People seem angrier somehow

[MissMarplesCat]

Probably noticed it previously but it really feels that way recently. Other than that, it might be my own perception, but I can't see why. Things are generally ok in my life, and I find it easy to get along with people.

So for a while I notice people are somehow less friendly, some openly rude. I am sure it was always this way, but I'm not too sure.

We have been away to a popular tourist area recently and instead of seeming happy or excited a lot of people looked pretty pissed off, especially on the roads, although the roads weren't packed.

Several people have been openly rude to me, especially men, and I wondered wtf, could it be something about me? I look pretty benign really, so can't see how, but if it happens enough you do wonder!

I get that the world is screwed up right now, and people are having a hard time in general, but to me it seems to be since covid, or maybe it was always there and I have only just noticed?

I don't recall people being so abrupt and unfriendly years ago, but I guess that's all I've got to go on.

I travel around the UK quite a bit with work, and have noticed it all over, not just in my own particular provincial backwater

Not bathing! Barging!

I’ve noticed it too. Years ago when I had a part time job in a shop we’d have old people come in, sometimes twice a day for the chat and social interaction. Now if you say anything to a cashier they look through you. There’s hardly any pleasantries any more.

There’s so many people not bothered to do a good job anymore. I get the wrong order as often as the right one, and it’s not just in minimum wage jobs. Twice recently I’ve had to trudge back to the pharmacy with the wrong medication. The gp doesn’t check for shortages before prescribing. Or look at the email the pharmacist sends. It took three days and 4 phone calls to fill a prescription. It’s wearing me down, and I’m sure it’s the same for others.

I've noticed this too, and it does seem to be since covid. It makes me so sad. I think we've all lost the happy go lucky feeling that we had before the pandemic. Things were just more upbeat back then. It's as though our worlds have become smaller and more constricted, and now that we're dealing with all the financial pressures, our worlds have remained small.

This year I've had a few instances where I've been driving and the stench of weed has got into my car from the one in front Country roads and driving at 40mph+ so it couldn't have come from anywhere else, and the stink goes after going seperate ways at junctions.

Drug use has become more and more blatent and mainstream. That's not bringing out the best in anyone.

Fully agree OP. I think it’s a mix of people struggling financially, working all
hours, lower standard of living due to war/ costs of living etc, England can be a pretty worrying place - knife crime etc. It’s all just coming to a head - we used to have more disposable income, the news and world news seems bleak. I think it’s created angry people. Also- we have a house in a busy village and oh my - rush hour and traffic is horrendous and almost stressful- I have to gear up to go into this horrible driving situation, so busy and so many people and so overwhelming. And then when we go to our farm house it’s so peaceful and no one’s about and life’s more simple- walk dog , read books etc and we’re so much happier.

Theres too many people about and life’s too fast paced and social media and phones and the internet exist. The world used to be quieter, more internally peaceful even if wars elsewhere it wasn’t quite so in your face with 24 hour news.

I think people have lost hope. They are surviving. In the 80s we used to think we’d have lovely houses, travel etc and now people are doing well to just survive month by month. I think this all plays in to why people have lost joy : purpose and feel angry.

I doubt there are so many cars everywhere due to covid.
I'd suspect rampant capitalism, that people are encouraged to fill every moment of their free time consuming and experiencing 'something'.
Perhaps the pandemic accelerated that effect?

I agree about the disrespect towards women, and have not been able to ask anyone else about this. I feel it, definitely, and yet it is difficult to describe. It just isn't like before, like when even 10 yrs ago - I never felt that back then.

I have been shouted at twice this week by male strangers, one in a workplace and the other because I walked too close to his dog. And I mean they properly yelled at me as if unhinged.

As for too many people on 'this island', I don't know. But I do think the constant need to be doing something and only ever venturing a few feet from a car is a part of that. We have small streets that have not adapted to large scale car use.

