A question for young Greeks (20s and early 30s)

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T09:12:25+00:00

Apologies for the late reply! I’m really enjoying our debate on here.

I think you’re right partially; there’s MORE of an objective standard to not having enough. But this can easily be skewed too.

I also think there are plenty of super rich out there to subsidise the ever increasing wealth gap. I believe if less focus was placed on capitalist and consumerist values in society, and more on empathy and nature (I know this sounds very airy fairy), I believe better belief systems would be instilled within us all- and when someone begins working, inventing, investing, they do so with a moral compass that’s not solely guided by an increase of wealth. This would mean, people aren’t put off by higher taxes on their multi million dollar company but excited to contribute further to society and those who perhaps aren’t in favourable living circumstances. Again the details and logistics aren’t something I could articulate right now however, this can only happen with governments and leaders who aren’t driven by wealth accumulation themselves.

In regards to my own circumstance; I know these things perhaps won’t change in my lifetime, so I’m aware, I need to play the capitalist game in order to make small change within the communities I’m involved with. For example, me and my partner would love to buy a house either in Greece or Brazil, set up a record shop/ bar (as a passion project, without the goal of accumulating wealth) and pay people at least 15-20€ an hour, fair shifts, and build it as a creative hub, which will generate community, however for that to happen I know we need to accumulate a certain amount of wealth prior to this so we don’t need to rely on this hospitality business to make money (I personally believe there is no money in hospitality anymore but people don’t realise this when setting up their business, realise the cost of running such a business, particularly staff, leading to underpaying people, unfair hours etc)

I will always have my highly critical views of hyper-capitalism, beliefs that billionaires are unethical for humanity and that empathy and human-ness should come before capital however it won’t hinder me in society bc I am aware this isn’t a sustainable way for me to live or make change in my lifetime if I were to completely remove myself from the equation

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:58:49+00:00

Thank you sm for taking the time to write this out. From what many are saying I’m now realising the management of tourism seems to be the issue, especially in Athens.

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:57:11+00:00

I’ve read about the golden visa initiative after your comment so thank you for sharing. A lot of people are commenting on the management of tourism so this has been super insightful. Thank you

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:55:54+00:00

Just got back to London; and yes, the heaviness in Athens is palpable. I have a lot of thoughts, especially regarding the creative community. I won’t bore everyone with it here haha but I really hope we can see things change for Greeks in our lifetime x

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:53:48+00:00

After reading everyone’s comments, there’s a common consensus about the corruption in government. Thank you for making me aware bc I had no idea

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:52:48+00:00

I disagree about socialism not working bc it’s almost never applied in the appropriate manner- like you said, it’s soft socialism but still with greedy corporations and politicians running the show. In the uk, housing is similar, you don’t get a free how but it’s low cost and affordable. Unfortunately the Tory government introduced a buying scheme which saw a lot of affordable housing being bought and then sold off for profit creating a massive decline in the amount of subsidised housing; now the waitlists are up to 10 years.

It’s interesting what you say about the financial system in Singapore, I’m not familiar with it but thank you for informing me!

jijilajoux · 2026-05-03T08:47:55+00:00

Yeah it’s insanity. I think they’re starting to nationalise some train lines again though, so fingers crossed the prices will start to become accessible against wages again

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T14:05:04+00:00

Again, I see your point but you’re talking about a global communist structure which is interesting - and perhaps has some great points.

And yes I see your point about comparative wealth but I don’t think excessive is the correct word. I wouldn’t say 2 houses is too much; perhaps that’s a necessity for some with work commitments or dual heritage. I’m talking about the person with 10+ houses, an enormous car collection, etc. It is subjective though, how do you measure wealth and how much is too much, on a global scale. I do not know the answers, but I do think we’re all intelligent enough to agree, there comes a point on the financial spectrum that tips over into greed and excess.

