Twelfth Post in "tuesdays with Morrie" series: Culture

Believe it or not, this series will eventually end! We're getting close to the end of the book. Today, they talk about our culture.

The Eleventh Tuesday: We Talk About Our Culture:

"'People are only mean when they're threatened,' he said..., 'and that's what our culture does. That's what our economy does. Even people who have jobs in our economy are threatened, because they worry about losing them. And when you get threatened, you start looking out only for yourself. You start making money a god. It is all part of this culture'" (Pg. 154).

"'Here's what I mean by building your own little subculture,' Morrie said. 'I don't mean you disregard every rule of your community. I don't go around naked, for example. I don't run through red lights. The little things, I can obey. But the big things - how we think, what we value - those you must choose yourself. You can't let anyone - or any society - determine those for you.'" (Pg. 155) 

I'm repeatedly perplexed by people's need to be 'mean' to other people. I've thought about it often: why, when telling a story, does someone impress upon the fact that they got mean to resolve the problem? I don't think that Morrie may have a point about feeling threatened. 

As a nation, we do feel threatened. We feel threatened by loosing a job and having financial insecurity. We fear contracting a health disease that could cause us difficulty finding health insurance if we loose said-job. Some of us feel threatened by the political decisions being made. Others feel threatened .....fill-in-the-blank!

But, is the solution to be mean to others? No! Please start being nice to others even if you feel threatened. 

In regards to creating a sub-culture, that's the only way to find security! 

Have you been mean to someone today? Was it really necessary? Did it really solve anything or did it just spread the feelings of being threatened?