My Rights, My Rights, My Rights!

By TLS

The mindset of today.

I’m not entirely sure how we got here, some things are gimmies, but not all. If I were to state in one word what I believe the prevalent mindset in America today is, it would be something like: Selfish. “Everyone else is supposed to accommodate me.” This seems to be the prevailing motivation behind what I see anymore. Now don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. Yes, all of us are selfish in some form or fashion. What I’m pointing at is the level to which this has grown and more specifically, the pervasive toxic self-centered nature that has manifested.

Can this be a good thing?

I don’t know how. The type of behavior I’m describing is ultimately self-defeating. Communities and societies cannot function well for long in this type of ecosystem. The individual may feel better or more important from their perspective, for a time. However, to me it seems ultimately to be an empty and shallow position. A position which then, in the end, harms society.

This behavior combined with (or possibly due to) social media may account for the rapid spread of this potentially terminal societal disease. This may also be a symptom of another very common trend, short-term views.

Why I think this is not good.

Simple, the behavior is self-defeating in the long-term. Yes, short-term views are necessary in some situations, but most often to the detriment of the long-term. How does one do well in life? Not just surviving or managing but actually prospering? Whether it’s financial, social, spiritual, or pretty much anything else; in order to consistently do well one must usually think long-term. Long-term gains almost always outweigh short-term instant gratification.

Is the long-term view easy? Typically no, and herein lies what may be the crux of the problem. People are getting lazy (er?).

What would be better?

I’m not proposing some dystopian blind faith society is the solution. However, without some level of commitment from the population a society cannot function, at least very well. I suppose this is a bit naive but I feel something similar to Kennedy’s “Ask not…” speech would be very helpful. That may be a bit simplistic, especially for today’s world but leaning in that direction would, I think, be a good thing.

There are too few good examples available today of citizens dedicated to bringing people together. My rights, my rights, my rights! Well yes, that’s a good thing to be aware of; but why don’t we hear anyone proclaiming ‘My responsibilities, as a good citizen…’ on the news or leading social media? My answer? Because that doesn’t make anyone mad and that doesn’t get clicks. It also usually includes hard work.

Why would this be better?

Most everything worthwhile requires hard work. If everyone is overly selfish or self-centered we’ll never accomplish anything. We’ll never again achieve anything great. Working together is the only way to succeed. People do better, neighborhoods do better, towns do better, cities, counties, states, nations, and the world does better when there is cooperation and dare I say, a little more compassion. Could this nation have been founded without cooperating towards a common goal, or the Apollo space program? These may be a bit overly dramatic examples but they speak right to the heart of the matter. Without dedicated commitment we may never again succeed.

Where does this leave us?

In a tight spot I think and at a time when we could absolutely use more hard work and cooperation to bring more people towards the middle. Today’s world is highly polarized and seems more divided than ever. Half this country thinks the other half is its mortal enemy and deserves a slow horrible death. The closer each of us moves to those misguided poles, the more likely we may all suffer that particular fate.

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