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James Zhang

TEDCRED 30+

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The problem to ALL the world's conflicts problems, etc. is society.

This will be hard to explain briefly, so I will provide one situation as an example. But I have reasoned many situations and I've come to one conclusion.

Society is the problem. The problem of why people are greedy, why there is corruption, why there is theft, murder, why there was the Columbine shooting, why there was the Virginia Tech shooting, why there is bullying, why there is "terrorism", (I can go on forever)... The answer to all these questions is simply how we are raised. That is the fundamental problem. Why did the Virginia Tech shooter kill all those guys? Because he was mentally unstable. Why was he mentally unstable? I think it's because he was very depressed at one point or very self-loathing. Why would he feel that way? Society imposed its will on him. As in, he was forced to be someone he was not, or else he wouldn't be accepted by society. And so my theory about all human life (just a theory, but I think it's a good one), is that ALL HUMANS WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG. They all want to fit in society in some way. They want people to accept them for who they are. That's why some people want to put on a mask so that people would accept them. That's why people may hate themselves for being different because they think something is wrong with them and they try to change who they are, but then realize they cannot change who they are or how they feel. And it becomes frustrating. And if no one understands the way they feel or think, then it becomes lonely. And when you feel so lonely like that, you can contemplate suicide, or mentally unstableness. All sorts of negative emotions arise from deep depression as a result.

I have multiple explanations for this, and it's too much to address in this brief summary. So that's why I want to start a discussion with anyone.

But I will say this. I think we need to worry about this now because how can we stop a genius from nuking the entire world? When there's a will, there's a way nowadays.

Related Talks:
Topics: Behavioral psychology Being yourself Education. society behavior change child abandonment child development communication education misunderstanding understanding behaviour
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  • Lee Miller 10+

    • +1
    Jul 24 2012: I agree that society is the problem... the problem being that we've come to a place where being ostracized is an excuse for murder. Sorry, but not everybody who feels like an outcast shoots up a school. I was bullied as a child and I've always felt like no one understands me - but guess what? I've never committed a crime - or even attempted suicide! Where's my medal?

    There comes a point where people have to be responsible for their actions. Blaming it all on "society" is a cop-out.
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      James Zhang 30+

      • 0
      Jul 24 2012: Some people react differently to the same thing because everyone's different. Of all the crazy and society-destructive guys I've heard about, a lot of them turn out to be social outcasts, loners, or just angry or mentally unstable people. For less extreme cases, you may choose to go along with society's imposing, and force to become someone you're not. You may say only the things that people want to hear, not say the things that you really think. You may listen to some mainstream music only because everyone else is doing it, not because you really like it. Maybe, maybe not. But then something I've eventually concluded is that every human being in this world wants to feel like they belong. They want to fit in society. They want people to listen to what they have to say or think or feel, or else they may think "something is wrong with me." And when people think like that, they can try to be someone they're not, they may hate society and hate the self for not being the "same" as everyone else, and/or they may feel depressed.

      So with that said, why didn't you commit crime like the other more extreme cases? Why weren't you society-destructive?

      And how can people be responsible for their actions if they don't understand the impacts of their actions? And if they are aware of their actions, then why did they choose to act on them anyways knowing full well the impacts?

      • Lee Miller 10+

        • 0
        Jul 25 2012: Mental illness is not an excuse for crimes that require a lot of planning. If you are capable of such planning, you are capable of realizing the consequences of your actions. Society may force suffering on some people, but what each person does about it is up to them.

        btw, these criminals are not loners. Loners are people who want to be alone. These are people who want attention but can't get it.
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          James Zhang 30+

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          Jul 25 2012: Then why do some people treat Autism like it's a mental disorder?

          What would you do if you grew up all alone, and no one cared about you, and no one wanted to listen to you, and no one wanted to even understand you?
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          James Zhang 30+

          • 0
          Jul 25 2012: You tell me if you really WANTED to be alone. You didn't ask for this, this was just the environment that you were thrown into.

    • simon gramstrup

      • +2
      Jul 24 2012: I blame society. Unless one believe in satan or something like that, then there's only two influences that shape you. Your genes and the environment that shaped you. If we ignore the small influence of genes, then there is nothing you can say or do that is not directly related to how you were shaped. Even if you use society as an excuse to do whatever you want - that is still a 'simple' cause and effect from the environment. Politicians, war-mongers, 'criminals', corporate psycopats became what they became and cannot change by them selves.

      Ergo there is nothing else to blame than society (The structures and tools used).

      ps. glad you turned out allright! ;-)

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