Dissapointed with society and myself.

[valenzuela]

Yes, you guessed right Im a 17 yo teenager who thinks he knows everything about life..anyway some things u probably domt know is Im chilean and from middle-high class who attends to a jesuit school( which is important since that context makes me have a negative attitude towards life).
The thing is that IMO middle-high chilean class is really pathetic..they are materialistic( if that word exists on english). My family is very materialistic, my mom and my two sisters spend way too much money on clothes they dont need, in fact my mom wanted to buy me $65 slippers, I refused them politely..I just thought its stupid to waste $65 on something I dont need.
But Im still kinda materialistic, my weak point ..computers, which disapoints me a lot..why am I unhappy with a crappy PC that has to be shared between 4 persons( I mean real 3 persons who use the pc just as much as I do..not just a simbolic share)?? I mean I should be happy..but Im not. I want a cool PC for myself dammit!!!!! /images/graemlins/mad.gif.
I think that the reason I want a PC is because most of my friend have much better PC for themselves, even though their parents earn , more or less, the same mine do( could it be that Im jealous because their parents cared to give them a PC for themselves while mine havent)..anyway I wish I wouldnt question myself and society so much...which also disapoints me since I should be happy that I actually think about things.
Anyway is this a normal thing that ppl who are 17 do? What can I do to stop having a negative view about society, my family and myself? Or we all just suck? Also could it be that I have a right to give myself a luxury of having a decent PC for myself?? Anyway I dont have the balls to share whats going inside of my head with a grownup I know and my friends are just as clueless as I am...but hey there is a reason theres an online psychology forum.

[jba]

get a job

[Myst]

If having a computer for yourself is one of your biggest problems with society, you need to grow up. Really. Im serious.

[valenzuela]

So youre saying im just young and immature( which is a perfectly reasonable explanation)...anyway my problem is not that I want a Pc , my issue is that Im disapointed with myself because I want a PC.

[Bodhi]

Most people are weak-minded and are satisfied with petty pleasures. The more quickly you accept this fact, the less confused you will be.

[mosdef]

[ QUOTE ]
So youre saying im just young and immature( which is a perfectly reasonable explanation)...anyway my problem is not that I want a Pc , my issue is that Im disapointed with myself because I want a PC.

[/ QUOTE ]

relax friend. you shouldn't be disappointed in yourself for being human. at least you realize that material excess may not bring you "true" happiness. if you want more out of life, that's a good sign, not a bad sign.

[The Dude]

www.quarterlifecrisis.com (http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com)

You may be a bit young for over there, but they love to talk about this kind of stuff. Just tell them you're from the 2+2 forums, and they'll welcome you in.

[SheetWise]

Never trust anyone who spends more money on their cars than on their computers.

--SheetWise

[ QUOTE ]
If having a computer for yourself is one of your biggest problems with society, you need to grow up. Really. Im serious.

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you even read his post? Really. Im serious.

The tact he displayed in replying to your post suggests he much more grown up than you are.

My Chilean friend: you are obviously wrestling with issues that many 17 yearolds(many people for that matter) never think to raise for themselves. I grew up in upper-middle America, and some of the materialistic(yes, thats is definitely an English word) ideologies of that class make me want to puke. It sometimes makes me wish that I'd had to overcome an abusive father and a crack-whore mother instead of something as subtle as an ideology that colors your worldview.

Don't get down on yourself. Get a job, like one poster suggested. Better, volunteer somewhere. You'll feel great about yourself and probably meet a lot of people way more screwed up than you are. Take it easy.

If you disagree with your family's ideology and lifestyle, the best thing to do is just to get a job and move out as soon as possible.

And watch the movie Fight Club, if you haven't already.

[tonypaladino]

[ QUOTE ]
get a job

[/ QUOTE ]

[sam h]

Don't be too harsh on yourself. Lots of people want material things, and it won't stop with computers. As long a you are being introspective about these things and are willing to think critically about yourself and society, you will be in good shape.

