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Why is it that despite in aggregate people’s economic situation has gotten better than it was years ago, people feel ever more disenfranchised than they have in the past?
Children are kind of micro examples of adults. The challenges and issues they deal with are elementary examples of how we are as adults.
They are kind of digestible simplified representations of ourselves
Kind of like Aesop Fables - little lessons for us to be more conscientious of our own behavior
So I learn a lot about myself from my kids - amazing little life lessons
So the other day I surprised my daughter after school and told her that we were going to go rock climbing
She was excited so we head over
When we park the car she tells me she wants to get rock climbing shoes
At first I explain that they don’t have her size and she is better off using her tennis shoes but she is getting upset so I said sure if you prefer to have rock climbing shoes it is up to you
Then when we get to the floor she says that she wants her own chalk bag
Then she says that she wants to get dinner across the street at this Vietnamese restaurant
Then she says after dinner she wants to get Boba
I finally said no.
Then she said she didn’t want to climb anymore so after 15 minutes we changed our shoes packed up and just went home
And we had a conversation
She was happy to go rock climbing rather than going home, but ended up more upset because of some other factor rather than being appreciative that she was able to go rock climbing
Because she was unappreciative now she stopped climbing and also we didn’t go out to dinner
Be appreciative for we have rather than being unappreciative for what we don’t have
Dan Ariely
Weekend in Rome all-expense paid - flight, hotel, breakfast
Weekend in Paris all-expense paid - flight, hotel, breakfast (no coffee)
We put a disproportionate value on things that should have little value and when we do this we impact our overall happiness
Rock climbing in itself for my daughter should = happiness
Rock climbing without shoes, chalk bag, Vietnamese food, boba = unhappy
We get fixated on what others have and this impacts our own happiness
People tend to compare themselves upwards
As society gets richer as a whole the distribution between the richest and the poorest will naturally be increased
[3:196] Do not be impressed by the apparent success of disbelievers. [3:197] They only enjoy temporarily, then end up in Hell; what a miserable destiny!
God’s System
[6:44] When they thus disregard the message given to them, we open for them the gates of everything. Then, just as they rejoice in what was given to them, we punish them suddenly; they become utterly stunned. * [6:45] The wicked are thus annihilated. Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.
*6:44 Before the guilty are thrown out the window, they are taken up to a high floor.
Example of Qaroon
[28:76] Qãroon (the slave driver) was one of Moses' people who betrayed them and oppressed them. We gave him so many treasures that the keys thereof were almost too heavy for the strongest band. His people said to him, "Do not be so arrogant; GOD does not love those who are arrogant. [28:77] "Use the provisions bestowed upon you by GOD to seek the abode of the Hereafter, without neglecting your share in this world. Be charitable, as GOD has been charitable towards you. Do not keep on corrupting the earth. GOD does not love the corruptors." [28:78] He said, "I attained all this because of my own cleverness." Did he not realize that GOD had annihilated before him generations that were much stronger than he, and greater in number? The (annihilated) transgressors were not asked about their crimes.
[28:79] One day, he came out to his people in full splendor. Those who preferred this worldly life said, "Oh, we wish that