So many knowledge workers jobs are disappearing. This started way before AI. I kept searching for stability only to be caught in rounds of layoffs.
I am a neurodivergent weirdo old enough to just be known as the weird kid growing up. I never figured out social cues so I am both gullible and standoffish. I live in a massive apartment complex where a certain amount of polite disinterest works best — be nice in the elevator, hold doors open, help a neighbor when you can but mostly stay separate and never ever complain to the management.
I appreciate polite disinterest with neighbors! I like this about living in an apartment building. When the worst happens, you can be there for each other, but otherwise, you don't have to socialize just because you live in close proximity.
I naturally trust people, sometimes too much for my own good. I cannot imagine that people would approach me with bad intentions... It is a bit tiring for my husband who has to get me out of some situations because of that, but I am generally happy to be like that.
I live in an upper middle class suburb, where presumably everyone trusts each other to keep up 'property values' and general neighborliness. We celebrate 'Night to Unite' and have a block party. Within the last five years a number of new families have moved in, with babies and young children, and I'm happy for them that they can potentially build a shared community. I will admit that I don't really know them, so how neighborly am I really? But I do know the neighbors closest to me, and we've become close with two of the families. My husband works at home and walks around the neighborhood every day, so he has a little more contact than I do.
And I commented on AHP's service industry article, lol. Shopping online has changed the way people interact with real, live service people in stores, and it's not always pretty. I've always thought a year of service should be mandatory after high school graduation, whether food service, retail, DMV, childcare, etc. I'll bet we'd have living wages figured out pretty quickly!
My husband and I built a large front yard veggie and flower garden at our last house which led us to meeting so many people in our neighborhood because we were outside so much. We always prefer to have friendly relationships with our closest neighbors, like the ability to borrow something if we need it (or lend), stop and chat or ask a favor. It helps that we lived in a progressive neighborhood where most of the neighbors we knew were on the same page politically. We sold that house and are just renting for a while, but if we buy again I definitely would get a place with a sunny front yard with plenty of room for a garden.
I generally trust my neighbors but I think this is because I am privileged enough to know many of them by name. In my current home, my family often takes walks (to school, the ice cream shop, the sushi place), so we’ve been able to introduce ourselves and even make friends with one family across the street. I think the walkability of my suburban neighborhood (especially the presence of a sidewalk on my side of the street) has helped. In previous places I’ve lived, I haven’t known my neighbors and so didn’t feel trusting towards them.
A walkable neighborhood, especially in a suburb, is such a privilege! You're probably right about how that helps support the connectivity and trust in your neighborhood, too.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for almost 21 years. When I asked my ex-husband to leave, he befriended several of our neighbors, who he had been dismissive of before, and used them to spy on us for about 10 years. So he always knew what we were doing. Several fly aggressive tr*mp flags even though it’s against our HOA policies. My backyard was private until that neighbor built a shed with windows that look directly into my yard taking that bit of privacy. So, no I don’t really trust my neighbors to do the right thing. Seems republicans generally feel comfortable dominating and making others feel unwelcome. I’d be ashamed if I behaved that way.
I'm sorry you've experienced this! I'm also surrounded by people who displayed trump signs all last year and deliberately want people they don't like to feel unwelcome. It's tough to live in that kind of space.
Although I believe most people are closer to being trustworthy than not, I don’t automatically trust them. This is especially true when it comes to socializing with people - I’m neurodivergent and I’m used to people either treating me poorly or just not staying in the picture if they’re otherwise decent.
Most of those negative experiences are from when I was in school or living with my parents, so they generally involved people who were similar to me in age, race, and household income. I live in an apartment in the same “good” suburb that I went to high school in, and while I don’t feel particularly at home here, I’d attribute that less to trauma and more to how many forty-something white collar couples with kids live here (I’m 30, work a very blue-collar job, and if my spouse and I opt to parent, we’d probably go the foster-to-adopt route).
That being said, I’m quite open to people who don’t seem like me, and I credit my job for that. It’s built my confidence, and the main thing folks have in common there is their current income. It’s especially diverse in terms of race and age; I’d say over half my coworkers are Black, and there are 20 year olds working alongside 70 year olds.
I don’t even know most of my neighbors and I’ve lived here since 1998.
No, I don’t trust people in general and I no longer believe people are basically good, if I ever did. Why? Look around.
“People are basically good” is propaganda designed to get you to let your guard down. People are monkeys with delusions of grandeur. A handful of smart and decent people are responsible for all human advancement, and they have to drag the great unwashed along with them, kicking and screaming all the way.
So many knowledge workers jobs are disappearing. This started way before AI. I kept searching for stability only to be caught in rounds of layoffs.
