Entitlements, Appreciation, Gratitude

One of the great problems of living in paradise, and maybe the only one for a fortunate few, is taking it all for granted, so that no matter how much they have, they always demand more, rather than appreciate what they already have. The great gift therefore, is to have very little yet to think one has everything.

When people first arrive in the Islands, they are appreciative of everything -- the sunsets, the rainbows, the clear skies, the birds chirping, green all around -- but if they choose to remain, or have always been here, that is no longer enough but they demand the nicest house, the biggest car, the best food, more money than everyone else -- as their entitlement.

So how does their tranquility and sensitivities so quickly degrade to the incessant whine for more? It is the popular culture of the media, schools and universities (all union people not coincidentally), that have convinced them that no matter how much they have, they need to demand more incessantly -- which also drives up the cost of living -- as now, we all have to pay more for the same, or more likely, less product, goods and services.

But many do not see this connection and think that the answer is to demand even more pay -- for less work, convinced that that is the only solution to the high and ever-increasing cost of living. In this way, they create their own self-fulfilling problems -- which of course get worse. It may even be forgotten that the reason for their jobs may have originally been to get rid of the problem -- instead of perpetuating it, increasing the demand for more highly-paid experts, as well as many more lowly-paid ones to actually do the work.

So I think that if we can just see things clearly, the problems are already on their way to being solved -- but without that clarity, the problem must get worse. Therefore, understanding, intelligence, is the key, and not just more of the problems, thinking MORE is the solution. That is the unfortunately lesson of the media, schools, universities; anybody who suggests that things should be done differently, are suppressed, oppressed and repressed, while those with only one answer for everything, “More,” become the union, organizational president or highly-quoted expert.

The MORE mentality makes us insensitive to everything else -- and even those who are proud of proclaiming, “Diversity,” often mean only, “More of the same.” Political developments and changes are just the tip of the iceberg in the much broader and deeper cultural and intellectual underpinnings that have to be addressed if any real and lasting changes evolve society onto a higher plane of functioning than the always more primitive past understanding.

The objective is to create a more perfect society -- and not just keep repeating the patterns, the habits, the customs, the obsessions of the past -- which was always the acquisition of more, or at the very minimum, more than every other person or group has, before one can be satisfied, which assures that nobody can ever be.