# Describe the current Zeitgeist **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2022, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359 "2022-07-03T22:34:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![john\_b\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/21 "2022-07-04T08:52:16Z")
entropic; or pessimistic; somewhat depressing, if not yet clinical; anomic. labile (perhaps moody or bipolar are words some might, broadly speaking, prefer) well, that’s five words, or states of being, of thought, feeling. . ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/22 "2022-07-04T09:28:33Z")
The neon lit dark ages. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/23 "2022-07-04T09:48:49Z")
Hm, I can’t decide if the answers so far are America-centric, or whether they apply to the rest of the world more than I think, or whether y’all just figure that whatever happens here in the States will have equally bad effects worldwide. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/24 "2022-07-04T09:49:43Z")
“Broken”. As in the system or systems literally do not work. Whether it’s taking a flight, eating in a restaurant, health care, passing laws, getting people to take sensible measures against a global pandemic, buying baby food, finding a job, filling your car with gas, educating your children - there is a sense that nothing works the way it is supposed to. Everything is politicized or worked on by lazy morons who don’t show up to work or run by lazy morons who just extract whatever benefit they can out of the system for their own benefit. Some might say we live in a “Pax Moronus”. Where idiots are free to live up to their low expectations, indulging in the few technologies that actually do work - streaming video and social media. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/25 "2022-07-04T14:15:26Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > whether they apply to the rest of the world more than I think This one. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/26 "2022-07-04T14:27:45Z")
Sad. For the world. Ukraine, America and a whole bunch of other places where people don’t have freedom, or food even. Overall, as a species we suck. This world could be such a different place if we weren’t so awful. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/27 "2022-07-05T14:08:04Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. > > The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth This, exactly, but from a hard atheist perspective. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/28 "2022-07-05T14:16:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > This, exactly, but from a hard atheist perspective. Og loves us so much that it created Ma Nature, who sole _raison d’être_ is to send us to be eternally with Og. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/29 "2022-07-05T14:48:37Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > In a word: _koyaanisqatsi_ Can we at least have one billionaire in [that ending?](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OacVy8_nJi0) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/30 "2022-07-05T15:02:01Z")
Regarding Smapti’s quote. The first paragraph is negativity and nonsense. The second much more so. Sure, it may explain certain professions and politicians. It doesn’t explain dogs or flowers or a properly made hamburger. I’m not sure what effect it has on men and multinationals that promise nonmalfeasance in their founding ethos then decide that is too much bother. My take on the Zeitgeist? I am cynical but somewhat optimistic. Polarized politics. Public posturing. Private perplexity. Philosophical problems, perhaps. Progression possible. Prudent positivity. Probable prosperity. Poise. Parity. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/31 "2022-07-05T15:03:14Z")
Panicky pissantry. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/32 "2022-07-05T15:10:19Z")
Populist poppycock. Postgraduate pedantism. Perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/33 "2022-07-05T15:17:05Z")
“I’ll take a ‘P’, Alex.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2022, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/34 "2022-07-05T15:35:56Z")
(Aside: How is it that the people on _Wheel of Fortune_ know so little about letter frequency? I had not watched this show for many years and did not realize, fed up with ignorance, they sometimes started including the most common letters automatically.) ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/35 "2022-07-06T00:59:31Z")
To me it feels as if the whole world/system (or whatever) is teetering and could go either way, with whichever way being completely unpredictable. I once heard a current affairs show making a reference to “the human project” and I have always thought that that is a good frame of reference. Sadly, with climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (including the possibility of Russian nuclear weapons being used), the social and political divisions amongst western populations, the prevalence and acceptance of lies and the apparent abandonment of truth and facts, and so on, I think that the human project could be in serious trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/36 "2022-07-06T03:00:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As an atheist, I think it’s an apt metaphor - it feels like any conscious being that created us would be ashamed of us right now and regretful that it had created us. Yeah, Hitler and Stalin had nothing on these 21st century turkeys. The attitude is more indicative than anything that’s actually happening. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/37 "2022-07-06T03:02:07Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > “Broken”. Compared to when? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/38 "2022-07-06T16:07:47Z")
Compared to the days that the bubble gum, bailing wire and duct tape were doing a masterful job of making it seem not so overall broken. When we could feel like all the problems were minor things that we could get over. Back when there was not a couple million hours of video of people everywhere being ceaselessly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Jay\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Jay\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jay_Z)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/39 "2022-07-06T16:56:11Z")
Well, the Internet makes it a lot easier to deliver doom porn. That is maybe more of the “zeitgeist” than what is actually happen in the world. I do think that things can get worse. But they’ve gotten worse before as well. Don’t get me started on 1914, 1929, 1941. Kind of the point, that’s the way life goes. Maybe people need some other sort of grounding to be able to accept that. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2022, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359/40 "2022-07-06T21:13:22Z")
Well, starting in the late '70s when I first struck out on my own, it was possible for a family to live on one income, rent was doable if you weren’t too picky and there was a social safety net for when shit went adrift. Now it’s impossible to rent a one bedroom apartment anywhere in the country while working a minimum wage job–median rent is over $1800/month in the US so using the old rule of thumb that your rent shouldn’t be more than 30% of your income means a monthly income of close to $6000 and that’s not happening. Buying a house is out of reach of pretty much anyone–if I hadn’t bought my current house over twenty years ago using a first time buyer no money down loan at 30 year fixed I wouldn’t be able to live by myself in the city where I reside. So, “within the lifetime of someone who isn’t yet at official retirement age” is a pretty good estimate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/describe-the-current-zeitgeist/967359.md?page=3)