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was about maybe 9 month back when on another forum - DHH- a friend of mine was saying that accoriding some readings of his, the world will change dramatically - hope I recall correctly what he said -, that it will slow down and shift away a bit from this money and success chasing.

what do you think?

Funny you bring this up, i recently read that because of the recession people in the States are cutting back and doing with "basics" and are much happier. Some even say that when the economy in the States goes up, they plan to continue the way they found themselves "forced" to live. So it's not such a bad thing after all.

I don't see that happening. A world wide population explosion coupled with fast diminishing natural resources , with space in general becoming less. Not to mention global politics, trade barriers, a flawed capitalist system and most importantly global disparities in income and wealth.

The point I'm making is that survival itself is getting tough! And to get by, people have to study more, work much harder and while the rewards for the successfull will be immense the less fortunate shall be confined to the dirt.
So money and success chasing is only gonna get more and more cut throat in the coming times....

A recession itself is not the remedy, the system as a whole needs overhauling!

I agree with MCL I'm afraid. Also the human psyche is geared to being competitive, striving, battling. It's just how it is, I think it's just fixed in your genetic blueprint (if you're a man). That's why Communism never works without a very strict totalitarian regime, and even then it is always under pressure to revert back to natural behaviour.

I'm not an idealist, sorry, just a realist.

I've also noticed that in general people lack a purpose in life. We are bred to believe that education, a job....is our purpose for existance. Take away the job, family and you'll see that people (including myself) are as empty as a potato sack.

Maybe it's this point where poeple turn to religion to fill that void?

Hopefully this recession will help take people closer to their roots.

Although it does'nt seem that way, people in general are just tense, working extra hard, watevr it takes to get ahead in the rat race.

Bora Bora wrote:Funny you bring this up, i recently read that because of the recession people in the States are cutting back and doing with "basics" and are much happier. Some even say that when the economy in the States goes up, they plan to continue the way they found themselves "forced" to live. So it's not such a bad thing after all.

I think its more fear and uncertainty than anything else. I work for the government and our state's budget is in trouble. Even though I "think" my job is secure there is always this fear that I could lose it. I have a safety nest of 6 months expenses saved away which I never used to have. A lot of my friends are out of work, I'm just grateful to have a job even with furlough days. I'm an optimist though, the economy is showing some signs of bouncing back.

Misery Called Life wrote:I've also noticed that in general people lack a purpose in life. We are bred to believe that education, a job....is our purpose for existance. Take away the job, family and you'll see that people (including myself) are as empty as a potato sack.

Maybe it's this point where poeple turn to religion to fill that void?

Hopefully this recession will help take people closer to their roots.

Although it does'nt seem that way, people in general are just tense, working extra hard, watevr it takes to get ahead in the rat race.

I'm a firm believer in you ought to do what makes you happy. If your miserable at work, you need to seek something else. I love what I do and that's a second career for me. I try to be the best at what I do everyday and that what keeps me motivated.

Possibly one of the shifting changes could be personal "values". Seems people have lost values that were meaningful and now have what I would called "misplaced values". Life isn't about having the lastest everything and replacing last month's model with this month's model. By having to refocus your values would shift from what is really important and necessary in life to what isn't. What I was referring to in my first post was that people were shifting away from a materialistic lifestyle, finding that all that material really didn't matter. I guess the only good it served for some was to sell it to pay for the rent or to pay a bill.

Having worked with so-called "highly educated" individuals, I found very few that were really what you would call "smart". To get a good education you have to buy it at a price that is unattainable for many.

Bora Bora wrote:Possibly one of the shifting changes could be personal "values". Seems people have lost values that were meaningful and now have what I would called "misplaced values". Life isn't about having the lastest everything and replacing last month's model with this month's model. By having to refocus your values would shift from what is really important and necessary in life to what isn't. What I was referring to in my first post was that people were shifting away from a materialistic lifestyle, finding that all that material really didn't matter. I guess the only good it served for some was to sell it to pay for the rent or to pay a bill.

Having worked with so-called "highly educated" individuals, I found very few that were really what you would call "smart". To get a good education you have to buy it at a price that is unattainable for many.

I agree with you partially, being educated doesn't mean your smart. But education does play a major role in being open minded, self awareness and discovery. EI is far more imprtant, in my opinion, than your IQ. I disagree with you on buying "good" education. I don't know about other countries but here in the US, all you need is a desire and hard work and no body can stop you. Sonia Sotamayor is a recent example and a living proof. A girl who was born and grew up in the projects in Bronx, raised by a widowed mother and yet graduated from Yale, an Ivy League school and now the Supreme Court Justice. A true inspiration to all.

K-Dog wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:Possibly one of the shifting changes could be personal "values". Seems people have lost values that were meaningful and now have what I would called "misplaced values". Life isn't about having the lastest everything and replacing last month's model with this month's model. By having to refocus your values would shift from what is really important and necessary in life to what isn't. What I was referring to in my first post was that people were shifting away from a materialistic lifestyle, finding that all that material really didn't matter. I guess the only good it served for some was to sell it to pay for the rent or to pay a bill.

