As I was reading this morning’s latest news, I saw all this:
- Nicole Arbour goes viral shaming fat people.
- Hundreds of people turn out to celebrate KY bigot Kim Davis’ release from jail.
- The lion-killing dentist is back at work and more media types showed up than protesters.
- A survey shows that most of us believe black people are treated differently by police.
- A Hungarian journalist trips migrants running from the police.
After reading all that, I was angry. I thought to myself, “it’s not FAIR!!!!”
Then I recalled the old adage I learned long ago, “the fair comes to town one week a year, and this ain’t it.” Now I am resigned and will move on.
But first I had to ask, why is it so important to me that things be fair anyway?
Maybe I was born this way.
Jessica Sommerville and Marco Schmidt studied 15-month-olds to see if they had a sense of fairness. And guess what? They do!
So if we’re born with this sense of altruism, why is there such inequality in the world today?
In a word, abundance.
Once mankind had plenty to eat, the more conniving of the bunch began finding ways to gain power by holding more goods. It’s all about greed.
Maybe that’s why the poor are more likely to share with others, but the rich keep trying to find ways to make more money while holding onto what they’ve got.
I don’t know, and I’ve no time today to research that hypothesis.
At any rate, I feel good knowing that my sense of outrage comes naturally, and that I’m not alone in feeling the world isn’t fair.
It’s just that some of you are ignoring your instincts.
.
.
Today I used information gathered from an article published at Pacific Standard: Are We born With a Sense of Fairness?
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Rich vs Poor: “The more you have, the more you have to lose.” There were many suicides during the Great Depression in the US because individuals valued themselves based on their investments. When their investments became worthless …………………………………! A very sad aspect in the development of some people which is still very prevalent.
Maybe it also has something to do with why we hold such disdain for the poor?
Do we? I believe that to generalize on such a statement does an injustice to many people.
Oh we absolutely do. That’s not hypothesis; that’s fact.
http://articles.philly.com/2013-08-06/news/41096922_1_west-philadelphia-neuroimaging-psychology
It is not a fact. The article you quote starts off with the word “Many”. Many is not all encompassing and, is simply an imprecise piece of analytical data. I have worked with poor people in a variety of circumstances and not only do I admire many of them for surviving their particular history, but it allowed me to meet other like minded individuals. There is a large body of people (thank goodness) who show less fortunate people respect and dignity.
Are you just looking for a fight? Ok so not every human being in the world hates poor people. However, more people DO hate them than DON’T.
we probably left that sense behind like so many good things…sometimes people remind me of snakes they throw their old skin away after a while and even with the new one they are still poisonous…
I think one of the first things we lose as an adult is our voice. Sad, isn’t it?
yes… that’s sad… how often we close our eyes and walk away :o(
love this!!!!
Thanks!
right on!
MEOW! -June Buggie
We are taught to ignore those instincts and others from day one, and ironically, those instincts are the ones that tell us what is right, and those who listen are called “crazy” and persecuted and killed. It’s like the mental illness that takes over the body of its host and totally changes the view of reality, this is a cultural illness, and we have to cure it with love. Hard as that is sometimes….
I personally believe depression and anxiety are often the result of a struggle between what we believe to be true and what we’re taught is true.
I saw this quote and it has stuck with me…”Kindness is a luxury and many can’t afford it.”
Oh they could, but choose to spend their wealth on other things.
I am in disbelief with both your position (which is sad) and your supporting rationale (which has no credibility). I am going to assume that you are simply creating controversy to further your blog interests and, on that basis, this will be my final comment as I have much more worthwhile things to do.
Works for me! Cya!
U R definitely not alone.
TOTALLY IN AGREEMENT!
No matter how much money or how many possessions one has, they’re not taking it with them when their bodies take their last breaths. We all come into this world naked and screaming, clutching nothing but our souls in our hands. And that’s pretty much how we’re all going to leave.
I had a conversation with a girlfriend of mine years ago about this very subject of fair..she said she once had the same conversation with her counsellor..he said to her ‘If life was fair then a worm would not get eaten when it poked it’s head out of the ground’ ..fair and just are seemingly subjects pondered by only the fair and just…ironic
I like the counsellor’s response!
So do i ..which is why i remember it to this day 🙂
I think we go through phases in our lives that cause us to question the “status quo.” We are taught from a young age to think contrary to society’s equality and goodness. We are taught bigotry and selfishness and greed. If we live long enough, we begin to question those beliefs and find our true inner self and inner voice. 🙂
People need to seek happiness, try to be kind – treat others as they wish to be treated. Sadly those are not valued much anymore – look at who gets the applause and the actions of the celebrated. Look at the movies, tv show jokes, even commercials. Ugliness is promoted and cheered
Life isn’t fair. There’s always someone taller/shorter/ thinner/fatter/richer/poorer/smarter/dumber….it is what it is – and recognition as well as acceptance of differences is important. None of the differences matters in the long run.
Having worked with infants, young children, and toddlers in research, I will say that the young have their own personal preferences far younger than people realize. Very young children tend to be “selfish” and “greedy” around 2-3 yrs. That’s why pre-K socializing is critical as the kids learn to get along and share. It is taught by peer pressure as well as adult monitoring situations. Young kids are not as affected by race at an early age and are welcoming of other children as long as they are pleasant and fun to be with. It’s unpleasant behavior that tends to get kids excluded from group play by peers. There’s been lots and lots of solid recent/current solid research on all this.
The problem is the big people.
Important parents and all adults behave thoughtfully, use tones of voice as well as words and body language to encourage fair behavior from the cradle up. They are watching and learning every second.
And you deal daily with the results of bad models. Hang in there.