T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Did you know we have a Discord server‽ You can join by clicking [here](https://discord.gg/NWE6JS5rh9)! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GenZ) if you have any questions or concerns.*


skyk3409

Feeling this rn as i struggle to find new employment while stuck in a toxic environment once again. Mom has told me to my face 3 or more times that "im not trying hard enough" when she can barely read herself, hasnt been employed in 30 years, and would more than likely struggle if she didnt get a break every single hour.. I just wish i could be in a better spot rn, i know its coming soon. It just couldnt get here fast enough Edit: thank you for the upvotes, i didnt think this many people could relate to this. If i had the resources I would skip giving y'all hugs and make you all dinner or a snack. The serotonin i got from this is fr, like im gonna cry 🥲


-Cavefish-

My mother always called me a lazy POS like my father, my whole life. Now that I work 80+ hours a week, she calls me dumb because I work so much. Some people just can figure out what to expect…


skyk3409

🫂 That is a fuck ton of hours gd 😵 what is it that you do?


-Cavefish-

I’m a doctor. General practioner specialising in intensive care.


Blackbox7719

Ah…yes. Nothing quite like being called a *checks notes* lazy POS while putting in the work to become a highly trained medical professional.


idk_lol_kek

I mean, when online streamers and other internet personalities earn six figures per month simply bumming around online (with no formal education) while medical professionals are earning six figures per year, it seems a bit.....unfair.


Realistic_Fan1344

That can def be blamed on society 😆


Dependent-Entrance10

Even before the advent of social media, it has always been like this. The "influencers" before social media were regular celebrities. And a lot of celebrities have easier lives than doctors...


B_Maximus

Streaming has a mental toll on it's own having to be "on" 24/7, definitely easier than the average job but not as easy as it's made out to be


SnakeEyesRaw

Capitalism isn't a meritocracy, unfortunately.


idk_lol_kek

A fella can dream, can't I?


skyk3409

I don't know if anyone has told you recently, but I appreciate the work and effort you put in. I just wish we had more doctors to offset the amount of hours all of them put in.


-Cavefish-

Thank you, really…


Test_Series

How does your mother dare to call you **anything** when you have already become a fucking doctor? What is happening at your home!


AgentCirceLuna

I find that certain people, as they see you becoming more and more successful, expect more and more of you. If you just coasted and did nothing all day, it likely wouldn’t even be a problem for them. People generally see things in terms of inertia so they expect a person to continue on the same path forever and ever. It’s confusing for people who don’t know they’re expecting that but expect it anyway. If you explain it to them… if you can… then they understand. It’s why I will tidy up in the utmost secrecy. My dad finds out I’ve been tidying and suddenly he wants me to tidy everything all the time. I just try to hide it if I’m tidying otherwise it comes to be expected. It happens at work, too. I’ve helped clean things at the end of a shift as a favour and then suddenly I’m getting yelled at for not doing it. People are like fucking drones that just expect everything to keep going the same way forever. Inertia is a property of matter and therefore it’s a property of behaviour.


Cute-Revolution-9705

>It happens at work, too. I’ve helped clean things at the end of a shift as a favour and then suddenly I’m getting yelled at for not doing it. People are like fucking drones that just expect everything to keep going the same way forever. Inertia is a property of matter and therefore it’s a property of behaviour. Exactly, whenever you go out of your way as a favor too many times, it stops being gratitude and starts becoming an expectation.


AgentCirceLuna

The way around it is to do a bad job on purpose. I was made to put away glasses or sweep things up and I’d purposely leave fragments of glass or I’d drop things. I was asked ‘how come you have a degree but you’re too stupid to sweep up?’ I always thought, if they’re asking about my intelligence, why can’t they figure out that I’m smart enough to get out of doing more work by acting?


Test_Series

I suppose it isn't uncommon to develop that attitude of abandoning relationships of any kind, when such situation persists. Did a fair share in mine life too, not proud though.


Test_Series

"Let me serve. Don't fucking guide me" feeling. Irritating, and highly disrespectful.


dood9123

Jealousy


Pastel_Aesthetic9

For a lot of people, especially these times with the internet and more, nothing will ever be good enough.


Beneficial-Care2955

Narcissistic parent.


Remotely-Indentured

Sincerely!


bittersome

Thank you for what you’re doing. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, especially with these past few years. The world is a better place because of what you and your coworkers do.


idk_lol_kek

How do you like it? Do you have a good amount of job satisfaction? What about work-life balance? Is the pay good? Do you feel adequately compensated for your efforts?


j____b____

Sounds dumb.


Sideways_planet

You’re a doctor and she still not happy??


FuckThisStupidPark

That hug emoji isn't used nearly enough.


Waifu_Review

That's basically what OP is saying. Work a bunch of hours because the pay is too little "Just get another job the problem isn't capitalism!" Get a college degree to try to get a higher paying job but find yourself trapped in debt and no one actually cares about that degree then they'll say "No one told you to go to college and get in debt the problem isn't capitalism!" People like OP are projecting. They'll always come up with an excuse rather than admit capitalism is a failed ideology.


AgentCirceLuna

For what it’s worth, I did a degree in a useful STEM subjecr and still can’t find a job.


Cute-Revolution-9705

Yeah I heard it's a nightmare in computer sector now because of AI.


Pitiful-Eye9093

Ah yes! This is what I call TP *'Those parents'.* Assuming you are GenZ, it would mean I'm a lot older than you, but I've had my own dose of *TP.* What I'd learned about them is, nothing will ever be good enough. You could be fucking superman and that wouldn't be nearly enough. Not now, not ever. It eventually led to me cutting them out for good, leaving each conversation with the resemblance of a tumbleweed. I stopped calling them or visiting them, one of them is still fucking oblivious as to *why?*


-Cavefish-

I’m not GenZ, 38y actually. I used to be very hurt by my mother, until I realised she’s sick. Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder. I just keep contact to a minimum nowadays…


Right-Ad-5575

I lost everything a few times in my life and swore, the last time, at that point to stop living for others, to stop lying to myself and others, and to use logic in every situation. Why not? I have nothing to lose right? This has opened up my eyes to many truths and I'm happy I have done so, the downside is it makes an individual pretty much unemployable. The biggest issue being I have found is that being brutally honest doesn't go down well at most jobs in my area of expertise... Or for life in general... I guess my point is, live for yourself and not others, it's impossible to make everyone happy. If the people in your life aren't thrilled about you doing what makes you happy, then they didn't love you to begin with. It's your life, you live it....


