Why does society create such norms and high expectations?
Explain.
Thank you infinitely.
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35 Answers
What I’d like to know is why everything has to be so damn expensive.
That is a very broad question. I assume to coerce us into being productive citizens.
That is essentially two separate questions. High expectations are usually set above the norm. Some people are high achievers and are capable of great feats. These people with great talents are often saddled with high expectations from others and of themselves. Others are more comfortable being average and the level that has the most participants will help define the “norm” of that society.
I actually feel like a large portion of the popular media is either trying to dumb us down or lull us into a waking dream. Why? I don’t know. Could be a massive conspiracy to control the populace. I say if some entity you encounter in your daily life is expecting great things from you, it is much better than the alternative! However, if you feel like society is expecting perfection from it’s citizens, all I can say is, don’t fall prey to other’s expectations. Listen to your inner voice, but only if it’s supporting you – NOT if it’s whispering what a not-good-enough person you are. You are great and capable of great things!
With a much faster and efficient means of communicating information in modern society, I feel we’re a lot less dumbed down than people were in the fifties and below. Although I personally chalk that down to societal evolution rather than a conspiracy theory. No matter how open minded we can get, stereotypes and standards still rule the day, unfortunately. some evolution
I don’t know, but what I do know is that those of us that are more non-conformist by nature still get swept along in the dysfunctional current like Salmon. Damn the rocks of societal “norms” sure have battered and bruised this little Kokomo.
Our culture is waaay too obsessed with work ethics and productivity at the expense of our being. When it takes 2 people working 60 hours a week to just barely meet the status quo of necessity, well….things are seriously fucked up.
What ^ said. All I do is work seems like, what a great life.
@Coloma Another GA. Indeed, seems to me that the only thing I’m good for in life is working and paying for things.
This question was so vague as to not be asking anything at all, yet people were able to respond. The responses still didn’t shed any light on what the OP might have been asking here. Who knows. Maybe this is the best type of question.
I’m not sure what you’re asking.
Create your own interpretations, I always do. It’s called free association, or right brained, intuitive scattered. lol
@Coloma I totally agree and it is way more fun to color outside the lines when answering questions! The only norm I know is an overweight alki on Cheers.
^^^ LOL
Well..I’m off and running again…to and fro, to and fro, where it stops nobody knows. haha
Because society, for the most part, is totally freakin’ nuts!
To reinforce desired activities in the population.
For the same reason, it encourages people to gather together into cities, to seek out jobs, to be patriotic, to be religious, to be family oriented, and to spend a lot of money on macaroni and cheese.
I’ve found a homeless shelter to live in while “generation screwed” plays out.
@talljasperman There is no “generation screwed”, EVERYONE is screwed in this economic climate. I am 54 now, have lived a good life, worked my ass off in multiple realms and “retirement” is but a fantasy. Young, old, in between, every citizen is screwed in one way or another.
@Coloma I like saying “generation screwed” “Everyone is Screwed” doesn’t roll of the tip of my tongue. I guess I can say were screwed.
Well, if Bill Gates would just share some of that 13 trillion dollars he has with the rest of us, along with his buddy, Warren Buffet, or spend on real American needs instead of curing polio in India and trying to give mosquitos the common cold, we’d all be much better off.
They could single handedly repair much of America’s infrastructure, fund schools…
That goes for Oprah too. Instead of trying to get recognition for elevating some small number of young African girls from poverty to rich prep girl status in South Africa…
IMHO
@NanoNano I have a hard time blaming people for not sharing their billions, but on the other hand, there’s no way I could sit on top of a hill in my mansion while children in the same town went to bed hungry. There has to be a middle ground of some kind, and I know both contribute to many charities and do a lot of good for people.
It’s kind of like Angie and Brad Pitt. Brad is from my area and his family lives here, and his brother started a charity and does a lot in our community, but how could a person come here, drive through the bad part of town, and not want to give their money to these organizations or pantries. I just don’t understand it.
KNOWITALL:
I know Brad Pitt led an effort to build homes in New Orleans after the hurricane… I applaud that.
