The Sucky Child

[MystyGlyttyr]

I dunno. I was talking to my mom once and I presented her with a theory.

Every generation tries to rebel against the previous generation. Currently, they rebel by behaving more and more badly. However, someday the generations will get so badly behaved and so stupid and destructive that (assuming we haven't managed to nuke ourselves by then), that the next generation will have no way to rebel other than to become better-behaved, neatly dressed, clean and polite.

That's the mantra I need to convince myself to sleep at night.

[Andara Bledin]

Actually, in a way, the whole Yuppie thing could be considered a form of rebelling against the previous generation's Freak (hippie) movement.

^-.-^

[CreepyCarrie]

Am I the only person who found the thought of a 6 year old exclaiming "At last!" extremely hilarious?

[Strikesfirmly]

I'm thinking it was Aristotle or someone in that era.
So it's been a common theme with everyone for nearly all human existence.

IIRC roughly 500BCish Han Fei Tzu was one of the first whose writings have survived to link potential overpopulation with a loss of morals due to the breakdown of basic social order as the massively expanding general population got poorer and poorer both physically and culturally.

Much of Confuscianism seems based on or inspired by Han Fei Tzu's writings.

Aristotle, and I believe Socrates (or attributed to him by Plato) developed this idea independently.

1798 Thomas Malthus wrote Essay on the Principle of Population which further developed this idea along with the view that humankind would continue expanding until consuming all sustainable food levels. While he wrote before the appearance of large scale fertilization by chemically created ammonia and mass transportation of food the remainder of his ideas are the basis of many modern concepts such as rational birth control and the reduction of welfare.

Sorry, got long-winded there, and my memories are somewhat shaky.

[Sofar]

However, someday the generations will get so badly behaved and so stupid and destructive that (assuming we haven't managed to nuke ourselves by then), that the next generation will have no way to rebel other than to become better-behaved, neatly dressed, clean and polite.

I don't think that point in time is that far off, as you know many children of the hippies rebeled by becoming punks, some I know however have done exactly as you described. Maybe even I, I know my father would never be caught in a tie and waistcoat.

[Estil]

What's even more annoying is those who think just bringing back paddling/whipping/hitting a child will make everything all better. I for one do NOT wish for those dark ages to come back; you do not need to use physical force to raise a child. :P

[MadMike]

society has been going downhill for some time; this trend isn't anything new.

Bingo.

I've often said that the Sucky Customer problem we vent about here isn't really the problem, it's merely a symptom of a much larger problem. People are becoming more selfish, lazy, stupid, immature, and irresponsible.

Someone mentioned the possibility of the sucky kid having to deal with sucky customers later in life. You never know, it could change his outlook on things. It did with me. While I was never as bad as this kid was, I had a few ideas that I now know were sucky. For example, when my mom would take me and my brother grocery shopping, she'd have us help bag. I'd complain about it, saying that they have people they pay to do that. She'd also have one of us bring the cart back to the store when we were done with it, and I'd make the same complaint (this was before cart returns were ever placed in the parking lots.)

I carried this whole stupid philosophy up until I started working in a supermarket myself, and two of my biggest peeves ended up being able-bodied people who brought huge orders to my register when I didn't have a bagger, and didn't help bag; and having to round up all the stray carts from all over the parking lot, and even from the neighboring properties.

[XCashier]

SK: At last!
Me: Chicken nuggets?
SK: That's mine! Give!

"Why, you're welcome, darling! Such a genteel, polite little sweetie-love you are! Just makes me want to squish you into your component atoms!" (all said in the most sickeningly honey-sweet voice you can conjure up)

SK: Why did we have to wait? I wanted my food right away!

Then use a vending machine, you self-centered brat!

One day, he's going to give attitude to the wrong person, and end up in traction. And Daddy and Mummie Dearest are going to wonder how anyone can do that to their little angel.