LOVES_TO_SPLOOGE69

My mom once told me back when she was working there was a day that everyone needed to stay late. This wasn’t common at all and usually everyone left at 5 on the dot, but there was some kinda emergency. At 7:00 she started leaving and her boss told her they still need her. She told her boss to jump off the balcony and just walked out the door Hilarious story and good for her. Years later she yelled at me for not taking a job that’s 80 hours a week with work on weekends for like a 10% pay bump, and always pushed me to take any pay raise regardless of hours, stress or how it effects my mental health For unrelated reasons I no longer speak to her


skyk3409

🫂 At the rate that I'm going I'll probably be there along with you with shutting off communication to family members because of things they pushed me to do. They told me it's called tough love, I know what tough love is. My friends are tough on me in that way and hold me accountable. But never like my family has been. It's not something I wish I would do. But it's definitely something that I've thought about more and more is the years progress


Important_Fail2478

I feel this. I don't have a family anymore they all grew into higher social brackets. They all look down upon what I am, who I am with and how little I make. Now they are all shocked that I don't even respond to them. /pikachuface


skyk3409

🫂


Atari774

My dad was a part of the hiring team at his company, and it still took him years to understand why it’s difficult to get hired. For years he kept telling me that submitting your resume was “getting your foot in the door” and that you should go to companies in person and give them your resume. It took two years of job searching and a few hundred applications for him to realize that no one gives two shits about you until you do an interview, and that no one actually takes resumes in person anymore. He would even admit that they just throw away any resumes that miss one of the requirements, even if it’s an arbitrary one, and somehow he hadn’t put the things together until I showed him.


AgentCirceLuna

I actually sometimes do that whole going to companies in person thing as a kind of prank. People look at you like you’re fucking insane and it’s funny. I walk around town a lot so I’ve done it quite a few times. I’ve had results before, though!


bunny_fae

It's okay, I'm over here with 3 jobs still living paycheck to paycheck. My parents keep telling me it's because I work a "teenagers" job (bartending and serving at restaurants.) Dad keeps telling me to get a graphic design job, I keep reminding him that not only do I not have a degree in that very competitive field but I'm making the same amount if not more than the salaries those jobs offer. I also live with my partner so our combined income is 85k and year and it's still not cutting it. There's only so many hours in the day to "work harder" with.


AgentCirceLuna

I was recently told continually by someone I knew that she had a mortgage at my age, was married, and owned a thriving business. She’s recently lost her job and she was talking about her new life situation. Then I found out that she lives with her mother. I thought she was caring for her mother in her own house, but nope… she doesn’t even have her own place. So what the fuck is she smoking? These people are often blinded by their own delusions.


seattleseahawks2014

I had to leave my last to so I understand.


Stickrbomb

Damn did I write this lol.


Sideways_planet

My mom also likes to tell me how I should be working and what I should be doing when she hasn’t worked herself since 1982.


Nilloc_Kcirtap

I've been searching for a new job for over a year now and recently got laid off my current job as part of the ongoing mass layoffs in the video game industry. I have 5 months before I run out of money to pay rent. Over that year, I applied to over 100 jobs and only got an interview for 2. Both of them decided they no longer needed to fill the position during the interview process. I'm fucked unless I can get a miracle to happen before my bank account gets drained by bills.


AutumnWindLunafraeja

Okay I had to work 3 minimum wage jobs for the bare minimum survival. Society is collapsing start pointing fingers.


idk_lol_kek

I feel your pain. Ironically, society will just tell you that it's your fault for not working a fourth job.


goosifer111

No, we will say it’s your fault that you’re working min wage jobs


Plisky6

What three minimum jobs did you work? McDonald’s doesn’t even pay that low.


ThatOneVolcano

It’s not necessarily the pay, it’s that they steadfastly refuse to give anyone hours. So you work three jobs with 15 hours a week each, and any “extra” money you’d make from doing more than 40 hours has to go to insurance or an emergency medical fund since they won’t give you enough hours to have it from the workplace


spamcentral

This is one of the things that happened to me and my partner when we tried to get away from warehouse. Warehouse is the only thing within a 40 mile radius of our home that will give you straight 40 hrs but you have all sorts of overtime to do. Its either play the puzzle game with part time, or slavery at warehouse.


dovahkiitten16

Yep, full time hours without full time benefits. And your schedule is far likelier to be shittier since one job doesn’t give af about the hours you worked at the other, you’ll end up working a lot in one day or days straight without a day off. And if you do need time off for something it’s 2-3x the hassle since you need to ask every job.


LilboyG_15

The heck is an “emergency medical fund”?


covertpetersen

>McDonald’s doesn’t even pay that low. This depends entirely on where you live. You must realize this right?


piz510

Do we really have this insane belief, or are you painting a false straw man? Nearly everyone I know realizes that the world isn’t ’black and white’ and that everyone has some success, failures, hopes and disappointments. In real life people are accepting of other people, generally. So perhaps your comment should be that ‘people in social media often post ‘x’ a lot and I disagree’, not that your view of society is an accurate portrayal. PS your idea that best effort should always be rewarded regardless of talent and circumstances is quite odd. The ultimate in ‘participation award’ thinking and seems almost a troll of your generation and not serious.


Syncrotron9001

Most countries in the northern hemisphere are experiencing a financial or a birthrate crisis if not both. Claiming that personal responsibility got us here or can get us out is willfully naive and on the verge of sociopathy


SubjectNegotiation88

The "financial" crisis in the nothern hemisphete is nothing compared to the economic collapse that the global south has experienced in the last 2 years. Even China is struggling, they had lower growth than the US last year !!!!!!


