Why It Is Wrong To Think About Whos Got It Better Than Us

By Kari Ratliff


It is an unfortunate fact that the vast majority of people fail to realize just how lucky they are. They spend their lives hankering after more and better material goods yet they fail to acknowledge the fact that they are never hungry, that they have adequate protection against the elements and that they are able to enjoy luxuries that the vast majority of people can only dream about. They think they deserve more but they fail to objectively answer the question about whos got it better than us.

Many studies on human happiness have shown that grateful people are happier than others. People that are grateful for their blessings and that see their fortune as blessings rather than as something owed to them concentrate upon the spiritual rather than the material. People that spend all their time on chasing yet more possessions are inevitable unhappy and often even bitter. They focus upon what they do not have instead of upon the many things they do have.

There are many different ways in which to measure wealth. It is sobering, however, to learn that major aid agencies have determined that less than one tenth of the world population is guaranteed one nutritional meal per day, free access to drinking water, a secure place to sleep and the ability to keep out of the elements. Therefore those people that enjoy these very basic privileges must count themselves as extremely wealthy.

The gap between those people that enjoy almost countless privileges and those that have to face a daily struggle to survive is enormous. As time goes by, those that have seems to get even more and those that have very little seems to lose even the little that they had. Many analysts ascribe this growing gap to the greed of the wealthy. They are interested only in their own wellbeing and they simply do not care about the consequences of their greed.

Many people argue that possessions, money and position are some of the worst ways in which to measure wealth. They argue that truly wealthy people are those that are loved and accepted just the way they are. Others reckon that only people that are able to claim a personal relationship with his or her creator can be truly fulfilled and happy.

It is perhaps unfortunate that the media and the business world still see those with the most possessions as the most successful. People with properties all over the world, luxuries beyond imagination and financial power are seen as the ideal, as something that everybody should strive towards. The media plays a large role in creating this image of true wealth. Those that are happy with what they have are seen as unambitious.

It is certainly true that the world will be a far better place if each person does whatever he or she can to help alleviate poverty. Not everybody can donate a fortune, but every single person is certainly able to help in some way. In many cases time and skills can make a big difference and most aid agencies can use the help of volunteers.

The truth is that there is almost nobody whos got it better than us. The very fact that this article is being read online means that the reader enjoys untold privileges denied to millions. Perhaps the world needs more people that are compassionate about others and that are willing to do something about it. The truth is that very few people actually do care.




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