I am a neurodivergent weirdo old enough to just be known as the weird kid growing up. I never figured out social cues so I am both gullible and standoffish. I live in a massive apartment complex where a certain amount of polite disinterest works best — be nice in the elevator, hold doors open, help a neighbor when you can but mostly stay separate and never ever complain to the management.
I appreciate polite disinterest with neighbors! I like this about living in an apartment building. When the worst happens, you can be there for each other, but otherwise, you don't have to socialize just because you live in close proximity.
I naturally trust people, sometimes too much for my own good. I cannot imagine that people would approach me with bad intentions... It is a bit tiring for my husband who has to get me out of some situations because of that, but I am generally happy to be like that.
Never change!
I live in an upper middle class suburb, where presumably everyone trusts each other to keep up 'property values' and general neighborliness. We celebrate 'Night to Unite' and have a block party. Within the last five years a number of new families have moved in, with babies and young children, and I'm happy for them that they can potentially build a shared community. I will admit that I don't really know them, so how neighborly am I really? But I do know the neighbors closest to me, and we've become close with two of the families. My husband works at home and walks around the neighborhood every day, so he has a little more contact than I do.
And I commented on AHP's service industry article, lol. Shopping online has changed the way people interact with real, live service people in stores, and it's not always pretty. I've always thought a year of service should be mandatory after high school graduation, whether food service, retail, DMV, childcare, etc. I'll bet we'd have living wages figured out pretty quickly!
Online business has absolutely changed people's expectations for and treatment of service workers! It's an odd phenomenon to watch.
My husband and I built a large front yard veggie and flower garden at our last house which led us to meeting so many people in our neighborhood because we were outside so much. We always prefer to have friendly relationships with our closest neighbors, like the ability to borrow something if we need it (or lend), stop and chat or ask a favor. It helps that we lived in a progressive neighborhood where most of the neighbors we knew were on the same page politically. We sold that house and are just renting for a while, but if we buy again I definitely would get a place with a sunny front yard with plenty of room for a garden.
I generally trust my neighbors but I think this is because I am privileged enough to know many of them by name. In my current home, my family often takes walks (to school, the ice cream shop, the sushi place), so we’ve been able to introduce ourselves and even make friends with one family across the street. I think the walkability of my suburban neighborhood (especially the presence of a sidewalk on my side of the street) has helped. In previous places I’ve lived, I haven’t known my neighbors and so didn’t feel trusting towards them.
A walkable neighborhood, especially in a suburb, is such a privilege! You're probably right about how that helps support the connectivity and trust in your neighborhood, too.
I’ve lived in this neighborhood for almost 21 years. When I asked my ex-husband to leave, he befriended several of our neighbors, who he had been dismissive of before, and used them to spy on us for about 10 years. So he always knew what we were doing. Several fly aggressive tr*mp flags even though it’s against our HOA policies. My backyard was private until that neighbor built a shed with windows that look directly into my yard taking that bit of privacy. So, no I don’t really trust my neighbors to do the right thing. Seems republicans generally feel comfortable dominating and making others feel unwelcome. I’d be ashamed if I behaved that way.
I'm sorry you've experienced this! I'm also surrounded by people who displayed trump signs all last year and deliberately want people they don't like to feel unwelcome. It's tough to live in that kind of space.
I would love such a job — I always had the work-your-ass-off-for-low-pay sort of job!
Thanks for the shout-out!
Although I believe most people are closer to being trustworthy than not, I don’t automatically trust them. This is especially true when it comes to socializing with people - I’m neurodivergent and I’m used to people either treating me poorly or just not staying in the picture if they’re otherwise decent.
Most of those negative experiences are from when I was in school or living with my parents, so they generally involved people who were similar to me in age, race, and household income. I live in an apartment in the same “good” suburb that I went to high school in, and while I don’t feel particularly at home here, I’d attribute that less to trauma and more to how many forty-something white collar couples with kids live here (I’m 30, work a very blue-collar job, and if my spouse and I opt to parent, we’d probably go the foster-to-adopt route).
That being said, I’m quite open to people who don’t seem like me, and I credit my job for that. It’s built my confidence, and the main thing folks have in common there is their current income. It’s especially diverse in terms of race and age; I’d say over half my coworkers are Black, and there are 20 year olds working alongside 70 year olds.
I don’t even know most of my neighbors and I’ve lived here since 1998.
No, I don’t trust people in general and I no longer believe people are basically good, if I ever did. Why? Look around.
“People are basically good” is propaganda designed to get you to let your guard down. People are monkeys with delusions of grandeur. A handful of smart and decent people are responsible for all human advancement, and they have to drag the great unwashed along with them, kicking and screaming all the way.
My neighbors were shooting my outdoor cats with BB guns- no, I don’t trust them. Police was involved.
The nothing corporate job bit is SO interesting! Write more about it :) I'd love your insights