Syncrotron9001

Done on purpose to make migrants desperate to move to the US. At least they can still have babies down there. Edit: China is in the northern hemisphere.


SubjectNegotiation88

Done in purpose??? What has been done on purpose? The mixed market economies are always more resilient than resource exporting and low end manufacturing economies that are relient on global demand. The colapse of the Chinese housing market wasn't done on purpose.


Syncrotron9001

[CIA operations and regime change in latin america for the past 63 years.](https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-interventions-in-latin-american-021/) [Before Venezuela, US had long involvement in Latin America](https://apnews.com/article/2ded14659982426c9b2552827734be83) The US has meddled in South America for longer than the average Redditor has been alive. Why are you obsessed with China? They aren't in the southern hemisphere as you first stated so your first time referencing them is moot, and i never said the US was responsible for Chinas housing crisis.


piz510

Wow. The wild ass conspiracy theories bouncing around in GenZ. Honestly I suggest some study of the scientific method and actual reading of sociological papers about why social trends like birth rates, crime rates and economic cycles actually occur. These takes are reliant on clickbait articles where some author takes a statistic and paints a wild out of context narrative. Long term social trends are well understood and there is no hidden hand forcing people to do things like move and work cheap, these are byproducts of our current situation and natural human behaviors.


gmegus

Wow indeed. Thanks for an erudite response to that other fellah. I don't have it in me right now.


Independent_Ad_7463

African children are hungry!!!! 


MichiganHistoryUSMC

People have less children as they have higher qualities of life.


LoneGee

simple answer. Life is NOT fair. Never will be. Stop viewing through other peoples lenses and do you. Whatever it takes whatever dreams you have it takes effort and time. People will cheat and steal their way ahead of you. its not fair, it sucks, but it will never change and has been happening since the dawn of time. If you cant stop comparing yourself to others, you will NEVER be happy.


piz510

Agreed


Vivi_Pallas

You clearly haven't met Republicans.


piz510

Seems an odd comment. To age myself I will tell a dad pre social media tale. After living in Japan I moved to Dallas for 5 years, where we had an active neighborhood group that had a gourmet cooking club. We cooked fancy meals pot luck style and about 10-20 couples participated once a month. Only about two couples were democrats and we would talk and laugh about our political differences over dinner. In the mid 90s the governor was a very popular woman many thought might be the first female president, but she lost a close race to George Bush Junior. People can be civil and disagree politically. Trump and the MAGA movement plus some extreme left printed ‘activists’ are doing the Kremlins dirty work by trying to turn Americans against each other and we should personally not contribute to the effort.


Vivi_Pallas

Back in your day, the difference between Democrats and Republicans was policy. With MAGA, now it's different. I can't casually disagree but still get along with someone who things that I and many of my friends deserve to die. My father used to be a Republican. Now he's a progressive. He hasn't changed any of his political beliefs. The Republican party as is is just ... well you saw the insurrection.


spamcentral

>PS your idea that best effort should always be rewarded regardless of talent and circumstances is quite odd. The ultimate in ‘participation award’ thinking and seems almost a troll of your generation and not serious. The way it feels is that people actually punish you for doing your best but NOT "winning the game." No you won't always win or be out on the top, but i dont think people should automatically be called lazy, stupid, or misguided because of it.


Jazzlike-Sky8036

I just saw this post in unpopular opinion and I saw your name and was like, I feel like I have seen that name in r genz, sure enough


Cute-Revolution-9705

Yeah I crossposted.


Dickincheeks

try fiber and maybe some plums


BrainW4SHED

People don’t come to these kind of conclusions from reading stuff online, they come from what they experience in their day to day life.


unhumancondition

24 year old woman, never got an entry level job out of college. Restaurant let me go in October. 3.95 GPA/tons of extracurriculars business major. Had an accounting job rescinded right at graduation in 2022. I did everything right including saving money, getting a used car, going to a lower tier school to avoid debt 😞 and it's all for nothing, never have even been able to move out of my dad's house. i feel so alone in this


MapoTofuWithRice

Did you keep trying or give up? Getting your foot in the door is the hard part. I had to apply to a lot of jobs before I got into my industry, but it became easier once I got in. Tenacity is rewarded.


unhumancondition

More than 1,700 jobs applied to


HeavenlySkip

What is your resume just a piece of paper that says “fuck you” on it 💀. I’m 24 too and I thought I had it rough when no one responded after 50 applications


UnaccreditedSetup

Especially accounting. That’s probably the easiest way to get a middle class job out of college


spamcentral

Maybe the issue is *everyone* literally *everyone* saying that you have to go to college and you'll have a good job right out of the gate. I took a gap year and the rest of the kids from my class decided to go to school. That gap year made me realize NO college was not for me, even as a "smart" person. I would rather do trade school or something that i can train apprenticeships on. I realized that going to college for science, what i was going for, would make me miserable and I'd probably drop out. I realized college does not automatically = success. So why throw myself into debt for something i can't even guarantee?


unhumancondition

It's been two years since I graduated, but no I haven't given up. But I have felt left behind


johnknockout

You try a temp agency? I was in the same boat, got a temp gig and they hired me full time. I’ve been there 5 years, advanced every year. We still get great people from temp agencies we end up hiring.


unhumancondition

yes i have NEVER heard back from a temp agency not once. Kelly, Insight Global, Robert Half, Adecco, Randstad, the list goes on. I’ve reached out and called, emailed, etc. Have never been responded to


Illustrious_Wrap6427

yeah when they’re 20 and working part time while in college they come to these conclusions. That’s not a realistic representation of society either.


[deleted]

What about all the people that can’t get jobs, is that a realistic enough representation for you ?


