[dissimulo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dissimulo', 'I')MO, spoiled people are more likely to complain of depression than those who struggle daily to survive.

We'll probably be a lot less depressed soon.

[mmasters]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Narz', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mmasters', '
')Beyond the last 100-200 years the average age a person lived to was about 25.

[Roy]

The thing that is misleading about average life expectancy is that, in times past, it was much lower than today, such as the 30 year number mentioned above.

However, that doesn't mean that people didn't live past 30. It means that a significant number of children died before the age of 5.

If a person lived to the age of 5, then his/her chances of living to 80 were much improved.

So the actual average lifespan for an ADULT was much higher than 25 or 30.

In fact the ancient Romans had a term for the human lifespan called the Saeculum (sp?) that was talked about quite a bit in the Fourth Turning. The posited that an 80 year lifecycle has always been the norm for humans.

The biggest difference between today and then, wrt life expectancy, is the number of people that make it past 5 years of age.

I'm not saying that life wasn't harder or more dangerous in the past, only that the term 'average life span' can be misleading.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Roy', '
')However, that doesn't mean that people didn't live past 30. It means that a significant number of children died before the age of 5.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dissimulo', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dissimulo', 'I')MO, spoiled people are more likely to complain of depression than those who struggle daily to survive.

We'll probably be a lot less depressed soon.

[lotrfan55345]

It's all because of the non-whites invading US culture

[Denny]

I think the simplest explanation for increaed depression is the fact that so few of us connect with the ultimate buyers of our services, so our work does not bring us closer to people. And, though we are often busy, the work we are busy doing is not perceived by us to be valuable. The boss has a whim, and next thing you know we are working at 10 PM doing a powerpoint poresentation. Next week, his boss has a different whim and we are on a different tangent. But, the boss' needs are not as multidimensional as real customers.

Where I work, it seems to be the reality that our front line workers who deal with the public, much of their work being outside, have the highest satisfaction, higher than our supervisors and managers. Our inside blue collar workers who do not contact the customers have the lowest satisfaction, and the worse absenteeism. Yet, in so many ways, they have been mollycoddled with all kinds of job security, liberal overtime payment and union protections when it comes to seniority. We bosses think they have it made in the shade, but overall, they are an unhappy lot.

A similar trend emerged among stay at home housewives back in the fities and sisties. As labor saving devices became the norm in the home, mom was getting bored. And depressed.

[Baldwin]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Denny', 'I') think the simplest explanation for increaed depression is the fact that so few of us connect with the ultimate buyers of our services, so our work does not bring us closer to people. And, though we are often busy, the work we are busy doing is not perceived by us to be valuable. The boss has a whim, and next thing you know we are working at 10 PM doing a powerpoint poresentation. Next week, his boss has a different whim and we are on a different tangent. But, the boss' needs are not as multidimensional as real customers.

Where I work, it seems to be the reality that our front line workers who deal with the public, much of their work being outside, have the highest satisfaction, higher than our supervisors and managers. Our inside blue collar workers who do not contact the customers have the lowest satisfaction, and the worse absenteeism. Yet, in so many ways, they have been mollycoddled with all kinds of job security, liberal overtime payment and union protections when it comes to seniority. We bosses think they have it made in the shade, but overall, they are an unhappy lot.

A similar trend emerged among stay at home housewives back in the fities and sisties. As labor saving devices became the norm in the home, mom was getting bored. And depressed.

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dissimulo', 'I')MO, spoiled people are more likely to complain of depression than those who struggle daily to survive.

We'll probably be a lot less depressed soon.

[Zardoz]

Is there any more telling symbol of all that is wrong with our culture than the media's obsession with people who are "famous for being famous"? This is how far we've sunk:

Hilton jail stay stokes media

The media began setting up shop outside the jail five days before her scheduled arrival.

How low can we go? No wonder we're all so depressed.

[catbox]

Maybe some folks in our society are doing what I did.......
I drank like a fish for 20 years to numb myself from it all and became depressed because of it...I believe. So I asked the doc for some pills 5 years ago...he put me on 5 different meds over the past 5 years...nothing seemed to be working.
I quit both the anti-d's and the booze 9 months ago....wound up with Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome...google it....basicaly you feel insane but it's your brain and nervous system trying to heal and deal with life w/o the artificial stuff. Anyway...many folks relapse about 6 months into it and thus the cycle starts over...hey doc I need some pills...i think I'm going nuts...

