To think that people in general are becoming more selfish?

[jennymanara]

I just see this every day in lots of little interactions.

As for the bus example, 10 years ago assuming you were reasonably able bodied you rang the bell then got up and stood by the front so you could get off as soon as the doors opened. Now you get wimpy people waiting until the bus has stopped before standing and don't tell me that they all have hidden disabilities hmm

No it clearly says on most buses these days not to stand until the bus has stopped.

...but regardless, a lot of drivers are pretty careless. I've seen some people go flying from some ridiculous emergency breaking.

Flamingo, my dad dealt with this problem back in the 80's by using the metal bin lid and a hammer . Neighbours were regularly having loud gatherings till late and so one time he waited until they'd got settled down then stood in his room (through the wall from theirs) and bashed the lid! Stopped for 20 minutes to let them get back to sleep then started again. Carried on for a couple of hours. They didn't have the nerve to complain about noise having already had discussions with him on the subject.

I have not experienced this at all, I think people are generally, in the majority, pleasant!

Sometimes it almost feels I live in the Truman Show

Hampshire village life is maybe a bubble

I am elderly and recently had to make a journey across London, on three different trains. I was kindly offered a seat on each train, despite it being packed, standing room only. Such kindness is everywhere, or perhaps I look older than I really am!

Yes and no. I often have doors opened for me (maybe I remind them of their mothers ) and people still apologise a lot if they get in your way.
However my DD, who has MS, was coming out of the assistance lift at Gatwick, using crutches, and two young women holding coffee cups started to barge in. I said 'Please could you let my daughter out?' and one of them said 'So ree' with an eye roll. That sort of thing does seem to happen more, but maybe I notice it more because DD is disabled.

I know this is potentially a stupid generalisation about a huge number of people, but I think that young people today seem far LESS selfish on the whole than my generation.

That said I do agree that you seem to see more selfish behaviour nowadays. I think it may be to do with the rise in population size. I think that the more crowded a place is, the more selfish behaviour will be visible.

Yes I think people are more self centered. We've become used to instant gratification with the internet and phones being such a huge part of people's lives now.
I work customer facing and one thing that's definitely increased and I find so rude is cutting across other customers while I'm serving them, usually to ask a question, they want my instant attention and can't possibly wait for me to finish serving that person to ask. I think it's rude for me to answer while I'm serving someone else, and always say I'm serving and will be with you in a moment - I don't expect someone to wait a turn to ask me a question but I do expect enough common courteousy to not talk over the person I'm serving right then. Please and thank you have also taken a hit too, and the words excuse me replaced with OI!
And as for the bus thing, yeah, I've been flung down a bus while trying to get up and be ready to get off - most buses here have a sign that says to stay seated until the bus stops, but it doesn't work like that in practice most of the time, and if you do you can't get off for people getting on!

The community thing is a big problem. But no surprise considering that MN has taught me and probably many others that if someone knocks you don't open the door (unless they call on your phone to arrange beforehand) and welcoming new neigbours with chocolate is massively OTT and possibly psychopatic🙄

Re the public transport. I have never met anyone ruder than people of pension age...

But if you flag down the bus and don't see anyone waiting to get off then you are going to get on, I mean should you wait 3p seconds in case someone wants a leisurely stroll down the aisle?

Nope (most) people are arseholes. There have always been arseholes,just not as many people close together,interacting so frequently and on a daily basis. The chances of meeting an arsehole are higher tho.

However, I bet even in prehistoric times poor Grunt had a moan ,a groan that the Flinstone dude is bashing rocks at 6 am trying to invent fire. Then bashed him over the head with a bat and stole his wife.

And 300 years from now (if the planet doesn't blow up) miss Jetson will moan that some arsehole's robot bumped her robot on it's way to the shops.

All this whinging of "people just aren't nice anymore" is pointless, they never have been. They never eill be.

They used to watch people being mauled by lions and killing each other in roman times. They used to watch people being crucified. They used to watch people being hanged in England. In places with the death penalty people are still allowed to watch behind a screen (for closure rather than entertainments but still). People film tragedies,accidents and fights and put them up for views ,likes ,entertainment and attention .

However,if I'm entirely honest I think things are actually better in many ways, especially when it comes to children. Still a long,long way to go though.

Re the public transport. I have never met anyone ruder than people of pension age...

Nice sweeping generalisation there Ninja. I’ve seen rudeness from all age groups. The elderly, middle-aged, young people and children. Perhaps you don’t get out much?

I was not talking about any particular age group, just noticed more rudeness and selfishness day to day.

So is everyone looking forward to a post-Brexit Blitz Spirit as, together, we willingly suffer privations and work to make Britain great again?

Yes I think people are more selfish now compared to 15 - 20 years ago. Too much of the me me me attitude, not enough giving back to the world. The current government certainly don't care about the vulnerable people of this country, a lot of public servants are so unmotivated in their jobs, they don't have the time to care, it's a constant knock on effect. But the "I'm alright jack" brigade will carry on in the bubble world oblivious that there's a whole different world out there.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

I find myself at the moment spending a lot of time thinking about things like this, global warming, antibiotic resistance (yes, I'm a fucking barrel of laughs at parties). I dislike the trend for diagnosing everyone with anxiety but I'm definitely more prone to stressing about things as I get older, my OH is bewildered and a bit worried about it. The only thing I can do is the above cliche.

I wonder if anxiety is maybe linked, like we are more anxious and have less heads pace to think of others because of it

@origamiunicorn I'm the passenger who rings the bell and waits until the bus stops before I get out of my seat. I was once nearly thrown down the stairs from the top deck because the driver slammed his breaks on so hard before the stop. I'm not old nor disabled. That's the way life goes on a bus, take your time and you are less likely to fall. I do give up my seat if necessary.

A lot of people seem to get more anxious as they get older.

@AlexaAmbidextra I didn't say they are the only ones rude. That would be ridiculous. I did say that the rudest behaviour I've seen was from old people.

Nope. People have always been selfish. And other people have always been unselfish.

Flamingo, my dad dealt with this problem back in the 80's by using the metal bin lid and a hammer grin. Neighbours were regularly having loud gatherings till late and so one time he waited until they'd got settled down then stood in his room (through the wall from theirs) and bashed the lid! Stopped for 20 minutes to let them get back to sleep then started again. Carried on for a couple of hours. They didn't have the nerve to complain about noise having already had discussions with him on the subject

I like his style DrCoconut, however, these neighbours are several houses away from me, so god knows what it's like for their immediate ones - their music has now been going 12 hours, and looks set to continue until the early hours, because heaven forbid their enjoyment should be curtailed to consider other.

My finger is hovering over the 'buy it now' button for that air horn.