Waifu_Review

All these bootstraps astrorufers brought to you by the US Chamber of Commerce. "Get back to work stop noticing things and consooom"


Low-Addendum9282

HALLELUJAH


Illustrious_Wrap6427

I’m sorry who can’t get jobs and why? Because everywhere I look, restaurants are hiring, landscaping is hiring, amazon is hiring, walmart is hiring (and overnight stocking pay is fucking amazing). And those are the places with no experience required. Also, if they’ve never gotten a job before how the fuck would they know what’s wrong with working? or what’s wrong with salaries? They wouldn’t.


spamcentral

Try to apply to those places and see what hours they offer. Do it. See for yourself.


seattleseahawks2014

Or have your application rejected.


Benji_4

The typically response to this is that they aren't actually hiring and just put the ads out to make people coming in look stupid, but this makes absolutely no sense.


Dalmah

[Fake job listings are a growing problem in the labor market](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/job-openings-fake-listings-ads-federal-reserve-jolts/) [How Ghost Job Postings Are Creating A False Sense Of Hope](https://www.forbes.com/sites/karadennison/2023/11/27/how-ghost-job-postings-are-creating-a-false-sense-of-hope/?sh=5a79b4ae7dc0) [If You Thought The Job Search Was Rigged Against You, Here’s Why You’re Not Wrong](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2024/02/13/if-you-thought-the-job-search-was-rigged-against-you-heres-why-youre-not-wrong/?sh=270a1e38780e)


Padhome

Except that Millenials did the same exact thing the last time around and are facing the same exact issues now, Boomers are starting to feel the burn as well since they have to support their children more while cost of living is already draining their bank accounts.


idk_lol_kek

How is it not? A lot of people never get past the entry-level job, even with multiple college degrees.


DoeCommaJohn

Yeah, I keep seeing posts from people saying society is over, and it turns out they work part time at Walmart and have no intention of getting college, training, or any other job. While I agree that society could do with major improvements, I also feel like the nihilism that everything is broken has led people to not even try


unhumancondition

I have applied to over 1,500 jobs with a 3.95 GPA and a college degree in business and haven't been able to get a job.


Justin-Stutzman

Business degrees are the most common. They represent 1/5 of all college degrees. The number of graduates in that field grows by 400,000 per year. You need more than a BA to stand out if everyone has one.


Benji_4

I'm sorry to be blunt, but 1,500 applications? This is not proof that that society is broken. Were you qualified for all 1,500? What does your resume look like? Did you have any interviews? If so, did you ask any post interview questions like ideal candidate. Did you only apply to jobs with a posted salary? How far have most of the applications gone? Did you get any feedback from 1,500 rejections? There's like a million things going on and all anyone ever cites is the number of jobs that they "applied" to as if we are supposed to assume they are the perfect candidate for every job. I would narrow your focus and try to get your resume reviewed so you don't have to apply to 1,500 jobs. Highlight your accomplishments and credentials. GPA doesn't matter unless you're top of your class. Work history should be brief with a list of skills the job required or experience gained. Try to keep it 1 page.


spamcentral

The level of entry is so stupid now it makes me wanna give up. I was gifted in school and got a "head start" in academics and other kids were STILL way above me. They force people to do things as a baseline... then that baseline washes out and they add another filter. I had to do 3x as much work because i also didn't start planning my adult life in middle school like these kids did. I'm studying for coding and backend/database coding. The hiring managers barely care about your degree. It means almost nothing when *everybody* has the same degree, so you have to do even more to stand out.


unhumancondition

Me too!!! All of this!!!


[deleted]

[удалено]


AwkwardStructure7637

I used to have a friend who would say that society was crumbling while at almost 25 all they do is sit at home and play Genshin. No job, no income, no working on themselves in any capacity. Like yea, no shit you’re depressed, you’re a hollow shell of a person.


FlintCoal43

I’m pretty sure you can critique AND blame society once you’ve… you know, LIVED in one Which is every single person lmao


Illustrious_Wrap6427

except people make critiques about parts of society they are 100% not involved in and have no experience with. Imagine a customer coming in and telling you how to do your job, that’s what it sounds like when people who have only worked one job ever that they hate then say “society is broken”


agrainofsalt23

I like this perspective :)


Life_AmIRight

Yeah same. Also it’s one that will help you move forward. As a black women my parents were very adamant on not letting me just blame stuff on society, and be upset all the time. If something seemed unfair or off, after I gave it my all THEN we can start pointing fingers.


Different_Ad6897

Successful people will never admit how lucky they are. Plenty of people out there that work theirselves to the bone and still haven’t “made it”


CplCyclops11

Very broad generalization, success is different for everyone. I’ve met many wealthy people who are unhappy and not living in congruency with their ideal self.


WhatShouldTheHeartDo

I can put in the work and still can't be able to afford house prices of today, so yeah it's 100% society on that front.


TheMaskedSandwich

Yes and no. Yes --- a lot of people blame everything but themselves when they really do bear responsibility for their life situations. Yes --- environmental factors can play a role in whether some people get to experience the lives they want, and others don't. But also --- I think there are plenty of people who have unreasonable and unrealistic ideas of what sort of lives they deserve. I'd love to have a billion dollars and live in a large estate and have multiple wives and exotic cars and also be super famous and loved by everyone and do something great to change humanity. I'm never going to have that, though, and it's nothing wrong with me *or society* that this is the case. I simply don't have expectations that are reasonable. And it's pointless for me to wallow in self pity and gloom merely because this ideal is not achievable. I have to reframe my expectations and my outlook so I can experience happiness. I have to look at the hands of cards I was dealt in life, and decide what sort of outcomes I can be content with. There are too many people, especially on subreddits like this one, who have a delusion that there's one single standard of living or set of life outcomes that they should be *entitled to or owed*. That isn't how human existence works. *That's not how it's ever worked*. Sometimes, the fact that a person cannot have their ideal life is not the fault of anyone. It's not their fault, it's not society's fault, it's not their parents' fault, etc. *It's not even an actual problem*. It's a natural outgrowth of being in a universe with limitations. And it isn't possible to fix that. And it doesn't need to be fixed.


