Also from Brookings, I thought you might be interested in the remarks about a study of young people in Peru that found that hope has a beneficial effect on life outcomes:
We found remarkably high levels of resilience and education aspirations among our survey population. Eighty-eight percent of our young adults aspire to completing college or post-college education. In addition, most of the respondents in this high aspirations category had experienced one or more negative shocks in the past. Respondents in the high aspirations categories are also far less likely to partake in risky behaviors, such as smoking or having unsafe sex. This provides additional evidence suggesting that individuals with high aspirations and/or hope for the future are more likely to invest in those futures as well as to avoid behaviors that are likely to jeopardize their futures.
Is it just barely possible that the lack of hope is one of the factors behind the mutual massacre happening on the South and West sides of Chicago and in a number of other American cities?
Fortunately, our young people have no need of hope. They have firearms instead.
I would say they have an excess of unearned pride, which, when injured, leads to quick violence, especially murder by gun.
Gray, You’ve never been here, (Chicago), you don’t know our Black friends, and shut your mouth.
Everybody else.
Would agree in part. A lot of the old Southron culture of honor, respect and vengeance for slights thereof came with the great migration. Then throw in being from rough/homicidal neighborhoods, present in body only parents, crappy educations, probable gang tats, probable felony convictions, uns so weiter, generally don’t get accepted into the mainstream. Hope then becomes the first on the road of disappointment.
I know them as well as I want to, and I’ll shut up when
I die.
“Fortunately, our young people have no need of hope. They have firearms instead.”
Or, increasingly our young people are still living with their parents, or have dropped out from society generally – young men in particular. Their emasculation gives them a lot of time to play video games in the basement.
Andy, have you seen any Grand Theft Auto? Kids are playing this violent, oversexed game before they can read.
It’s in the news, teens break into stores at night to steal the game.
Then spend night after night playing until it shapes their minds.
Should be sued.
Gray,
I played one edition of the game many years ago – it wasn’t my thing.
@Gray Shambler
Let me guess. You have never played GTA.
For fun, do a search for Manhunt or Manhunt 2. I like the plastic bag, but it is really not very good.