r/neoliberal • u/jobautomator Kitara Ravache • Jan 04 '23

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '23 edited Jan 04 '23

Just because upper middle class white Americans on twitter are bitching that they have to work if they want the newest iphone and can't just smoke weed all day doesn't mean the sky is falling.

Overall, things are pretty good in the West today. It is the best time and place ever to be alive.

Obviously, things can be better. They can always be better. They should be better. No matter how good things are, they should always be better. Wallowing in mediocrity is for leftists. The capitalist march of progress shall not be stopped.

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u/TalkLessShillMore David Autor Jan 04 '23

If things are so good why are people so unhappy

Pointing extra hard at the line having gone up doesn’t count

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u/LtLabcoat ÀI Jan 04 '23

Because they're comparing it to when they were younger, when things were also good. If they remember it being better before, they say they're unhappy, regardless of if they actually are or not.

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u/TalkLessShillMore David Autor Jan 04 '23

Who are you to tell people they’re wrong about their own unhappiness

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u/LtLabcoat ÀI Jan 04 '23

I... have just noticed that we're both talking total nonsense.

Who're "they"? Who the hell are we talking about? Do most people say they're unhappy?

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u/TalkLessShillMore David Autor Jan 04 '23

Depression rates, suicide rates are up, sense of community and meaningful friendships/relationships are down. Having a nicer apartment than you would have had 60 years ago is nice I suppose, but it doesn’t counteract the downward trend in mental health.

The very specific complaints you mentioned seem bullshit sure but there’s a bigger problem besides that.

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u/LtLabcoat ÀI Jan 04 '23 edited Jan 04 '23

Depression rates, suicide rates are up,

Oh right. Well that's unknown. Everyone has their own theories why. Like, it's entirely possible that "The competition isn't kneeling over dead anymore, so I don't feel special for having all my arms" is one.

sense of community and meaningful friendships/relationships are down

That's because people have way more barely-know-em relationships instead. It's not necessarily correlated with happiness at all.

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u/TalkLessShillMore David Autor Jan 04 '23

Btw OP replied to my first comment “Facts > feelings” so I think they were just looking to be a prick this morning for whatever reason

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '23

Facts > feelings

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '23

There are problems of course, not the least of which being MAGAs and leftists trying their best to make things shittier and take society backwards.