"I have often wished I had time to cultivate modesty… But I am too busy thinking about myself." ~Edith Sitwell

"Be extremely careful with the honor and feelings of others." ~Yisroel Salanter

Maybe it's the media perpetuating the image of the strong individual who doesn't ever require anyone's help, or possibly it's the anonymity and brevity of the Internet that allows people to believe they should (because they can) act and speak without regard for the sensitivities and emotions of others. I don't know. But, it appears that few people have any respect for others or decorum.

I keep encountering what I hope are imagined slights that turn out to be authentic affronts. I'm tired of hearing, "It's not personal, you understand; it's just business." Better still, "I'm trying to find myself and don't have time for the drama (the latest psychobabble), unnecessary civilities, family, and friends." Translation: it's all about me. You're too sensitive, flawed, and ignorant to understand my motives. Get a life, and get lost.

Incredibly, these same self–important yahoos expect others to be dialed into their needs.

There have always been rude, self–absorbed people. Just as bad, we've all been rude, self–absorbed at times. Neither is defensible. It just seems so all–pervasive lately. Evidently, "The Greatest Generation" failed to raise their children properly, who in turn failed at raising their children, and they, in turn, knocked out vulgar barbarians. Point the finger anywhere you'd care to—modernity, schools, religion, movies—for producing three generations of self–applauding, disrespectful, insensitive boors. But, in the end, it is the parents' job to ensure that a child function decently in society.

Recompense: the final karma for those so concerned with themselves that they ignore others around them. It has always been so.