Actually what I included was only the tip of the iceberg regarding this issue. I thought this list summed up what I believe is only part of the issue. Dumbing down of course from my perspective seems to include the decision on the part of many not to make their best effort at some of the smallest things like dressing for dinner or for an evening out. Jeans and a T shirt for dinner at a decent resturant? Come on.

From where i sit downward trends in taste and discrimination have taken over. I suppose art and entertainment is market-directed but it seems to me that if a person can tell the difference between a chevrolet and a BMW then it would seem that a culture of intelligence would develop over time but it aint happining. Instead bad taste has increasingly become the norm.

But it's good to talk about it. Perhaps some will try to stand out in the crowd and make the point that it's ok to have good manners, ethics and morals even if you do get laughed at.

__________________
"What you hear in a great jazz band is the sound of democracy. “The jazz band works best when participation is shaped by intelligent communication.”
Harmony happens whenever different parts get to form a whole by means of congruity, concord, symetry, consistency, conformity, correspondence, agreement, accord, unity, consonance…….