Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:42
Subject: Re:Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Basic courtesy no longer exists in DC. I say "no longer" although I never felt like people here were all that friendly in daily interactions and I've lived here for 25 years. Every time I go back to the Midwest (which is at least yearly since we have family there), I am floored at how nice everyone is. The cashiers at stores are friendly. Drivers give you a "thank you" wave and never honk impatiently. And on 2 separate occasions in 2 different states, I've had road crew workers apologize to me about the inconvenience of the road work! LOL. That would never happen around here.
Yes in Canada too, everyone is super nice and polite. It's almost like the Twilight Zone.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:39
Subject: Re:Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Basic courtesy no longer exists in DC. I say "no longer" although I never felt like people here were all that friendly in daily interactions and I've lived here for 25 years. Every time I go back to the Midwest (which is at least yearly since we have family there), I am floored at how nice everyone is. The cashiers at stores are friendly. Drivers give you a "thank you" wave and never honk impatiently. And on 2 separate occasions in 2 different states, I've had road crew workers apologize to me about the inconvenience of the road work! LOL. That would never happen around here.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:32
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When someone let's you cut in front of them when merging onto the road and you wave to thank them
People don’t do that anymore. I can’t remember the last time someone waved thank you
Many people might be scared to do that, thinking the other driver might mistake it for the bird and road rage on them.
Not many people flash their lights to warn about police ahead anymore either, though many vehicles have always on running lights I suppose now.
I always wave a thank you when someone allows me to merge.
I also always flash my lights to warn about police, but also to warn about hazards such as deer or people walking on the road, a car stalled on the other side of a curvy road, and so on. Other folks have also flashed their lights as a warning as they drove past me.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:29
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Things seemed to regress a lot around 2009-2012 ish and been sliding more rapidly since then.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:28
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:People are living on the edge with no margin. They don’t have enough money, they don’t get to rest, their health is poor, and the political situation is not ok. When you are in a constant state of stress you don’t have the energy to handle slights in a gracious way, and you’re not taking the time to be appreciative and kind either.
Poor people were a lot more poor 50+ years ago.
And? You think the poor people 50+ years ago were nicer or something? Guess what- if they had every kind of stress and no social support, they weren’t.
DP but they were much nicer and more generous 60+ years ago for sure from accounts from family.
Part of it was there were still consequences back then for poor manners. Sometimes severe consequences, so people had better manners by default.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:28
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When someone let's you cut in front of them when merging onto the road and you wave to thank them
People don’t do that anymore. I can’t remember the last time someone waved thank you
I do! Every time.
Same here.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:27
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:People are living on the edge with no margin. They don’t have enough money, they don’t get to rest, their health is poor, and the political situation is not ok. When you are in a constant state of stress you don’t have the energy to handle slights in a gracious way, and you’re not taking the time to be appreciative and kind either.
Poor people were a lot more poor 50+ years ago.
And? You think the poor people 50+ years ago were nicer or something? Guess what- if they had every kind of stress and no social support, they weren’t.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:22
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When someone let's you cut in front of them when merging onto the road and you wave to thank them
People don’t do that anymore. I can’t remember the last time someone waved thank you
I do! Every time.
me too. It's an alpha move to always initiate the courtesy rather than playing catch up.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:21
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When someone let's you cut in front of them when merging onto the road and you wave to thank them
People don’t do that anymore. I can’t remember the last time someone waved thank you
I do! Every time.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:20
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Can you give us some context, OP? Do you mean that someone let a door close in your face, or are you upset about something someone said about Charlie Kirk?
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:19
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
I see these things practically every day and I live in DC.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:17
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:I agree that in DC, this is all gone.
But i live in Florida, and cannot remember the last time i experienced any of these scenarios. People wave in traffic all the time, make a big friendly to-do about doors being held open, chat with the grocery bagger about the weather. I have dozens of friendly, genuine interactions daily.
Of course, florida politics are nuts. But the day to day friendliness is real. I couldn't stand living in dc, but being here is very joyful on a daily basis.
They might not be friendly to you much longer once they know you better. Just saying.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:16
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
I agree that in DC, this is all gone.
But i live in Florida, and cannot remember the last time i experienced any of these scenarios. People wave in traffic all the time, make a big friendly to-do about doors being held open, chat with the grocery bagger about the weather. I have dozens of friendly, genuine interactions daily.
Of course, florida politics are nuts. But the day to day friendliness is real. I couldn't stand living in dc, but being here is very joyful on a daily basis.
But i live in Florida, and cannot remember the last time i experienced any of these scenarios. People wave in traffic all the time, make a big friendly to-do about doors being held open, chat with the grocery bagger about the weather. I have dozens of friendly, genuine interactions daily.
Of course, florida politics are nuts. But the day to day friendliness is real. I couldn't stand living in dc, but being here is very joyful on a daily basis.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:14
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:People are living on the edge with no margin. They don’t have enough money, they don’t get to rest, their health is poor, and the political situation is not ok. When you are in a constant state of stress you don’t have the energy to handle slights in a gracious way, and you’re not taking the time to be appreciative and kind either.
Poor people were a lot more poor 50+ years ago.
Anonymous
09/15/2025 21:07
Subject: Does anyone else feel like all kindness, social norms, etc are gone?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:When someone let's you cut in front of them when merging onto the road and you wave to thank them
People don’t do that anymore. I can’t remember the last time someone waved thank you
Many people might be scared to do that, thinking the other driver might mistake it for the bird and road rage on them.
Not many people flash their lights to warn about police ahead anymore either, though many vehicles have always on running lights I suppose now.