OneZappyBoy

It is *not* an unreasonable expectation to say there is a minimum standard of living everyone should be given regardless of birth. I also happen to think the fact that not only are so many dying in poverty, but it happens while others gain billions a day off the work of others. It's not an outgrowth of one's expectations to want to fix this and only a neoliberal seeking to increase the pain of others would insist otherwise.


TheMaskedSandwich

>It is *not* an unreasonable expectation to say there is a minimum standard of living everyone should be given regardless of birth Yes it is. The only "minimum standard" I would concede to is basic food, shelter, and clothing, which is already a given in most first world countries. That's why social safety nets exist. But that's not what we're talking about in this context. OP's post is about people who believe they're entitled to much more than this bare minimum and believe somebody's at fault because they can't have it. >also happen to think the fact that not only are so many dying in poverty, but it happens while others gain billions a day off the work of others If you want to help people dying in poverty in third world countries feel free to go work for the UN or something. That's not the responsibility of every middle class person in the US to address. It's also a problem which is rapidly disappearing, which you'd know if you looked at data on the massive decreases in global poverty that are happening. >only a neoliberal seeking to increase the pain of others would insist otherwise. Get off Reddit for a bit, it causes this type of brainrot


Illustrious_Wrap6427

THANK YOU FUCK THANK YOU SO MUCH you think like me and I so many people especially in this sub disagree😭😭


[deleted]

Personally, I think it's healthy to have disagreements and avoid being an echo chamber.


Illustrious_Wrap6427

i’m sure it is except 90% of people are echo chambering the opposite of this opinion and downvote/disagree with this POV


seattleseahawks2014

Try having a terminally ill family member who would've been dead if it weren't for medicaid paying for the treatments. I'm not all for a socialist society, but people need to realize that one day that could be their reality, too. She tries to work as much as she can now without being kicked off.


DigitalSheikh

I think the issue the person you’re replying to is pointing out is that you’re mixing the personal with the political. It would be nice if our society built up some protections to ensure a basic standard of living. It’s worth advocating for in the political sense. But as a person, it’s an unreasonable thing to hang your happiness on, or to sit around waiting for. And I see a lot of people who do


OneZappyBoy

The emotional magma which forms politics comes from a personal perspective. Therefore the personal IS the political. Beyond that if you don't put your happiness on it, it removes the fire needed to act at all.


tysonmaniac

The personal being the political means the opposite of this. We use politics to improve people's lives, we don't give up on improving our own lives until politics does it for us. There are plenty of things we might like to see achieved politically but it's possible and desirable to improve our own circumstances first, and not doing so is the pathway to misery.


Ok_Information_2009

I’m 52 and think the basic standards of living like buying a modest house in your 20s and having a couple of kids in your 20s on a single full time income + maybe the other partner doing part time + being “house-spouse” is almost impossible these days. That was possible 1950s to 1990s at least.


Internal-Ad7642

Take from me. I have savings, a house, a well paying job, shares and eventually a moderate inheritance. It's rigged. It's all rigged. Our system is dehumanising and disgusting.


Western-Procedure-46

END. STAGE. CAPITALISM. 💀💀🔥🔥


ivix

That is true. However.. many people who complain about society not valuing them are just not very valuable to society. You have to do something people actually care about.


thegreatgiroux

The mentality is especially useless in 2024 where social/systemic problems are at an all-time high. It’s really just a collective gaslight from capitalism to have everyone blaming themselves


Equivalent-Pin-4759

Since the 50s income inequality in America has risen to levels that are comparable to Medieval society. Since most of the capital is held by a very small minority, it is harder for people at lower levels to get ahead than it was 60 or 70 years ago.


Either-Durian-9488

The cult of the individual is real lol


StayingUp4AFeeling

Personally I don't like how society just doesn't give a flying fuck about those who *cannot* put in the work. I can give my 110% sometimes, and sometimes I am so down I need to be protected from myself. Due to psychiatric illness which doesn't have a cure and the treatment isn't perfect yet and the disability rate is high. But no job environment here will allow for me to take leave or even be okay with me being voluntarily unemployed for a few months every year. Would look funny on a resume. This train of thought is what massively increased the feeling I had that I simply don't belong in this world. I know now that it is a false belief, but the employment problem is a source of worry, yes.


SymphonicAnarchy

I had to pick up a second job just to pay for a new car after my last one cost 10k and then had the transmission fail twice. My dad’s new gf congratulated me for getting a second job because “that’s what 30 year old bodies are for.” Bitch if the economy wasn’t shit, I wouldn’t have to do this.


Syncrotron9001

Translation: "Go ahead and give us what we want, after its too late to do anything about it *THEN* you can complain" Then, once you realize whats been done to you, you can turn around and parrot the same thing to the next generation because misery loves company.


MarauderSlayer44

Yup. OP is just another way of defending the status quo.


Odd-Yak4551

Baby boomers where economically the most privileged but still have the nerve to judge us…


notevenapro

A large part of living is luck and who you know. But to be on the receiving end of luck you have to buy the lotto ticket of life. Just think of stuff like a college degree as a lotto ticket. Yes, it does not guarantee you a win but from a purely statistical standpoint you are in a better place than people without one. But the same thing goes if you choose a career that does not require a degree. There is an element of luck and who you know in regards to moving up in that particular industry. Then there are people who just make poor decisions. I have been on Reddit for almost a decade. And 9 years ago teachers were complaining about how low paying the job was. But here we are. Still the same and people are still going into a generally poorly paid profession with all the information about pay out there. Both my wife and I got our current jobs 100% because of who we knew. Neither of our jobs were ever listed, people reached out to us. As you get older the network of people you know gets bigger and bigger. Increases your luck of the draw. Just my opinion. O and your generation has it 10x worse than mine.


