The feeling that we've peaked with less to look forward too

[glenimp617]

OP, it sounds like you are getting old.....and maybe on the verge of an early mid-life crisis to rekindle that youthful optimistic feeling.

Porsche boxster or a nice 21yr old should do the trick, although be warned, the feeling is short lived.

Cocaine as previously mentioned isn't the answer, it's just a downward spiral into a pit of despair.

The thing is, when we're younger we don't care about such things....we only care about ourselves and what we're trying to achieve. Once you feel you have achieved, do you then start looking further afield.

I'm not sure what the answrer is. Those years aren't coming back, they are lost to history. You need to think up some new life goals.

This country has always had problems. In the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s....it's just that you probably weren't interested in what they were.

Top tips: Don't put on an oasis album. It's not worth the emotional rollercoaster. Listen to some dua lipa and buy a pair of mens stockings jogging bottoms.

Support a football team in the lower leagues.

 

[Hades]

OP, it sounds like you are getting old.....and maybe on the verge of an early mid-life crisis to rekindle that youthful optimistic feeling.

Porsche boxster or a nice 21yr old should do the trick, although be warned, the feeling is short lived.

Cocaine as previously mentioned isn't the answer, it's just a downward spiral into a pit of despair.

The OP should spend most of his money on a Porsche, a 21 year old and cocaine... and waste the rest

 

[BeeP]

Don't do the Coke first or you will end up with a 21 year old Porsche.

 

[cu3ed]

I do miss decent clubs though.

 

[GGizmo]

There is a cultural revolution going on continuously. You just aren't part of it because your time to shape and challenge the world has been and gone.

I'm from Gen X. What generation are you from?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

I'm from Gen X. What generation are you from?

Not sure it is relevant. The point I was making was as previously outlined. People specialise as they get older. This specialisation means they get more and more myopic. The 'moan' is then that the world isn't changing or revelations aren't happening.

The reality is because you/me/others of certain vintage are not part of these things and broadly, out of sight out of mind.

 

[GGizmo]

Not sure it is relevant. The point I was making was as previously outlined. People specialise as they get older. This specialisation means they get more and more myopic. The 'moan' is then that the world isn't changing or revelations aren't happening.

The reality is because you/me/others of certain vintage are not part of these things and broadly, out of sight out of mind.

I was trying to figure out where you was coming from. But now you've explained it more I can understand your point better.

 

[Jono8]

I know what you mean OP.

For me, everything is just too saturated with too many people involved. I find most things utterly tiresome to follow now.

Whilst i think the internet is a fantastic thing, im starting to find it overwhelming and frustrating.

There is too much choice in everything, too many people offering their opinions on everything and just too much of....everything, to the point where nothing feels special or unique anymore.

It is the massive downside to us all being constantly connected and will likely only get worse.

 

[AndyT]

- Clubbing - died out which is pretty sad.
- Mobile phones - drip fed gradual "changes" and very small improvements.
- Gaming - the actual game content, feeling and emotion has not felt as special over the last decade.
- Roads and train infrastructure - our roads are in poor condition and our train infra is decades behind. It seems unrealistic to ever foresee it being good. Our "peak" could be here, which is unfortunately more "the best we can do".
- Fast car/bike ownership - again our roads are poor and cameras everywhere. High costs to run and stricter emissions and a push to elec.
- TVs - Since 1080p flat screens we haven't gone very far. Even top end TVs have uniformity issues.
- Football - too many reasons to list, it's just not as enjoyable as 90s/00s
- MotoGP and F1 - I find myself skipping through highlights and don't really look forward to new seasons.
- Pubs - Of the ones that survive, they tend to be refurbished with a restaurant bias losing all character.

Most of these are passive/spectator activities or events, and are not personally challenging in any way, so are at the mercy how the wind of the general public is blowing at any one time. I tend to agree with what you've said in relation to some things in the list above, but I think maybe it's more an age-related thing. I have been able to find much more interest, fulfilment and satisfaction recently in taking up non-passive, challenging activities like learning a musical instrument (started piano a year ago), meditation, or exercise, with a bit less gaming and TV than I used to.

The non-passive activities are way more satisfying than the old passive activities. I wish I'd started them years ago, I might have been half decent at them by now.

Also, if I may be one of those utter bellends, a bit of stoic philosophy is always good to get grounded again. The Derren Brown book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30142270-happy) is a nice introduction.

