The Real Mystery

[poliphilo]

There's no mystery about why the kids did what they did.

The young crave excitement, lack empathy (it's to do with brain chemistry), have a huge sense of entitlement, despise their elders. 

So they smash things up. Everything from bus shelters to social conventions. Some of which is good. 

We've all been there, but we forget- or we cast a retrospective glamour over our youthful shittiness. 

I didn't burn and loot high street shops, but I did things that were, morally speaking, just as bad. Bet you did too.

There's no need to bring poverty into the equation. The PM, the Chancellor and the Mayor of London used to be in a gang called the Bullingdon Club. Their schtick was to get very, very drunk, trash restaurants and assault passers-by.  None of them was poor.

Usually there are restraints in place to keep youthful mischief-making within bounds- to keep the outrages small-scale and local.  For some reason they just failed. 

Why? Why now? That's the real mystery.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I only remember being spanked once. I believe a hairbrush was employed. If my parents wanted to squash me they accused me of "being selfish" in tones of withering contempt.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

My parents beat my sister and I with a belt or whatever else lay to hand, repeatedly and with joyous abandon. As staunchly loyal, John-Birch Republicans they were proud of it and are still proud of it, today.

My young nephew suffers from debilitating anxiety attacks and my mother suggested that my sister just wasn't beating him enough. After all, it had obviously worked wonders for my anxiety attacks, when I was his age.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

My mother said that often, but it was to me as the buzzing of flies at some distance.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My parents obviously had my number. When they said it to me I felt like the lowliest worm in creation.