h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Imagine all the people, living for today...

Hmm my vision of a perfect world would be one in which I didn't have to work and I could spend all day at the day spa and shopping

I don't have a vision for a perfect world, because a perfect world would be one in which everyone was happy and because what makes you happy might not make me happy, means the world wouldn't be perfect!!

If there was something I would like to see happen in the world, it would be more education and not math etc., but on different cultures and beliefs because I feel we would all get along better if we knew more about each other

Is that what you wanted??

Aye thats good. You can never please all of the people all of the time. I just think you could please a lot more of the people a lot more of the time than what we are achiving now. There can never be a perfect world but I'm always interested to know what people would aim for and how close they think they could get.

I certainly agree with you on education. I went to a single sex grammar school. I have been turned into a grade-monkey capable of producing record grades on artifical tests. We were also taught that we are better than everyone else, at least once a week we got the speech on how much more intelligent we are than everyone else in the world.

Lots of intelligence not many brains.

I was lucky in that I got an english teacher who made time for piddling little things like tolerance and ability to function in a society in his lessons. Some of the most important lessons I ever learned were during the friday afternoon lesson which he swapped over to disscussion/debates instead of the offical material.

You shouldn't have to be lucky to get that, it should be something that every school strives to achieve.

Hey I don't care if we please anyone as long as we learn to get along and stop all this childish S**T. It just amazes me some of the things we will fight over, like religion was I reading a different bible than everyone else?? I have read the Qur-an, it's the old testament, it's the same god. I don't know it just puzzles me.

I find it hard to accept religion independant of determanism, thus I have faith that there is no god - though I can't prove it.

So I guess I'm an agnostic who acts as an aetheist when makeing any descision in the real world.

I'm not sure how many wars get fought over religion, look at any war in history - god was on both sides. To what extent is the concept of god used to wip up fervor amoung armies and to what extend to practicle consideration, such as territory or oil come into these things.

On an indivdual level it always amazes me that there are still people in the world who think that their ability to win a fight has any bearing upon wether they are worshipping the right god.

Well I am not just talking about wars, there are hate crimes and just the little comments that people will make under their breath. I am a department store manager and I remember after 9/11 I had customers that would refuse to be waited on by anyone they thought might be from the Middle East, it's ignorance and a lack of empthy that makes this world bad.

I agree.

I hate trying to respond when I have nothing more intelligent to say than 'I agree' but sometimes people are just right and there is nothing more to be said.

Thank you!! I am kind of suprised you agrre with me!! That's a first!!

I'll try not to make a habit of it

hi acid smilies have you not compared smilies as a attempt to replace visual communication being i think 90% of uderstanding conversations,with regard to change in shops ect i think that has far more to do with "AIDS" ect along with the way we have stopped full eye contact when out and about in our daily life this change comeing about by the yobbish culture mid to late eighties ,as i grew up it would not be unuseuall to say hallo or smile at passers by in the street try that today and nine time out of ten you get a mouthfull of abuse with this in mind social constucts go by the wayside aswell,allthough i might add you can find them alive and well in many small villages and hamlets thoughout gb and what would be considerd backward countries,will come back to thread as still couple of points to debate or thrashout

Okay, I don't mean any insult, but I'm really having trouble understanding what you just said. As I understand it your points are (and correct me if Im wrong): -Hello Why hello there. -Smilies are a social construct I belive that they are a practicle construct designed to facilitate nonverbal communication in a forum where it is otherwise impossible. -Smilies replace nonverbal communication Yup agree with that. "being i think 90% of uderstanding conversations,with regard to change in shops ect i think that has far more to do with "AIDS" ect" I'm not sure what your getting at, just that a 90% of understanding in coversation is nonverbal or something more specific? If thats what your saying I agree that nonverbal communication is important. However 90% is surely a bit of an overstatment. -People don't use full eye contact as much as they used to Dunno, was born in '84 so I can't way what it was like before. -Caused by yob culture in the mid eighties I missed the eighties, was still growing up. -It used to be more acceptable to talk to strangers Might well have been, a shame that it isn't, however I would argue that it is a social construct which is making it harder. People have difficulty talking to strangers, one stranger I approched replied that talking to strangers was just wierd and wanted nothing to do with me. If there were no social constructs people could talk to strangers or not as they chose, rather than having everyone conform to some blanket rule that may or may not be right for them. -Trying it today tends to have a negative response Not as bad as you might think. I've spent the last 2 weeks appraoching total strangers in the park. I challange them to chess, but have ended up playing other games - or just chatting to them randomly. Only about one in ten has been abusive. My favorite so far being "Ew, Ive got no time to talk to someone who looks like you" I started a thread on the topic, "why are people so afraid of talking to stangers" http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/plain/F19585?thread=300033 "with this in mind social constucts go by the wayside aswell" Not sure about this either. Are you saying social constructs are falling by the wayside as a result of people not talking to strangers so much any more? I would say the constructs are alive and well, look at fashion, look at peoples inability to approach strangers, look at the way that people feel the need to get to know someone before telling them personal details. All social constructs. All unecassary to my mind. -Social constructs are alive and well in smal villages and more 'backward' contries. I would say social constructs are alive everywhere. They are simply different in those places. They might be more posative sets of social constructs. However I think any construct is unecassarily limiting. Suppose there was a culture of talking to strangers whenever you were together, on buses in ques etc. I think that a lot of people would like that. There would also be shy people or people like Top (See other convo) who would hate it. You can't have these blanket rules, people need to be free to act as individuals -You'll be back later Look forward to it, but can you please make your posts a bit more readable - it took me six readings to understand this one and I'm still not sure I got it right. I don't like to get bitchy over gramma, but can you try not to write any sentances more than a couple of lines long.

