Everyday (and this is likely worsened by our inundation with social media), I see countless people throwing their whiny, unoriginal voices out into the careless depths of the public sphere. Someone’s feelings are always hurt. Someone isn’t ever special. Someone doesn’t like what someone else is saying or doing or smelling like. It’s unproductive, unintelligent nonsense and it contributes nothing to better yourself, your community or the world.
As individuals, we have certain obligations and responsibilities. Those obligations and responsibilities are defined and changed by a person’s sensibilities and morals starting from a very young age. Our formative environment embeds a sense about these things deep into our brain. So deep, in fact, that many people aren’t yet at terms with the fact that they’re a product of their environment. The sooner you can become aware of that fact, the sooner you can work on making yourself into the person you want to be.
One of the obligations we’re faced with is our own happiness. We’re responsible for ourselves and ourselves alone. I’ve learned very quickly that when I begin to look to someone else in order to find happiness or validation, I’m often left in an even sadder state of affairs than I was at the start of it. Self-loathing and “passing the buck” are piss poor strategies for improving yourself. Take your own life captive and make it the best you can.
Entitlement is likely the root of the mindsets of many of these sad, grousing people. We expect things. We demand things. We want life to be fair and even, and we get cranky when we don’t get to enjoy our favorite thing right now. When something favors us, however, we want to keep it, even if that comes at the cost of someone else.
The fact of the matter is this: Life isn’t fair. Life isn’t built on sugary sweets and cool linen breezes and clean right angles and fluffy puppies. It’s rough and awkward and shitty sometimes. That’s the beauty of it. How are we to appreciate goodness if we cry and moan at the thought of something less-than-great?
Without having to wait ten minutes for your takeout Chinese food to be delivered, we’d have no frame of reference. We’d have no reason to appreciate all of the hard work that goes into it. It doesn’t take ten minutes because the employees are lazy or trying to piss you off. It takes ten minutes because they’re cooking your food, packaging it and driving it to your home. All the while, you get the privilege of sitting on your couch, smoking a joint and watching Stranger Things for the third time.
Without having to pull over to the shoulder of a four-lane freeway on a 90-degree day to change a tire, we’d have no appreciation of our vehicle.
How many times do you get into your car and think, “Wow, this is great. This is an amazing piece of technology that enables me to get places quickly, transport large objects, and shuttle friends around”? Probably less often than you appreciate your lo mein after having to wait ten minutes.
It’s so easy to sit inside our own heads and bitch about the shortcomings of this obviously and perpetually flawed world, but those kinds of thoughts are dark, selfish, and accomplish absolutely nothing. It’s no surprise that the world is unfair and unattractive at times, but that’s the nature of it. And that’s what makes the beautiful things so much greater.
So, get up. Get off of your computer. Take a shower. Put on a good outfit. Put on a smile. Get a job. Create something. Earn money. And whenever something isn’t cool or pure or awesome, remind yourself that complaining does no one any goddamn good. Especially not you.
