Decline

At one point, honesty became optional. 

Later on, experience joined that list. 

Shortly after that achievement itself became a desire and not a requirement. People were willing to accept poor performance; swallowing excuses that would have been greeted with hoots a few years back.

Leaders who looked good and who exemplified the modern version of cool were favored.

This superficiality eventually produced a genuine state of confusion. 

Where did all of these problems come from?