So many angry people around

[RainCloud]

Has anyone else noticed this? I've seen arguments over parking, people arguing in shops, mumsnet threads turning into fights (more so than usual 😂). I generally keep myself to myself when I'm out and about and ignore most people but I've had people tutting and foot stamping behind me in queues. There just seem to be so many people getting angry at the moment.

Is is the heat? Finances / cost of living? Post covid lock down trauma?

I hadn't considered overcrowding but I think a combo of heat and everyone converging in the same places ie supermarkets, banks, bars etc Plus the added pressure about finances / financial problems coming. It's like life is getting more expensive but not actually better.

I wonder what the end point of all of this will be. Any predictions?

People have nothing to unite them, no code of conduct, no agreed rules, no higher purpose than themselves.

I agree with this statement but not sure how I feel about it put into the context of religion. Can we not have a United secular society with a code of conduct, rules and the purpose being to make society a better place for all, not just themselves.

I've wondered if society has become more individualistic since around the 80s but I hadn't really put it in the context of religion, more politics.

I think about this a lot because I find it fascinating. My thoughts... Nothing massively drastic will happen (no widespread riots, etc.). Change of government - yes. Abolition of monarchy - quite possibly (but in about 40 years - how much more will people want to see this wealth rubbed in their faces?). More grassroots movements about not paying your bills. More theft from supermarkets. People will lose weight as they stop buying non-essentials but their diets will become increasingly non-varied. Uptake in people growing their own food.

Which is, of course, why "God" and churches were invented in the first place - i.e. to control people with the "fear of God".

(Of course not the only reason, as in the old days of no education, no understanding of science/geography, etc., people needed to believe in something to explain their lives and that's how people started thinking of something like a plague or floods being a punishment for bad behaviour and why people started trying to appease "God" by sacrifices and gifts etc in the hope of better weather, better crops, etc.)

Is is the heat? Finances / cost of living? Post covid lock down trauma?

💯

I agree and have noticed it too. Also so many entitled people and it's like it's a constant competition as to who is the busiest with no spare time. Oh. And driving....

People have nothing to unite them, no code of conduct, no agreed rules, no higher purpose than themselves.

I agree. It was very noticeable in the early stages of covid with the first lockdown, that suddenly lots of people were friendly and helpful to each other, as they had a common "bond" to unite them, i.e. fear of covid, fear of the unknown, helping friends/neighbours etc. It was also very noticeable how the common bond deteriorated pretty quickly and we were soon back to ignoring each other!

@RainCloud

yes, secular would be better but ‘religion’ substitutes are happening all around us, out of control

identity politics for the activists is religious behaviour

climate change for the activists is religious behaviour

people are calling out for a higher purpose. Carl Jung said we have an instinct for religion, and I think he was right.

religion doesn’t have to mean what it meant for us previously, but if we take the definition to mean “a pursuit or interest followed with devotion” then it could look many different ways.

@ThinkingForEveryone I agree. To think that five years ago we were coming towards the end of austerity. It all started going down hill when I woke up to hear trump (no capital) was president and then Brexit was voted for me. One thing after another and seemingly never ending at the moment.

Yes, I've definitely noticed this too. Im disabled and use a Walker Twice last week I was barged into and knocked sideways!
It seems people are impatient everywhere I look. For me it's in supermarkets, people tutting and rushing to get to the shelves.
It's almost like it was during the first lockdown but with more people around.
There's an air of unease.
Things are shit generally and I think everyone is feeling it

Brexit
covid
war
cost of living
climate change
the gradual erosion of our rights
numerous scandals shaking the foundations of our trust and belief in society
initially social media seemed so freeing and energising but it was soon revealed to be a ruse to harvest oyr data, spy and cancel if we said the wrong thing.

Up until about 2010 I think we had a fundamental belief that society was stable, secure and we could rely on those in charge. This has been eroded year after year. No wonder people are snappy.

we need that stability and certainty back. We need to trust and believe again. We are all in fight or flight mode. We can’t relax. Building back trust, calm, stability and certainty will take time and effort. It can be done but these have definitely been an unstable few years. We need some boring normality back.

For me, I try to be happy and cheerful each day and I rarely get angry, certainly not in public. However, I am assertive with it in a polite way.

I agree - everyone is stressed about money / bills etc. I think it's just a constant low (but building) nagging pressure on everyone. Nothing seems to be working. Cost of living / industrial action / political uncertainty/ general feeling of unease / covid still around / scaremongering press (or fair reporting of problems?) The heat didn't help.

@rightonthyme

So we just have to get used to living amongst angry people. It's almost like people are out and about looking for someone to kick off at.

That's a really interesting perspective. And of course those different "religions" are competing because the followers of all believe that theirs is right. Which brings us back to the point someone made below about people considering their rights to be superior to others.

OMG how lovely.

I love it when people are big enough to apologise.

How did she react when you gave her the kit-kat?

Yes I also think there is a poisonous atmosphere at the moment that makes many people angrier and hopeless.

People are just fed up with the high cost of living, the stress brought by Covid, Brexit and our dire politicians. I think customer service has got worse and access to basic services (seeing a GP for example has become a complete nightmare) is really not great and we have overcrowding in many places.

