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When did the ability to take care of yourself perish?

S

spidey07

No Lifer
From not knowing how to get a job, to cooking your own meals, to not knowing how to dress or groom oneself, to not even knowing how to pick up the phone and take care of something - be it trouble with your precious internet to OMG my pilot light is out!

Where did we as a society lose this basic ability? Why aren't basic life skills taught from parents to children or from interaction with others?

I wouldn't know how to get a job if somebody didn't teach me.
I wouldn't know how to cook my own meals if Mom didn't show me.
I wouldn't know how to dress or groom myself without dad showing me.
I couldn't fix my intarweb without picking up the phone.
I can only light my pilot light by working somewhere that used a gas water heater.
If I feel like crap then I need to take care of myself by taking my temperature, rest, fluids, etc.

What the hell is happening to society that people can't even take the basic measures to help themselves?

/end self-righteous rant
 
We glorify the "helpless loser" sort - case in point, Flight of the Conchords. I confess, it's one of my favorite shows in the world, but as my wife often points out, the guys on that show are basically helpless losers, but that's somehow supposed to be "cool"
 
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
 
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
Click to expand...

Spot on.
 
Why don't we grow our own food or slaughter our own game for meat? We let other people do it because they're better at it.
 
I think it stems from the mass migration into cities and suburbs. The further we get from our agrarian roots the more we need specialized skills that are steps further and further away from intuitive basic self-preservation.

Wwe used to need to know how to grow food and prepare it
Now we need to know how to build a budget and timeline so we can run a project to implement software that's used to process a contract that allows another company to partake of your company's web design services so that the other company, doing whatever they do, can pay you so that their money can go through a complicated financial and HR system and process to make it to your paycheck so you can go to the store and buy some ingredients and go to allrecipes to figure out a recipe cook it.

I'm hungry, get food and eat is pretty intuitive.
I'm hungry, get good grades in high school, go to good college, get complicated skills, get complicated well-paying job, do well at job by playing politics and working hard, get paycheck, buy food and eat it. Not so intuitive.

When I fly into Los Angeles I shudder at what would happen if supply chain lines into that city were down for two weeks. You fly over it for a half hour and see nothing but concrete, buildings and lights. There's no way to raise your own food even if it were legal, which it's not (animals).
 
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
Click to expand...

While that is a good point, it's kind of a side track. What ever happened to rewarding johnny at age 5 for making his own sammich?

Now I'm getting into an old age rant - You know what my folks did when there was a school snow day when I was in elementary school? Told me where the Hungry Man dinners were and how to work the oven. And to also be home before dinner and don't forget to lock up the house.

I didn't need to be rewarded for taking care of basic life necessities. It seems society has the mind of a 5 year old - I need, gimme.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
Click to expand...

While that is a good point, it's kind of a side track. What ever happened to rewarding johnny at age 5 for making his own sammich?

Now I'm getting into an old age rant - You know what my folks did when there was a school snow day when I was in elementary school? Told me where the Hungry Man dinners were and how to work the oven. And to also be home before dinner and don't forget to lock up the house.

I didn't need to be rewarded for taking care of basic life necessities. It seems society has the mind of a 5 year old - I need, gimme.
Click to expand...

Now we're in a relative perspective argument. I could go back a hundred years and say that you taking a plastic tray of frozen prepared food out, turning a dial and sticking it in a box isn't doing much to take care of yourself. What would you do without a grocery store or automated transportation? 😛 All depends on what you consider taking care. I have a friend who could probably live off the land just fine but can't get a career-type job to save his life and will always struggle to put a roof over his head if he lives anywhere other than the middle of nowhere.
 
Originally posted by: AreaCode707
I think it stems from the mass migration into cities and suburbs. The further we get from our agrarian roots the more we need specialized skills that are steps further and further away from intuitive basic self-preservation.

Wwe used to need to know how to grow food and prepare it
Now we need to know how to build a budget and timeline so we can run a project to implement software that's used to process a contract that allows another company to partake of your company's web design services so that the other company, doing whatever they do, can pay you so that their money can go through a complicated financial and HR system and process to make it to your paycheck so you can go to the store and buy some ingredients and go to allrecipes to figure out a recipe cook it.

I'm hungry, get food and eat is pretty intuitive.
I'm hungry, get good grades in high school, go to good college, get complicated skills, get complicated well-paying job, do well at job by playing politics and working hard, get paycheck, buy food and eat it. Not so intuitive.

When I fly into Los Angeles I shudder at what would happen if supply chain lines into that city were down for two weeks. You fly over it for a half hour and see nothing but concrete, buildings and lights. There's no way to raise your own food even if it were legal, which it's not (animals).
Click to expand...

Or it could be that parents are pussies and need to smack their kids in the face for being a smart ass or talking back.
Maybe when they catch their kids stealing a piece of candy they should embarrass the kid by walking him up to the counter in front of everyone in the store and say "i cant believe you just took that, you have to pay for things"
Perhaps when a kid throws his Wii remote through your brand new plasma TV you should blame the kid and not the manufacturer of the product that your child carelessly threw.
Possibly parents should teach their kids the value of a dollar and how mighty that dollar can be in your pocket / bank account instead of in some piece plastic that just magically pays for things.
 
