Everything in Excess

Professor J,

Hmm...yes, I see your point. I should perhaps have chosen an individual. Jefferson would have made more sense than some random Egyptian slave, and a figure more recent in time might have made much more sense, Teddy Roosevelt perhaps. Or someone closer in time still, and who did a bit of forewarning about things we face now, Eisenhower might have been good. Next time I shall remember to be more precise and not give your imagination such free will. I sense 20th century authors of dystopian novels might look smugly upon us given the chance.

I think you are right in imagining that one of the things that our hypothetical visitor from the past would find discouraging is how distracted we are and how often we choose escapism. I often imagine that people who (except for the wealthy) had little leisure time would be appalled at how uneducated and ill informed we are while we sit in front of magical screens that put the world at our fingertips. And our choices, oh...our choices! Which makes whatever we've chosen quite possibly not the right thing whether that's coffee or a spouse. We are perpetually discontent.

Thank you, Madison Avenue.

I wonder too what they would make of our imagined "needs." As I drift (slowly because the ship is full!) toward minimalism, the amount of things I own (without appreciation, often) seem ridiculous to me. I am trying to make conscious gratitude a part of every day. Even with that attitude it is hard.

Next week we'll be marking a national holiday for that exact thing, yet we cannot spare a moment to stop accumulating possessions long enough to enjoy it. Black Friday is creeping into Thursday and we are becoming a nation who cannot be thankful for what we have before making grabbing more a competition.  We would have made such good Romans. And why settle for snatching up the latest electronics (individual greed) when other countries' resources (national greed) are available? Yes, the Romans would see much of themselves in us.

The Princeton Study and its findings are chilling. I think the ease with which news like that is cast aside however has something to do (in addition to the things you mention) to the feeling that most citizens have deep down. It may be responsible for that lack of voter turn out, those Millennials who just can't be bothered, people who have checked out of politics altogether. I think it's both a cause and a symptom. More people have a gut feeling that the game is rigged. They may not know how or by whom, but they know.

Something besides greed, weariness, and distraction has moved from the individual into the national psyche and there's a growing cynicism and feeling of powerlessness. It takes a lot of hope and determination to bring about real change.

And what's more--a conscious effort and focus. Not strong points for us unless things shift drastically.