I often think about whether or not anyone is adding value to the world or are we just doing the thing in front of us. Do people think about value beyond the grocery store? I especially think about value when it comes to work. It seems to me almost every job is simply sales. Not only that it is most often sales of products and services people don't really need if they were honest with themselves. Most products and services are for convenience and to make life easier bu are they really accomplishing this? I think of how many hours I will have to work when I am about to buy something. Most times the thing is simply not worth the trouble of even 1 hours work. We always seem to want to make more money and we also want more time. True wealth is being able to do without.
I like things but I also like not giving my time and talents to people who don't appreciate them and having to sell either myself or products people don't need. There is just something deceitful in the whole process. I feel like I/ we are sacrificing integrity in a quest for comfort.
The economy seems to be precariously teetering on a mountain of things we don't need. Its a very fragile system/world we have created for ourselves of addiction to goods and services we don't need. We will do anything to maintain a certain level of lifestyle.
Gone are the days where you saw the direct value/benefit and results of your work directly. There are just too many soul sucking jobs and they are increasing everyday. Society seemed to be more honest back in the day (before I was born). I have a sneaky suspicion the Industrial Revolution is the vehicle that brought us to this point of no return but I also believe the degradation of values is at the heart of the matter.
We just don't value values any more or at least people aren't clear and deliberate about their values. I believe this causes us to not make decisions but to be persuaded by the market forces. We are blown by any prevailing breeze that comes by without time to consider if what we are undertaking or buying will bring our personal lives and the lives of those around us value never mind the thought of how it will affect society as a whole.
How does the market have such power over us, to make us forget who we are and who we really wanted to be? The market forces have become increasingly sophisticated in the last 50 years. They use fear, desire (some we never knew we had), jealousy, envy, greed, etc basically our vices entice us. The level of depression and anxiety is through the roof these days. I have a sneaky suspicion its because we are simply schitzo- not ourselves- our best selves. We give in too easily to our own vices. We can't blame the market place because we create the demand. We can change if we become aware of what we want to become.
Vice versus virtue:
So how can we avoid corruption and live the life we know we should live? Take a look at the lists of virtues at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_virtues). Some of the vices we celebrate as virtues nowadays. We need to think more for ourselves and become conscious of what we are thinking, doing and becoming. Try posting a virtue you want to work on instead of mulling over the guilt of not measuring up. God knows I have a lot of work to do. You can also try doing your own study on virtues and vices and if you find anything good please include it in the comments. Aristotle had some great things to say. Christians arrogantly believe we have the corner on virtues but God has been appealing to what he put in people for all of history. We should encourage truth when we see it even if it isn't where we wanted to find it.
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