[palsera27]

A woman who wanted to go to college was looked down. An unwed woman was looked down on. People with disabilities and mental illness were looked down on as if they brought on themselves.

The 1950s is referred to as “era of conformity” you ether behaved a certain way or became rejected by society.

[Crypts_Of_The_Mind]

Many people are looked down upon today. We have come a long way since then in some regards - in others we have not. People are people though, you can educate and re-educate them about things and outright show them living proof right in front of them, but unless they are willing to accept it as fact - they will not, there will always be an argument or an agreement to "shut you up" and then anger later.

Some people still see women as weak.
Some still see the disabled as people to be avoided at all cost.
Some people still label unwed pregnant women as a w****.
Racism still exists.
Discrimination against certain beliefs still exists.

Humankind will always have those who are cruel and judgemental about one or more things.

Humankind is flawed - but the flaw is what makes life beautiful.

[Skeezyks]

I spent my childhood in the '50's. Somehow, I don't know how, I learned that there were things about myself I could never share with anyone. So I didn't. And although I'm now pushing 70 years old, I still live the same way....

[Crypts_Of_The_Mind]

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

I spent my childhood in the '50's. Somehow, I don't know how, I learned that there were things about myself I could never share with anyone. So I didn't. And although I'm now pushing 70 years old, I still live the same way....

I grew up in the late 70s n 80s n early 90s n I learned the same .. and like you still feel the same.

You could ask this question of any place and time period.

[sugarbeeMe]

Do you folks think there are more good people or bad people in this world?

[Crypts_Of_The_Mind]

Originally Posted by sugarbeeMe

Do you folks think there are more good people or bad people in this world?

I think the media sensationalizes the bad - so we can never truly measure that bc we only know where the atrociously bad are n nothing about the good. All we know about that is those who may or may not be around us - which is like measuring a raindrop in the ocean and deciding it represents the entire ocean.

[Krow]

Well the conclusion itself is rather simple to understand. The origin of such behavior is rather vague, but I could probably form a theory. Right from the start, the reason in which most people develop such beliefs and behaviors within their lives revolves around socialization and normality. To some extent, all people possess a tendency to conform, and many will even conform to the point of inauthenticity. Abnormal behaviors are typically condemned partially in concern for the individual's safety but also in concern for the well being of society. Tradition is oftentimes seen as a tested formula for success, and it minimizes the potential for risk. At the same time, without that potential for change, neither the individual nor the civilization may improve and progress either.

Still, this can be somewhat of a pendulum. While progression is a necessary tool for evolution, many people place so much emphasis upon the concept of progress that their actions reflect something quite regressive in nature. When a group attempts to force a narrative or agenda in the name of progress, it usually comes with its own share of victims. This creates a division between people of various ideologies, and the potential for negotiation quickly diminishes. Even though much of humanity has come quite a long way in its moral compass, it is not immune to regressing back into its previous states. Civilizations have a tendency to progress and regress in the face of heightened political, religious, or philosophical turmoil. The problem is, people usually assume that it is the "opposite" side which is causing such regression when in reality, it may oftentimes be their own side or even both sides (perhaps even multiple conflicting ideologies). When understanding progress, one must not only account for who it assists, but they must also account for who it harms. If there must be innocent victims in the name of such progress, then I doubt it really qualifies as progress.

It is not quite true to say that people are simply "good" or "evil" either. While one is still responsible for their own actions and behaviors, many individuals are simply never exposed to any other ideologies other than those in which they were raised under. Even today, at the peak of technology, people are often uncomfortable with overstepping that boundary into the ideas which contradict their own beliefs. And it is not a single group -- it affects practically everyone to some extent or another. To overstep that boundary is a conscious effort on one's own behalf, and to overstep it frequently is a habit which must be developed in time.

[Grath]

Originally Posted by sugarbeeMe

Do you folks think there are more good people or bad people in this world?

Everyone thinks they're doing "the right thing". Only very few believe themselves to be evil. On a societal scale, "good" and "evil" fluctuated over the course of history. There are only a few things (murder, rape, stealing) that have been viewed as "evil" consistently through human history. And even killing has been seen as ambiguous in the past, often even glorious when it came to enemies in war.

Confederate generals were seen as folk heroes in the American South once, nowadays their statues are often seen as problematic. Martin Luther is viewed as something next to a saint by some Protestants, yet some of his writings display rampant antisemitism. Was he a "bad" person? I don't think so. Was he a "good" person? I don't know. He was a person of his time.

Good or bad are mostly societal labels. I don't think any one of us will be judged as entirely "good" by future historians.

[All Is Revealed]

Originally Posted by palsera27

A woman who wanted to go to college was looked down. An unwed woman was looked down on. People with disabilities and mental illness were looked down on as if they brought on themselves.

The 1950s is referred to as “era of conformity” you ether behaved a certain way or became rejected by society.

That is true. But now we live in 2017 and things have changed drastically. The good thing about looking back to 1950 is so we can appreciate how far women have come. Many countries have female presidents.

Mentally ill people are treated better than they used to be. We can be schizophrenic and be considered an awesome college professor. We can be bipolar and considered the best artist on Earth. We are no longer thrown in black holes and zapped to death like we used to be back in the 50s.

[IA_2809]

Originally Posted by palsera27

A woman who wanted to go to college was looked down. An unwed woman was looked down on. People with disabilities and mental illness were looked down on as if they brought on themselves.

The 1950s is referred to as “era of conformity” you ether behaved a certain way or became rejected by society.

I think looking down on certain sectors of population comes to where's the shift. Nowadays there's a shift on utilitarian functionality. You don't look down on women, disabled or mentally ill for their condition on itself, but for their diminished productivity to the laboral market and economy. A person who has to take post-natal permissions for his/her baby, lots of medical licenses and such, with our current laboral protection standards will get some damage on his/her career (gaps, getting fired), résumé, and so on. HR staff will keep their focus on maximize productivity instead of social integration of marginalized, less productive members. As those get poor employment options, their capacity to become autonomous will reduce as well, being a remarkable hindrance to their dignity and projected image onto others (who will struggle at the idea of thinking one's life is not only the result of one's decisions).

Figure out what was the shift on the 50s. Then on another times.