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Decadency


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Decadent

The Thesaurus lists words like:

corrupt

debauched

depraved

dissolute

self-indulgent

profligate

degenerate

immoral

The Dictionary defines it as: 1. in decline - undergoing a process of decline or decay, especially in morals 2. immoral - showing uninhibitedly or immorally self-indulgent behavior

I associate none of these concepts with wearing heels (or in my case thigh boots with heels) nor the effect wearing heels has on me. Others may see me as indulging in uninhibited behavior but thats an S.E.P. (Somebody Else's Problem).

I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads without having their motives questioned.

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Well, to me, decadency is sinking my teeth into a steaming hot Barbecue Chicken Hot Pocket that's fresh out of the microwave. Ahhhhh! Sinfully good! :irked:

I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman!

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Breaking the word decadency apart: de = a lessening, a reversal, a separating dec = ten decade = a unit of ten years -cade = a suffix for processions, such as motorcades cadence = repeated movements, cycles, and/or patterns ence = an act, quality, state, result, or degree y = used to give more emphasis Is this useful? Knowing how "decadency" is usually intended, I doubt it.

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Personally I don't relate my wearing heels to any of those negative connotations, but I think decadence is working on many different levels and does throw up issues we have to contend with:

On the depraved/immoral theme, high-heels have been generally perceived that way in the past, an image which women have had to deal with just as much as men (but in different ways).

In terms of guys wearing heels, the transgression of gender stereotypes is seen as a "corruption" of social conventions (some might call that social reform and a good thing, but it's not a morality thing)

I also think the self-indulgent aspect can be an issue too, for those who become so obsessed with heels that it affects their personal well-being and relationships with family and friends.

If you like it, wear it.

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I can't help but imagine the decline of the roman empire has something to do with decadency, raising in the upper classes because of comfort and lack of struggle for life, thus leaving room for idleness, boredom and finally decadency, which raises when people spend their time doing things that are not supporting life.

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Wearing high heels is not an act of decadence. They are a pretty, fashionable shoe, whether worn by women or men, and it is a matter of style and fashion statement. That is like saying wearing a tuxedo is an act of decadence.
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I can't help but imagine the decline of the roman empire has something to do with decadency, raising in the upper classes because of comfort and lack of struggle for life, thus leaving room for idleness, boredom and finally decadency, which raises when people spend their time doing things that are not supporting life.

There is... much more to it than that. Start with the seminal tome, and I do mean tome,The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. The original was about 4,000 pages and is approaching 300 years old, but its still highly relevant and a required read on Roman History. Its not close to a light read at all. But you will quickly learn why such tiny things as roman military formation and camp layout leads to the eventual fall. That or the inability of Rome to communicate quickly with its empires edges. To be honest though you can't attribute Rome's fall to any singular event or cause. More you have to treat it as a rather nuanced event with multiple interconnected and interdependent threads.

http://www.amazon.com/Decline-Fall-Roman-Empire-Everymans/dp/0679423087

What you're describing relating to upper classes is elaborated on by Jared Diamond and his two books on human history and, his view at least, how human culture developed due to farming yields allowing for specialization:

http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies/dp/0393317552

and

http://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Societies-Choose-Succeed-Revised/dp/0143117009/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

I think that should be enough to keep you busy, took me over a year to get through Gibbon's book. I still don't think I fully grasp what happened to Rome over its eventual split into the the Byzantine empire, arguably the continuation of the Roman "Empire" after the western kingdoms split.

And for an audio bunch of info, these podcasts from a professor on 12 of those emperors during the split is absolutely awesome too.

http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/History/European-History/12-Byzantine-Rulers-The-History-of-The-Byzantine-Empire-Podcast/19410

I haven't yet listened to his podcasts on the Norman Centuries, aka: "The Dark Ages", but I'm looking forward to it.

I think I may have just outed myself as a bit of a history buff. But really I just have a commute that is mad boring and learning history while I drive is a productive use of my time.

>.<

Tschuss!

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Becoming more educated or more informed is a practice we all should strive to be more active. History holds vast areas of information that we need to know, so we can possibly refrain from making the similar mistakes of the past, while promoting the successes. As the common thought sez, "Those that don't know history are apt to repeat it."

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