The Good Life

Professor J,

In talking about famines, I'm reminded of a professor of Jewish studies I heard speak recently. Her talk was on the Prodigal Son and she noted the different reactions she received when speaking on this story in different parts of the world. In America and Europe listeners noted bad parenting skills and awkward family dynamics. In Latin and Asian countries they noted the ungratefulness of the son. In Russia? Their first reaction was to the famine. They saw the famine as the cause of the son's troubles and identified with him. I thought of how casually I'd glossed over that phrase in my own reading.

I took a Chinese cooking class once and the chef, whose family had been cooks for the emperors, described some dishes that were less than appetizing to our American tastes. As we made faces revealing our disgust he said, "How lucky you are that this country has never known famine." I've never forgotten that and often mention it in situations where people are being critical of another culture's culinary choices.

Thinking about the younger millionaires and billionaires not being quite so enamored by their wealth as previous generations goes along with the shift I think we're seeing in society.  I mentioned young people and more and more retirees it looks like opting out of conventional materialistic lifestyles. I'd like to think it's proof of one kind of paradigm shift at least. People are looking not so much to amass wealth as they are to build a life. Celebrities often fall into this category as well. Reaching the pinnacle of success for many means looking around to find out it isn't as fulfilling as they imagined it to be. We then see them get busy in politics or throw themselves into humanitarian efforts.

Just as we saw women want something more than just their traditional roles and head out of the house in search of something more fulfilling, we see men not just wanting to bring home the bacon like their fathers, who were happy often just to have work, but modern men want it to be something they are passionate about. Everyone seems to want more out of life than their parents and grandparents.

I wonder if we are seeing a paradigm shift in the culture about what's really important. It seems like everything I read and everyone I talk to is embracing the idea of a bigger inner life with less to show for it on the outside. But of course that could be greatly skewed by what I read and who I talk to! :)

Still, Emerson and Thoreau might be surprised at just how alive and well their ideas are today.