Sometimes as a pedestrian I find there are more roads than paths, so even a simple tip to the shops involves constant vigilance and waiting a good while to get across a road. Perhaps this makes us feel like we are encased in little metal boxes, so again, cut off from our communities, a sort of growing individualism where everyone is your enemy or trying to encroach on your space.
I don't think the tabloids help with this mindset either, as they are always encouraging judgement and distrust amongst us, I wonder why...

I think people being online isn't helping

And the weather is a major issue too

To those who have suddenly realized that there is overcrowding and lots more people around since Covid, have you missed the fact that as a country we are importing over half a million people each year. Without adding any infrastructure at all and without it benefitting the economy and the financial well being of the country.

Generally, people have become a little wiser to the fact that we are being taken for a ride. The governments and those in power are stealing from us in plan sight, lying to us and gaslighting us constantly. Of course some people still fall for it. But a lot have figured out that you cannot believe anything you are told by those who are supposed to look after the country.

I have definitely noticed over the last few years that people are becoming ruder and more inconsiderate. As a disabled person,I find it rather demoralising the way so many people are so quick to take advantage of the fact that I am slower than them,e.g. barging in front of me when I'm trying to get on a bus,jumping to a newly opened till in a shop even though they were behind me. And getting impatient with me because I take a nano-second too long to move aside when they say 'excuse me' or delay them by 2 seconds getting off the bus.

Yes, because it's all due to immigration isn't it?
I doubt anyone is gaslighting us, since it's all anyone ever fucking talks about anymore. It's hardly an unknown subject!
I can guarantee that the countless stressed out faces I see out there, and the vehicles clogging up the lake district have sod all to do with the millions coming into the country every year.

I suppose they are to blame for excessive vehicle noise, modded cars and the stench of skunk everywhere too? Our poor, pressed white boys are feeling the pinch. Perhaps this is why dog attacks are on the increase, as the people responsible are rarely challenged. It must be why the young white male feels disenfranchised, why incels are becoming more vocal. Why look to our own cultural issues when we can just blame it on some ambiguous 'other'.

I've wondered about this, as I suddenly feel smaller - hard to describe, but people tread on my feet, or just walk right in to me. It's definitely a new thing, as I haven't shrunk!
It is interesting to hear from your perspective. it doesn't exactly feel dangerous, just...cold.

I think that it's the withdrawal from in person interactions.

More and more people avoid as many interactions as possible, they do everything online, they don't want to call anyone on the phone, they are upset if anyone drops by unexpectedly or if a stranger knocks at the door, they don't want to talk to a cashier so use a self-check out.

It's all added up and it got worse during covid.

Young people have almost no experience of managing relationships and interactions in a normal way as they have all been mediate by tech, or managed by their parents.

People are now like animals that are raised away from others of their species, who struggle to know how to interact. You see dogs and horses like this sometimes, they are often inappropriately aggressive when they are in the company of others.

I agree with this too. And it's worse where I live in Canada having been legalized a few years ago. People believe that because they legalized it, it must be harmless.

Driving is becoming more aggressive and less safe.

I've had two this weekend. One where I was driving in a straight lane and a car coming out of a petrol station, looked at me then drove straight out, forcing me to swerve & emergency stop. They were laughing as they did it. Two men in their 20s.

And coming home tonight in the dark, I had to come through a flooded road. I slowed down, put my hazard lights on and crawled through at a steady speed. The car behind got so close I couldn't see his head lights in my rear view.

I pulled a bit ahead of him and dried my brakes gently, as per the highway code and he became very aggressive beeping and flashing and driving so close I thought he would make contact.

Men have so much aggression and no outlet for it other than bad driving and threatening people. I'm single but I actively avoid men now unless in a work situation. They pose too great a risk. It's very sad.

Just remembered, a couple of weeks ago I went out at night to put something into the bin, around midnight or thereabouts. We have a shared bin space in an old row of cottages, and as I approached it a barrage of yelling came from the closest house then spilled outside as a furious man started throwing his gardening tools around whilst screaming at his wife. They are new to the area and this was my first introduction.
He then noticed me stood there beside the bin, gave me a shitty glare then slammed the door off it's hinges as he flounced back in.

