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I've lived in at least half the states in the US, and while there were differences in culture and ethnic backgrounds, people seemed to be about the same wherever you went. By that I mean, if you happened to strike up a conversation on public transit, or on the plane/train, or in a restaurant, people seemed OK mentally. Invariably, you had something in common w/ them. But for the last few years, the vast majority of people I talk to are half crazy. So this is not a local thing, it seems to be a trend.
Sometimes I wonder if I went to sleep and woke up on another planet. You can't talk politics w/ people because very weird stuff happens. Now that's a tricky subject anyway, but that's just one example. Nowadays, 2 or 3 minutes into a conversation w/ these folks I either start agreeing w/ them in the hope that will let them wind down, or I do the fake phone call thing just so I can bow out gracefully, if not honestly. People have certainly changed physically. Just look at youtube videos of bands in the 60's 80's. Everyone looks like they should gain about 30 lbs, but I think this was the normal back in the day. Now, a lot of people look poofed up. Maybe its due to the growth hormones we ingest when we eat factory farmed livestock?
Has it always been like this? It seems I would have noticed if it was. But my experiences say there are a lot of people running around that appear normal, but you quickly see they're off in another zone.
Last edited by stephenMM; 04-22-2024 at 10:27 AM..
I guess it depends on what you mean by "weird stuff happening" two minutes in to any conversation.
I mean, we're only a couple minutes into this conversation, and you have already told us you believe everyone is "poofed up" because we're all eating growth hormones given to factory farmed livestock. I think that is a pretty fringe idea to start a conversation with a stranger with.
It’s definitely you because I enjoy talking to most people I meet and don’t find them to be crazy. It’s always been wise advice forever to not discuss politics or religion with people especially strangers.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "weird stuff happening" two minutes in to any conversation.
I mean, we're only a couple minutes into this conversation, and you have already told us you believe everyone is "poofed up" because we're all eating growth hormones given to factory farmed livestock. I think that is a pretty fringe idea to start a conversation with a stranger with.
So what would you think is weird?
Well, the average weight of American men and women has increased by about 30 lbs since 1960. In 1960, the average weights were 166 and 140 lbs, respectively. As of 2016, the average American woman weighed 170.6 lbs (!), and the weight of the average American man was 197.9 lbs as of a 2019 CDC report. Statista shoes that same 197.9 figure (no pun intended) to be the average for American men age 20 and above in 2015-2016. Last I checked (and it's been quite a while since I have checked), my own weight was just under the weight of the average American woman circa 2016, hah.
Well, the average weight of American men and women has increased by about 30 lbs since 1960.
Right.... and there's probably lots of reasons for that... what I'm saying is it's a fairly risky topic to bring up less than two minutes into a relationship. Especially if you want to blame a conspiracy theory about factory farms and growth hormones. The OP was talking about meeting new people and they suddenly say something crazy. Maybe the issue is inappropriate topics for first conversations.
I've lived in at least half the states in the US, and while there were differences in culture and ethnic backgrounds, people seemed to be about the same wherever you went. By that I mean, if you happened to strike up a conversation on public transit, or on the plane/train, or in a restaurant, people seemed OK mentally. Invariably, you had something in common w/ them. But for the last few years, the vast majority of people I talk to are half crazy. So this is not a local thing, it seems to be a trend.
Sometimes I wonder if I went to sleep and woke up on another planet. You can't talk politics w/ people because very weird stuff happens. Now that's a tricky subject anyway, but that's just one example. Nowadays, 2 or 3 minutes into a conversation w/ these folks I either start agreeing w/ them in the hope that will let them wind down, or I do the fake phone call thing just so I can bow out gracefully, if not honestly. People have certainly changed physically. Just look at youtube videos of bands in the 60's 80's. Everyone looks like they should gain about 30 lbs, but I think this was the normal back in the day. Now, a lot of people look poofed up. Maybe its due to the growth hormones we ingest when we eat factory farmed livestock?
Has it always been like this? It seems I would have noticed if it was. But my experiences say there are a lot of people running around that appear normal, but you quickly see they're off in another zone.
Two topics too hot to discuss without people taking offense when the other person either doesn't agree, doesn't understand the why or chooses the opposite opinion of the other.