Originally posted by: AreaCode707
I think it stems from the mass migration into cities and suburbs. The further we get from our agrarian roots the more we need specialized skills that are steps further and further away from intuitive basic self-preservation.

Wwe used to need to know how to grow food and prepare it
Now we need to know how to build a budget and timeline so we can run a project to implement software that's used to process a contract that allows another company to partake of your company's web design services so that the other company, doing whatever they do, can pay you so that their money can go through a complicated financial and HR system and process to make it to your paycheck so you can go to the store and buy some ingredients and go to allrecipes to figure out a recipe cook it.

I'm hungry, get food and eat is pretty intuitive.
I'm hungry, get good grades in high school, go to good college, get complicated skills, get complicated well-paying job, do well at job by playing politics and working hard, get paycheck, buy food and eat it. Not so intuitive.

When I fly into Los Angeles I shudder at what would happen if supply chain lines into that city were down for two weeks. You fly over it for a half hour and see nothing but concrete, buildings and lights. There's no way to raise your own food even if it were legal, which it's not (animals).
Click to expand...

Excellent point. I do not demand we grow our own food or any other hippie stuff. Just taking basic care of ones own needs using ones OWN and LEARNED knowledge.

It seems many are so paralyzed to figure something out to take care of basic needs because the basic knowledge isn't there.

 
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
Originally posted by: AreaCode707
I think it stems from the mass migration into cities and suburbs. The further we get from our agrarian roots the more we need specialized skills that are steps further and further away from intuitive basic self-preservation.

Wwe used to need to know how to grow food and prepare it
Now we need to know how to build a budget and timeline so we can run a project to implement software that's used to process a contract that allows another company to partake of your company's web design services so that the other company, doing whatever they do, can pay you so that their money can go through a complicated financial and HR system and process to make it to your paycheck so you can go to the store and buy some ingredients and go to allrecipes to figure out a recipe cook it.

I'm hungry, get food and eat is pretty intuitive.
I'm hungry, get good grades in high school, go to good college, get complicated skills, get complicated well-paying job, do well at job by playing politics and working hard, get paycheck, buy food and eat it. Not so intuitive.

When I fly into Los Angeles I shudder at what would happen if supply chain lines into that city were down for two weeks. You fly over it for a half hour and see nothing but concrete, buildings and lights. There's no way to raise your own food even if it were legal, which it's not (animals).
Click to expand...

Or it could be that parents are pussies and need to smack their kids in the face for being a smart ass or talking back.
Maybe when they catch their kids stealing a piece of candy they should embarrass the kid by walking him up to the counter in front of everyone in the store and say "i cant believe you just took that, you have to pay for things"
Perhaps when a kid throws his Wii remote through your brand new plasma TV you should blame the kid and not the manufacturer of the product that your child carelessly threw.
Possibly parents should teach their kids the value of a dollar and how mighty that dollar can be in your pocket / bank account instead of in some piece plastic that just magically pays for things.
Click to expand...

Agreed entirely. I'd label that "responsibility" rather than "taking care of yourself". Both do seem to be lost arts.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
Click to expand...

While that is a good point, it's kind of a side track. What ever happened to rewarding johnny at age 5 for making his own sammich?

Now I'm getting into an old age rant - You know what my folks did when there was a school snow day when I was in elementary school? Told me where the Hungry Man dinners were and how to work the oven. And to also be home before dinner and don't forget to lock up the house.

I didn't need to be rewarded for taking care of basic life necessities. It seems society has the mind of a 5 year old - I need, gimme.
Click to expand...

I'm in agreement with you 100%.
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
As a society we cater to the weakest link and make their weakness less of an inconvenience.

This has been going on for quite some time. This started a long time ago with a very innocent act. Parents wanted to protect their children from some of the hardships they experienced as they were growing up and it has snowballed into everyone getting a trophy at tee-ball among other celebrations for the weaker people in society.
Click to expand...

While that is a good point, it's kind of a side track. What ever happened to rewarding johnny at age 5 for making his own sammich?

Now I'm getting into an old age rant - You know what my folks did when there was a school snow day when I was in elementary school? Told me where the Hungry Man dinners were and how to work the oven. And to also be home before dinner and don't forget to lock up the house.

I didn't need to be rewarded for taking care of basic life necessities. It seems society has the mind of a 5 year old - I need, gimme.
Click to expand...

Man, when I had a snow day, I helped my dad shovel. When we got done, we helped our neighbors shovel.

Mom made our food, though. And I think I got "paid" for helping to shovel. After the shoveling, it was basically "come back at dinner time" and off we went to play in the neighborhood.

