Given our mortality should we not all be working on being kinder to one another and building strong communties

Question

with celebrations for all of life's occasions and a support network there for all of lifes trials rather than working on things like getting a posher house/car more prestigious job etc all material things which often are accompanied by discontentment/stress/depression/isolation etc?

Answer 1

In a perfect world, sure. And while the argument can be made that people are too caught up in material acquisition, the fact remains getting by in today's world is much tougher than it used to be. We have far more people at the extreme ends of the economic spectrum. The rich are richer, the poor are poorer, and there are fewer people in what remains of the middle. So life is better than ever for the wealthy, but for everyone else things are more uncertain; people are working longer hours, more people are concerned about being able to simply maintain their standard of living, lt alone improve it.

Thirty years ago, someone working a part-time could afford to pay for a small apartment. Nowadays, two people working full-time are hard-pressed to simply make ends meet. Instead of "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses" it's "Don't look back, because something is gaining on you"

Earlier generations could count on pensions and social security to cover their expenses in old age- we cannot. And due to advancements in science and medicine, people are living longer and surviving things like cancer, stroke etc which had higher mortality rates years ago. Unfortunately those longer lifespans are more expensive than ever.

Globalization and global competition have forever changed the world. While it has raised the standard of living for people who lived in the worst kind of poverty in places like India, Africa, Indonesia, the Phillipines etc- it has meant fewer jobs for people at the bottom rung in industrialized nations like the USA and Western Europe.

So in this climate, the lines blur a little between what people NEED for their own personal & financial security, and what they want. The media helps perpetuate this by broadcasting unrealistic images- everyone wants to have the lifestyle of TV characters, movie stars and rap/rock musicians. The Internet just adds to the culture of immediate gratification. Everyone is rushing and talking on cellphones while they drive, instead of watching the road.

Finally look at the social factors- AIDs didn't exist in the 1960's so people were more carefree and sexually adventurous- there have always been risks & consequences to promiscuity, but back then people didn't have to worry about dying from it.

Due to advancements in technology and air travel, the world is smaller, so conflicts in nations half a world away, can have serious repercussions for us no matter where we live.

I agree with your basic point- that our lives are fleeting and we should spend them in ways which we can look back upon and smile, knowing that we made things a little better for others, rather than simply overheating the treadmill and giving ourselves ulcers. This is true no matter where we live- whether it's a mansion, a tiny apartment, in our cars, a cardboard box or in prison. It's just that avoiding some of the latter categories requires more of our time these days.

Answer 2

Bless you! I just wish every one was like you.It is written:"Do not store up treasures on earth where rust and rot decay, but store up treasure in heaven.

Answer 3

oh .If only we could Wouldnt the world be a happy place to live in

Answer 4

Yes but we would have to shoot the nutters first