No relapse for me and I know exactly what I need to do if I am feeling down...Ride the bike...eat right...get good sleep....slow down! I learned it all from going through PAWS. I can read myself so much better with out the artificial crap in my system. It's been a hell of a 9 months but I'm better because of it. The withdrawals are still not over but it's much better than it was. I can really see now why people are so depressed...all this fake reality makes it so the humans run themselves into the ground without really obtaining anything but anxiety and a broken mind and body.

Ramble ramble...my two cents.

Catbox

[mmasters]

People just need to learn it's OK to suffer. We all must suffer and that's life. Once you accept it, it's not so bad. A life of not knowing yourself and using band-aids to try and solve your problems is a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand, an awareness of peak oil and all the other crap that's coming (once past the initial depression) brings forth a more subtle suffering, a spiritual depression for which there is no cure.

[NoLogos]

The best way to deal with something toxic is to keep it out of your system. For me, that means no TV. I guess other people might quit their jobs or go live in a different place. There is no doubt that there are plenty of toxic aspects of this culture! I live here and am too poor to leave, but I can limit my interaction with the corporate shills to a bare minimum, and spend my free time trying to reduce it even more.

It is easy to sell something to an anxious, depressed, or insecure person. Keep that toxic MSM out of your mind! http://www.adbusters.org/home/

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('catbox', 'M')aybe some folks in our society are doing what I did.......
I drank like a fish for 20 years to numb myself from it all and became depressed because of it...I believe. So I asked the doc for some pills 5 years ago...he put me on 5 different meds over the past 5 years...nothing seemed to be working.
I quit both the anti-d's and the booze 9 months ago....wound up with Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome...google it....basicaly you feel insane but it's your brain and nervous system trying to heal and deal with life w/o the artificial stuff. Anyway...many folks relapse about 6 months into it and thus the cycle starts over...hey doc I need some pills...i think I'm going nuts...

No relapse for me and I know exactly what I need to do if I am feeling down...Ride the bike...eat right...get good sleep....slow down! I learned it all from going through PAWS. I can read myself so much better with out the artificial crap in my system. It's been a hell of a 9 months but I'm better because of it. The withdrawals are still not over but it's much better than it was. I can really see now why people are so depressed...all this fake reality makes it so the humans run themselves into the ground without really obtaining anything but anxiety and a broken mind and body.

Ramble ramble...my two cents.

Catbox

[Zardoz]

We're an unhappy lot in general:

Discontent Over Iraq Increasing, Poll Finds - Americans Also Unhappy With Congress

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')mong the nearly three-quarters of Americans expressing a pessimistic viewpoint, about one in five blamed the war for their negative outlook, and about the same ratio mentioned the economy, gas prices, jobs or debt as the main reason for their dissatisfaction with the country's direction. Eleven percent cited "problems with Bush," and another 11 percent said "everything" led them to their negative opinion.

[xrotaryguy]

Well, I for one am pretty happy to be living in a large city. I am happy that I didn't bite the dust back in 95 when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness... finally! I'm glad that modern technology and modern medicine are making my life possible. If it weren't for our economy, and all of our fantastic scientists, physicians, engineers, big machines, big brother, pollution spewing factories, and all the other crap we love to hate, then I'd be kaput already. Then again, maybe I would never have gotten sick in the first place... hmmm...

Anyway, life is too precious to waste on being down in the dumps about the worlds problems. We have such a short time in which to make a difference. If we all can find some small way to make a difference, then we have done something meaningful with our lives. Raise your children to do the right thing. Work to develop new technologies that may humans live in a cleaner world i the future. Recycle... what ever. We should work harder to find solutions to the problems that may or may not lie on the horizon rather than feel "doomerish" about them.

Heck, even if we all do ourselves in by trashing the world we live in, then the world will probably be a better place with out us. If all else fails, then we can feel good about that. haha

ps: I planted a tree today. Whew, god damn I tired, but it feels good!

[Ferretlover]

What used to be:
"The squeaky wheel gets the grease"
was changed years ago to:
"The squeaky wheel gets replaced."

A subtle sign of the over-indulgent times, I would guess..

[bshirt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'W')e're an unhappy lot in general:

Discontent Over Iraq Increasing, Poll Finds - Americans Also Unhappy With Congress

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')mong the nearly three-quarters of Americans expressing a pessimistic viewpoint, about one in five blamed the war for their negative outlook, and about the same ratio mentioned the economy, gas prices, jobs or debt as the main reason for their dissatisfaction with the country's direction. Eleven percent cited "problems with Bush," and another 11 percent said "everything" led them to their negative opinion.

[Bas]

Things aren't much better in Europe, in particular the richer nations aren't trailing far behind in any sense; the culture here has become increasingly toxic. Though real cynicism doesn't seem to have taken a big hold yet, it's certainly on the increase.