Are material gains really worth the effort?

Why is it that we (modern human beings that is) only give recognition and prizes for achievement – success in the physical world, but we never (or very seldom) acknowledge personal development (or changes to personality)? We seem to have our priorities wrong.

What many people seem never to think about or have forgotten is that achievements – gaining wealth (evidenced by material possessions) or positions of power and influence are all external; the results of this form of success, the achievements are there, displayed, for the world to see and (hopefully) marvel at. The mansions, motor vehicles, jewellery, boats, aircraft, the political influence, being a mover and shaker in the realms of high finance, being on the Forbes “rich” list are all very well and (I am quite sure) very nice to have. But, and this is a big but, these are all transient. By this I mean that they can be lost, destroyed or otherwise disappear in one way or another. Just ask any politician or those Wall Street financial wizards about what happened to their fortunes after 2008/9 when they reaped the whirlwind of the Global Financial Crisis which they had fomented years earlier!! Regardless, the advantages of having great wealth or power and influence are often outweighed by the accompanying shadows – the burden of responsibility, concerns about personal safety and security and, very often, fractured family relationships.

On the other hand your personality, who you are, is yours for life and cannot be stolen or lost. You are who you are come rain or shine – you are stuck with it. Unless, of course, you are prepared to undertake change by developing and “amending” or “improving” your personality for better or worse. Those who are unkind can learn the advantages of kindness; those who lack compassion can learn to be compassionate; those of a covetous disposition can learn to be generous; those with a devious nature can learn to be trustworthy and habitual liars can learn the benefits of truthfulness and honesty.

Changes of this nature will never be a simple task. Any such changes are often brought about by personal turmoil, emotional or psychological trauma or, it must be said, by falling in love (this in itself is an often tumultuous experience) or by the death of someone close. More often than not any change is a forced change brought about by some upheaval in a person’s life which may be painful, in that there is an emotional or psychological wrench. There needs to be an awakening; a realisation that change is necessary; a personal recognition that their current approach to life is counterproductive and is hurtful, not only to themselves, but to others. This needs to be so if it is to have any impact or lasting effect. Otherwise why would anyone change? Most are quite comfortable the way they are, thank you very much! For those who know the story, the character of Scrooge in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” provides a perfect example, though possibly an extreme one, of what can and sometimes does happen. Not everyone is successful in making the necessary changes to adapt to changing circumstances, stubbornness and an inflated ego will be the culprits, but changes can be adapted and personalities “improved”.

All changes to one’s character, changes to personality, are internal and not on “display” for all to see. How these changes affect one’s activities and behaviour are of course another matter entirely but are generally evidence of a person’s innate values. It is, however, necessary to recognise that living in a complex society requires individuals to develop cognitive skills enabling them to rationalise and cope with other people’s actions, by recognizing them, understanding them, and reacting in an appropriate manner (not with anger, nor with gushing or effusive bonhomie but with some measure or balance between these two extremes). But, above all, being prepared to adapt and change. Only in this way can we, as human beings, lead a life in harmony with our neighbours.

Human beings need to LIVE. We need to express life as best we can in our own way – it is our life. Never try to live a life dictated by others – this can only lead to emotional and psychological disaster.

Now we each need to ask ourselves the following three questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here?
How then shall I live?

Well? Only by honestly answering these questions will a person live the best life they can.

Any internal changes made to “amend”, “alter” or somehow vary attitudes or behaviour will involve the way a person thinks and will most certainly be the most difficult task anyone will ever have to accomplish. But such efforts seldom, if ever, receive accolades or acknowledgment – certainly nothing like those given to individuals achieving material gains. I wonder why?

Hoist by one’s own petard!

There must be a perverse streak in me! I can’t say I enjoy it but I will admit to deriving some satisfaction in seeing someone get their “come-uppance”; in the squirming embarrassment not to say humiliation of the high and mighty forced to acknowledge their own failings.  Rather than offending others by telling them how to behave or what they should do, we need to get our own house in order first – to lead by example – from the front. And what an example we have shown to the world!!!! I am sure those involved will duck and weave and deny that it is a widespread practice – but isn’t this what the Indonesians said in 2010 when we complained about some of their abattoirs?

I bet the Indonesians are chortling into their beers or glasses of rice wine, or whatever they drink there, over the revelations that the “do good” Australians have been “hoist by their own petard”. That their own abattoirs are far from “clean” that there are practices in Australia that are in clear breach of any concept of what may be considered the “humane” treatment of animals.

While I have nothing but utter contempt for the abattoir workers, the management and the owners of the Hawkesbury Valley Abattoir, for allowing such cruel practices to take place, we Australians need to be careful and to learn to practice what we preach. We need to be sure that the moral high ground we try to talk from is not actually quicksand.

Note: For those not familiar with the term “Hoist by one’s own petard” it refers to being injured by a device intended to injure others. A petard was an explosive device on the end of a pole used during the Middle Ages for attacking fortified positions. The explosives used at the time were very unstable and unpredictable and tended to detonate unexpectedly – injuring or killing the unfortunate user. Hence the term hoist (blown up) by one’s own petard (device).

In this case there is a pleasing element of poetic justice in the phrase.