Having worked with so-called "highly educated" individuals, I found very few that were really what you would call "smart". To get a good education you have to buy it at a price that is unattainable for many.

I agree with you partially, being educated doesn't mean your smart. But education does play a major role in being open minded, self awareness and discovery. EI is far more imprtant, in my opinion, than your IQ. I disagree with you on buying "good" education. I don't know about other countries but here in the US, all you need is a desire and hard work and no body can stop you. Sonia Sotamayor is a recent example and a living proof. A girl who was born and grew up in the projects in Bronx, raised by a widowed mother and yet graduated from Yale, an Ivy League school and now the Supreme Court Justice. A true inspiration to all.

One has to applaud Sonia and many others for "escaping the projects" and a mother who kept her going in the right direction. Sonia, in all probability, received her education based, for the most part, on grants, etc. And if she proved herself capable then it was well deserved. What she received she gave back multifold. I am sure that you are aware that grants and such are generally geared for the underprivileged. A very small number of middle class and single parents might qualify for partial grants. There is very little available for young people who come from a family where the parents or one parent, or a single parent works. You have a better chance at having your education funded if you are on welfare.

When my husband went back to university to continue his education, we paid for everything. He did receive some "life" credits. To save money he bought used books. There were a large number of students who attended the university at no cost - free education - even got new books - and was given a stipend from the government which covered their meals and commute. They were also on welfare getting full benefits. These students were immigrants from Russia, not children of Russian immigrants, but immigrants. It was nice to see how the US was so very generous to immigrants who never paid a cent into the system. All the while we worked and paid our taxes. These "students" even refused full time jobs because they would have lost their "benefits". They were allowed to work a certain number of hours in a week which would not affect their "benefits".

So for those who want get a good education, there are student loans available to them, unless their parents started saving from the day they were born, or you were born into a financially comfortable family.

I agree if you have the desire and are willing to work to pay for the education, that education is there for you. I have nothing but admiration for those people who, due to circumstances for whatever reasons, go back to university later in life to get a college education. They know the true value of an education.

Bora I have to echo this fully and completely from my thoughts about the UK system of support for immigrants, which is overloaded and is burdening the UK system, probably unbearably now. Just a few more years will tell I think. I hope RedKite is happy that his taxes are paying for all of this misspenditure (if he pays any tax). Charity certainly does not appear to begin at home, it seems to begin with people who arrive on the shores of the UK with open hands.

The large number of people born in Britain (of any colour) who have no money to invest in further education beyond state schooling, nor to pay for dentistry work, nor for pharmacy prescriptions, but are not so poor as to be living out of tins of cold beans get zip.

It's ing with a capital D.

Raidah, I heard today that some Japanese youth are actually starting to show an interest again in jobs in agriculture, after many years of believing that their education meant that they shoud have city jobs (that don't exist now). This was told to me by a Japanese guy in his fifties who is witnessing it. He says the young people do see the value in a job where you actually produce physical goods which have real worth in the world. As a cynic of course, I say that the world as a whole can already feed itself with the food we produce, the problem is that it doesn't reach the places where it is needed. But it's good to hear that maybe values are changing in some places. There should be honour and value placed on such jobs (and proper money paid). Damn, I'm starting to sound like a communist.....

I wonder if this phenomenon is being repeated anywhere else in the world?

hm, I'm a true city girl, but grandparents lived at the countryside and I spent a lot of time with them as a child. though I can't see how I'd be able to give up the commodities I'm used to in the city, sometimes I wonder what it would be like...cutting my nails, throwing away the high heels and living a probably harder in some ways, but simpler and happier life away from this disg.ust that we have to put up with every single day in hour shallow double faced offices...just for the record, I'm not being bitter about my office, I'm talking in general here. the games, the a.s.skissing...you need to be a real fox, or others will step all over you

I think its utopia, but it would be nice to have a breeze of genuinity

Hmmm, the world is changing every day...who knows what will come tomorrow!

Bora Bora wrote: They were also on welfare getting full benefits. These students were immigrants from Russia, not children of Russian immigrants, but immigrants. It was nice to see how the US was so very generous to immigrants who never paid a cent into the system. All the while we worked and paid our taxes.

It's nice to see how carring US government to utter losers from all over the World. High education in Soviet Union was free but entrants had to pass strickt exams on enrolment. It has been almost free even in Russia until now. Diplomas of almost all Soviet Technical Universities accept in US one to one. Probably those 4wheelers were failed on exams in SU and decided to try their luck in US.
Why am I not surprised such unfair generosity? It reminds me Soros'es grants for "Russian" scientists in 90s. All recipients I met had similar appearances. They were not Slavic type, but rather opposite, more close to Schwartz himself.