I Love America
So - this is life, huh? I have to admit, I expected something different. I am an American, and I grew up in very small-town USA. It's a good place to grow, and to live - but I don't think it's the best for creating a healthy individual.
Where I grew up, your reputation matters. You must always be nice to everyone, because if you aren't, people will remember it. I always was taught that you are kind and generous to people, so that if the situation ever arises where you need their assistance, they are likely to remember you were helpful to them in the past.
This is a wonderful idea, and it works great in small geographic areas.
However, when you try to apply this type of living to the city - you end up only being the target of people taking advantage. Your reputation truly DOES NOT matter in the city, and if I want, I can be a complete jerk for half the day, turn around and be the sweetest guy in the world for the second half. Nobody will even think I'm bipolar or crazy! They will just think I'm a jerk, and then the people who interact with me later in the day will think I'm really kind.
So, the problem comes with deciding WHERE the lines for this social circle or circle of influence lie. If I am kind and generous to everyone - as I have been trying my hardest to do, it DOES make people think you are a good person. However, because ACCRUING in this country is so important, the lack of wealth accrual conveys other characteristics, that I do not necessarily agree with their transmission.
For instance, if people see and interact with me; they likely will think "Oh, he doesn't own his own house, he doesn't have loads of money available, or investments; so he must be a fairly worthless character."
They don't think, "Oh, this guy must not be greedy. He likely is very giving and caring and that's the reason he doesn't have loads and loads of money, property, or investments."
So, I am always judged, but it's very strange because the reason I have chosen to behave in the way that I do - is so that people will judge me in an advantageous way. However, I always understood that this would be advantageous to ME! At least in the long run, when I finally encountered some sort of problem or whatever. Instead, it just provided a never-ending line of people deciding they would accept my kindnesses, not return any, and then continue along the path toward - whatever.
It makes me sad that people make assumptions almost in reverse to logic. In the old days, the villains in movies were the rich people - because it was understood that they became rich by taking from others. Now, it's become so efficiently removed from evaluation, that the advantages taken by investors are considered fair and just.
Now the hero's in movies are the rich guys.
America has so many problems. I think the majority of them are created by our culture though. We kind of have a modified version of high school - and we've turned it into a "culture". The football players are the most popular, and the actors and stuff - it's just silly. Why don't we admire our hardworking servicemen and women anymore? Anybody remember Audie Murphy?
What about actors and actresses? Why are they all models now too? They used to be real people - and look like real people. When I think of old actors, many were still good looking, but they had so much MORE than just looks.
Like Vincent Price, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra... Where are our modern versions of these guys?
America - you're being fooled by the wealthy. They own TV and big business, and that purchased them lobbying groups and politicians. The system has been perverted and we must restore it to regain our place on the world's stage, and to get back to actually being good people. Right now we are just arbiters of greed, and it's not reflecting on us well, globally.
Anyone wanna vote for me? Lol
Where I grew up, your reputation matters. You must always be nice to everyone, because if you aren't, people will remember it. I always was taught that you are kind and generous to people, so that if the situation ever arises where you need their assistance, they are likely to remember you were helpful to them in the past.
This is a wonderful idea, and it works great in small geographic areas.
However, when you try to apply this type of living to the city - you end up only being the target of people taking advantage. Your reputation truly DOES NOT matter in the city, and if I want, I can be a complete jerk for half the day, turn around and be the sweetest guy in the world for the second half. Nobody will even think I'm bipolar or crazy! They will just think I'm a jerk, and then the people who interact with me later in the day will think I'm really kind.
So, the problem comes with deciding WHERE the lines for this social circle or circle of influence lie. If I am kind and generous to everyone - as I have been trying my hardest to do, it DOES make people think you are a good person. However, because ACCRUING in this country is so important, the lack of wealth accrual conveys other characteristics, that I do not necessarily agree with their transmission.
For instance, if people see and interact with me; they likely will think "Oh, he doesn't own his own house, he doesn't have loads of money available, or investments; so he must be a fairly worthless character."
They don't think, "Oh, this guy must not be greedy. He likely is very giving and caring and that's the reason he doesn't have loads and loads of money, property, or investments."
So, I am always judged, but it's very strange because the reason I have chosen to behave in the way that I do - is so that people will judge me in an advantageous way. However, I always understood that this would be advantageous to ME! At least in the long run, when I finally encountered some sort of problem or whatever. Instead, it just provided a never-ending line of people deciding they would accept my kindnesses, not return any, and then continue along the path toward - whatever.
It makes me sad that people make assumptions almost in reverse to logic. In the old days, the villains in movies were the rich people - because it was understood that they became rich by taking from others. Now, it's become so efficiently removed from evaluation, that the advantages taken by investors are considered fair and just.
Now the hero's in movies are the rich guys.
America has so many problems. I think the majority of them are created by our culture though. We kind of have a modified version of high school - and we've turned it into a "culture". The football players are the most popular, and the actors and stuff - it's just silly. Why don't we admire our hardworking servicemen and women anymore? Anybody remember Audie Murphy?
What about actors and actresses? Why are they all models now too? They used to be real people - and look like real people. When I think of old actors, many were still good looking, but they had so much MORE than just looks.
Like Vincent Price, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra... Where are our modern versions of these guys?
America - you're being fooled by the wealthy. They own TV and big business, and that purchased them lobbying groups and politicians. The system has been perverted and we must restore it to regain our place on the world's stage, and to get back to actually being good people. Right now we are just arbiters of greed, and it's not reflecting on us well, globally.
Anyone wanna vote for me? Lol
