Hope and Complacency: The Cultural Consequence of Ambition and Nostalgia
There’s a growing cultural legacy of a complacent society and as such, whether it’s seemingly overshadowed at most, similar sentiments can be carried over to the generation of people fueled with drive and aspiration. The complications of both these aspects are ever present and collectively witnessed by many in a student position, particularly those of a younger demographic. From these stances, it can be assured the current two main societal groups, conditioned to the respective environments of their time, and influenced by every other factor of their surroundings, lie under conflicting outlooks in relation to their life positions and, in result, cause the imbalance of many ongoing social structures and expected standards. Complacency allows comfort just as much as Hope, but Hope can invite disappointment or false expectations, and Complacency risks stagnation of positive change and erases mindfulness
In regards to those self-satisfied, I find those people often can’t accept the risks they take proceeding with their own habits. Because they take the shortcuts of action before thought, they don’t need to recognize the consequences. That person (older generation/narrowly raised) isn’t aware of them. When consequences arrive it’s easier to ignore them because at that point they set themselves in a trap of comfortability. A lot of times it’s just apathy and a feeling of futility over progression. Even when the person faces some disadvantage, complaining while remaining ignorant may also become a common coping instead of an approval for worthy inducement. The antithesis of this side sees an exit from this trap. The exhaustion of rationalizing the byproduct of fragile foundations comes in the few facets of unyielding optimism. For the ones content, whether it’s for a greater sense of nostalgia or the cause of strong habits, this group has already made up their mind about the world and embraced qualities of tradition, latching on to what they’ve always known. They feel a commitment to that familiarity more strongly. For the ambitious (newer generation/ open minded), there are more defenses to these opposing views. The more intolerant of unchanging habits seek to not let these tedious and negative experiences break them down and have them conform to customs. Determined people grow very aware of the risks that lie among them. These groups advocate for reform and despite every reason offered to give up on these matters, their aim remains becoming resilient since there is every reason to strive for efficiency/balance. At the baseline, those hopeful represent the future for making something new (effort pays off) and those stationary represent repression in favor of the standing sense of security (optimism leads to distress and becomes an impossibility). Perhaps these concerns are bound to change with age and experience; I question whether I’ll still look to establish a new future, or abandon the hope and wonder and ultimately turn apathetic and untrusting.