[SamAtt]

I personally think this is more of a cycle based on individuals and less of an inevitable decline in society

I think there are people who refuse to grow up in every generation. Those people eventually have kids and in my experience most kids in that situation tend to take on the adult role in the relationship. Kids who are forced into the adult role early tend to be responsible adults when they reach the appropriate age so you get responsible adults from childish parents.

I think there are generations where the majority of people are irresponsible but I think you see that more in macro examples and less in individual anecdotes (The baby boomer generation allowing their governments to spend far and away more than they took in with tax revenue for example)

[tomjen3]

I have a feeling that you are right, but I can't entirely shake of the feeling that our society really is getting softer and less willing to do a lot of sacrifice to get what we want.

Dan Carlin talks about it in his latest hardcore history podcast (http://dancarlinhh.libsyn.com/media/dancarlinhh/dchha33_BLIT...), but he doesn't seem to have a good answer to it.

There can't be much doubt however that the variation between individuals are much greater than the variation between generations.

Finally, the reason the author hasn't fixed her problems is properly that she doesn't have to: if her life mostly works anyway, why do more if you aren't forced to?

[enjo]

It's a really interesting question isn't it. Hard work has never been questioned as the cornerstone of a successful life. I've always wondered if that's a faulty assumption... can we build and imagine great things while still focusing on the enjoyment of living?

Hell if I know:)

[stcredzero]

Yes, and many baby boomers in their teens and twenties had comparable attitudes to the one satirized in the original article.

[pohl]

True. Erma Bombeck could laugh at herself and her everyday life struggles, and her writings resonated with bajillions.

Coincidentally, she once wrote: "When humor goes, there goes civilization."

So maybe we're doomed after all, but because Max couldn't pick up on the humor.