Why don't more kids have respect for their accomplishments?

[Somedude21]

Or more to the point, their education? Case in point, in my stoner days in early college, I remember coming home with a bunch of buddies. I go out to the bathroom and when I return I see my best friend packing a bowl (that's a smoking pipe for those not in tune with the lingo) RIGHT ON MY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. I instantly ran for it and nearly smacked it right out of his hand, almost shouting something to the effect of, "Don't pack that bowl on my fucking diploma!"

My buddies stared at me almost as if to say, "What's the big deal?"

Another, broader case in point is back in my high school days. I remember feeling like I was the only one in all my classes taking my education seriously. Like, I knew that I was preparing for my eventual future, and all these pampered, suburban rich kids only worried about getting laid, getting good cars and getting intoxicated, it seemed. It was like no one gave a shit! They could only see the here and now, not the future. It kinda made me a little angry that this was going to be the future of our nation: a bunch of lazy, undriven pleasure-seekers.

I might not have done the best in school, but I still took my future seriously. When I walked down the isle to get my diploma, I felt a sense of PRIDE, dammit. I felt like I had taken the next step in my life, preparing for the bigger stuff to come. I looked around me and it seemed that half the people there couldn't wait to go to the after parties.

Now I go to a community college and I see some familiar faces from Niles West High School...and it's like nothing has changed. They still seem to be the same old bunch of undriven lazy rich kids that I grew up in my teenage years with. It mystified me: you're in COLLEGE and you can't begin to take your shit seriously? Are you fucking kidding me?

God. What the hell is up with the youth of this nation? Why can't we have a sense of accomplishment for what we've done? Why can't we just take some direction in our lives, grab our future by the horns and run with it (so to speak)? I remember being told back in my grandfather's days that things were different. Much different. Kids then weren't as spoiled and unappreciative as they are nowadays. Back then, they knew the value of a good education. They took their accomplishments in academia with PRIDE.

Now? I think I fear for our future.

[Night Rider]

society is slowly wasting away

[francisfkudrow]

I think there might be a perception among some people that any accomplishments they have made, or realistically can make, are insufficient in the greater scheme of things.

The classmates you speak of are probably thinking, "aw fuck it, I ended up in community college instead of Harvard, so I might as well not work but so hard". Whether this is a symptom of economic inequality, poor upbringing, or too much cynicism, I don't know, and I'll let others debate.

Still, as in all things, you need to have balance. Yes, they could probably benefit from some increased focus and ambition, but you could probably benefit from getting shitfaced drunk some evening.

[Kriss]

THIS IS NOT POLITICS OR RELIGION, SHOULD BE IN GENERAL DISCUSSION

[Night Rider]

THIS IS NOT POLITICS OR RELIGION, SHOULD BE IN GENERAL DISCUSSION

hahahahahahahahahahahaahahah i hope ur taking the piss kriss, otherwise ur madness has hit the 10mark...what about all ur politics related post in GENERAL DISCUSSION.....Pot-----Kettle------Black

[TJT]

I wouldn't worry about the kids today. I'm old enough to be your daddy. When I graduated from HS a good 10 percent of us were tripping on the latest batch of acid to hit town. The rest were either smoked up or liquored up. This was a working class HS. You either busted your ass and got out,or went to work in the plant.

My girlfriend,our class Valedictorian, went to Stanford and made big bucks in the software industry.I left on a scholarship to a small school in New England and did ok.

Hey Kriss,the guys from "The Tomb" say howdy.

[hippifried]

Like, I knew that I was preparing for my eventual future, and all these pampered, suburban rich kids only worried about getting laid, getting good cars and getting intoxicated, it seemed.
LOL! So what's new? "Kids these days..." Kids those days... I've been listening to this same complaint for over 50 years, across multiple generations. I remember as a kid seeing a quote with the same ramblings about the upcoming generation destroying the culture & all of civilization. The quote was from Aristotle. I imagine Oog the caveman was probably grumbling the same way when that little punk Glop & his gang of hoodlems took his favorite club to go off hunting without him.

Mr Dude (or Some, if we can be on a first name basis. If not, you may address me as Sir, whippersnapper), you're getting an awfully early start on this complaint. Trust me when I tell you there'll be worse ones coming your way. Damn! You're going to be a full-fledged curmudgeon before you finish getting all your body hair.

[trish]

it's true...it's not the young, upcoming generation that screwed things up royally, it's the generation of old farts who were lazy, selfish kids back then and are lazy, selfish bums in now. :)

[TJT]

And I'll be one until I'm a dead selfish old bum.