Why is our society today so mindless?

Question

This is absolutely a serious question and I really appreciate serious, thorough answers.

What is the cause of every mainstream social interaction being so superficial and frivolous? Some would argue that it's always been that way, but I've witnessed it getting worse.

People would rather talk about how some idiot got kicked out of American Idol than the fact that we have a president who's driving this country into the ground (or debate that point).

It's not that society's not smart. Well, actually, it may be that.

Answer 1

Humanity of old used to adapt and think constantly. We had to or we would die, from predation, war, murder, or accidents. For the most part the smart survived, and humanity grew wise. Then our wisdom began to enable us to form great societies. Countries and international networks began, and ways to keep all of humanity safe and in the gene pool... Now the unintelligent bred among us, and our gene pool has grown weak. Society is so mindless because most of humanity no longer has a mind.

Answer 2

you answered your own question. People don't like thinking about serious things, it causes contention, disagreement and a lot of negative emotions. When people care too much sometimes it's not a good thing. Wars start because of this. From the way i figure it, laughter and joking is the only benign way to carry out a public discourse nowadays because if people got too involved in the legal process, vigilantes would interfere... people would riot, etc. Things are so much simpler, easier and less troublesome if people turned off their brain and just tried to ignore the chaos of life and not get tangled up with it. Because after all the world is pretty bleak and not everyone wants to live in that bleak world. People would rather construct a flase happy wonderland for themselves in their own mind based on some sitcom or other junk. i'm not condemning them because of it though, i mean after all i do understand where they're coming from. If people wept everytime there was a rape, a murder or tradgedy on the news, they would dehydrate to death. People get numbed to things and kinda have to ignore them. I was angry before at this shallow crap too but it's useless trying to change it.

Answer 3

The answer does lie in lack of education. Though most people do go back later, too many teens quit school. The ones who do attend are there for socializing, not to hear anything teachers have to say.

Then, we have 16-20 year-olds working in fast food, and at malls. They have no interests other than who they can nail. Partying has become the focal point of life. Who cares what's going on in the world--pass that over here.

Let's get to the kids who actually do have goals, and actually get into college. There, too, is party after party. How much concentration goes on when everyone is stoned or hung over?

Forgive me, the small fraction of you who are actually A, B, or even C students.

Answer 4

I love your question, not because it's new, but because so many people are trying to tackle it, but haven't quite put it so perfectly bluntly. To keep this sweet and short I wouldhave to say that society is mindless, because we have chosen to jump through hoops that have been set up for us by media, television, agazines, and everything else that now influences our lives into sterotypes. A good mom is a soccer mom..where did we get this idea, why do the car companies like GMC and FORD push this when they are making ads for their new minivans.? Or when you watch a Sunny D commericl and the mom's calling her kid in from ..soccer practice. people start living these superficial stereotypes..finding some plastic happiness.
I think society is very matrix-esque in the sense, that everyone is just picking the choices peopl have lined up for them, instead using their own minds,.

Answer 5

Because it's easy to argue about superficial, frivolous things; I've found that debating anything about politics and major national and international becomes a heated argument, and I don't want to argue with anybody. Most people have become completely intolerant of other people's opinions. I try to respect everyone else's, but countless times I've been told I was wrong and don't know what I'm talking about. Excuse me, how do you know YOU'RE right? Which--no means to piss you off--is kinda how your statement about the president proves my point. That's what you think, but would you say that to someone's face who didn't agree with you? And if you did, would you be surprised if they personally attacked you or insulted your opinion?

When it comes to the seemingly asinine things, like what's happening on TV and in the tabloids, it's just gossip-worthy and everyone loves a good gossip session. It's easy talk. Politics and major news-worthy issues sparks tension. I don't know about you, but I like to avoid tension if I can.

Answer 6

Technology is the greatest contributor to our mindless society. Technology serves as a drug for people who want to escape their lives. It allows people to remove themselves from reality and a present state of mind. Thinking and experiencing the emotional aspects of life have fallen to second place in comparison with TV and computers which provide a false distraction that keeps people from addressing their problems. People are being disjointed from their very own mind and are becoming unable to comprehend, question, and reason. So much is provided in our society that many people sit back and relax without giving time for questioning the current state of the world and our country. Stress is a complicating factor in the life of every human being and therefore people naturally try to avoid it by occupying their brain with movies and television. The problem is that everyone has problems that they eventually must face at a given point in their lives. Technology holds people back from discovering themselves and developing a healthy mind that is free from material needs and the desire to be always be entertained.

Answer 7

You're right, it has gotten worse.
Society itself has gotten dumber.
Just look at a lot of questions asked here. The lack of even a half-hearted attempt at proper spelling. Reasonably, thought out queries. Questions asked that could be answered by themselves just as quickly if they simply Google it. So many posts each night about Idol or Anna Nicole.

Wish I knew the right answer to your question. There's obviously a lot of reasons. Maybe it's the fear of facing life itself and having to battle through it. It's easier to lose oneself in something as ridiculous as Idol. One doesn't have to think or work through anything. I think society has also gotten a lot lazier and much more self-centered.

Answer 8

I concur w/Malcolm, but let's face it, public schools have contributed to a lot of this dumbing down. The public school system was never intended to EDUCATE anyone. It was designed to create a bunch of mindless, consuming, proletarian drones. Unfortunately, it has succeeded. (Doesn't that mean we should dismantle it, now?!) The few of us who can form an opinion w/o consulting Diane Sawyer are considered sideshow freaks by all the idiots who think "Who got kicked off the island?" constitutes news. My husband actually had to discipline an employee for watching the damned AnnaNicole's body custody hearing at work! Can you believe it?! Who is that pathetic that they would risk their job to watch other people fight over someone's dead carcass?! MINDLESS, INDEED!!

Answer 9

its easier to banter over the little issues than to address the bigger ones that are made by the very people we expect us to lead...after all who's accountable to correct them? congress or the lobbyist? surely not the people until we try to put someone else in office we think is going to get things right....

hey...on american idol, its easy to criticize...their decisions dont impact the entire country (except the music industry).

Answer 10

We were once individualists and are now essentially conformists.
We were once pragmatic but are now the captives of dogmatic factionalism. The world has become increasingly complicated and we have yielded to the temptation to let our technology do our thinking for us.