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I wrote a book called “Crap Towns”. It seemed funny at the time

(samj.substack.com)
395 points url | 2 comments | 26 Apr 25 00:30 UTC | HN request time: 0.446s | source
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firefoxd ◴[26 Apr 25 02:56 UTC] No.43800502[source]▶
One thing that has been accentuated over the past few decades is the idea that you are responsible for your success. When you were poor, lacked means, or didn't have a good job, it was because the god of fortune didn't smile on you. Only the fortunate experienced success.

Now only losers are broke and live in crap towns, and winners drive expensive cars. With this idea in mind, calling it crap towns becomes an attack on the people, rather then the town itself.

This idea is thoroughly explored in Alain de Botton's "Status Anxiety"

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1. lotsofpulp ◴[26 Apr 25 12:15 UTC] No.43802928[source]▶
I feel like the opposite has been accentuated for around 15+ years now, especially after the 2008 recession.

The 1990s/2000s felt like "you make your own luck", but since I got out of college, it seems the 90% luck / 10% effort idea is the mainstream (including "who you know is more important than what you know"). Maybe it is just me growing up, or maybe it's the proliferation of access to data due to the internet, such as opportunityatlas.org

I wonder if the increased acceptance of this fact can cause a type of societal malaise.

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2. James_K ◴[26 Apr 25 14:42 UTC] No.43804069[source]▶
I would estimate the bigger cause of malaise is the fact that things just seem to get worse. Housing gets more expensive, shops close down, towns die. One can't help but get the feeling there is a continual tightening of the screws. Every year, the country sinks a little further down. What can you do if you want to stop it? Brexit? Reform? Very unsatisfying answers, but the only ones people are given beyond "lay down and accept it".