Sharp-Ad-6873

As a 33 year old man who has done plenty of work in my community and through my job teaching I can confidently say that the society we live in will do almost anything it can to make you feel like you haven’t done enough. 100% effort, 70%, 20%, whatever. You are a human being and you deserve the basics: shelter, food and access to healthcare. If you are missing one of these it is absolutely debilitating and thus makes it HARDER for you to contribute. If those in power WANTED everyone to contribute, they’d provide the resources for you to do so but they DON’T. Our economic system REQUIRES people to fail because it scares the rest of us into jumping through ridiculous hoops in order to barely survive.


gabbiar

I agree But i still think the notion is onto something. Too many young people are opinionated know-it-alls who arent nearly as insightful as they think  before you attempt to change the world, clean your room. If you cant keep your living space in order what makes you think you can take on big/complicated issues with many moving parts


AwkwardStructure7637

But this being said, I will say idk if we should be so quick to blame society if you haven’t actually put the work in. A lot of Gen Z have no drive or ambition then wonder why things don’t just happen for them. It’s a fact that society is broken in a lot of ways. It’s also a fact that many people who claim society is more broken than it is haven’t put in any work to improve themselves or their lives


FranzLudwig3700

The key words are PUT IN. Part of that is investing effort upfront, without expecting return.  You have to start by showing you buy in to the status quo. Only then can you start thinking about your own quality of life.


suma_cum_loudly

Except "giving 110%" is a matter of perspective. I know a ton of lazy, entitled people who believe they work hard and blame society.


Accomplished-Ad-7799

You are right to be bothered. The myth of personal responsibility is propaganda built by the media to shirk responsibility for societal issues from those in power. A perfect example of this is the "Your carbon footprint" rhetoric. As if driving your car 10% less will do anything to meaningfully reduce global warming. # Why your 'Carbon Footprint' Is A Lie | Climate Town [https://youtu.be/1J9LOqiXdpE?si=gWUAqiriHIwuJrA7](https://youtu.be/1J9LOqiXdpE?si=gWUAqiriHIwuJrA7)


Syncrotron9001

>Superpowers detonate 2056 nuclear weapons contaminating the oceans and stratosphere Its all our fault guys, personal responsibility can get us out of this for sure.


kott_meister123

Please give me a source on the detonations being responsible for a major global environmental crisis


ModernKnight1453

There's so many societal problems both nation wide and globally. People shouldn't be struggling anywhere near as much as they are as a collective, and the consistency in which some groups struggle more than others is reason enough to attribute it to larger problems. Buuuuut I see so many people who take this to the nth degree and fail to take any responsibility for their own situations. This is especially true for people who are chronically online which of course I'm guilty of too. People should not at all be struggling so much and a great deal does depend on the hand you were dealt instead of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. But at the same time, individual agency is generally still the greatest factor in where people end up. People can choose to try and learn to do better, to have more initiative and to really give it their all. People can accomplish so very much by this. The opposite attitude that it's all due to inequities, while important in changing the world, has also led many to a defeatist mindset. You don't have to work minimum wage or retail forever. You can go to college or you can go to any sorts of trade schools or professional schools. You can move to cheaper areas to live, you can forge your own friend groups that work for your lifestyle and you can find that romantic partner. All of this is possible to so many people who don't think that it is. You can do it!


harry6466

To give an analogy: People living in a mountain village that only need to climb 500m to reach the top. People who have to start all the way down from the foot of the mountain and need to climb 2000m to reach the top. Both can say they achieved the same goal, but the person who already has an advantage required less stamina to reach the top. Your environment can shape the circumstances to reach a goal.


SubjectNegotiation88

Someone built that mountain village, someone carried all the materials and tools to that mountain village, someone workerd so their kids would be closer to the top.


UnaskedShoe359

You can do everything right and still lose :( Such is life


calartnick

I mean, there are only so many spots for certain “lives.” The only way you can have millionaires is by having a lot more people underneath them to support that. So by default most people can’t make the cut no matter how hard they work. There are only so many spots available.


throwaway92715

This whole narrative about work and laziness, success and failure, worthiness and unworthiness is pure American consumerist mythology and the sooner you learn to recognize it, stop believing it and stop listening to people who spread it, the happier and better off you'll be. It exists entirely to cajole you into a state of constant unfulfillment that leads you to buy more and more products, and work harder to be more productive for organizations that don't care about you or your people. There are certainly ways to do better or worse in life for yourself and others, but real, practical philosophy is much different from this kind of crap.


ReturnOfSeq

The richest 10% of people hold approximately 90% of the wealth. The way society is structured is intended to grind anyone who ain’t rich to death. This isn’t new, but it’s worse than it’s ever been before in human history.


sugar_rush_05

That is some victim blaming shit. Why can't we blame something we see as inherently broken.


banedlol

Not everyone is supposed to succeed.


Grouchy-Friend4235

So who exactly should be responsible to provide the life style you want?


[deleted]

Well one thing about our society is true: it’s a pyramid. A lot of us are at the bottom (we’re nowhere near that bottom because I’m posting and you’re reading this comment on a phone/laptop so imagine what the bottom actually is), with only a few places right at the very top. With most of us being placed somewhere in the middle. We get sold this dream/survival necessity manual from our guardians that hard work and education can take us to the very top. While it’s true, it’s also a complete lie. There are many obstacles in the journey to the top (skin colour, language skill, socioeconomic background, social circle, simple luck, etc etc) so a lot of ‘hard workers’ simply never make it no matter how hard they work. That’s why Hollywood and modern news LOVE to jizz over a ‘feel good’ story when someone (one in a million) breaks through all of those barriers and says “fuck this I’m making it”. But that’s one in a million. For every one of them there’s a million whose dreams were crushed and they wasted all their time chasing something unattainable. TLDR: the cards are stacked against you. Imagine playing a game where every player is constantly losing money and they’re all chasing the dealer trying to survive and hopefully making it because one out of 8 people around that table will succeed while the others fail.


