Greetings good citizen, we all know the gulf that exists between theory and practice, especially when it comes to 'morals'. They tell us one thing but do something else entirely.
Which is bizarre because right and wrong are very much 'black & white' issues...either it's the right thing to do or it's not.
What makes us choose 'wrong' when the situation is personal? Looking out for number one! It's not wrong to US, we're often too close to the situation to remain 'objective' about it. Sometimes we regret 'choosing poorly' (shame) afterwards but it seems as though life is full of situations where doing the right thing gives YOU the choice between a sharp stick in the eye and a swift kick to the gonads.
Although often times it's our unwillingness to sacrifice that makes us do contortions (bending the rules to justify our behavior) while we throw others under the bus so WE can have our cake and eat it too.
But that vixen Karma doesn't blink...what goes around comes around and eventually you'll get yours so decide in your own favor all you want. Karma always knows.
Often times you'll fool yourself into thinking you 'got away' with your little scheme but karma is a tricky devil and 'payback' is often seen as 'disproportionate' to the offense.
Ignore the destitute after you happen upon a dollar bill lying in the street? Your 'payback' could be cancer...of a very painful and slow variety.
You may not get it tomorrow but it's still a black mark that needs to be erased for your account to 'balance'.
More commonly, karma pays you back 'in kind'. Cheat someone out of what they desire and you, in return, will be deprived of something you desire.
But I digress, we [if we're mature enough] all know full well about life's 'tendency towards balance.' It's not perfect and sometimes our selfishness acts are just the karmic payback somebody else so richly deserves.
What I want to address is aimed at the adherents of Adam Smith and the 'greed is good' club. Those who foolishly believe that 'self-interest' is perfectly natural and self-sacrifice is abhorrent to the individual and 'unhealthy' for society.
If this were an 'isolated phenomenon' then we could 'tsk, tsk' and shame the offenders but it's not isolated. Those that have use it to justify their hoarding, saying they are serving the greater good despite their personal contribution toward making the world a more miserable place to live in.
Worse, some revel in the misery they create while others exploit it!
To Robinson Caruso, greed can be good because all of his efforts would result in rewarding him with a 'better life' but let's switch from a desert isle to a crowded life raft... crowded with just YOUR immediate family.
Now 'greed is good' goes straight out the window. You love everybody on that raft and it pains you that as the 'head of the family' it's up to YOU to make any sacrifices that need to be made.
First thing you do is choose not to eat, stretching already thin resources towards the improved odds of survival for the others in the raft.
Or you take the stance that your distress call was heard and that rescue is but hours away and you 'chow down' figuring your 'adventure' on the life raft will be something you'll all laugh about someday...but then you spend the night in the open ocean and there is no sign of rescue.
Different animal altogether. Do you regret helping yourself to the treats that one of your kids could have made another day on or do you still HOPE rescue is on the way?
The sooner you recognize the reality of your situation the greater the odds for survival become.
Hard, in fact impossible for most of you to transfer this line of thinking to our planet but the analogy is an apt one...and the sacrifices of the few will have little bearing on the outcome for our species.
If we don't all pull together, NONE OF US are going to make it.
How foolish is it that the 'primary excuse' the 'freakishly selfish' give when asked why they keep acquiring after they have more than they or their children can ever use in a dozen lifetimes is...'grandchildren, I'm taking care of my grandchildren...'
This is akin to what Vonnegut liked to call 'Idiots Delight'. [Made even more moronic in light of the fact that 'all money is funny' and has absolutely ZERO value.] In deference to 'purists', I acknowledge it is generally understood that Vonnegut referred to the practice of turning money into power then back into money again, often with zero regard for the 'consequences' as is so often done today.
Imagine a world run by rich and extremely 'spoiled' children? How would you punish them IF YOU COULD?
Think it's time to put them on 'time out' until they learn the importance of sharing and playing with others?
Because if you're not 'one of them' then by default, you are the other.