Better off to just nod, smile and move on or if you can carefully move the conversation to a TV show, movie or something most people won't easily take offense to like your favorite food. People don't normally take offense when one person likes broccoli and the other not.
Last edited by staystill; 04-22-2024 at 11:47 AM..
Reason: People do not know how to chit chat/share without taking everything so personally or to mean they are being told what to do
Right.... and there's probably lots of reasons for that... what I'm saying is it's a fairly risky topic to bring up less than two minutes into a relationship. Especially if you want to blame a conspiracy theory about factory farms and growth hormones. The OP was talking about meeting new people and they suddenly say something crazy. Maybe the issue is inappropriate topics for first conversations.
In fairness, he did say 'maybe'. And, more significantly, posting about something on City-Data does not imply that one brings that something up in conversation, regularly or at all. My most frequented subforum on this site is the atheism & agnosticism subforum. In real life, I have to be borderline intoxicated to want to defend atheism or discuss anything atheism-adjacent (including anything relating to religion)
I have my doubts that this thread will last long...but...
I was thinking of my childhood back in the 1950s and early 1960s. Did we have some truly nutty people in my hometown of about 3,000? Sure we did. But not as many as you might have now. But I think there was a simple reason for that. Some of the nuttiest were in asylums. We had one neighbor that had been in an asylum due to a nervous breakdown. Today, it's doubtful such a person would be put in an asylum. And the nutty ones in our town were sort of shunned, for wont of a better term. And as unfair as this sounds -- and it's not my thinking, but I think it was the thinking of the time -- they knew their place, so to speak.
There are two issues that are more concerning to me:
The first is homelessness. I thought I saw plenty when I lived in Northern Virginia and would go down into the city of Washington. But the number of homeless people I see now in Phoenix appears to far out-trump that. And I don't know a good solution, although I think most perpetually homeless people are mentally ill.
The second is our volatile political situation. I used to enjoy talking politics...and could have civil conversations. That seems almost impossible now unless I am with a small group of people who think as I do. That's sad.
I think, in general, people don't know how to communicate.
Communication includes listening AND speaking. Many can speak, few can listen.
When they do listen, their lack of comprehension leads them straight to anger. Rather than thinking about what you're saying, or asking you to restate your position, they choose anger/rage over thoughtful reflection.
Their lack of listening skills means that on the rare occasion they do consume news, they don't have the critical thinking skills to process the validity of the information they're being fed.
Two normal /rational people can discuss sensitive topics all day long without rancor or rage. The fact that some topics are "too sensitive for the dinner table" is a sad reflection on our society
I've lived in at least half the states in the US, and while there were differences in culture and ethnic backgrounds, people seemed to be about the same wherever you went. By that I mean, if you happened to strike up a conversation on public transit, or on the plane/train, or in a restaurant, people seemed OK mentally. Invariably, you had something in common w/ them. But for the last few years, the vast majority of people I talk to are half crazy. So this is not a local thing, it seems to be a trend.
Sometimes I wonder if I went to sleep and woke up on another planet. You can't talk politics w/ people because very weird stuff happens. Now that's a tricky subject anyway, but that's just one example. Nowadays, 2 or 3 minutes into a conversation w/ these folks I either start agreeing w/ them in the hope that will let them wind down, or I do the fake phone call thing just so I can bow out gracefully, if not honestly. People have certainly changed physically. Just look at youtube videos of bands in the 60's 80's. Everyone looks like they should gain about 30 lbs, but I think this was the normal back in the day. Now, a lot of people look poofed up. Maybe its due to the growth hormones we ingest when we eat factory farmed livestock?
Has it always been like this? It seems I would have noticed if it was. But my experiences say there are a lot of people running around that appear normal, but you quickly see they're off in another zone.
Based upon this very post, I am wondering if you somehow are starting the conversation in some sort of direction towards what are peoples more extreme speculations?
It may also be that there is a selection bias going on somewhere in the process.
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Especially if you want to blame a conspiracy theory about factory farms and growth hormones. The OP was talking about meeting new people and they suddenly say something crazy. Maybe the issue is inappropriate topics for first conversations.