The Terrible State of the World Today

[A. G. Tock]

I'd like to start this thread by giving a bit of background information regarding myself. I am an 18 year old freshman attending a private university. I am in a four year degree program, and my major is Global Security & Intelligence studies. I was raised in an affluent suburban neighborhood. Both of my parents attended some college, but neither of them hold degrees. My father is the owner and manager of his own company and he also manages the assets belonging to my family including real estate and other investments. My mother is chief controller at a geotechnical firm where she has been for 20 years. In short, my family's story is right along next to the American dream. My grandparents came to this country from western Europe after the second world war with $200. My grandfather worked hard for 30 years so his family could be in comfort. Now, thanks to his hard work, the apartment buildings he once did the janitorial services for belong to my family.

My parents raised me to work hard and to never surrender what I worked for. Growing up, intellectual pursuits were always much more important to my parents than anything physical, like sports. Instead of playing catch with neighborhood kids, I much preferred to read books that piqued my interest, listen to the radio, or watch documentaries on the history channel or similar. For some reason, I always enjoyed these kind of things much more than others my age.

Because of this, throughout my career in school, many of my teachers and administrators described me as extremely articulate and intelligent. Unfortunately, I never felt the need to apply myself through school, and I had a tough time following what I thought were stupid rules. I got in trouble frequently, and in high school my grades also suffered. I did end up graduating and getting into the well rated school I am in now, but I never once enjoyed my public education.

About halfway through school interestingly enough, I got a job working at an office. I worked in this office for over two years. My managers and supervisors all seemed to like me very much, and after a short time working at the office, they began to award me with more responsibilities that some employees who had been there for years had never had to the opportunity to take on. I left this job to go to college, but I have been asked to return in the summer time. Oddly enough, even while I could be failing classes in high school, I enjoyed my job. I was always on time, my work was done correctly, timely, the first time around. There was something I really enjoyed out of going to a job and earning my own way. I ended up making very good money for my age, and for a while I had more money than I knew what to do with, which of course I enjoyed.

On to what I am getting at; throughout my life, I have consistently run into people who are unmotivated, or unchallenged in life. I've noticed these types tend to complain a lot, but it never really bothered me. I knew this simply meant less competition for me in the end, but this changed when I arrived at college. Before I left to start my degree, I had an idealist view of what college would be. I figured it would be like minded individuals who were motivated to create and lead their own lives. It seems I have ended up in a place where the exact opposite is what I am surrounded by.

In short, just about everyone around me champions the idea of being stupid. When it comes to my education, I strongly enjoy my work. I feel my classes have purpose now, and that I have a real honest interest in what I am studying. Often, I find myself wanting to learn more about what I am studying in a particular class. I am proud that I can have an intelligent conversation about anything I desire, but all of the people around me are proud of the fact that they are self described as stupid. They have no motivation to have a better life for themselves, and they often reply to my intelligent comments with smartass comebacks which rouse laughter from those present, but to me all they do is make me fear for the state of the world.

I honestly never knew people like this were the majority population of the world. It is perfectly acceptable for these people I am surrounded by to spend the rest of their lives in mediocrity, never desiring to grow intellectually, or in their maturity level. They resent the fact that some have more money than them, and use the excuse that they have been cheated frequently. I am getting so sick and tired of having to live with people who simply accept what is given to them. Of course they feel they are in the right in their actions and feelings, but whenever I try to have an intelligent conversation with any of them, they either don't comprehend, or they become offended with what I am speaking in regards to because they are turned off by a few different words.

My motivation for posting this is because I feel so completely deprived going to school here. Back home, I had a few good friends who really understood where I was coming from. They felt the the same urge I feel, to learn and grow and to create things. Now that I am at school, I have had a hard time finding on another person who feels as I do, at least in my immediate surroundings. Everyone here simply takes what they are given, and then falls in line with all of the other people around. I suppose it's really that no one here likes to think for themselves.

Lastly, I would like to state that even with a serious lack of interesting conversation and people around me, I feel perfectly fine. I am very satisfied with who I am, and where I come from. I like being me, and the rude comments of others do absolutely nothing to change this or even challenge this. How can I argue with the fact that since I became quite happy with myself, everything else in my life has just seemed to fall right into place, while others are always facing a new struggle? I suppose what really gives me comfort, is that I know there are people who are motivated and have the brains to do as they please. They run the world around us, and are responsible for the creation of much of what surrounds us. I know I am one of these people.

I'd like to know what you think about this. Do you find that the people around you behave this way as well, or is it just my new location, or the fact that many of the people I am talking about are young? What's the deal?

Edited November 13, 2010 by A. G. Tock

[whYNOT]

A.G. :

Sounds like the growing pains of a potentially fine individual, to me.

It doesn't happen in one year, and at times your reach may exceed your grasp, but stay true to your values.

And resist comparing yourself to others, hard as that might be. That you have higher awareness than many of them, is a virtue you cannot compromise.

The state of the world? No, it's basically as it's always been, and you must design it around you.

(I hope that wasn't any more paternalistic than it needed to be, by the way.)

[Maximus]

You have to keep in mind that most of the kids you are in college with don't want to be there. The people of average intelligence who keep things running are already in the work force. They may not want to be there either, but at least they are somewhat productive. Like whYNOT said, it's the way it's always been, just keep doing what you're doing.

[ScarlettCatherwood]

I've been struggling with this type of thing virtually all of my life, at least when it comes to my peers. In college, it's just gotten worse. However, I came across this quote in a silly article I read about a week ago.

It’s his world and you just live in it.

This has really helped me to stay focused on me and the things that I have yet to do and accomplish. This is my world, they just happen to be here.

And if you want a laugh, here's a link to the article. The quote carries an entirely different meaning for the author, and I thought it was comical.

http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/blogs/smitten/2010/11/7-guys-you-should-never-date-s.html

[softwareNerd]

...I feel so completely deprived going to school here. Back home, I had a few good friends who really understood where I was coming from.

It's a fair bet that there are some folk around you like this, even if they're a minority. The question really is: how does one find them and make friends with them?

Not sure if you have any firm career-interests yet. If you do, the online-world usually offers some opportunity to interact with people who have the similar career interest. If, for instance, you're an architecture nerd there are probably ways to interact with other architecture nerds, and so on. If not around a career, perhaps you have some other interests.

[Lakeside]

That sounds eerily familiar. Having yet to face that actual real world (not to discredit your previous employment), your going to have a few more beatings in the way of realizations of those around you. They, who drown their lives in liquor and the pursuit of the mindless, will, at the drop of a hat, demand that you pay for the deficit of their lives. Not because your as sorry as they, but because you are all that they are not.

This is one of the biggest reasons I became self-employeed. I've earned a lovely lifestyle for myself, and no one else's. Though I am charitable (Operation SMILE, Breast Cancer research, mainly), when it was demanded that I slave away in a kitchen (was a chef) so that I could satisfy the needs of those who wouldn't/couldn't do what I do, I refused.

I wish you the best, and just know this; no matter where you go, there will be those who desire the unearned (materially and spiritually), but there are those who understand value-for-value. Seek them out.

[utabintarbo]

Do not confuse your college experiences with real life. Many of those smart asses will get slapped back into reality when they graduate, and are expected to do more than just try to be funny.

Face it, thinking about stuff in these terms (those of one who is philosophically oriented) is sometimes difficult. Most will avoid such labors. Those that don't will determine the future path of humanity.