 

[d_brennen]

Lots of people harping on about we've reached the peak and things were better in the 20s etc. What was better?

Sounds like a personal issue, level yoself up

 

[IvanDobskey]

I do feel anything creative pales in comparison to yesteryear. Music, films and even video games are nowhere near as good. Of course modern video games have fantastic graphics, but gameplay and story wise, they lack badly.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Who is this "we" you speak of? If you mean the country that peaked about 1945 since then its been on a downward spiral.

I'm not depressed and not having a mid life crisis lol. I'm fine, and there's plenty of happiness in my life but I do just think sometimes the future is a bit meh due to consumerism and the point we've already got to.

The future is always "meh" because when you're young everything is new and fresh and you're getting to grips with it all and its exciting later on those things no longer have the same relevence and you become nostalgic or even fearful of the future but the young of today won't be feeling that. For more than half my life mobile phones didn't even exist OMG how did we manage to cope back then?! Funnily enough I still don't have a smartphone so the greatness is yet to come apparently.

I read a short novel written in 1796 centered on a young person full of optimism and wondering what the future will bring who's looked after by an older relative who believes "all the world's at sixes and sevens" because of the French Revolution, future war is looming (napoleonic) and is frankly terrified the worlds going to end.

Funnily enough its still here. It didn't end. Somehow we muddled through. We always do.

Try one of the European countries that isn't a declining superpower that's given up on community. I came back to the UK a year ago, after 6 six years in Germany, and 4 in SE Asia. It's really stark how run-down and in decline the UK is. The NHS is a shadow of what it was.

I felt like that coming back from trips to europe the UK felt run down and depressed, coming back from the US I was frankly embarresed no wonder the US folks getting into the airport and beyond looked shocked. The place looked and felt like a third world **** hole.

 

[Begbie]

Get a different hobby. You're just not interested in that stuff, move on.

My hobby is developing at a crazy rate, I also have to develop myself just to even have a chance of keeping up, Do something, ignore the other crap.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Get a different hobby. You're just not interested in that stuff, move on.

My hobby is developing at a crazy rate, I also have to develop myself just to even have a chance of keeping up, Do something, ignore the other crap.

This!
Notice this a lot with gaming on here as it's a PC forum. It's natural that you have different interests as you get older. Some hobbies you fade out of and back in, some you don't and you never go back to it. If you want to try something new, then try it, you may find something to look forward/have something to do for at least a few months.

 

[englishpremier]

I lost my boat in the Caribbean Sea at the start of the year. That was my home for 4 years and contained everything I owned. Despite the monetary loss, I thought it was a great opportunity to do something different. Moved temporality to Mexico whilst waiting for covid to die off in Europe. Found a great bunch of people here, and regularly have hikes and mini trips (rule in Mexico are pretty lax)

Having less stuff i.e none, has been fun too. I have 1 pair of long trousers, a pair of swim shorts, regular shorts and a few t-shirts, and a long sleeve top. I never have to think about my outfit or what clothes I'm going to wear.

So many things to look forward to. Meeting new people future travels, buying a new motorcycle, getting back into photography and video editing, and possibly moving back to Europe at some point.

It's all just a matter of perspective, though I understand it can be hard to see the brighter side when it's grey all the time.

 

[Arsonist]

Good lord the amound of moaning, ungrateful and miserable gits on here!

The clear evidence says we're living in the safest, most enjoyable period that humans have ever experienced. We're also in the UK/western world, meaning we're miles ahead of about 95% of the world's population for security, freedom, health, education etc. We can pretty much decide to do whatever we want (within the law), be that career, social, hobbies etc. We can make our lives our own. If you're miserable and wish you lived in 1920's Britain, you seriously need a reality check, wake up and appreciate the fact you have privilages beyond the approximately 100 billion beople that have come before you.

Get. Some. Perspective.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Good lord the amound of moaning, ungrateful and miserable gits on here!

The clear evidence says we're living in the safest, most enjoyable period that humans have ever experienced. We're also in the UK/western world, meaning we're miles ahead of about 95% of the world's population for security, freedom, health, education etc. We can pretty much decide to do whatever we want (within the law), be that career, social, hobbies etc. We can make our lives our own. If you're miserable and wish you lived in 1920's Britain, you seriously need a reality check, wake up and appreciate the fact you have privilages beyond the approximately 100 billion beople that have come before you.

Get. Some. Perspective.