Fast forward to me at age 27, and I didn't see any of the neighborhood kids shoveling last week when we got snow. I was out there since I don't have any kids. I would've paid one of them to do it, since their parents probably told them to go out and offer. Oh well. My kids will help out and learn.
 
Ah, the pussification of America. It's been going on for quite some time now. Kids lack manners, financial responsibility, and basic life skills. You'd be appalled at how many kids my age don't know how to cook or clean, and have no sense of financial responsibility because they just use a credit card paid for by mommy and daddy. You'd also be shocked at the lack of common sense among people my age. Two weeks ago I interviewed for a promotion at my summer job (which I got). As I was sitting and waiting for my interview, I witnessed some woman filling out a job application for her son. It's a job application for a seasonal position... it's not brain surgery. My parents NEVER filled out applications for me, not even close. My dad has been working in upper management for many years now and I've learned so many skills and things about professionalism, personal responsibility, and motivation from him. I feel like those things are basic, and that everyone should know about them... but when I see a mom filling out and application for her lazy kid, I realize just how helpless kids these days are.
 
Originally posted by: sjwaste

Fast forward to me at age 27, and I didn't see any of the neighborhood kids shoveling last week when we got snow. I was out there since I don't have any kids. I would've paid one of them to do it, since their parents probably told them to go out and offer. Oh well. My kids will help out and learn.
Click to expand...

Yep. Kids now will sit inside while a service comes and plows their driveway that could be shoveled by a kid in 30 minutes. Their parents don't want them to go outside in the cold because they might get sick or slip and hurt their sauft wittle bottoms.

My dad used to tell me he had kids so he wouldn't have to shovel anymore. (jokingly of course).
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
From not knowing how to get a job, to cooking your own meals, to not knowing how to dress or groom oneself, to not even knowing how to pick up the phone and take care of something - be it trouble with your precious internet to OMG my pilot light is out!

Where did we as a society lose this basic ability? Why aren't basic life skills taught from parents to children or from interaction with others?

I wouldn't know how to get a job if somebody didn't teach me.
I wouldn't know how to cook my own meals if Mom didn't show me.
I wouldn't know how to dress or groom myself without dad showing me.
I couldn't fix my intarweb without picking up the phone.
I can only light my pilot light by working somewhere that used a gas water heater.
If I feel like crap then I need to take care of myself by taking my temperature, rest, fluids, etc.

What the hell is happening to society that people can't even take the basic measures to help themselves?

/end self-righteous rant
Click to expand...

Nobody is born knowing all of that. I think part of the question is why the heck aren't parents teaching their kids to cook or take care of themselves?
 
Originally posted by: spidey07
From not knowing how to get a job, to cooking your own meals, to not knowing how to dress or groom oneself, to not even knowing how to pick up the phone and take care of something - be it trouble with your precious internet to OMG my pilot light is out!

Where did we as a society lose this basic ability? Why aren't basic life skills taught from parents to children or from interaction with others?

I wouldn't know how to get a job if somebody didn't teach me.
I wouldn't know how to cook my own meals if Mom didn't show me.
I wouldn't know how to dress or groom myself without dad showing me.
I couldn't fix my intarweb without picking up the phone.
I can only light my pilot light by working somewhere that used a gas water heater.
If I feel like crap then I need to take care of myself by taking my temperature, rest, fluids, etc.

What the hell is happening to society that people can't even take the basic measures to help themselves?

/end self-righteous rant
Click to expand...

silly, the internet does all of that stuff for us, these days. didn't you get the memo?
😛
 
Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Now we're in a relative perspective argument. I could go back a hundred years and say that you taking a plastic tray of frozen prepared food out, turning a dial and sticking it in a box isn't doing much to take care of yourself. What would you do without a grocery store or automated transportation? 😛 All depends on what you consider taking care. I have a friend who could probably live off the land just fine but can't get a career-type job to save his life and will always struggle to put a roof over his head if he lives anywhere other than the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...

HAH! Showing your age. TV dinners were aluminum and they went into the oven!

I'm agreeing with you. Your friend is showing and has a learned/taught skill by somebody, you can't google that. Great at getting food, not so great at shelter. But somehow it seems to me basic life skills, the ability to live and take care of yourself (responsibility) is lost.

I guess I have officially crossed over to that "we walked to school, in the snow". It used to be uphill both ways by my almost 40 ass is just "walked a 1/2 mile to the bus stop, by ourself."

 
About the time we stopped chasing animals with sticks and moved into the Village. From then on we became dependent on others.
 
It's give or take. I know a large number of men in their 50's and older that haven't cooked a meal in their life. They have their wives actually lay out meals with explicit cooking directions if the wife has to leave for any extended amount of time.

Same thing with child care. I know a huge number of men a generation or two older than me that didn't spend a weekend alone with their kid(s) until they were 7 or 8 years old. They'd be hopelessly lost if they were forced to take care of an infant for more than 4 hours.

Women did everything for them since they stayed at home and did that stuff.

With the advent of dual income homes many men are being forced to do a lot more jobs that were traditionally women's.

 
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