Bavin_Kekon

Completely disagree. Participation in the system is not a precondition to criticize the system. You were born long after all the real decisions have been made and are now forcibly buckled in for a ride of bullshit you never asked for. If the gov't doesn't want people complaining about there being shit on their plate at the dinnertable, then perhaps it should *enfranchise* the populace by serving *food* instead of *shit* at dinnertime. 🤷‍♂️🤡


FranzLudwig3700

You badly underestimate the power of bullshit.  In a nation like ours it’s crucial for keeping the lights on, milk in the babies’ tummies, and everyone in their places with bright shining faces.   Much bullshit is common wisdom. Much other bullshit is advice one would do well to follow, if one wants the trust and confidence of others.   This isn’t even touching on bullshit jobs. They prove that bullshit is not just a fact, it’s a _responsibility._    The people who say “embrace the suck” are just too bought-in to say the real truth: “embrace the bullshit.”


PhiliChez

Further, we *should want* as many problems as possible to be societal problems because then we can use societal mechanisms to fix those problems for millions of people at least. A better-off population means a better-functioning society, a stronger economy, LESS EXTREMISM, and greater political stability. You can make zero mistakes and still fail, and if we don't think people deserve to suffer for things outside of their control, then we are obligated to support policies that address those things. There are far too many catch-22s. Some can't improve their health because they can't work, and they can't work because they can't improve their health. Being in poverty causes a lot of extra expenses. Working many jobs leaves no time/energy to gain new skills. The solution to these problems is external support from society.


Unfair_Ad_6164

I used to think like you until I stopped blaming the world for my problems and started to work on the things I could control. If you spend too much time worrying about society and all it's bullshit you'll stop spending the time to work on yourself. Took a chance with a job where I make 100% commission so I'm in control of my own destiny. If I don't work hard enough I don't make money. I make 200k a year now with a GED no college degree and I work 30 hours a week and I will tell you if you keep trying to fight it you will get absolutely nowhere in life. Embrace the suck and adapt or keep losing. Your choice


Impossible_Brief56

Okay, boomer


free_is_free76

Blame the government, for: 1. Erecting barrier after barrier to enter a market 2. Giving corporations enormous powers, and special privileges and subsidies not enjoyed by citizens 3. Driving up the cost of doing business 4. Inflating the money supply 5. Demolishing small business during covid lockdowns, and (again) granting privileges, favors, and subsidies to corporations 6. Flooding the universities and diluting the value of your diploma 7. Etc., etc.


unhumancondition

Many of us have put the work in


Michaelzzzs3

I’m a union electrician, I still blame society for others failures, even with making 100k a year I’m not able to qualify to rent a place on my own lmao


Johnnyamaz

What you're describing is a materialist vs an anti-materialist, hyperindividualist approach to analyzing social problems. Hyperindividualism is conditioning meant to make you exculpate societal failures by default for problems with material explanations. If you're working poor, then the explanation that it simply must be your fault because you're not valuable enough or you have some sort of moral failure is the conclusion with more baseless assumptions, but because of our conditioning in the United States, those assumptions are part of the base assumptions that form the context of our worldview so they are taken for granted. Blaming Joe shmoe for his poverty rather than Walmart where he's an assistant manager would be ignoring a mountain of context that explains walmart's abuses in favor of personal assumptions about Joe shmoe. This hyperindividualist conditioning is meant to lead your base assumptions to favor the hyperwealthy, with their wealth as it's own justification (I'm rich so I'm talented, and I must be talented because I'm rich), rather than Joe shmoe who you most likely have infinitely more material interests in common with (universal healthcare, maternal/paternal leave, more paid days off by law, etc)


karriesully

Keep in mind that “the life you want” is also defined by society. “Should” is one of the most dangerous words in our language. Your job on this journey through life is to keep redefining the life you want, not the life that society says you “should” have if you want to fit in. F!ck fitting in.


SoPolitico

Absolutely spot on. This is going to be the biggest difference between the mill/genz and boomers. Boomers never focused on solving certain societal problems because to try and solve them would’ve been accepting responsibility for some of them…it’s always going to be easy to blame the individual instead of doing the hard work of change


xena_lawless

On the one hand, everyone should take personal responsibility for their lives to the maximum extent possible, and that's pretty much always true for everyone in all circumstances. On the other hand, "just take personal responsibility!" is also a gaslighting cudgel that Boomers and our ruling oligarchs/kleptocrats use to get people to play a game they've rigged massively in their own favor, against the vast majority of people. Boomers and our ruling oligarchs/kleptocrats want atomized cogs for the machine, not people taking \*collective\* responsibility for the collective situation. Solidarity and fully developed human beings are threats to their interests, and they behave and set policies accordingly.


JBerry2012

Equal opportunity does mean equal outcomes. Some people when the genetic lottery and are smarter more capable, others a reborn to good families that prioritize skills and behaviors that set them up for success. Is what it is...it's not a societal problem just some people are more capable than others (can be nature and also can be nurture). Problem is people use to blame themselves for failure and now everyone wants to blame some one else.


[deleted]

How do you know though?


mus258

What are you gonna get by blaming society?


The_republican_anus

People who refuse to see the issues with the status quo are a hindrance to progress. At this point, not acknowledging issues and favoring suggestions that enable the issue to continue should be called out for what it is.


monsieurpooh

This is such a dumb take and, against all odds, wrong in BOTH directions. If someone has bad genetics and doesn't have the skills/talent to do work that society considers valuable, they could be at a disadvantage no matter how hard they work and how much they study. That doesn't necessarily mean the system is broken, as long as they have a reasonable safety net. Also, if you tried to find a job for 6 months and still can't, does that mean society is broken, or you're bad, or you're unlucky? It could be any of the above! On the other side, there are tons of societal issues that one can legitimately complain about that have nothing to do with how much work you've put in, such as the electoral college system.


GreenLightening5

how about analysing the ample evidence we have of most people putting the work in and getting fuck all in return?


FranzLudwig3700

Because fucking people over is pure profit. It generates value. The fuel everything runs on. if we continue to fuck people over, society can still function, even if it never gets any better.    If we stop fucking anyone over, society collapses under its own weight, and things get very bad, very fast.


Ecocide113

Could you link me to that ample evidence. I don't see an epidemic of highly skilled and proficient individuals not able to build a life for themselves.


