In today's increasingly efficient world, where everything is faster-paced and we tend to be less altruistic on average to others because there are just more of us and - more importantly - we interact with others more often, I think the driving force of our change in attitudes is not just that we have more opportunities. I think it is also that we think we are entitled to more.
We are entitled to more, perhaps, because we have more activities that we are engaged in - which means more opportunities for rewards. It furthermore may take more work to do all of these things and, with the invention of things like red eye lattes and blackberrys, we can do more work than ever before.
Perhaps this is also because we see others around us taking advantage of these opportunities and actually getting more during life - and we all feel like we should be entitled to the same. It doesn't matter whether we realize that these people have devoted their lives entirely to the achievement of this one goal. We tend to think that everyone is entitled to whatever the greatest-achieving person in a society is entitled. That may be the secret of how inequality can be sustainable: if there is the opportunity for any of us to achieve the highest position in society.
This is also why the unrealistic optimism of American beliefs in self-ownership and initiative have also served as excuses for providing the appropriate support for people born into disadvantaged positions in society. If we cannot acknowledge that some simply cannot achieve higher positions, then we can scarcely be motivated to change this condition.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama
That was all the NYT headline read today. And the name now says so much.
Suddenly I feel proud to be an American, for the first time in my life - no exaggeration. What is most noteworthy is the fact that so many are treating this as a success not for Obama but for all of us. We don't even hear Obama's name mentioned all that much - just the victory itself. No one is mentioning much in partcular, just the pure potential that tis represents. Although we're all starstruck over Obama himself, he's so clearly symbolic. He's the first black, second-generation immigrant, professorial president in history. I tend to doubt the ability of symbolism to produce good, but Obama is symbolic in the best way possible: as an indicator of real demographic and attitudinal change. And to top off all his symbolism, he's smart, supported by a savvy staff, and beloved by the world. I'm going to throw caution to the winds and say he's perfect.
Cross-campus was awash with loud voices last night. Even my dining hall card-swiper greeted me with a wide smile today. We're all feeling the possibility of an Arendtian human power.
As the Guardian, of all newspapers, says, Obama is our hope.
Suddenly I feel proud to be an American, for the first time in my life - no exaggeration. What is most noteworthy is the fact that so many are treating this as a success not for Obama but for all of us. We don't even hear Obama's name mentioned all that much - just the victory itself. No one is mentioning much in partcular, just the pure potential that tis represents. Although we're all starstruck over Obama himself, he's so clearly symbolic. He's the first black, second-generation immigrant, professorial president in history. I tend to doubt the ability of symbolism to produce good, but Obama is symbolic in the best way possible: as an indicator of real demographic and attitudinal change. And to top off all his symbolism, he's smart, supported by a savvy staff, and beloved by the world. I'm going to throw caution to the winds and say he's perfect.
Cross-campus was awash with loud voices last night. Even my dining hall card-swiper greeted me with a wide smile today. We're all feeling the possibility of an Arendtian human power.
As the Guardian, of all newspapers, says, Obama is our hope.
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