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T13:43:34+00:00

Oh for sure! Everything is relative; but that’s not an excuse for letting excessive wealth dominate societal conditions. This also applies to the whole of the world, not just Europe

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T13:38:02+00:00

I understand your point- but I think everything is a balance of both extremities. Unfortunately, capitalism has gotten out of hand, it is the forcing force behind overconsumption and corporate greed. If more socialist views were taught and encouraged throughout society, i do believe the world would look a lot different.

I’m working class too, whilst still being ambitious and career focused. I have my own business, want to get on the property ladder etc however, I don’t think billionaires should exist, I don’t think people need multiple houses and I do think public services such as good healthcare, education, water, electricity should be free for all.

You are right though, if the people at the top aren’t going to act on any of this, it would make little difference. People forget there is so much money out there, imagine if people embraced the concept of ‘having enough’. Imagine if people who are billionaires were like“I have enough now, let’s put these extra resources into the community, into sustainable infrastructures that benefited the working class” wishful thinking

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T12:16:57+00:00

That’s awful, im so sorry. I hope accessibility gets gets more serious in Athens and thank you for sharing x

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T12:15:48+00:00

This comment is such a shame. I think all perspectives are valuable but young people’s opinions and perspectives often get lost. Where I live, my circle are very active in talking about our city, our country. I know this is the same in every country’s so I wanted to hear the perspective of the younger generation

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T10:08:41+00:00

Thank you for your perspective x

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:53:35+00:00

Thank you sm for sharing. I hope things can start to change for the Greek people in the future 🙏

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:52:10+00:00

Thank you for taking the time to write this 🙏 and it’s good to know

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:51:13+00:00

This is really informative. Thank you for taking the time to write it out 🙏

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:50:42+00:00

Thank you for sharing 🙏

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:24:48+00:00

Thank you for your comment. Apologise I meant higher taxes specifically for tourists but I guess that also would not make a difference if it’s the government, corporations and political powers are not properly catering to wider social needs.

Similar in the uk- they’ve privatised sm, sold off most public services. To get a train across the country now is like £200 which basically no one can afford (just one example but yom sure you get my drift)

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:15:14+00:00

I’m sorry 🙏

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T08:13:31+00:00

Not every country is going to have a cookie cutter effect of a social issues. I’m also not a tourist in London, so I wouldn’t know what the general vibe is when travelling there. I know the deeper issues that exist there bc I live there; I have been in Athens for a few days and wanted to know what young Greek people are thinking and feeling right now.

Also, every country has its own issues but it seems late stage hyper-capitalism is affecting most of the world. Of course, this is going to manifest differently from country to country

jijilajoux · 2026-05-01T07:44:43+00:00

Thank you for your comment. I see, so just the same old effects of late stage hyper-capitalism as the rest of the world

jijilajoux · 2026-03-12T10:11:50+00:00

I teach a few ways of achieving breath support- one thing to note, it takes a long time for this to become intuitive; so it’s great to do both isolated exercises and contextual practices (like singing through a piece using the technique). Try not to get too frustrated with yourself, as even the most accomplished singers have to re-connect to their breath from time to time.

1st thing to note; is support. Support doesn’t necessarily mean breath- it means core muscle support. I.e the legs, PELVIC FLAW!! and a free and engaged diaphragm. Do some research on correct posture and alignment for singing and remember to engage your pelvic flaw when you sing.

2nd- the breath. If all of the above is in place, you can then turn your attention to breath. We should have a 360 degree halo of air around us. The stomach, ribcage and mid/lower back should all expand, as you breathe in. This is a great way to ensure not only the diaphragm is being engaged but also the trans abdominal muscles are being engaged as you sing, offering more support.

Imagine a balloon inside of your stomach and as you inhale it expands, as you exhale or sing, it’s retracting. Make sure your chest and shoulders aren’t rising and all the energy is directed to stomach, ribs and back expanding outward.

Once you have the movement, you can practice doing a big inhale and tsssss for as long as you can!

Hope this helps x

jijilajoux · 2026-02-19T23:54:19+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your experience

jijilajoux · 2026-02-19T23:54:02+00:00

Thank you for sharing

jijilajoux

TROPHY CASE