Post #3758059

2026-07-05 00:16 UTC

My personal theory is that it is a symptom of societal decay. People would dress nicely and look good when going out, so others would see and be impressed or attracted. Now i have literally not worn anything else but different sweatpants for the last year or so, because i could not care less what other random passerbys perceive me as, since i am decidedly not interested in them either. Nobody cares about real life impressions any more because the people that matter to them are in their phone. Friends and family are not necessarily in the same location as you, and romantic options are for the most part also in your phone now. Why brother looking good when potential partners are expected to judge you by your social media presence anyway and i’m just here for groceries.

Replies (3)

@Zexks@lemmy.world 2026-07-05 04:03

I see it almost the opposite way. A lot of what you’re describing is exactly why I don’t put much value in dressing fancy or performing “respectability” for strangers. Wearing a nice suit to the lodge once a week doesn’t make someone a good person. Plenty of people can dress up, look impressive in public, shake hands, say the right things, and then go home and be cruel, abusive, miserable, or drunk. I saw enough of that growing up to lose any belief that polished appearances are proof of character. So when people stop treating suits, fancy clothes, and public image as moral signals, I don’t see that as societal decay. In some ways, I see it as growth. People are realizing that looking respectable and being respectable are not the same thing. If anything, when I see someone using appearance, tradition, or status as a mask for behavior I don’t respect, it makes me want to be the opposite of what they stand for.

Open ##3758058
@surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 2026-07-05 00:36

symptom of societal decay. Nah. We just realized that the people wearing suits all the time are villainous cunts. #finance

Open ##3761347
@TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2026-07-05 06:07

I would say not caring what strangers think of you is an enormous improvement.

Open ##3766546