I do believe are a way of replacing the visual commucation that you would normally have if you were speaking to someone face to face Nothing wrong with that!!!

I don't understand the AIDS thing??? Please explain!!!

Oi - I said that I thought smilies were a good way of replacing nonverbal communication.

I thought we agreed not to make a habit of agreeing with each other

hi guys!

Long time no see!

Yes, smiles are a nice form of non-verbal communication. Also just everyday phrases that have no real meaning but make some contact. It is quite different in Spain because nobody seems to have problems with eye contact or even touching. Unlike the 18" of personal space that seems to be the norm in North America and England.

It's quite refreshing to be able to feel even a slight human connection with total strangers with just a smile or light somewhat meaningless comment. It's not what is said that is so important in these circumstances. It's more that one is acknowledged. When I lived in Canada and England I would never - for example - joke around with salesclerks or cashiers. Somehow it just 'wasn't done' to get even remotely personal with people doing their job. But here people don't have that same reserve.

And you can call that 'superficial', because indeed it is. But I would rather share a nice hello and a smile and a short 'superficial' chat (including eye contact) with the supermarket cashier than pretend that she is just an extension of the cash register.

az

Hmm. The problem is that I always worry that people are humoring me. Im one of the most socially paranoid people your ever likely to meet. I make it clear to all the people I speak to (even old friends) that they can leave/tell me to shut up at any time and I won't take offence.

I can't do this with people while they are working because a lot of people feel it is their job to be nice to customers. I don't want to put someone in the position of loathing me, but having to be nice to me because they are paid too.

The mushrooms of paranoia are out to get me.

If people are only being nice because they're paid to, or for politeness, I think you can usually tell. Those who are genuinely pleasant have a more positive warmth.
Even so, deliberate or natural, a smile and a pleasantry makes the world a more agreeable place to be.

I am continually amazed at the number of people who have jobs where they come into contact with the general public, who appear to actively dislike social interaction with customers. Was it the only job they could get? Do they not realise how much more you get out of other people if you are pleasant to them?

Hey I work with the public and I don't always like my interaction with customers because most of them are rude!!! I find that a lot of people do treat my sales associates like they were an extension of the register, which does not make you like the public!!

hey acid, joke with the sales people any smiling face is a good one If they don't like it, to H**L with them!! I find even the most annoying customer is better than the one who could give ** about you

I agreed with you again, I won't ever let it happen again

One of the people I'm living with is fairly antisocial. After some months of effort I got to the point I could see her about once a week (maybe) When I lost contact I went and asked her other friends if they'd seen her in the past few weeks "weeks? Try months" was the usual response. This summer she went to America and didn't leave forwarding numbers/addresses for anyone (inc. her parents)

She works in the public service industry serving drinks at a bar in a nightclub. One researcher who will remain nameless (but was unfortunate enough to use a switch card on her first night) commented that she provides service without the smile.

That was before she had much contact with the general public...

Well you can do that in a nightclub!

I have seen very friendly, sweet people turn after a short period of time It is very hard to have a positive attitude about the public after someone has called you every name in the book because you wouldn't return that pair of jeans they have worn 50 times! If they had been polite I probably would have done it!!

I like social interaction, just not always the kind I get at work!!