North Korea sentences U.S. student to hard labor;Washington condemns punishment

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by August

Unfortunately in the society we've created nearly all their experiences from cradle to that point says it really is about them. Shielded from danger, from failure, from every adversity or disadvantage, the precious little snowflakes aren't given enough reason to know better until they become "adults" and find out that doesn't work in the real world.

I certainly don't want our society to become a collective, but a little collectivism is a good thing. I am both an individual and part of my society. Each one of those has privileges and responsibilities.

Many people like to focus on the privileges, but the responsibilities are also important. Like many things in life, there is a compromise between "I" and "we" in life.

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

I call them "The Blue Ribbon Generation" - no matter their efforts they always get the blue ribbon

I remember when i was 8 or 9 years old we had a field day track meet... you raced. you got first, second, third, fourth and fifth place ribbons. after fifth you got sweaty or winded... but thats it.

now they all are winners and are all special just for showing up and whining about the heat

Yeah, you are right. I remember when The Frau's kid moved out (the first time) she had a closet full of these huge bowling trophies. They were massive in size and quantity. She bowled on the team for less than two years. And you know what, she did not really care about the trophies. Into the recycling they went.

I look at my library and I have one trophy. Just one, a small wooden one. But it was when I came in second place at the LA Scholastic Chess Open about a hundred years ago. But I treasure that trophy.

1. I truly earned it.
2. In my generation (aka old guy) we did not get trophies so it was truly something special.