Very little hope in sight either of things improving if we continue on the same path.

Also there are a lot more entitled, selfish people with a complete lack of manners and basic respect for others.

I am leaving London because of all the above.

I’m on a new estate ,it’s so packed tightly together,from my bedroom window I can see in to around 10 small back gardens,in the summer everyone is playing music ,trying to use their garden as much as possible,one family rigged up the Tv so they can watch in the garden,and everyone else has to listen to what they are watching.
no one is considerate of anyone else ,next door have long conversations on loud speaker ,teenagers playing thumping music with windows open ,and so many having arguments that we can hear every word of .
it’s very very squashed and claustrophobic.
the town we live in has Expanded with 3 new housing estates ,I’ve been here 20 years and the towns housing has doubled .but there are not double facilities,not double swimming pools ,and actually less shops ,because so many are now sitting empty,.the town center has no shoe shops ,no clothes shops ,no greengrocer,it’s all charity shops and coffee shops ,with 4/5 barbers .that’s about it .

I think since Covid 19 there has been a reduction in quality of customer service as many staff became a bit authoritarian during the pandemic. I recall going to Tesco and it being so stressful with staff shouting at customers to stand 2 meters apart and god help you if you go up the one way system the wrong way. It’s like the service never quite returned to what it was and there’s been a shift in attitude which has in turn made people more defensive. Also people can’t get seen by GPs, dentists, CAHMS has waiting lists of years. We aren’t getting the service we need and we are being failed and this has a massively detrimental impact on our physical and mental well-being. Times are tough. It’s like we’ve just had to accept a shitter version of pretty much everything

Abolition of monarchy - quite possibly. I think what's more likely is a big scaling back once the Queen dies so that it's a much smaller number of direct heirs (full working royals) that are supported and everyone else has to get a job. So the future Harry's wont be part of the equation.

I also think social media plays a part in how we respond to other people because we hear opinions and views that we disagree with in isolation rather than them being part of a wider person with whom we have a relationship. We don't contextualise them based on what we know about the person. Then the way we respond online washes back into real life. We all become more entrenched in our viewpoint.

Also the cost of housing where we live is astronomical,we had 3 under 3 children and the house prices shot up to price us out of a bigger home ,so my dc grew up in small home with limited space and garden.now adults they can’t afford to buy here themselves,.they have good jobs but can’t afford to buy as it’s such an expensive area ,they are having to move away from the area they grew up in ,away from the support of their family ,to be able to buy a home to raise their family in ,so no free child care from granny living near ,so less disposable income because it will all go on nursery fees.
it’s sad ,and so much worse than when we bought our first home

Uggghhh, people walk around with a face like a slapped backside, or their noses buried is a phone. They need to switch on the tv and see how people are suffering in Ukraine and appreciate that they really don't have it that bad.

I agree- I think people are looking for a “new religion’ to unite and inspire them, to give them a higher purpose. When that happens, it will be very powerful indeed.

I wonder if the reason I feel happy and full of purpose is because I am already religious, I have that certainty of belief, so I am not directionless.

@Heatstrokeunsteady

@Kazzyhoward

Let's hope that new religion isn't a populist prime minister.

I have lived through shit times before in the country. But most people had hope that it would get better.
Now we have lived through the pandemic, now entering a cost of living crisis, and we are constantly told things will only get worse.
I can not think of any aspect of general life that has gotten better in the last couple of years. Everything from going to the supermarket and seeing higher prices and less choice, to going abroad and having cancelled flights and long queues. It is all just worse, with climate change thrown into the mix as well.
A lot of people are I think scared and feel insecure, and that puts them on a short fuse.
I agree about the script thing with call centres too. It takes you ages to get through, and then you get a standard response. The reason you have rung is usually that your situation is complex and the standard response does not work.
And even in a small way, everything seems to be getting harder. Parking apps that do not work, fewer public transport services, more complex roads to navigate with one-way systems, cameras, pedestrianisation, and chicanes, and sat navs that do not keep up with the constant road changes.
It is all just getting more complex and harder to negotiate. Each thing in a tiny tiny way, but it all adds up.
And to top it all we have leaders who are corrupt and scrambling around to amass as much money for themselves as they can.
I feel like nobody actually cares about the public as long as they get viotes. Nobody is trying to make our life better. I feel a bit cast adrift at the moment.

arseInthe It’s precisely inflammatory comments like this that are just constantly adding fuel to the fire and creating anger and division and arse is either too dumb to realise it’s offensive or does it deliberately.

The French did not turn up for work after agreeing to ensure the booths were fully manned on the busiest weekend of the year! How is the the fault of brexiteers? Now it’s fully manned it is working like clock work. No surprise there.

Remainers should direct their ‘simmering anger’ towards the people not turning up for work!
If you want to live/work in Europe go ahead - nothing stopping you at all.

I was thinking exactly that. People are quite suspicious though, thanks to bot from various countries trying to swing opinions so it would have to be someone hugely convincing. The trouble is, the British are all about reticence and modesty which isn’t generally conducive to being hugely convincing- Boris was probably the closest we’ve got to a very charismatic leader. However, we admire quiet strength and determination. So, who knows?