What the quote below expresses to me is the idea that greed breeds contempt for the welfare of others. When I wrote about what is happening to the elderly in our country right now (Drug the Elderly), I was struck by the dichotomy between the relative prosperity of our country and the lackluster, apathetic response to seriously hurting members of our own society. For a good example of this, look at our governments response to Hurricane Katrina and the horrific suffering of the people of New Orleans!
This quote touches on an interesting aspect of human nature; when we are all in the same boat, we have more compassion for the suffering of our neighbors because we are suffering, too. But when we are so focused on getting more and more material prosperity, we don't even see the suffering that occurs around us. Even if we do see it, we are often too overscheduled to do anything about it.
To me, this is a critical aspect of living a meaningful life: being socially aware of the state of people around you and doing something about it. Now what do you think of that, you cynics? Hm?
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5 comments:
I don't know about anyone else, but I am taking a Katrina refugee family into one of the two rental apartments in my house. Social services is willing to pay some money towards rent, but it is one third less than the rent I charge. To get this mother and her three children out of the nasty motel room they have been living in, it's worth it, even if I have to do without some things in order to make the mortgage payment.
Any cynicism I have is directed towards politicians and their rhetoric, not towards the victims of tragedy.
Most people just yap about problems but are unwilling to do anything physically toward fixing them.
- M
Thank you for playing, Marcheline!
You are absolutely right, people do yap about the problems while looking to the government to fix it. Guess what, folks, that isn't going to happen! I think most of us want to help, but they just don't know how. Those of us who aren't too busy makeing money and buying things, that is. Trust me, I work with insurance agents. I know what I'm talking about!
I think you are being slightly naïve, pure as your intentions may be.
No matter what the situation, the country or the era you'll always find all sorts of people, good, bad, good acting bad, bad acting good.
Situations like Katrina are extreme and extreme situations bring out extreme reactions, they bring out the worst on some people and the best on others.
My cynicism was meant to stress this view to an extreme too.
The bit about pessimism however wasn't cynicism, that part seems to be true.
Things that make you go hmmmm
OK! I admit it! I am a pessimist...I think most people are unhappy and for every one happy person or happy family are ten thousand that go to bed at night hoping to never wake. I hate those miserable people because they go around with ugly, unhappy looks on their faces. But above all, I hate to those happy people walking around with their happy effing faces. They make my toes curl! All that good life, great times and cherished loved ones...make me gag.
Psych!
A naive idealist hits much closer to the mark, I think. I think many passionate thoughts about life that don't exactly represent life in an accurate way. But it is quite exciting and interesting, no? It is all part of the charm that is....moi.
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