No subject

of actually seeing a decision from the eyes of someone else?  Do any of us 
care anymore (or ever at all) how the decisions we make affect others, or 
even ourselves for longer than today?  Does anybody out there have 
foresight?  Do any of us realize that just because choices we make do not 
directly hurt another life it does not mean that our choices do not hurt 
others?  What has happened to responsibility?
These are questions I ask myself as I read the newspaper, watch the news or 
interact with “real” people.  I wonder do “real” people really exist?  The 
answer seems to be no: on all accounts.  Perspective first:  as much as most 
of us would like to think that we are good people at heart and that we can 
take into account the feelings and well-being of others while we make our 
everyday choices the fact is that none of us do.  We lack perspective.  When 
it comes done to it we all hide behind class or religion in forming our 
perspectives.  Very few among us are truly capable of seeing the world 
outside our box.  Very few of us, from the richest to the poorest have any 
true idea of what it is like to be in the shoes of someone that lives 
outside our circle.  And for that matter no one seems to be able to grasp 
the feelings of the people that are closest to us either.  Why?  If anyone 
can answer that in any other way except “just because” I would greatly 
appreciate the input.  Now for reality:  define it, I cannot.  Who is real?  
How does one tell?  It is quite obvious that human instinct has long been 
abandoned and replaced with television instinct.  Look around you today; 
everyone is playing a role.  Not a single person is the same person in any 
two social settings.  We are all façade.  We are ourselves in this circle, 
more ourselves in that circle, etc, until now not a single one of us can 
truly put a finger on who we really are.  Why?  Because we are so many 
different people.  And again, when it comes done to it we are going to hide 
where we feel the least persecuted, behind a social class or religious 
entity.  Do any of you realize just how thin the lines separating social 
classes are, or for that matter the lines that separate religions?  Unless 
you are 100% independently wealthy, you own outright your car, your house, 
etc. then you are poor.
The LARGE majority of us are in one form of financial debt or another, be it 
mortgage, car loan, credit card, school loan and so on and so forth.  The 
LARGE majority of us are controlled.  Some of us are more comfortable in our 
debt than others, but the LARGE majority of the people you see everyday of 
your lives are just like you.  No matter how close to the top that any of us 
feel, unless you are truly at the top then you are at the bottom.  One giant 
middle class.  Just because you do not put on a blue collar when you go to 
work does not mean you are not working class.  You do not have to sweat at 
work to be a working class “slob”.  If you go to work, you are working 
class.  If you are making a very “good” living and the debt is comfortable, 
imagine if it all falls through and you are forced to give up your 
“lifestyle”.  How comfortable will it be then?  If a family of four making 
$30,000 per year loses their source of income their fall won’t hurt as much 
as family of four making $300,000 per year because the “poorer” family 
already perceives themselves at the bottom, but the “richer” family 
perceives themselves very close to the top so their fall will be from a 
higher plane: SPLAT!!!  It is like the difference between falling out of bed 
and falling of your roof.  The $30k family already knows how to live within 
their means because “class” has forced them to all their lives.  The $300k 
family is (pardon my French) fucked!  Explain to a kid that is used to 
having everything their little heart desires that they have to sacrifice 
luxury so that the family can survive.  Good luck with that one.
All of this can be avoided if we can come back to human instinct and stop 
trying to keep up with the Jones’.   Money does not buy anything but debt.  
Unless your money supply is endless, you need to spend responsibly.  Stop 
caring so much about providing your children with the material things in 
life and start providing them with the only “real” currencies left in this 
world:  love and understanding.


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