Thanks for letting me inside your head,
Gegner
Which is bizarre because right and wrong are very much 'black & white' issues...either it's the right thing to do or it's not.
What makes us choose 'wrong' when the situation is personal? Looking out for number one! It's not wrong to US, we're often too close to the situation to remain 'objective' about it. Sometimes we regret 'choosing poorly' (shame) afterwards but it seems as though life is full of situations where doing the right thing gives YOU the choice between a sharp stick in the eye and a swift kick to the gonads.
Although often times it's our unwillingness to sacrifice that makes us do contortions (bending the rules to justify our behavior) while we throw others under the bus so WE can have our cake and eat it too.
But that vixen Karma doesn't blink...what goes around comes around and eventually you'll get yours so decide in your own favor all you want. Karma always knows.
Often times you'll fool yourself into thinking you 'got away' with your little scheme but karma is a tricky devil and 'payback' is often seen as 'disproportionate' to the offense.
Ignore the destitute after you happen upon a dollar bill lying in the street? Your 'payback' could be cancer...of a very painful and slow variety.
You may not get it tomorrow but it's still a black mark that needs to be erased for your account to 'balance'.
More commonly, karma pays you back 'in kind'. Cheat someone out of what they desire and you, in return, will be deprived of something you desire.
But I digress, we [if we're mature enough] all know full well about life's 'tendency towards balance.' It's not perfect and sometimes our selfishness acts are just the karmic payback somebody else so richly deserves.
What I want to address is aimed at the adherents of Adam Smith and the 'greed is good' club. Those who foolishly believe that 'self-interest' is perfectly natural and self-sacrifice is abhorrent to the individual and 'unhealthy' for society.
If this were an 'isolated phenomenon' then we could 'tsk, tsk' and shame the offenders but it's not isolated. Those that have use it to justify their hoarding, saying they are serving the greater good despite their personal contribution toward making the world a more miserable place to live in.
Worse, some revel in the misery they create while others exploit it!
To Robinson Caruso, greed can be good because all of his efforts would result in rewarding him with a 'better life' but let's switch from a desert isle to a crowded life raft... crowded with just YOUR immediate family.
Now 'greed is good' goes straight out the window. You love everybody on that raft and it pains you that as the 'head of the family' it's up to YOU to make any sacrifices that need to be made.
First thing you do is choose not to eat, stretching already thin resources towards the improved odds of survival for the others in the raft.
Or you take the stance that your distress call was heard and that rescue is but hours away and you 'chow down' figuring your 'adventure' on the life raft will be something you'll all laugh about someday...but then you spend the night in the open ocean and there is no sign of rescue.
Different animal altogether. Do you regret helping yourself to the treats that one of your kids could have made another day on or do you still HOPE rescue is on the way?
The sooner you recognize the reality of your situation the greater the odds for survival become.
Hard, in fact impossible for most of you to transfer this line of thinking to our planet but the analogy is an apt one...and the sacrifices of the few will have little bearing on the outcome for our species.
If we don't all pull together, NONE OF US are going to make it.
How foolish is it that the 'primary excuse' the 'freakishly selfish' give when asked why they keep acquiring after they have more than they or their children can ever use in a dozen lifetimes is...'grandchildren, I'm taking care of my grandchildren...'
This is akin to what Vonnegut liked to call 'Idiots Delight'. [Made even more moronic in light of the fact that 'all money is funny' and has absolutely ZERO value.] In deference to 'purists', I acknowledge it is generally understood that Vonnegut referred to the practice of turning money into power then back into money again, often with zero regard for the 'consequences' as is so often done today.
Imagine a world run by rich and extremely 'spoiled' children? How would you punish them IF YOU COULD?
Think it's time to put them on 'time out' until they learn the importance of sharing and playing with others?
Because if you're not 'one of them' then by default, you are the other.
Thanks for letting me inside your head,
Gegner
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