.
Think of all the volunteers for Red Cross, food kitchens, Salvation Army, Peace Corps, etc.
Generosity is everywhere. But it is more quiet than greed.

Corruption in government goes back to ... the invention of government. But I will take today's government over the rulership of the dark ages. At least I won't be sent to a dungeon for speaking my mind.

A lot of people lost their homes after losing their jobs. They could afford them until they lost their income.

Honesty is alive and well. I see it all the time.

Schools? Character is something that should be taught at home.

And character is alive and well. Sure there are rude, mean, and impolite people. But there are plenty of kind, polite, honest people of good character. It's just a matter of SEEING them. If you look for positive traits in people instead of negative you will be amazed at how many smiles you may encounter every day.