Leading by example is no joke. He’s out for himself and reaping the benefits. I think we have to strive harder to push back against his influence. And congrats, Mark!
Marc, I have literally been having the same feeling re: that selfishness you’re speaking of. I felt it a lot on my recent trip as I reconnected with a friend in Vienna. She spoke so highly of her city, and often referenced how the mindset there is very “community first” focused. I know so many people here in the U.S. have a similar mindset, but it for some reason never seems to come through within our societal and economic structure. So your post REALLY has me side-eyeing this feeling in a way I hadn’t before. 🤔
We are not Trump. Most people are kind and decent and caring (Studio and Network Execs, not being human, are not subject to that analysis). Most people loathe Trump, as they should. We will get through this, and put Trump, his foul spawns Diaper Donnie Jr and Eric the Dim and Ivanka the Whore in jail. Hang in there, everybody, and remember, we are not Trump.
Congratulations on all of the positive things that have and are happening to you in the industry. I’d like to say that I don’t think those of us who are good people have changed that much, other than maybe we are hyper aware of the greedy and corrupt that have always surrounded us.
BOOM! Congratulations on the Persona sale! Very, VERY NICE!
Re: the trump in all of us, I think good and decent people are exhausted by the vociferous idiocy and casual cruelty that permeates our current hellscape. There's a buzzing dis-ease that circles us, and we contract our world to stop the "Game over, man! Game over!" zipping around in our heads like Sha'Carri Richardson. On a loop. Ad infinitum. It makes us sad to realize that the 'unaffected' CHOOSE to stay unaffected, and that personally makes me mean, such that I wish massive, unavoidable, and stark consequences on these glib, 'I got mine,' jackholes. I actively check, distrust, and judge them... and I have no idea if I can or will change back to my sunny self in the future.
It sucks. For us, and hopefully for them. And for all, because it's now US and THEM.
Yes and No, I think to answer your question. Yes, I think American society is becoming more and more individual-focused which leads us to shun community and focus on our isolated worlds. There's certainly a more idaf vibe happening in American society. But also, I don't think this is caused by Trump. I think Trump is a symptom of a larger social problem in America.
To give context, my parents are Indian amd immigrated to the USA before my birth. We would often visit India and they both moved back a decade ago, so I have the fortune to live in two worlds as a result. In India, people live in communities surrounded by family. Most children live with their parents until they get married, and then after marriage you love with your parents or your in-laws. It's rare for a couple to just buy a place on their own or live independently of any family. (Even if they don't share an apartment, the parents or in-laws are often in the same building or apartment complex). It is even rarer and shocking to live alone in your own apartment or home, by yourself. College kids who go to school away from home will often be a "paying guest" and rent a room in another family's home.
In America, that is unheard of if you have the money to leave. I know so many people who left home at 18 and never looked back. Living with your parents as an adult is "shameful" and a sign of social deviance or that someone in your family needs a caregiver. Personally, I wonder if capitalism is the cause of this (spend more money on your own household!) or if it a societal thing because the USA is a 'country of immigrants' (leave home and start your own, like your parents did. Pick up those bootstraps!). But I think the result of this social paradigm has left us as tiny islands in the middle of an ocean. If you don't live with your family or near them, your kids are raised by strangers while you work. You work longer hours and need two incomes to afford the cost of housing and living, especially if you are not living in a home that your parents bought or your grandparents bought. Capitalism pushed us to create driving cities, so half the country needs a car to get everywhere. Without a public transit culture, we sit isolated in our cars. You don't see your neighbors walking down the street or chat casually with them while waiting at the bus stops/train depots. We don't work where we live, so we don't spend our days with our neighbors, we spend them with people from all over. Remote work killed casual socialization and phones are making this even worse, so we don't even talk to people we are right next to.
Is it any wonder that Americans are selfish when our lives are designed to isolate us and keep us from engaging with our family, friends and the communities we live in? If you do not know your neighbor, how can you feel empathy for them when ICE comes to their door to take them away? If you don't care about the people beneath you because they aren't just an employee, they are your neighbor or a cousin's friend or someone you saw at your second cousin's wedding with their whole family, why would you care if their job disappears tomorrow?
Trump was chosen by Americans who voted for him or did not vote at all because they didn't care enough about how his reign would affect their neighbor. Empathy has been removed from the fabric of American society, so isn't it any wonder that it chose a leader that lacks it entirely?
“What if ten years of Donald Trump in our lives have made us just a little bit like him?”
Sadly I think you’re right, but not necessarily because of a desire to be like him. For his first term, I found myself reacting to everything his administration was doing with anger and frustration. It was exhausting, and while I didn’t always agree with the decisions made by the Biden administration, the relative normality of that time was a welcome respite. This new term is on a whole other level. Every day seems to bring something new that is designed to hurt people they don’t like. As much as I want to fight everything they’re doing, I just don’t have the strength. Which leads me to the same reaction every time I hear about some new evil they’ve unleashed on the world: How does this directly affect me and my family? I hate that feeling. I hate myself for that feeling. Mostly I hate them for putting us all in a position where that feeling is now my first reaction.
Leading by example is no joke. He’s out for himself and reaping the benefits. I think we have to strive harder to push back against his influence. And congrats, Mark!
