Civil-Secretary-2356 t1_it7k6je wrote on October 21, 2022 at 2:40 PM

Eccentric nobility has long been a thing. I don't know if the examples you give are typical but I'm certain they were not unknown. Added to this a number of them had few responsibilities until much later in life.

Upperphonny OP t1_it82hi7 wrote on October 21, 2022 at 4:42 PM

I just find this part of English society of the time fascinating and curious. They pretty much lived on a different world that's almost cryptic from most people. On the other hand you have the working class who couldn't have the time or luxury to do hardly any of that. The class divide structure of Britain has been a source of interest to me and it extended well into the military life there.

MBH1800 t1_it99ow1 wrote on October 21, 2022 at 9:33 PM

It has a name: The idle rich.

ShalmaneserIII t1_ituesxo wrote on October 26, 2022 at 11:55 AM

It seems to be pretty much inevitable when you have people who don't need to actually labor to live- they get eccentric, because nothing checks their behavior but their social group, and the whole social group has no checks at all on it.

Perhaps for a modern case, consider retired people with comfortable pensions- they get on Facebook and turn odd. Now picture an entire lifetime spent like that.