It just seems almost every day recently I have witnessed some arsehole yelling or acting aggressively.

The vehicles are insane here. Lots of country lanes. Up to around 3 years ago it rarely ever occurred. Now it's almost 24-7 farting exhausts and excessive noise.
I sometimes wonder if people can't ever just stay in, maybe watch a film, and sit the fuck down anymore

I’ve noticed this. I do try to be kind to people, and not rude but I’m exhausted half the time because I can’t sleep thanks to perimenopause insomnia. We are one pay cheque away from drowning. I’m a busy fool a lot of the time. I can’t keep on at the pace I am. I’ve got teens and elderly parents to manage. I need a break, financial lifeline and some inner peace - and no one is coming to help me achieve it. So many people I know are the same. It’s like a tinder box. However, we are infinitely more fortunate than the vast majority in the world and I try to remind myself this often.

100%. Just this weekend:

-walking along a busy high street, female jogger going at full speed bumps into me and shouts “BITCH!” at me. She was the one who bumped into me and it wasn’t even that hard of a bump, we just brushed shoulders;
-man refusing to take “no” as an answer when pharmacist refused to give him a restricted medication, security had to get involved;
-another man at John Lewis click & collect didn’t say “hi” or even take his AirPods out, just shoved his phone with the collection code in the lady’s face.

It’s definitely getting worse.

Not surprised you find people angry with you. They probably mirror your behaviours, if you cannot make a simple point without swearing. Perhaps, take a look at yourself to answer your own question.

On the topic of resources, look up supply and demand. It’s a very simple concept.

Add rude, self absorbed, selfish and entitled to your angry and throw in a bit of manipulative into the mix too.

I convinced ds 1 to pop out with us yesterday he is 15 lanky and awkward in himself two women were walking down the path towards us he moved right over onto the grass out of their way me and ds2 moved over but not as "far" but still gave them room to get past the comments they gave "he didn't need to move THAT far" "we arnt taking up the ENTIRE path" (they were) FFS it's a teenager with manners! Do you know how rare that is at the moment? Why were they so cross?

Was the popular tourist area London? If so, never look friendly in London.

But yes, people are stressed and wrapped up in their own worlds. Try not to take it personally.

Is it really over crowding though? Look at Japan etc - much more overcrowded in the big cities than we are and generally impeccable manners, hardly any violence etc. I wonder what’s the difference going on there. It must be a cultural thing, surely..

I have noticed this too and I wonder if maybe a lot of people are still dealing with trauma from living through lockdowns. PTSD causes anxiety and heightens fight or flight response and would definitely account for a higher level of aggression.

Too many people
Lack of enforcement of "poor" behaviour whether immoral or illegal
Roads are too busy and badly maintained, too many roadworks doing nothing
Public transport is crap
The NHS is crap
Most public services are crap
Most businesses and customer service is crap
Taxes are higher than ever
Wages aren't keeping up with cost of living
Shopping is now a miserable experience as most is owned by foreign billionaires
Basically, the joy of life is being sucked out by lots and lots of different aspects
It's no surprise that people are less friendly and amenable.
Not to mention the future looks even more bleak.

I went out over the weekend and all I saw was people in very dark clothing. Everyone in trainers. All looking at their phones while they are walking.
Saw one child in a pram with a phone on a game, about 18 months old. Being pushed by a mum also on a phone. Both in their own worlds.
Went into a supermarket no staff on the floor, nobody on the tills, I was in and out and didn’t speak to a soul.
I can remember this time of year when I was growing up. Going into town dressed up. Going excitedly from shop to shop. I think my mum knew every shop assistant in every store, which she did all of her life, because when she died I went into a few and told them.
Even if you do get an assistant you just tap a card and go.
I think lockdown influenced us all, and dumbed us down.