You also live in a country where inequality is very high, and high levels of affluence are routinely juxtaposed against serious levels of poverty. So I think it is both natural and probably good for you to be questioning why you want/deserve luxury items. That's not to say that wanting these things is bad, or that you shouldn't get them.

[xniNja]

I don't think this post is about society.. it's about your mom spending $ on clothes, when you want the $ spent on the computer. If you can't convince them to buy the computer, then get the money and buy it yourself.

Who could share a computer?

Because you want your own computer doesn't make you materialistic. I certainly want to have my own computer, although other than computer hardware, I buy almost nothing. A computer is a tool, a high quality useful tool is a good thing to have, whereas nobody needs $65 slippers.

There, that should solve all your problems /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[jskills]

They'll buy you $65 slippers, but won't spring a few hundred for a new PC? You can always get what you need by becoming a little more independent from your family's money by making your own. Get a job and sock away the money. It's a good feeling.

On another note, I do remember being confused and hating the world around your age to some degree. Everything / everyone just seemed lame. I also went to 12 years of Catholic school (4 years of all boys high school).

What it actually comes down to is your view of yourself. Have you accepted yourself for who you are and are not constantly trying to become someone else? I'm not talking about improving yourself, which is normal, but trying to become someone you are not. For example, do you like yourself? Do you love yourself? Really think about it.

Here's the litmus test question ...

If you could be anyone in the world right now, as in switch your mind into their body (sports star, movie actor, rich guy, etc.), who would you be? Would you want to switch? Or would you not rather be anyone else but you?

Often times your outward displeasure with everyone else actually has more to do with your feelings about yuorself inside. Unless you can answer the question above for certain that you'd just want to be you, you will have some difficulties in dealing with others ...

Your problem is that, like almost all 17 year olds, you think your problems really matter. They don't.

If I had to guess, your main problem isn't that you are upset because you want a PC. Your main problem is that you feel that your family doesn't understand you. For further research on this, talk to, oh, I don't know, ANY SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD!!!

[vexvelour]

Let's see here.

When I was 17, I had just put my mother in the ground, was staying with a friend and going to school 13 hours a day just to come home and have homework waiting for me. I also worked somehow so I had money to spend and had no car to do any of this with.

You don't have it too bad, dude.

Suck it up and get a job and buy it yourself. It will just be that much sweeter.

I know you're only 17 and have yet to gain the broader scope of humanity...but I'm here to tell you that society is even more lame than it seems now. The real key is to find what makes you happy and stick with that.

[valenzuela]

Im replying to everyone...a lot of posters or maybe all of them dont know part time job in chile is nonexistent because the pay is so ridicoulous, Im just saving from my allowance.
My parents dont want to buy me a PC becuase they think I will play all day not because they dont want to spend money on it...so they dont understand me.( they havent told me but I overheard a conversation )
I cant play poker because I play SNGs and I can rarely use the PC for that long anyway.( I cant even beat cash games, Im an exclsuevely tournament player...yes I do have more than enough sample sizes)
But my life aint that tough,I have my own TV /images/graemlins/laugh.gif( I bought it myself) and my own bedroom..actually my life is way too easy...anyway I go to a jesuit school and all they do there is tell u about how cool god is and how unfair chile is,so that prolly contributes to my world vision( somehow I can manage to believe in god..but thats a whole different subject)

[AZnuts]

I'm 37 now, and have had a fairly straightforward, happy life. But, when I was 17-18 I felt miserable. I hated living with my parents and couldn't wait to get out of the house to college, a real job, and my independence.

That's all been achieved and all is well. I have a great adult relationship with my parents now, as do the wife and kids.

You seem fairly mature for your age, and honeslty self evaluating. I think your outlooks likely will improve in a few years as you get to direct your own life in the way you see best. When you're there, let go of the feelings you had when you were younger.