Who or what would you like blame it all on ?

I blame it on my dog, Cato!

I blame the English for “it” as according to Etymology Online, the word has it’s roots in Old English.

IF I did it, I accept the blame. IF I didn’t, nobody will convince me otherwise!!!

whut @Entropy?

I blame it on the Bossa Nova! ♪ ♫

The universe.

Oh My God, I’d like blame it all on, ya know them that did it. For sure, like whatever!

Rio
The Bellboy
The Night
The Bossa Nova
The Rain
The Moon
The Boogie

Oh, I blame it all on Hallmark. Have said so for decades. How else have people profligately promulgated the notion that you’re special and the best and that you deserve all the good things, the fine and valuable things, the extravagant and delicious things, and the most love?

When this is the message of greeting cards, birthday after birthday and season after season, anniversaries, graduations, holidays, weddings, and Groundhog Days, how many internalize the implicit license to think of themselves as uniquely special, deserving, etc.? Even cards for grandparents, of which everyone has two, will say “You’re the BEST Grandma.”

With endless extravagant praise and assurance of entitlement, we are encouraged to become insufferably self-serving, narcissistic, greedy. Forgetting humility and modesty. Forgetting altruism. Forgetting empathy. We want others to give and ourselves to take. And if we carry this notion out into the world, we think we should always prosper, always have the best and the most, always win.

All to sell folded bits of card stock.

This does not make for peace and harmony. It makes for a world of little Donald Trumps, coveting each other’s money, land, power, and likes on social media.

People who blame themselves for everything also have vastly inflated egos. No one is that important.

Never thought of it that way @Jeruba. But it makes sense.

Oh, and advertising does the same thing. Think of the slogans that use the words “you deserve” or convey the same message of entitlement (“Because you’re worth it”). Even all the ads that put “easy” among the top virtues of the products, as if nothing should be hard. Once you start to notice this pattern, it’s everywhere. It appeals to the greedy Cookie Monster, the baby, in all of us: someone else owes you support and care and livelihood. Sound like anyone you know?

I was being a little tongue-in-cheek with the Hallmark bit, but I do think this is a pervasive theme that has found all too welcoming an audience in our culture, especially among the young.

I used to blame the missing cookies or chunks from the cake on the cat (Muffler). “Hey! What happened to the pie?” answer: “Muffy did it”. It became the go to for every fault finding inquiry, and I think the cat knew it. He was a good kitty, and is sorely missed.

I say Blame It On The Bossa Nova!

I blame language, that is the gap between language and the real world which has become an unbridgeable chasm. Language is a gift to the unscrupulous who build towers in the air of nothing but solid sounding words. Elizabeth Holmes is an example. Her $9 billion company was based on nothing at all, just words that had no connection with the real world.

Perhaps our entire civilisation is like that, just a promise that cannot be fulfilled, and when the truth arrives, in the form of a word, it will all come crashing down.

Someone said, “A man can fail many times but he only becomes a failure when he begins to blame others”.

I do think this is a pervasive theme that has found all too welcoming an audience in our culture, especially among the young

Yes! @Jeruba‘s right. Lots of you folks probably remember the early years in school when you actually had to do something to earn that “A” or the gold star. And in school sports you had to perform, not just show up to get a trophy. Same with Cub/Girl Scouts and other groups – you weren’t just handed badges, you had to do something to get them.

Now they simply hand out rewards so as not to make you feel bad. I can understand wanting to help kids feel good about themselves, but they’d feel a whole lot better about themselves if they had to earn badges, trophies, stickers, stars, etc. They’d feel a sense of accomplishment and pride.

^^ I take offense to these statements as if we younger people have it so easy today. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I know that I have fought hard for what I have earned in school. Maybe because I do have extra obstacles to overcome but nonetheless, I have not had it easy nor have “badges, trophies, stickers, stars, etc.” been just given to me for free. I did not learn what I have learned by just getting a free pass. I’m sorry if it sounds like I’m yelling at you but I am a bit angered at your statements. :(

I’m with you @RayaHope.

I don’t believe kids have it easier at all. In fact I shudder at the landscape facing a kid coming out of high school today. It is extremely unlikely that I might have arrived where I am were I turned loose from school today.

I sure didn’t mean to offend you, @RayaHope. I shouldn’t have made a blanket statement. I’m sorry. I know what you’ve told us about your struggles and should have been more sensitive. It just didn’t occur to me. :\

^^ That’s okay @smudges I didn’t mean to come on so strong either. {{HUGS}}

I blame overpopulation and nuclear tests for all our problems.

{{hugs}} backatcha @RayaHope!

@RayaHope, @smudges, Awww, (sniff), you’re making this old man cry!

@Strauss Awww shucks fella. <looks down and kicks dirt>

@RayaHope…you got a hankie for him?

I’ll take a cue from the Republicans and blame Hillary’s emails and Hunter Biden’s laptop.

@smudges I do, but it’s all wet now…(boo-hoo)

Don’t get Hunter’s laptop wet!

@RayaHope Too funny! I have this picture of a weeping lady-in-waiting with one of those tall pointy hats holding a hankie while tears literally fly out of her eyes.

@smudges how’s this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLmBuHuuHZU

@RayaHope Yes! Or like these, which is what I was thinking of but figured they were before your time and you hadn’t seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRkOR0ThKa4

^^ I’m not crazy into anime but I do like to watch it sometimes. I love the drawings and stories. :)