To put it politely, today's society is a little rough around the edges. Chaos, controversy, and catastrophe flood the world. Society has lost its class and has become coarse and cold. From dating culture to their presentation and manner, both men and women have cast class to the wind. Women’s clothing has become tighter and smaller, sex has become something casual and meaningless, and crime and hate have escalated. While a society with strict guidelines and countless prohibitions is far from ideal, so is a society that lacks morals, integrity, and refinement. It’s about time we bring a little bit of class back into our culture.
Class is defined as being of high quality, integrity, status, or style; this word describes something of the highest rank or grade. America is thought to be one of the best countries in the world. If that is true, shouldn’t we have more class? As New York Times journalist Bob Herbert explains, “[America] is supposed to be an egalitarian society, a society of rising standards of living . . . and we are getting farther and farther away from that ideal.” It is discouraging to see the lack of dignity, responsibility, and morality in many members of society.
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Now, this is not a feminist rant, but the extreme sexualization and lack of respect towards women shows a blatant absence of class. Back in the '50s and '60s, women were taken on proper dates, didn’t feel the need to flaunt their bodies, and behaved as respectable women. They looked up to women like Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy - women with class. As a woman, it pains me to see all the classless young women in today’s society. Complete, strict modesty is not needed, but a little class and discretion is important. Is it really necessary to leave the house with only 10% of your body covered? The way one presents him or herself is the way in which they will be perceived by the outside world. If you wish to be respected and taken seriously, walking around half naked and lacking class is not the way to do so.
Dating culture is an aspect of society that definitely lacks class. Dating used to be about getting to know the other person and enjoying one another's company. These days it seems like there is no such thing as that kind of dating anymore; the majority of people want casual hook-ups – nothing serious. It’s saddening that in our culture, casual sex takes precedent over a real relationship for a great number of people.
Unfortunately, many members of society behave without class. Class is not measured by superiority and a stuck-up, condescending manner. Sure, it is based on one’s presentation of themselves, but class is also seen in the way one treats others. It seems like every day there are hundreds of new accounts of heinous crimes, racism, and injustice. Those committing these hateful acts lack class and respect for others. The world hasn’t always been this crime-filled, scary place. At one point in time, people didn’t care about locking their doors, they didn’t think twice about letting their children walk to school by themselves. However, in today’s increasingly classless society, things aren’t as safe, and we don’t have the luxury of not being cautious and worrisome.
The fact of the matter is that, unfortunately, our society has become rigid. It is no longer the utopian, sought-after culture it once was. The culture has come to embody hate, anger, conflict, and a lack of class, care, and character. There are certainly those in the world who still possess and exemplify class, but the sad truth is that it seems the majority does not. It’s time to clean up our acts and bring back class and sophistication to our culture.