Yep. The amount of old boys whinging about good old days, when the very fact they're on this forum meant they're part of the very privileged, is hysterical.

 

[jaybee]

The clear evidence says we're living in the safest, most enjoyable period that humans have ever experienced.

What evidence?

We're also in the UK/western world, meaning we're miles ahead of about 95% of the world's population for security, freedom, health, education etc.

Which is not disputed.

We can pretty much decide to do whatever we want (within the law), be that career, social, hobbies etc. We can make our lives our own.

Well as you can see from a lot of the replies, the feeling is that our very freedoms have generally been eroded more over the years. There are more laws and restrictions today than ever. Open spaces/land is harder to retain for public access more and more for example. The highstreet is/has died out. The cost of living rises faster than wages so disposable income is going down gradually. I would say people on average have less ability to do what they want since they are restricted financially, especially when you consider the broken housing market putting the squeeze on the younger people.

If you're miserable and wish you lived in 1920's Britain, you seriously need a reality check, wake up and appreciate the fact you have privilages beyond the approximately 100 billion beople that have come before you.

Where did anyone say they wanted to live in the 1920s?


It's not really a moan...it's a highly specialised OCUK GD moan. Jeez give me some credit.

 

[FoxEye]

I've been saying this for years and years.

Yes, there are still brilliant examples of individual creativity dotted around. Things you can admire, still.

But the evidence of decline and decay is all around.

We've certainly stopped caring about our surroundings, and to a large extent, each other.
We certainly don't care about our neighbours, if we ever see them.
We don't care that there's litter strewn around everywhere.
We don't care that the housing estates are run down and crumbling. Mould growing on the walls, leaky roofs and paint peeling.
There's not much belief in the future.
Not much belief that anyone can make anything better (the evidence shows you probably can't and nobody will help you if you try).
On the big issues, apathy rules.
We in a fatal death spiral of consumerism where the only thing that matters is your next £1k iPhone.
No point voting because FPTP is rigged to all hell and back. Nothing will chance in our politics. Self-serving bunch.
Everyone thinks only of themselves. There is no big picture.
And we're increasingly conditioned to fight each other for the scraps, rather than work together to realise a better future for all.

This is the UK in a nutshell. Fighting each other for the scraps, whilst the Tories look and and laugh.
And yet people keep voting them back in.

Also to be balanced, Labour are mostly a bunch of complete plonkers who couldn't run a **** up in a brewery.
But FPTP y'all, it's either the clown or the psychopath. "Whoever wins, we lose."

 

[Begbie]

I've been saying this for years and years.

Yes, there are still brilliant examples of individual creativity dotted around. Things you can admire, still.

But the evidence of decline and decay is all around.

We've certainly stopped caring about our surroundings, and to a large extent, each other.
We certainly don't care about our neighbours, if we ever see them.
We don't care that there's litter strewn around everywhere.
We don't care that the housing estates are run down and crumbling. Mould growing on the walls, leaky roofs and paint peeling.
There's not much belief in the future.
Not much belief that anyone can make anything better (the evidence shows you probably can't and nobody will help you if you try).
On the big issues, apathy rules.
We in a fatal death spiral of consumerism where the only thing that matters is your next £1k iPhone.
No point voting because FPTP is rigged to all hell and back. Nothing will chance in our politics. Self-serving bunch.
Everyone thinks only of themselves. There is no big picture.
And we're increasingly conditioned to fight each other for the scraps, rather than work together to realise a better future for all.

This is the UK in a nutshell. Fighting each other for the scraps, whilst the Tories look and and laugh.
And yet people keep voting them back in.

Also to be balanced, Labour are mostly a bunch of complete plonkers who couldn't run a **** up in a brewery.
But FPTP y'all, it's either the clown or the psychopath. "Whoever wins, we lose."

Only because people admit defeat and mop about in self pity and blame. If you don't like stuff, do something about it. I can gaurntee people care about litter (a lot of friends of mine will pick up litter when out and about and the younger generation of the same social circle also do). The evidence shows we can make things better - a small google will show that. Apathy exists, show it first and you'll pass it to others.

All these things only exist if you want them to. Do better things, be part of better things, hang about with better people. The change starts from stopping moaning and doing something.

Have you been down the beach for a litter picking day? I know these people care - go help. (I'm assuming you haven't here, so I do apologise if you have).

Though I've lived in Cornwall - and it's pretty grim so I feel your pain