How Many Pairs Of Shoes Can You Wear At One Time? How Many Cars Can You Drive At Once?
Posted: Saturday, May 23, 2009
by Yangki Christine Akiteng
The Real People's Love Doctor
Watching the Oprah Show, The Taboo Topic: What Social Class Are You Now? you'd think that being "degraded" from middle social class to lower social class is the worst thing that can possibly happen to someone.
"I never had to deal with being poor. It's humiliating", said one guest who dropped in social class and is now living at poverty level. Another who had lost her job bemoaned not being able to wear her corporate suits and do her nails anymore. A couple said they can no longer afford to treat their friends to dinner or host lavish parties, since they dropped to a lower social class.
With 250,000 Sri Lankan refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) caught in the war between the troops and Tamil Tigers facing ‘"very critical' circumstances; and hundreds of thousands Sudanese refugees from the strife-torn Darfur region barely able to just keep alive -- that's just the tip of the refugee problem -- you'd think worrying about socio-economic class or lifestyle would be the last thing on people's minds.
Do people even watch The World Affairs Brief or listen to World News or sit down and actually study a newspaper and figure out what's going on in the world around us?
Are we so detached from the rest of the world that we are largely unaffected by most of what goes on globally?
Are we really this self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulged, self-obsessed and self-celebratory that we perceive, understand and interpret the world in terms of the "self"?
Are we so preoccupied with our own emotions, interests, or situation that we're lacking in concern and empathy for the pain and suffering of others?
I am not trying to make anyone feel bad or saying people should be ashamed of what they have worked hard for. If there is anyone who came from nothing to something -- and I mean nothing as in poorest of the poor -- count me at the top of that list. I know what it's like to literally lift oneself by imaginary bootstraps. I sometimes work 16 hours a day and know people who are doing the same thing. I deserve everything I've earned.
Would I like having more money? Of course I would, but I can guarantee you this, if I do make more money I wouldn't spend a dime on fancy shoes or clothes, cars, plastic surgery, and all the "stuff" that people get all excited about. And if I lost even the little money I have, you'd never catch me worrying about what socio-economic class I belong to.
Does that mean that I am a perfect example of concern and empathy for the pain and suffering of others? Absolutely not! Although well-meaning, there have been times in my life when I was not curious about a vast range of matters because they didn't interest me much, because I had little or no incentive to learn about them, and because I felt that I almost had no chance of changing anything or actually determining the outcome of anything.
Every day I am learning that I can actually make difference in the world by being more curious and keeping up with world events, and by acting on my global citizenship through activism and critical cross-cultural relationship building.
There are so many things each and every one of us can do to help make the world a better place. The strong starting place is to know how we affect what goes on globally and how what goes on globally affects us. The next small step is to stand for something that affects someone else other than you and yourself.
Our world could use a little more less-self-centeredness, self-absorption, self-indulgence, self-obsession and self-celebration. Make someone else's ‘"very critical' circumstances the focus of your attention -- for a change.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Great article. Well done.If the social class system annoys you don't come to Britain we have the most complex social system - your are not just - working class you could be upper working class or lower working class or even middle working class. Then when you get to the top it is divided into Barons, Counts, Viscounts, Sirs, Lords and Dukes and Grand Dukes and then” Mrs Queany”.Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you, Connor for taking the time to read and leave a comment. I’ve been to Britain and have friends and clients there. I agree that the British social system though it sounds really cool is a mental run-around, but at least BBC World Service commits a great chuck of it’s airtime to news about the rest of the world. This is where I get my news. I want to think (I think) that things are a little different over there. May be it’s just a case of the grass being greener on the other side…:-) Not moving anytime soon though!Please log in to respond to this comment.
Excellent article Christine!All I can add to it would be AMEN sister.Love, hugs and blessings always,MichellePlease log in to respond to this comment.Glad you liked the article. AMEN and love, hugs and blessings back to you…:-)Please log in to respond to this comment.
