♣ A gracious society going the way of the dinosour?♣

dutchy

Been a while since I open a thread here

I was reading in the paper the other day, and I find that the topic is an interesting one, the author comes to the conclusion that we are losing our grasp on what is a gracious society all about. And he claims that he won't see one in this lifetime.

It sadden me to think that it is possible and a bit aghast at his conclusion

Accorrding to him one of the problem that can be accredited to this is that, the more affluent a society is the least gracious that we become

We are in a rat race world where, it is we we we and no one else matter, we fail to help a person in need, we are losing the empathy faster than we can breath

I love to watch old movies or remakes of movies like Jane Austin and such, how chevallier those people behave ( though in some circumstances, it's almost impossible to emulate them again)

My Q to you people, do you agree that we are losing it? And what to you think that can be done to rectify this?

I believe that any changes that takes place or need to take place begins with ourselves  




[ Last edited by  dutchy at 20-1-2008 12:10 PM ]

Agul

People everywhere are scared, insecure. They lack love. That's why they are so busy making each other mads... Totally uncaring and proud of it.

What's worse is that the young are showing less and less respect to everyone.

thamrong

the author comes to the conclusion that we are losing our grasp on what is a gracious society all about. And he claims that he won't see one in this lifetime.

This is a gospel of despair and very frightening indeed my dear!


It kept me tossing in bed last night. However I am totally confident not that world will get better, but that we should not give up the game before  all the cards have been played.


Never let despondency set in after all life is a gamble. Not to play is to forfeit any chance of winning. To play, to act, is to create at least a possibility of changing the world....hmmm.

[ Last edited by  thamrong at 22-1-2008 12:58 AM ]

mbhcsf

I have not got a clue on what is / are the criterion on this so called "gracious society"?
would the "act of caring" itself has transform or manifested itself in diferent forms and ways or by different means?

well you did mention about Jane Austen movie ? which one? Pride and prejudice? i lurve compared too that winslet thingy of sense and sensibility. Bless the author. pity - she died young. hmm pneumonia that was.

But would you want to revise your statment in saying  that the society in those elizabethan era was pretty much a " gracious society"

well for one i could see Dear Dutchy, that the Bennets Family was pretty much struggling with the task of "ugrading" or uplifting  their social strata? becoz of the fact that ( well may be in that era) the ever so neurotic/ anxious mother would always emphasized on  the "potential suitors' earnings"  like -  the X carriages that Bingleys or Darcy ( ahem ahem love him though) had, their income per annum, and these mind you  would definitely be their  bonus points  as potential suitors by the Ladies at Longbourne, right?

Concerning Darcy and Bingleys 's sister - you , I would suspect could easily tease out the similarity of thinking pattern - their attitudes, prejudices, pre conceived ideas on the society of the middle class.

So, I failed ler Dutchy dearie to actually see mana yg gracious nyer society at that era?becoz at that time the struggle to ?  upgrade the social mobility were already there.

But eerr.. Lady Chatherine De Bourh quite okay, though she did reserve her opinion up till the last moment.
Still, u see , if you watch the diinner scene - at Pemberley- then i would wonder whether you be annoyed at the way Lady Catherine behave towards Elizabeth comments? I mean the exchanges between lady Cath and eliza? becoz to me that is very interesting. She did banter her, she did make her realise that " in family lie ours we can't afford so much luxury in hiring a governess etc ...." macam tulah ( ni i cakap dalam hati) but i love the scene. Well can't help teh fact that Darcy did help thebennets on that Lydia Wichham thingy though....so well agreed jugak dgn you ader plusses and minuses.

SONofODIN

Current society has changed a lot compare to 30-40 years ago. The emphasis on morality had declined  tremendously. The easy access to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and etc have a negative impact on upbringing of children. Crime is on the rise.

This problem is very difficult to rectified, in my opinion. Nowadays parents are too busy with their jobs and most have neglected the upbringing of their children. That's why we have so many Mat Rempit in the street among the Malays, and ecstasy pills popping among the Chinese.

Society is getting very complicated now. We are more into materialism. We can't denied that things are changing from worse to worst everyday.  

thamrong

Talking about Materialism it reminds me of a paradox.

'Money Talk' and ' No Money No Talk'. These traits are common among pragmatic Chinese. I must confess that even though  it sounds materialistic but they are one of the most benevolent people in our society.

thamrong

I attended  a Rotary Club dinner the other day. By Golly! Majority were the Chinese who walked up the stage to give generous contribution. That is something ....eh!

Agul

Are they many rotary clubs where other races are the majority?

Are there enough non-chinese people rich enough for a rotary memberships?

can you tell us where some of the contribution that night go?

just curious.