November 5

catbus: David Brooks seriously wrote this shit? Once upon a time — in what we might think of as the “Happy Days” era — courtship was governed by a set of guardrails. Potential partners generally met within the context of larger social institutions: neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and families. There were certain accepted social scripts. The purpose of these scripts — dating, going steady, delaying sex — was to guide young people on the path from short-term desire to long-term commitment. Over the past few decades, these social scripts became obsolete. They didn’t fit the post-feminist era. So the search was on for more enlightened courtship rules. You would expect a dynamic society to come up with appropriate scripts. But technology has made this extremely difficult. Etiquette is all about obstacles and restraint. But technology, especially cellphone and texting technology, dissolves obstacles. Suitors now contact each other in an instantaneous, frictionless sphere separated from larger social institutions and commitments. I would like to once again direct everyone’s attention to Things Used to Be Better in So Many Ways

catbus:

David Brooks seriously wrote this shit?

Once upon a time — in what we might think of as the “Happy Days” era — courtship was governed by a set of guardrails. Potential partners generally met within the context of larger social institutions: neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and families. There were certain accepted social scripts. The purpose of these scripts — dating, going steady, delaying sex — was to guide young people on the path from short-term desire to long-term commitment.

Over the past few decades, these social scripts became obsolete. They didn’t fit the post-feminist era. So the search was on for more enlightened courtship rules. You would expect a dynamic society to come up with appropriate scripts. But technology has made this extremely difficult. Etiquette is all about obstacles and restraint. But technology, especially cellphone and texting technology, dissolves obstacles. Suitors now contact each other in an instantaneous, frictionless sphere separated from larger social institutions and commitments.

I would like to once again direct everyone’s attention to Things Used to Be Better in So Many Ways

09:49 | Comments | 7 notes

blog comments powered by DISQUS

  1. lostthought reblogged this from bthny and added:
    I missed the part where he passed judgement or said anything that wasn’t completely true.
  2. bthny reblogged this from catbus and added:
    I would like to once again direct everyone’s attention to Things Used to Be Better in So Many Ways
  3. jenawesome reblogged this from catbus
  4. catbus posted this