Sometimes your life is exactly what you want it to be, other times it is not, and you have to bear with it. Nevertheless, it is “always” ALL you have. But whatever your situation looks like, yours is the power to make it positive or negative. Some people are capable of changing a pleasant conversation into something nasty with just one word or facial expression! Others can transform a simple discussion into an argument and even a fight. But there also those who, on the other hand, can play it down, remove any “drama” from difficult occurrences. Each moment of your life can become what you actually “want”, if you can convince yourself that it’s up to you to choose your attitude. And attitude it what determines your mood, your feelings, even your well-being. Not always easy to believe, but it is true.
One way you could make this situation better could be by thinking a bit less about yourself and a bit more about others. Selfishness is a widespread attitude that hinders relationships as well as the general “feeling” about the whole environment. It seems that, for example, great organizations such as banks, insurance companies etc. — as well as some people you have to deal with, are there just to “get you”, to exploit you, to take advantage of you for their own benefit. The Roman emperor philosopher Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) wrote, “Let every action aim only at the common good.” Carrying out this idea could literally “save” the world. But… how far it is from the actual situation! Today’s world seems in fact prey of the greatest selfishness.
When I hear news about what is happening almost everywhere around the globe, I am appalled by the amount of dishonesty existing at all levels. Poor Marcus Aurelius would be shocked. Yes, I know that also in the olden days such things happened and the situation wasn’t therefore too different.
But one would have hoped that, with progress taking place in every field, also the human attitude toward others might have been improved. As in ancient times the rich exploited the poor, now we have big “shots” such as directors, chiefs of administration etc. who commit enormous frauds at the expense of innocent investors or savers as well as tax-payers. Individuals who are already well-off feel the need to amass additional capital by actually stealing from those who trusted them.
Is this another proof that money is never enough? Does it show that, if one has the power, the opportunity and the means, they keep on committing one dishonest act after another? This — according to what we keep hearing on the news — is what is happening in the “higher spheres”. In less flamboyant situations, also “regular” people tend to care less and less about the needs of others. Marcus Aurelius invited his fellow human beings to act with “the
only aim” of the common good.
The problem is that people have learned to believe that the “common good” would mean less wealth for them, and they are not willing to accept it. But… is this totally true? Think of life as if it were a cake. If you slice it fairly, everyone will have a slice, a suitable share. Unfortunately, a few over-powerful individuals decide that they are entitled to a bigger slice.
As a result, others get smaller slices and some get nothing at all. I am well aware that a fair slice-distribution is utopian, but one can at least dream of a world where human beings are fair to each other, where wealth is equitably distributed, where dishonesty, deceit and treachery would not be as rampant as they are today.
As history shows us that, when a civilization reaches an unbearable level of corruption, something happens that will make it crumble, this is a possibility that — at present — should not be overlooked. There is so much “evil” that most of us are unaware of. That is why most of us (therefore… you, too!) end up not really caring about others. We listen to the news, we find them upsetting, we briefly comment on them and then… we click the remote and change the channel. Is there anything each of us could do to help? The answer is strictly personal.
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