> less superficially and more importantly, they would not be particularly honest or open or intimate with each other within the parameters of social norms
This is more of a product of the time. My parents weren’t that open with close friends either back in the 70s when I was growing up.
Fast forward to today and my friends are all quite open about personal things. And the one I know who is friends with his neighbor is just as open with the neighbor.
Back then it was just socially unacceptable to talk about lots of mental health stuff or anything near it.
This is probably a generational thing. I’m GenX. Growing up I never heard anyone talk about being depressed, having anxiety, etc. If someone today started trying to talk to me about mental health issues, I’d probably just have a deer in the headlights look since I have no clue how to respond to that sort of topic.
I attended a high school with 4,000 students and had lots of friends and even more acquaintances. I never heard anyone discuss anything mental health related. Ditto at college and graduate school. Ditto in the workplace until within the last decade or so.
Yup; definitely a cultural/generational component (as well as upbringing/personal preference/development); my dad's generation, born and lived in Eastern Europe, and all of them have a physical reaction to breaching certain topics - they will literally push back in their seat trying to physically run away from discussing mental health, inner feelings, social norms & progress, etc :-)
I too was born in Eastern Europe but live in Canada now (and for majority of my adulthood). Took me, dunno, 10-15 years to change some of the subtly ingrained cultural perspectives and open up.
(I still get a deer in headlights look sometimes, but that's just me and my social awkwardness:)
This is more of a product of the time. My parents weren’t that open with close friends either back in the 70s when I was growing up.
Fast forward to today and my friends are all quite open about personal things. And the one I know who is friends with his neighbor is just as open with the neighbor.
Back then it was just socially unacceptable to talk about lots of mental health stuff or anything near it.
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