In a very unscientific study, I asked a simple question regarding today’s culture. Fascinatingly, there seems significant belief that there is something wrong; however, there is also significant disagreement in regard to what that wrong actually is.
90 respondents offered various insight. I was struck by the overlap; many people shared similar answers. But the reality within the responses is that there are some eye-opening themes, beginning with some basics… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture? (Note that answers have been somewhat simplified and combined…)
- Forgetting common courtesy
- No more manners and patience
- No kindness and humility
- Entitlement (… even “in our youth,” said one, noting the infamous “participation trophy”…)
- Expectation of immediate results; instant gratification
- Denial of what is true
- Hardheartedness
- How political correctness inhibits teaching and truth
- Little knowledge of history
- The value of money being placed above that of humanity
- Politics for profit
- Polarization
- Government dependency
- Basic respect and appreciation of differences
- Intolerance of different opinions
- Ignorance disguised as confidence
- The abandonment of “innocent until proven guilty”
- Becoming a culture of entertainment rather than work
There is also significant concern about ethical activity… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture?
- No common morality (no more right/wrong — do what feels right for you)
- The erosion of any sense of moral standards
- Fuzzy grey area being tolerated for everything
Many spoke about family and relationship… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture?
- The breakdown of the family unit and prevalence of single parent households
- Changed parenting expectations
- Distracted parenting and distracted people (… usually via technology…)
- The societal devaluation of God, life, and family
- God being eliminated from everything
- Not much emphasis on respect for another person/relationship
- The way we interact with and treat each other
- No grasp of authentic love (… without love, there is no discipline; without discipline, there is no respect…)
- People no longer take the time to truly understand a situation before they give their opinion
One surprising thing to me was the number of different ways respondents expressed concern about how we see ourselves… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture?
- Selfishness
- Self-righteousness
- Self centeredness (… this idea that “your happiness is all that matters”…)
- We actually believe the advertisers claim that “it’s all about you!”
- A “me-centered” outlook
- Self-love or self-worship
- Putting self and things in a role only capable of being filled by God
- Relativism or self-exultation (…thinking oneself is what matters most…)
- People believing their opinions/wants/needs are more important than anyone else’s
- Minimal concern for others (It’s all about a “me first” attitude anymore; driving, waiting in line, etc.)
- Our human nature to focus only on “me”
Not to be outdone, many mentioned some aspect of media or news… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture?
- Social media (… it creates many different problems… from bullying, to the “keeping up with the Jones’s” or the “grass is always greener” mentalities, to the hiding behind the computer and saying things you might not say to someone’s face.)
- Too much social media, news & no privacy (Everyone is looking at everyone’s lives and not living their own.)
- Sensationalism in the news and everyday life
- The free flow of information — creating, unknowingly, a surface-level-only knowledge
Lastly, I was struck by the plethora of “lack’s” (some just as above, that have been combined, and that overlap with above topics)… what do you think is the biggest problem in today’s culture?
- Lack of empathy
- Lack of compassion for others
- Lack of critical thinking
- Lack of education
- Lack of forgiveness
- Lack of foundation on truth
- Lack of commitment and loyalty
- Lack of moral values and faith
- Lack of reverence for God
- Lack of knowledge/belief/honor/respect of God
- Lack of decency and civility
- Lack of personal responsibility
- Lack of respect for the sanctity of human life (… including unborn, elderly, disabled, minority races…)
- Lack of trust
- Lack of tolerance
- Lack of respect for other nationalities, religions, customs etc.
- Lack of respect for our fellow man
- Lack of self-awareness
- Lack of perspective on how good a life we have and what we’re capable of accomplishing
- Lack of thoughtfulness
- Lack of accountability for one’s own actions
- Lack of love — true love — wanting the “best” for another
- Total lack of respect
That’s a lot of concern. Hence, allow me to conclude by sharing a single, brief reflection…
90 persons responded to my question. Of those 90 — people who hail from totally varied age, stage, circumstance, political leanings, etc. — there was much common ground and ample overlap. It thus seems to me that if we could somehow get past the age, stage, circumstance, political leanings stuff, then maybe, just maybe, we could start to wrestle with what’s actually wrong.
Respectfully… (yes, always…)
AR