The idea that the rich get richer isn't a new one and, it isn't a fallacy at all, the rich do in fact generally get richer in this world as it is by design, their design. Wealth is power, power is influence, influence affects the engineering of the environment. There is no way around it really unless the design changes and, that is what we are here for isn't it, to change the design for a fairer distribution? But, there is an uncomfortable truth in all of the rich gets richer conversation and that is another saying, like begets like.
Like begets like simply means there is a strong similarity between parents and their offspring, it is the process of selective breeding for various traits in animals and it obviously has effects on us as humans. Of course, when it comes to economic vales, there is the inheritance processes that leads to old money as well as the position of the money that leads to cronyism but, there is more to it than that.
Last night, I had a coffee with a friend and being Sunday night in this city and the time it was, we ended up at a service station restaurant and were talking about various things. He is a financial controller by trade. What we were discussing is the differences in the way people manage themselves and their various lifestyles. What we do matters, what we eat matters, how we move matters, the things we buy matters, who to and how we talk matters, the books, shows and who we choose to spend our time with matters.
If we look at this from a like begets like perspective where one action becomes the parent of the next action holding some level of similarity, we could see that changing behaviors would form an evolutionary process. Through selection of actions, there is the possibility to make some more habitual and increase their likelihood of parenting new similar actions which means that if one is doing what leads to what they consider a success commonly, rich gets richer.
I am a firm believer in small steps leading us onto all things in life and this is for the positive and the negative. If what we do matters and where we focus our time and energy leads us onto the next steps, expecting to be somewhere our steps aren't taking us is going to be problematic. And complaining about the system is one thing but if our steps aren't leading to being able to influence that very system, we have no chance of ever changing it.
The gaps are increasing and this isn't just wage gaps and income gaps. While we drank our coffee and spoke about some of these things last night we had a look around at the other clientele. When I came to Finland 15 years ago, there were very few obese people while now, there are many. Many. This is a massive cultural shift and it is going to have ramifications on other areas but it symptomatic of the world in which we live, one of hedonistic excess and availability to satisfy desires, even if their satisfaction is not in our best interest. On-demand life cycles.
We have been told for decades to do what we enjoy, follow our heart, love ourselves and that everyone is expected to accept us for whatever we are, how ever we are. It is nonsense. Doing what we enjoy means a child doesn't eat their vegetables, following our heart doesn't consider that our hearts can be influenced by things like the media, love ourselves while we poison and make our selves sick through consumption, and expecting everyone to accept us for who we are while simultaneously complaining that the way we are is someone else's fault. See the conflicts?
The rich get richer because that is the system they have set up through their continual habitual processes that they have created in the same way that someone who eats poorly and has a sedentary lifestyle will likely get ill. These are just processes that we support or don't as humans through our behaviors. We aren't all born into privilege, we don't all have the same resources, possibilities or potentials but, we can all have some effect over how we choose to live our lives and the purchasing decisions we make.
If you are reading this right now, you are on the internet. Where you spend your time here, what you choose to consume and learn and how you choose to use this resource to affect your life is completely up to you. You can watch the latest shows, spend your time laughing at memes, stare at people playing games or whatever you choose but, there is a consumption and a creation process and the consumer class will never out-earn the creator class and, they will become ever more reliant on the creators to provide what is to be consumed.
All of society is trend based and if we are to change the trends, we have to change the behaviors that create them. Trends are made on what we buy. The material things of course but more importantly, the ideas and belief systems we choose to accept as ours and act upon as if they are a part of us, often without realizing that the very thing we have bought promising to satisfy our immediate desires, is making us ill in the long-term.
We get what we want now, at the cost of tomorrow.
Taraz
[ a Steem original ]
As consumers, most of us consume that which is placed in front of us. How dare we not follow a doctor's orders as they perscribe pills that put a bandaid over the wound, even though the side effects may cause damage down the road. How dare we not purchase that item for a child when other children possess that item and our children's focus is now on getting it also. How dare we question the health of our food supply as the industry tells us that it is health for us as they poisoin us. How dare we not back decisions to go to war and not be patriotic. How dare we look for alternative fuels, as modern technology puts these new technologies financially out of reach. How dare we not vote even though the canidates running for office are slime. How dare we not follow the status quo. They attack our senses with every type of media available. Subliminal messages invade our space, as we unconsciously fashion our very being to match their prototypical conceived human. We can not expect, nor must we wait for those at the top of the financial food chain to feel obliged to do what is best for us. Small steps by many will be heard if our actions stop feeding these egocentric creatures. We must first stop DRINKING THE COOLAID.
People may say, what can I do, my hands are tied? That is a poor excuse to continue to allow these egocentric beings to heap indignation upon us.
Do what you can. Do not stay passive and allow yourself to be led down this rabbit hole.
I think we have a chance here where we are not only able to dare but fund the exploration. The more people come across to alternate economic models than the fiat systems, the more value they hold and the more infrastructure that gets built around them which gives it purchasing power in itself. We are then free to choose again our purchasing decisions. I am under no illusion though, most will buy similarly to what they do now.
I agree with your last line. People form habits that are hard to break. that is unless a real alternative is given.
Interesting piece @tarazkp all round. To get our desired result in life, sometimes we need to change the part we are taking.
We are what we eat.
You dare challenge the Status Quo! I must inform the authorities of this
Do I dare? I dare!
Searches for a non-extradition country to live.
Prays for your soul!!
;O)
You hit on a lot of different things in this post. I could start with the last statement about wanting what we want now at the cost of tomorrow. That's why the world is in such financial trouble. Countries, I'll speak specifically of the US, have been borrowing from tomorrow's prosperity to fund even more prosperity today. And our children are the ones who will pay for it.
Life isn't all about just doing what makes you happy right now. There are sacrifices that must be made, and you probably have to eat some things you don't enjoy as much as cake and ice cream. But vegetables are good for you.
You reap what you sow, and if you've been sowing for wealth and success because that's what your parents trained you to do, then you're more likely to reap success. If your parents didn't know how to gain wealth and therefore didn't teach you, chances are you've got a lot of work to do.
Let's start with flossing our teeth...
What if instead of giving them the debt, we gave them a blockchain filled with distributed value and destroyed the debt distributors? Pipe dream perhaps but, not un-serviceable.
Toothpaste was supposedly invented because the teeth of America were in such poor condition that it was making people too ill to be able to go to war and fight and die for their country.
I think it would be amazing if we could pass on a legacy of not only zero debt, but also of wealth. And if we can teach our children the importance of money and the proper way to use it, that would be even better.
I didn't know that's why toothpaste was invented. That's interesting that dental hygiene would come to the forefront because the army was dying from bad teeth.
In the end, they had to use sex to sell it if I remember correctly. They added the mint for freshness and then a pretty girl and something about kissing. It was a while ago I read about it so i might be confused :)
Ha ha ha! Like most other advertising.
This analysis done by you is very good and very appreciated.
This quote of yours "One action becomes the parant of the next action". is very inspiring and need to be written on marble. Thank you @tarazkp.
beautiful
Imagine how this will be for the generations that follow us! This is a concern I have with my young one as even at young ages they are being fed this from everywhere. While I try to explain it to her, I also sometimes fall into the same trap as they associate happiness with these excesses around our environment! I am honestly not prepared for what is to come in teaching them the right parh other than providing perspective on my life lessons...