On Entitlement, the Enterprise, and Echolocation…
I’m having one of those days where I want to complain about other people…
Ideally, I would be isolated on a mountaintop, venturing down into “civilization” twice per year to stock up on supplies or to take in a good show. This would be my dream life – I’d never have to deal with the incessant rudeness, vulgarity, and downright nastiness that has become a fixture of daily activities. Generally speaking, civilization is devolving. We have become noticeably uncivilized – it has become rare to find polite and respectful discourse in this day and age.
Esteem for others in addition to esteem for self is crucial to a successful community. Yet, we as a society have made the “all-me” mindset a cultural norm. It is celebrated and carefully cultivated – even described as “success”. Respecting other people’s beliefs, sensitivities, or opinions is no longer a good thing, especially if they happen to disagree with you.
We no longer have a sense of community or a sense of togetherness. Heck, most people will only spend time with others if they can gain something from the interaction…This pervasive sense of entitlement is appalling. I feel like people truly believe the entire world must stop to cater to their demands. It is a distressing trend, where 911 calls from fast food restaurants and curse-filled rants in the supermarket are commonplace.
This is sad. This is not something to be raised up as a model of excellence.
I feel like we have become soft. Our lives are so cushioned and safe that people strive only for additional comfort and convenience, to the detriment of other humans and even the Earth itself. It’s at the point where people are angry about the state of the economy not because their children can’t eat quality food, but because they can’t buy the fashionable and expensive baubles they believe make them invincible. People don’t know how to do anything – if technology suddenly vanished, I am sure fully half of the “first world” populations would perish within a couple of days, and 3/4 would be gone within a month. This wilful helplessness is pitiful. Our ancestors had to do everything for themselves. These days, we’re lucky if the homeowner’s association allows us to grow a garden in our backyards.
Where have we lost ourselves? When did we turn into this?
I like to watch Star Trek, as I’ve mentioned a time or two, and one of the most interesting ideas put forth by this franchise is the image of how the future will be for the citizens of Earth. In this imagined future, poverty and hunger have been eliminated, currency is only used when trading with alien cultures, and as the great Jean-Luc Picard tells it, “The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of Humanity.”
The star-ships Enterprise are prime examples of this Utopian ideal – people live in a floating city: military, science, and civilian workers all live and work together because they care about the progress and pursuit of knowledge. All jobs are entwined, because all jobs serve a purpose for all members of the crew and their families: to keep the ship afloat.
The only necessity: to care about others.
Now, that would be a civilization I’d like to live in.
I have not lost hope in humanity just yet. I still find inspiring and beautiful stories about other humans who take the time to care. These stories make me smile and make me think.
One such story is that of Daniel Kish. Daniel became completely blind by the age of 13 months. He has lived a life none of these entitled people could even imagine: he cannot see anything at all in the world. He, however, has not decided that he is entitled to special treatment just because he happens to be blind. Instead, he came up with a new way to see: he uses echolocation and has done so as long as he can remember. And, instead of presenting himself as a modern miracle and marketing his talent, he teaches this skill to other people who are blind and travels around the world to promote awareness of the importance of new techniques when dealing with the loss of eyesight . http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/tech/innovation/daniel-kish-poptech-echolocation/index.html
Daniel’s life inspires me.
He inspires me because I think, “I wish I could be like him when I grow up.” No, not doing the same things as he does. But, to be able to help people just by being myself.
This is an amazing concept: We are all powerful, just as we are.
You, reader, are already powerful.
You can do whatever you set your mind to.
The only thing left to discover: Your power to do everything.
What are your powers?