The notion of upbringing is usually associated with children, but maybe it is time to reconsider this. Let’s look at some common problems plaguing adults today:
- Loss of direction in life and inability to create a good and fulfilling life;
- Inability to fulfill our desires, both for necessities and luxuries;
- Unhappiness due to inability to provide for the family;
- Concern for our children, many of whom are acting worse each day and rebel against parental authority;
- Acute pessimism, resulting in hopelessness and lack of self-confidence in ourselves, mistrust of those close to us and toward the entire world;
- Drug and alcohol abuse to tune these thoughts down so as not to focus on them and make life tolerable.
These and other problems all point to one issue: We have not been well prepared to live in the world as it currently is. The approach that succeeded with our parents and grandparents is no longer working. Maybe it is time to consider re-education for adults.
Until recently, being a workaholic was almost honorable; it meant being a hard working, responsible person. But gradually, we forgot why we were working. We became “modern-day slaves,” and the chase after “more, bigger, and better” took over. We were brainwashed by pop culture imposed on us by mass media and companies whose sole interest is to sell as much of their products as possible. We were caught in the rat race of materialism and egoistic self-indulgence.
Even for those who are financially comfortable, there is no time to enjoy life due to the constant worry about tomorrow. It seems that the money making game—where we judge success by the number of toys we had—is over, and we don’t know what to do next. But when one has run out of options, one is ready to change.
We needn’t dread the changes that the world situation is forcing on us. These changes only remind us that each of us is a human being, not just some object to exploit! The crisis is here so that we finally change our lives. But first we must find the courage to face what we are dealing with today.
We need to make a list of our collective social flaws and discuss how we can correct them – by building a new, mutually responsible society, an environment that will change us so we can build a new, fulfilling life.
What will it take for us to achieve security, genuine well-being, build a happy family life, and provide proper upbringing and education for our children? What do we need to do so that everyone gets not just a job but also satisfaction in life, an atmosphere of hope and confidence?
For this, we need to change ourselves. Society is us, every one of us, and the relationships between us. Let us start changing them! How is that possible? A person’s only free choice, the only way one can change oneself and the society is through the influence of his or her environment.
I am pretty sick of what is happening around. How the heck do we change ourselves?
Yep, this is a pretty accurate overview of today’s society – unhappiness, financial and other stresses, apathy and lack of direction for younger generations, etc. I see that a lot in people that I’ve come across or hear about from friends and coworkers, etc.
You say “A person’s only free choice, the only way one can change oneself and the society is through the influence of his or her environment.” But how can one acquire a positive influence of the environment when the said environment is as bleak as you described? Where does an average person start?!?
Thank you for your articles, very thought-provoking.