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Thread: Shrinking middle class transforming communities nationwide, new study says

  1. #21
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    I see the overall life- health as being a bigger issue than optimist or pessimist.

    If people pretty much feel in control of their life and if they are self actualized, I would bet those people come off as optimists. But to me, its a richer and more complex thing.

    I do know that Even though I consider myself largely a pessimist, I am also content with my life. I usually laugh once a day (and probably get mad once a day!) The husband here and the dog here generate the laughs. Also, irony in life--always good for a chuckle.
    Last edited by iris lilies; 5-29-16 at 4:18pm.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    I have always been an optimist. My doggies and family, friends make me laugh multiple times a day.

  3. #23
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    haha! I can see that.

    Mayo Clinic cites the following health benefits of optimism:

    Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
    • Increased life span.
    • Lower rates of depression.
    • Lower levels of distress.
    • Greater resistance to the common cold.
    • Better psychological and physical well-being.
    • Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
    • Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.


    I've read in several longevity studies that optimism is a predictor of a long life.
    Optimism may have advantages for living to a ripe old,age, but not from an evolutionary, survival of the fittest standpoint. For,a traitors,be evolutionarily successful it's only necessary that the person with the trait live long enough to successfully have and raise offspring. I suspect that Back when we lived in the wilderness, which was when 99% of human evolution took place, pessimism and caution got baked into our genes.

  4. #24
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    I thought it was interesting that about half the displacement was in the upward direction.
    My guess would be that this is because as the industrial economy gets replaced by the information economy half the displaced jobs are being replaced by well paying new information economy jobs and the rest are being replaced by low paying service economy jobs. And as those service economy jobs get replaced by machines the working poor will just move further down the income ladder.

  5. #25
    Williamsmith
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    I'm pretty much a n the same wave length as George Carlin....

    "An optimist sees the glass half full, a pessimist sees it half empty. I see a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be."

  6. #26
    Senior Member Ultralight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    I'm pretty much a n the same wave length as George Carlin....

    "An optimist sees the glass half full, a pessimist sees it half empty. I see a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be."
    So the middle class is a socioeconomic glass that is built to hold 12 ounces of sugary soda. The people that want to fit in it are 12 ounces of aspirating Americans (in liquid form). But the glass should be rebuilt to hold only 6 ounces and the middle class should be shrunk to only be 6 ounces?

    I think that is America's socioeconomic trajectory. We're almost there!

  7. #27
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler View Post
    So the middle class is a socioeconomic glass that is built to hold 12 ounces of sugary soda. The people that want to fit in it are 12 ounces of aspirating Americans (in liquid form). But the glass should be rebuilt to hold only 6 ounces and the middle class should be shrunk to only be 6 ounces?

    I think that is America's socioeconomic trajectory. We're almost there!
    No, the glass has been expanded to big gulp size. Williamsmith just wants to get it back down to the former standard of 12 oz, not all the way back down to 6.5 oz that cokes were first sold at.

  8. #28
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    the glass may be adequate - for some - but it is an ever narrowing glass, ie raises non-existent, costs of basic living going up by leaps and bounds - ie shrinking.
    Trees don't grow on money

  9. #29
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore View Post
    the glass may be adequate - for some - but it is an ever narrowing glass, ie raises non-existent, costs of basic living going up by leaps and bounds - ie shrinking.
    This is more a result of the abuse of monetary policy. The purchasing power of the dollar is constantly under attack from excess debt, taxpayer bailout and economic "stimulus."

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp1 View Post
    No, the glass has been expanded to big gulp size. Williamsmith just wants to get it back down to the former standard of 12 oz, not all the way back down to 6.5 oz that cokes were first sold at.
    I just don't want to see the day when we're all drinking from the same trough.

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