You'll probably have noticed that when you pick up a newspaper, or turn on the t.v. and what’s happening in the world today has changed completely. There seems to be no sense of decency or priority. What happened to common decency, wanting to do right by others?
The Tony Awards
When actor Robert De Niro spoke at the Tony Awards in New York City, June 10, 2018 that wasn’t about him. He was making a point, because he felt threatened and that’s what we do when we feel threatened. Where once we would keep our feelings to ourselves, now we don't and that has implications too.
We are all responsible
The flip side is that things wouldn’t have to be said if we were getting things right. It's how we say things. Robert De Niro shows us what happens that when we begin to feel threatened, we will go to any lengths to say how we feel. Those we direct our anger at need to start to question themselves.
The tone has changed
The tone has changed to a certain nastiness. We do care though, but nastiness seems to have permeated into society, into our relationships.
It's difficult to mask our frustrations when truth and decency is being replaced with bigotry and nationalism. So I understand why Robert De Niro spoke those words through clenched teeth, expressing the sentiments of many.
But now that we've reached rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up. Of course, the tears swelling in our eyes may take forever to drain.
Thanks Tim. You're absolutely right about Robert De Niro. On our part, we have come to rely on celebrity voices. Using their status to speak their truth, expressing the sentiments of many and it works.
But society has changed and those we speak out against speak back, instead of accepting what's said and work on changing those things.
I agree society has reached rock bottom, but perhaps reaching rock bottom is slightly different because people like us are relying on others to make our choices and we have no choice.
Individually, it's different again. But perhaps it's become easier for people to stay at rock bottom, without feeling the need to get back up if it means working on change. There's rock bottom and rock bottom.
It really does depend on the reason we hit rock bottom. When it comes to relationships we tend to hit rock bottom and stay there. Things like substance abuse we know we have to clamber up.
I agree there is a nastiness that pervades our daily news and here in the UK it has got much worse since the Brexit vote. A sad turning point in out countries recent history, which will impact for generations.
I agree we must do better.
Thanks, yes what you describe is not only true, but sadly it seems to form part of our every day lives.
Although there is never an excuse for nastiness, where people once had hope, they seem to have very little hope now.