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LorenzoApophis t1_j1j1vco wrote

Reply to comment by MightyKrakyn in This is an excerpt from Cixin Liu's book "The Dark Forest", describing what happens to people when they lose all hope in Humanity by RobleViejo

Have you considered that maybe it's been recorded for thousands of years because it's been there for thousands of years? I mean, how can you recommend all these old works and dismiss the observations of old writers at the same time?

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keestie t1_j1jkw5v wrote

Dude. Missing the point. The point is, it isn't a new phenomenon.

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MightyKrakyn t1_j1j3eq0 wrote

Catcher in the Rye specifically has a character that accuses others of superficiality but is wrong. The Great Gatsby shows how the accusation of superficiality can be reversed. Each of these works is nuanced in how they relate to this topic. You can also recommend a work for someone to read not because you agree with it, but as a point of disagreement.

I dismiss those like Aristotle’s viewpoint because of the assertion that their youth are particularly superficial and causing the moral decay of society, but the moral decay is always happening under the leadership of the elder generation making those claims. The real thread here is how those who fail and age and run out of time to correct the world before they go have been quick to lash out at bon vive in the naïveté of the youth. It’s reactive nonsense, bitterness in the face of the void

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platitood t1_j1jqjjo wrote

It’s not because every generation is more shallow that the previous one. It’s because every generation gets older, there are a few point changes and they certainly see younger people as shallow. It’s a cycle of perception.

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