Anorexic Allegra Beck Versace relapses - hospitalized

[effie2]

Her mommy and daddy are also suing tabloids for reporting about their daughter

[Palermo]

Originally Posted by crumpet

Just an observation:
Personally I've been inclined to believe that living in a wealthy culture where all of your basic human needs (food, clothing, shelter) are provided for influences people to then focus on loftier aspirations. That's the point when people persue self actualization, setting goals, having dreams, and having much higher expectations about what happiness should look and feel like. People starving in 3rd World countries cannot be bothered with whether or not they are 'pretty' or 'happy'. They are focusing on getting food, water, and not getting gang raped by invaders. Basic survival is their only goal. Once people have those things secured, they focus on higher level needs which can be a good or bad thing. I've said before that depresssion is a luxury of the rich, but I meant that figuratively, not literally. I think people today have higher expectations of what it means to be fulfilled or happy. I think that 60 years ago people didn't think so much about whether they were happy and they didn't necessarily expect to be. They expected they would grow up, marry, have kids, live in their own houes, and work until they got too old. That's it. Bonus if they could throw in a few vacations and a color TV. I think that they media boom has us comparing ourselves to others like never before because we are more exposed to other ideas and images than ever before. Also, after WW2 we became a superpower and Western nations enjoyed a materially comfortable existence. Even our poor people with Medicaid, food stamps, and Section 8 housing live like kings compared to many of the people across the globe. Most of us don't consider ourselves rich, but we are, comparatively speaking.

Starving, war torn peoples don't have the luxury of worrying if their clothes are fashionable enough or if they look like the latest Cosmo cover. We take a lot for granted and I believe a lot of these modern social ills are a side effect of it.

Very wise, and I agree with you