Look how poor Appalacia is… And yet all these billionaires we have want nothing to do with it. How many rich country western stars have come out of that area of America, making a name for themselves on the struggles those people go through, in their music…?
I think its shameful. Obviously, much of the charity that the superrich do is just for their own self-aggrandizement.
My dream would be to be a Ted Turner, now that guy is a rare rich bird. If I won 100’s of millions in the lottery, my #1 charitable contribution to the world would be to buy up 100’s of thousands of acres of wilderness land and create wildlife and environmental preserves.
As long as people are doing something, anything, to give back, what they choose to do is their business.
My passion is nature and animals over humans.
@NanoNano Right but he was raised here, shouldn’t than garner a little bit of attention to the plight of people he grew up with? Adopting kids from other nations is cool, but what about from our local children’s home, where some just want nice clothes and shoes? It sickens me.
Correct, and charitable donations are write-off’s as well. It would be an interesting experiment for the IRS to stop that deduction and see who contributes at that point. Although I’m guessing only the poor would suffer, as usual.
@KNOWITALL Yes, but it is unfair to fault someone for what they choose to do.
If I choose to share my fortune creating wildness preserves or animal rescues, am I somehow “wrong” for not doing/giving in areas other might consider more important?
Nope…it’s one thing to judge those that have plenty and do absolutely nothing, but we cannot judge others for not giving/doing what we would do.
Personally, what it comes down to for me, is that if you made your fortune in America, I think your charity should be focused on the needs of Americans in some way.
Warren Buffet’s son is another example. He’s doing a very good thing, taking his inheritance and trying to improve agriculture in Africa to alleviate starvation.
But what is it, one in three children in America go hungry now on a consistent basis?
When did our country become so focused on turning its backs on its fellow citizens? I consider the vast wasted of wealth that goes to the Pentagon as part of this also.
Our birthright is being taken from us so that we can have a few dozen billion dollar bombers, F -35 fighter jets that cost hundreds of millions, and have constant problems.
When did Boeing and Northrup Grumman and McDonnel Douglass acquire the rights to all of the taxes we pay over our public schools, national parks, and road and bridge repair?
@NanoNano Agreed, charity does begin at home. It’s no secret that America is a very co-dependent country, always offering help to others, ignoring their own. The Cobblers children have no shoes saying. haha
@Coloma I have to agree with @NanoNano on this one.
I’m an animal lover as well, but for me, it’s important to help sponsor backpacks to feed children and help in other areas as much as I can in addition to what I can do to help animals, which includes educating others about breed-specific legislation (hopefully getting overturned in our area!) and abuse.
Whether you’re ‘wrong’ for your personal choices is between you and your conscience, just like everyone else.
@KNOWITALL There is no right/wrong dichotomy, anything we do to amend suffering of any kind, be it human or animal is all good, because suffering is suffering and pain is pain.
My contribution to humans would be free birth control and stipends for not continuing to reproduce. haha
@Coloma Sure, I agree to a point, but I do place a higher value on human beings in regards to my charitable work or donations, regardless of my love for animals, but as I said, that’s my personal choice and feelings.
My contribution is trying to educate women on being fulfilled in themselves without men or children. I’m really concerned about our natural resources and overpopulation, which is not condusive to our continuing tax deductions for children and societal & religious mind-sets that women must reproduce or marry to be happy or to fulfill their purpose in life.
@KNOWITALL Totally in line with your strivings for women, count me in 100% on that sentiment. :-) OTOH the state of economic affairs encourages coupling, be it same sex platonic room mates or of a romantic nature. I aspire to communal senior collectives, it is nearly impossible for many single people to survive financially on their own these days.
I have been happily single for 11 years now, but I am not making it financially. It sucks!
@Coloma I like the idea of communal senior collectives, my hippy dippy mom would dig that, too. If I ever strike it rich, I’ll help with that. :)
I’m not sure if you saw it or not, but I posted recently that my mom worked in several nursing homes while I was younger and my heart was broken by what I saw, it’s really an important human rights issue to me. We can incorporate animals in, too, you can be in charge of that okay?!
@KNOWITALL Deal. I’ll be in charge of bringing in animals for the seniors to enjoy. haha
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