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Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 14, 2023

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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I’ve noticed it in a lot of places. I do retail so I’m dealing with the public and it just seems like nobody has any patience to wait their turn.

It feels like society is degrading. But people always say this, even during times when society is actually becoming more polite. I wonder if there's a more objective way to measure it.

I've degraded. I dont see much reason being an upstanding citizen when I can be locked away for months on end at a moments notice. Thef fuckwits I live with dont deserve good citizenry.

I mean I think it’s plausible to look for indicators of breakdown in social cohesion. It would likely show up in beliefs about the world, in number and depth of friendships, in things like vandalism and road rage and the like. It seems like if people are becoming less trusting and less friendly and so on, it would probably show up in data that measures the breakdown of that. If the majority of people don’t trust their neighbors, if road rage and vandalism and domestic disturbances are increasing, that would be pretty strong evidence.