Christine, I must agree and you explained it well. I fear that in many cases we are rearing children who are slaves to expensive fads and fashions. Remember the scripture, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. As a consequence of overindulgence, many children leave homes ill-prepared to meet the real world. In our day, many children grow up with distorted values because we as parents overindulge them. Whether we are well-to-do or, like most of us, of more modest means, we as parents often attempt to provide children with almost everything they want thus taking away from them the blessing of anticipating, of longing for something they do not have. One of the most important things we can teach our children is to deny themselves. Instant gratification generally makes for weak people. How many truly great individuals do you know who never had to struggle?Please log in to respond to this comment."For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”You are so very right about that, Dr Rucker! The fruit does not fall far from the tree. When a parent thinks his or her own backyard is the whole world, children think their own navels are the universe.That said, I teach a group of youth volunteers and they may be fashion-conscious, status-aware, keen to spend spoiled brats but they are also the most diverse, community-driven, globally conscious well-informed generation. They give me hope in our increasingly interdependent world.The truly great leaders who’ve changed the course of our collective history have been those who helped us make a fundamental shift in collective consciousness. I pray we get there in my lifetime!Please log in to respond to this comment.
Wonderful thought provoking article. People tend to get a little annoyed with me when I say self preservation is the greatest instinct we have and we have to ask God DAILY to relieve us of bondage of self. I just wrote a gossip piece about Paris Hilton and she and her beau pay $22,000. a month for rent. Just think of all the good that could be done for others with that money. God help us all. Thank you so much for your very informative articles.Please log in to respond to this comment.I agree with you that self-preservation is the greatest instinct. Even Jesus said “Love your neighbour as you love yourSELF”. The problem in North America is that most people are their SELF and their neighbour too. A majority of people really don’t care about what’s going on the world around them, if it does not affect them directly and immediately. A good number of North Americans can’t even point to Sri Lanka or the Sudan in the world map because they are so busy waxing their fourth car or shopping for their 20th pair of shoes?! ”. They really have no idea what else they DON’T KNOW!To use your Parish Hilton mention, it’s like listening to Paris Hilton give advice on living “the Simple Life”. What does she REALLY KNOW about a simple life??? :-)Thank you for your comment and for your kind words about my articles. I like the word "provoking" very much... describes me well -- really well... :-)Please log in to respond to this comment.
You make some great points Christine. I think everyone is entitled to earn to his or her potential and live a good life, however when I see the lavish lifestyles of some of the 'rich and famous' it saddens me to think what better use the money could be used for.You said it best in your last paragraph, "Our world could use a little more less-self-centeredness, self-absorption, self-indulgence, self-obsession and self-celebration. Make someone else's ‘"very critical' circumstances the focus of your attention -- for a change."These days you don't have to look far to see people in need, whose lives you could touch.Please log in to respond to this comment.Brianna, I hear what you are saying about "don't have to look far to see people in need, whose lives you could touch." Personally, I really don’t care how anyone (even the 'rich and famous') use their "entitled" money -- their money, they do what they want to do with it.My article is more about people choosing to be “ignorant” about how their actions -- or NO ACTION affects others even those as far away as Sri Lanka or the Sudan.For example, what would happen if the Tamil Tigers took over Sri Lanka, how would it INDIRECTLY affect your life and my life?What will happen if the Sudanese government and it’s Janjaweed mob have their way? Do North Americans even really know how this would really change the dynamics of the so called "War on Terror"??When a man in Canada or USA buys an engagement ring with a huge diamond, does he ever think how much blood may have been shed for that piece of rock?When a North American tosses off his or her cell phone or computer or other electronic gadgets for a newer model, does it ever cross his or her mind how he or she is helping fuel a bloody civil war in Africa or endangering lowland gorillas?Do most Americans, Europeans, Asians and Latin Americans even know what “blood diamonds” and “blood tantalum” are? Know how many African people shed their blood so the "rich and famous" can live their good lives? Or is it just "that's their problem"?Yes, make someone else's ‘"very critical' circumstances the focus of your attention -- for a change.Please log in to respond to this comment.
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