It seems to me a probable partial cause of this is that the "middle class" in "developed" nations don't raise children anymore, they raise college graduates; they raise wage earners. Kids are not encouraged, no, not allowed to do things for the fun of it, let alone permitted to do things for the nothing of it. From barely walking to graduating college kids have their schedules booked in full with "resume building" activities and schoolwork. After graduating they do the only thing they know, the thing they've been preparing their entire lives for: they work (gotta pay off that student debt somehow, right?). Or they do the only other activity they've seen their parents do: they consume ("Since I'll be working forever anyway, might as well treat myself."). It's no surprise then that most of them continue doing it for decades upon decades. They don't know anything else (and they might be forced to due to loans and poor knowledge of personal finance). Even switching from one career to another might be seen as too much work to bother with when they are "comfortable" at their current position. The longer they stay in this position the more locked in they become (see the numerous threads/posts about elderly relatives not wanting to quit despite no longer needing the money). For some/many this can be enough/a fulfilling life. That is fine, no judgment here. Whatever it takes to get through this life and be happy and spread happiness is fine by me.jacob wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2019 11:39 amMost people seem to have no problem doing the same thing or have the same one interest for decades of their life. I have yet to figure out why this is. Perhaps they don't have time to develop other interests. Perhaps they have no interest? My problem is the opposite. Too many things I want to do with a tendency to spread myself too thin---the web-of-goals is intended to derive some benefit from this.
But it also doesn't come as much of a surprise to me when the multitudes finally arrive in the workplace and many find that they are not satisfied, not happy, depressed even. "I did everything I was told," they say, "I checked all the boxes and I got the degree and I got the high paying job. So why am I so unsatisfied? Why am I so depressed?" Their parents failed them. Society failed them (but got what it wanted: perpetual consumers). Time that could have been spent as kids learning the satisfaction that comes with discovering things on their own and/or finding a subject/activity/thing they really enjoy and developing it, getting better at it (doing things for the fun of it) was not allowed. Time that could have been spent meandering and imagining and creating and world building (doing things for the nothing of it) was stolen; their creativity was stolen. They weren't raised to be happy adults; they were raised to "earn a living." The two are not synonymous and no one told them that or explained the difference. I understand the importance and the pressure parents must feel in raising kids to "compete in a modern economy" but I can't help but feel this race to the bottom has been only to peoples' individual detriment. Maybe our GDP is higher but at what cost? To bring this back to the original question, the people dissatisfied still haven't been taught or shown any other path so many stay on it far longer than they would like/would if they knew another route. This is why people who demonstrably live different lives (like Jacob and I'm sure many members of this forum) are so important. These individuals show an alternative path that people have been trained to never see.
Anyway, that was my take on an answer. Curious to hear the thoughts of others.
ETA: Upon further reading I realize I think I sounded overly harsh on parents in the nowadays. Anyone who has the courage/strength/resolve to raise one kid, let alone multiple, has my unconditional support. You're all a bunch of superheroes =). I was merely trying to point something out that I (think I) have seen on a societal level and also a personal one.