I get a printed newspaper delivered once a week Friday. They make little effort other than to throw it out of the car so it can land between the road and the house - often landing on the sidewalk.

Since I installed a security camera I notice the comings and going’s of the building occupants and I observed a curious thing. My landlord - also my nephew - will come and go multiple times a day and step over the paper even if it’s on the step - rather than putting it at my door.

My common courtesy is to do those little things naturally for others. Is that not normal? It makes me not want to do a single little thing for him - and I do a bunch. Is this how society breaks down?

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:40 pm Which country and decade do you live in?

Well to be fair he's not wrong, people are less prone to do the whole 100% process of many things, and tend to spare the slightest effort which was assumed as basic courtesy some time ago...

Sloppy work everywhere, more surprisingly in western countries.
In Cambodia, commitment seems a bit exceptional, at least not usual

That remaining 1% could go a long way though.

I believe it's all programed in their DNA. If you want to change people and their attitude to life you should start by changing their DNA.

I have spent lots of time trying to educate the girls in my family simple things like hanging your wet towel after having a shower, on the wall hooks or on the clothes line on the balcony, , but 10 years on they still just throw towels on the bed.
Another thing I cannot seem to educate them in is to put left over food on their plate into the rubbish bin which is located just under the kitchen sink, instead of putting everything in the sink.

Just how they are here I believe

Had a neighbors laundry rack fall over once due to wind (wind strikes again) and I was questioned by my wife and received stares from the other neighbors who picking it back up. I'm assuming if you do something we would perceive as just being a good person, they will think I'm going to want something in return.

Yeah well free gifts and nice gestures aren't often available as an example in the politic agenda of the country, so it's hard to blame the people to be selfish and afraid of having to repay a "debt" in a country with such low incomes too. Not enough money for the majority, it's possibly complicated to give and give back.

As for genetics, i believe this particular country sadly lost a few decades ago quite a large proportion of very apt people able to make things better, so no wonder the left ones are a bit struggling maintaining the previous level in this recent & current environment ^^ Takes time to stand back up as a whole, even more when regularly sabotaged from up-management...It's a particular case.

I like the lesser industrial, more artisanal aspect of south-east asia.
Sometimes we don't get all what we hope from the westerner side of stuff
But sometimes we get stuff that we coudn't have hoped for in westeros too and here lies the magic of living there.

The best of what asia has to offer in terms of social rules about commitment, politeness and kindness may well be superior to what we have in stock, as occidentals.
I've seen little attentions and big protocols way above what i was expecting in some occasions, things i didn't witness back home though. Asian societies have their perks, noble and complicated usages & moves too, and little people are part of it more than we are on a day to day life, the way i see it.
And it would be a bit foolish to glorify the "leading" nothern asian cultures, ignoring the complexities and refinements of the southern ones.
Nah, it's all good asia, keep your traditions safe please.

The sad part is when our so civilized & engineered countries fail to provide what they had before in abundance, and loose the way to deliver it.
We go down, they go up, to each it's pace.

Sorry, this is in the west.

David Gordon wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 11:33 pm I get a printed newspaper delivered once a week Friday. They make little effort other than to throw it out of the car so it can land between the road and the house - often landing on the sidewalk.

Since I installed a security camera I notice the comings and going’s of the building occupants and I observed a curious thing. My landlord - also my nephew - will come and go multiple times a day and step over the paper even if it’s on the step - rather than putting it at my door.

My common courtesy is to do those little things naturally for others. Is that not normal? It makes me not want to do a single little thing for him - and I do a bunch. Is this how society breaks down?

Isn't it common courtesy not to watch CCTV footage until there's a really serious reason to do so?