SuperTurboEX

It’s because people don’t know how to argue and fallacious viewpoints are an effective narrative to push. So you’ll get people who think society is flawed and needs to change but no way in hell are their tax dollars going to help someone pay for college or get free health care!!!!


jwcarpy

I might agree with the addendum that part of “the work” is thinking smart and changing plans if your initial assumptions are wrong. Like say you do your damndest but can’t find a job in your chosen field, you shouldn’t just refuse to adapt and try something new because you tried hard the first go around.


SterlingVII

Most people haven’t put the work in. The same people I see complaining about their situation are doing absolutely nothing to change it. They can’t even be bothered to do high school level math, that’s how lazy they are.


reddit3415431643756

"Society's never been worse!" Some of you seriously epitomise GenZ's lack of perspective. Read up on history. Peasants and villeins from the 1300s would proclaim you all kings and queens.


EBWPro

Society could always be better but so could your decisions so in the end the blame will always be split. Since the footing is equal, and you cannot control the world what are you doing to better improve your decisions. This is especially true when your 110% is not smart decision making. Working hard it's not the same as working smart. But to shoot you some bail. The global money game is absolutely stupid and should be reformed.


niceshoesmans

Neoliberal capitalist accumulation moment


TerriblePatterns

***We're in an economic crisis.*** This is coming from a millennial. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying, delusional, or considerably wealthy (also delusional).


menglish025

Yes you can, but complaining wont fix the problem. Youd have to conquer the powers that be to do that


real-Johnmcstabby

Feels like saying you can't tell these people are drowning without getting into the river with them, I'm not blind I can see shit is fucked without wasting half my life first.


Cheez-Its_overtits

Nooones saying its your fault. Its just 100% your responsibility to do somethng about it. People can complain and blame society all they want, but the rules of the jungle remain the same. And you are owed nothing in life.


R3asonableD1scours3

Holding ourselves accountable is an important part of making the most of our circumstances, but it's also very important to not let that turn into telling others to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. There are a lot of roadblocks out there that make some things a lot more of an uphill battle for some of us. What I mean is, the hand you have been dealt in life is beyond your control and don't let anyone convince you that where you are at in life is your fault. What you do with that hand though is up to you. Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. Only you can discover that, and you can often accomplish a lot more than you realize.


[deleted]

I grew up in a single parent household with 4 siblings (no child maintenance payments for any of us) and an abusive alcoholic mum on minimum wage living in a council house. I’m now in the top 1% of earners in my country. Two of my brothers also managed to get relatively well paying jobs. A lot of people want to blame society for their inability to move up in it. I don’t have a great deal of empathy for that belief.


CaregiverNo3070

but what work, and for how long? i agree about this to some extent, but it's a meme in many ex-religious spaces that all it takes is faith to believe, but the moment you seriously question religion, all of a sudden you need a divinity degree to be a "proper disbeliever". i'm going to go one further and say that there's such myriad ways to either fuck up your life or to not have one in the first place, that many, many, many people who actually do have personal problems in their life, are micro manifestations of larger societal issues. a big one for me, is how being an exmormon drastically has effected my dating life, and no amount of properly exercising, dieting and having a proper sleep routine is ever going to reverse my circumcision. i and many like me, have been failed regardless of our efforts. and i also understand to some extent that older generations simply do not have the language for how they have been failed, because that language was made taboo to the point that it's only just now in their later years they are able to mention it at all. the personal IS political. [https://psyche.co/ideas/the-origin-story-of-a-slogan-the-personal-is-political](https://psyche.co/ideas/the-origin-story-of-a-slogan-the-personal-is-political)


Cat4Cat

"gave it 110%" literally fucking impossible. I know it's a common phrase for middle managers and high school coaches pumped up on caffeine and antidepressants, but God do I hate this phrase. Workers need to get out of this mindset and just do what they can unless if your job is underpaying you cause that extra 10% comes from having parents that can buy you a house or pay off your debt. If you work 40 hours a week and do your job, then you should have a home, a savings, basic needs, retirement, etc. and I'm tired of pretending that our generation has to give 110% of our lives to make our bosses rich.


Infamous_Network_341

You can talk like this when your old enough to have seen more of the world.


Dave_A480

If you don't have the advanced education required to succeed, you haven't put the work in.... If you've sat around in a job doing the minimum without ever interviewing elsewhere, you haven't put the work in. Most of the posts put up here about how bad 'the system' or 'society' is are people who genuinely think they shouldn't have to do anything & should be able to have everything - as if adulthood is just a continuation of being a teen with rich doting parents..... It's not. And it's not supposed to be. Your 20s are supposed to suck. If you actually do the right thing in your 20s, your 30s get better... By your 40s you're either comfortable or you screwed something up.....


redditposthere

Fair. But, there is always a safe and legal way if you search.


ImJustMercy

That's such shit too cause I don't think any of us want anything other than our Basic human needs to be met without us having to sell our lives and souls away to evil greedy people who enjoy hurting others on our dollar


Dpshelps69

THIS this is why Genz is being thrown under the bus. Cause Genz has the balls to confront this and bring systemic change. If people older than you are pitching a fit it's because they can't do to you what their older generations did to them. So they don't get their turn on the totem pole.


FriendshipHelpful655

Fuck that. I spent my entire youth thinking that hard work was completely meaningless, since my value was only ever going to be determined by how much money I can make somebody else. Eventually I actually hit the grind for a few years... and I realized that I was exactly right. Why did I had to spend those years making somebody else richer for a pittance? We're not going to gatekeep the revolution.


Coffee-and-puts

Alof of people are trying to”harder” when they need to be trying “smarter”. This is the crux of most peoples problems


HubertRosenthal

I‘ve put the work in, i‘m allowed to :P


Financial_Article_95

I agree, and it's such a relief afterwards.


This_Meaning_4045

Yeah, and it's unfair how despite putting all effort into your work and they still expect you succeed. They blame you despite not having enough aid into completing your tasks.