In the same vein as my last post talked about changes, I began to think how people change with the passage of time. I'd like to think that most people change in their lives and strive to become better people. I define becoming "better people" as living life with more honor, more integrity, more loyalty, more honesty, more of a giving heart, more selfless, more appreciation and more grateful for all there is in life. Strangely enough I see the complete opposite in our society today; political motivations in all aspects of life, no honor, very little integrity, no loyalty, very little honesty, selfish hearts and a constant complaining about how the grass is greener on the other side.For all the faults of organized religion, I say that today's generation has stepped further and further away from the core teachings of all religions and strayed into a religion of self indulgence. If you analyze the demise of all the qualities above, and find that the root cause is the human race and its' self appointment as the center of the universe this will all make a whole lot of sense.
The free market economy and capitalism in the United States mixed with the microcasm of Asian Parents with high expectations of success in schooling and jobs, only exasperates the issue as well. Growing up an Asian American had it's challenges but what I never expected was this ongoing silent invisible competition fueled by our parents that now lives in many of us Asian Americans here in the United States.
For those of you that did not grow up in such an environment let me summarize what this means. In our culture, "do what you love" is NOT acceptable, "do what makes money" is more accurate. Getting "all B's" is NOT acceptable, "straight A's" are expected. Being a musician, philosopher, dancer, athelete was NOT acceptable, being a "Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer" is expected.
So we as children simply strive, strive and strive to be the best all of our lives. This invisible competition is created that is a silent killer of friendship, family and self; a driving force of negative behavior and bad changes in personalities geared to compete.
Do I think people are inherently evil, no I do not. Do I think that people are a product of their environments, yes absolutely I do. So why do people change for the worst? I would argue it's the pursuit of success, wealth, prestige and fame, that old American Dream.
Last Friday there was a 20/20 episode on the Pursuit of Happiness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S_f2TFFtyw. It seems that people who are the most unhappy are those that constantly pursue the endless desires of wealth, while doing what you love brings happiness if not wealth. Now all of us know that there is no way living in the Bay Area that doing what you love is exactly a match to what pays the mortgage. For starters why be pulled into the endless cycle of competition, success, wealth, power, prestige and fame? Do any of these things truly make us happy? I would question that because each stage makes one question life even further and we always think the next level will fill that hole in our lives. I truly feel that doing as much as of the things that you love outside of your job would probably be the next best solution. If you are lucky enough that your job is what you love to do, consider yourself blessed! For the rest of us, perhaps get your work done so you have time to enjoy those things you love doing.
Life is simply too short to live your life trying to fit in a mold that doesn't truly make you happy. For many of folks in my bracket, we are now through with 1/3 to 1/2 of our lives. How will you live the next 1/2 to 2/3 of your lives? That is the question.
