My Theory About Society

(This is from an American perspective) For most of the 80's America had a conservative president and society was appropriate. Inappropriate things started to show on TV (violence, rudeness) but the norm was 'appropriate'. Americans equated success with money and America appeared successful. Underground, a few social groups pointed out the poorness of other countries, the cruel treatment of animals, and how 'greedy capitalists' were ruining the environment-especially the rain forest. The social groups were viewed by many people as extreme.

For most of the 90's America had a non-conservative president. Some people turned away from conservatism to the inappropriate. More extreme things were liked (Roseanne, Jerry Springer). A few social groups caused change in the way we talked (political correctness), the way we treated animals (dolphin-safe, PETA-vegetarian), and the way we treated the environment (EPA-protect the spotted owl and the wetlands).

For most of the 2000's America had a conservative president. More people (than in the 90's) liked inappropriate things and didn't like the conservatism of the president; they bashed him and criticized him harshly. Things became even more extreme. Some people wanted to re-define the word 'appropriate'.

From 2010 to now America has a non-conservative president. Many people have turned away from conservatism to embrace what they once considered inappropriate. A lot of extreme things are liked (on TV, in magazines, and on the internet). Social groups are no longer underground and in some cases seem to run society (instead of government). Money is not equated with success but equated with evil and greed. Truly, good is bad and bad is good.

I'm not a social analyst but it doesn't take a degree to notice the direction of the world. In my non-professional opinion (based on the last few decades) society will get more extreme. It's a distraction designed to keep me focused on things over which I have no control and stop me from focusing on things over which I DO have control: my character.

I look at the last few decades of history and say, "I won't get distracted. I'll focus on my character and ignore the direction of the world. I know where I want to go and what it takes to get there. I won't let society get me off course."