There’s a wave of people now who think empathy is a ‘mind virus’ but I don’t think they realize the degree to which they depend on it.
Scary way of putting it re: individualistic thinking. I worry more about this with new generations who are seeing foul examples of leadership now.
Marc, I have literally been having the same feeling re: that selfishness you’re speaking of. I felt it a lot on my recent trip as I reconnected with a friend in Vienna. She spoke so highly of her city, and often referenced how the mindset there is very “community first” focused. I know so many people here in the U.S. have a similar mindset, but it for some reason never seems to come through within our societal and economic structure. So your post REALLY has me side-eyeing this feeling in a way I hadn’t before. 🤔
We are not Trump. Most people are kind and decent and caring (Studio and Network Execs, not being human, are not subject to that analysis). Most people loathe Trump, as they should. We will get through this, and put Trump, his foul spawns Diaper Donnie Jr and Eric the Dim and Ivanka the Whore in jail. Hang in there, everybody, and remember, we are not Trump.
Congratulations on all of the positive things that have and are happening to you in the industry. I’d like to say that I don’t think those of us who are good people have changed that much, other than maybe we are hyper aware of the greedy and corrupt that have always surrounded us.
BOOM! Congratulations on the Persona sale! Very, VERY NICE!
Re: the trump in all of us, I think good and decent people are exhausted by the vociferous idiocy and casual cruelty that permeates our current hellscape. There's a buzzing dis-ease that circles us, and we contract our world to stop the "Game over, man! Game over!" zipping around in our heads like Sha'Carri Richardson. On a loop. Ad infinitum. It makes us sad to realize that the 'unaffected' CHOOSE to stay unaffected, and that personally makes me mean, such that I wish massive, unavoidable, and stark consequences on these glib, 'I got mine,' jackholes. I actively check, distrust, and judge them... and I have no idea if I can or will change back to my sunny self in the future.
It sucks. For us, and hopefully for them. And for all, because it's now US and THEM.
Yes and No, I think to answer your question. Yes, I think American society is becoming more and more individual-focused which leads us to shun community and focus on our isolated worlds. There's certainly a more idaf vibe happening in American society. But also, I don't think this is caused by Trump. I think Trump is a symptom of a larger social problem in America.
To give context, my parents are Indian amd immigrated to the USA before my birth. We would often visit India and they both moved back a decade ago, so I have the fortune to live in two worlds as a result. In India, people live in communities surrounded by family. Most children live with their parents until they get married, and then after marriage you love with your parents or your in-laws. It's rare for a couple to just buy a place on their own or live independently of any family. (Even if they don't share an apartment, the parents or in-laws are often in the same building or apartment complex). It is even rarer and shocking to live alone in your own apartment or home, by yourself. College kids who go to school away from home will often be a "paying guest" and rent a room in another family's home.
In America, that is unheard of if you have the money to leave. I know so many people who left home at 18 and never looked back. Living with your parents as an adult is "shameful" and a sign of social deviance or that someone in your family needs a caregiver. Personally, I wonder if capitalism is the cause of this (spend more money on your own household!) or if it a societal thing because the USA is a 'country of immigrants' (leave home and start your own, like your parents did. Pick up those bootstraps!). But I think the result of this social paradigm has left us as tiny islands in the middle of an ocean. If you don't live with your family or near them, your kids are raised by strangers while you work. You work longer hours and need two incomes to afford the cost of housing and living, especially if you are not living in a home that your parents bought or your grandparents bought. Capitalism pushed us to create driving cities, so half the country needs a car to get everywhere. Without a public transit culture, we sit isolated in our cars. You don't see your neighbors walking down the street or chat casually with them while waiting at the bus stops/train depots. We don't work where we live, so we don't spend our days with our neighbors, we spend them with people from all over. Remote work killed casual socialization and phones are making this even worse, so we don't even talk to people we are right next to.
Is it any wonder that Americans are selfish when our lives are designed to isolate us and keep us from engaging with our family, friends and the communities we live in? If you do not know your neighbor, how can you feel empathy for them when ICE comes to their door to take them away? If you don't care about the people beneath you because they aren't just an employee, they are your neighbor or a cousin's friend or someone you saw at your second cousin's wedding with their whole family, why would you care if their job disappears tomorrow?
Trump was chosen by Americans who voted for him or did not vote at all because they didn't care enough about how his reign would affect their neighbor. Empathy has been removed from the fabric of American society, so isn't it any wonder that it chose a leader that lacks it entirely?
“What if ten years of Donald Trump in our lives have made us just a little bit like him?”
Sadly I think you’re right, but not necessarily because of a desire to be like him. For his first term, I found myself reacting to everything his administration was doing with anger and frustration. It was exhausting, and while I didn’t always agree with the decisions made by the Biden administration, the relative normality of that time was a welcome respite. This new term is on a whole other level. Every day seems to bring something new that is designed to hurt people they don’t like. As much as I want to fight everything they’re doing, I just don’t have the strength. Which leads me to the same reaction every time I hear about some new evil they’ve unleashed on the world: How does this directly affect me and my family? I hate that feeling. I hate myself for that feeling. Mostly I hate them for putting us all in a position where that feeling is now my first reaction.
If your readers were like Trump, then we wouldn't be so happy for you!