There is a certain sense in which we have largely lost our resilience.
It seems to me that this is an outcome not particularly unexpected, based on the specialized society to which we seem to be moving. Specialization implies a high degree of knowledge and expertise about a particular subject, but also has demonstrated (at least in nature) an inability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.
Resilience is the ability to spring back from unexpected events or unexpected changes. It is the ability to find fifty ways to make something out of what you have when you have more month than paycheck; it is the willingness to find another way to move the heavy object when the lift is not present. It is the fortitude to take the job loss and figure out another way to generate income.
What resilience does not do - and I fear we are rapidly doing - is divorce itself from reality.
Perhaps we have already reached that point. Students will in some cases no longer tolerate opinions that are not agreeable, so they demand the other opinions disappear. A worldwide budgetary crisis that claims only in becoming more debt ridden can one become free and demonstrating charity. And an economy that somehow believes that everything ultimately comes from the Internet, instead of the places where it is actually produced and thus who and how it is made is actually of very little concern.
I wonder if we are close to a point where our resilience is tested, one of those great moments that occasionally populate history where everything changes in a moment and suddenly who is resilient and who is fragile is uncovered in blinding colors.
The resilient will survive, as they always have. The fragile will collapse into a million shards.
You are so correct, TB, and it is only going to get worse. No one seems to care. They all have their low-paying jobs and are happy to have their social media readily available at their fingertips through their 'smart' phones. Any of their perceived wealth is devoured by inflation and foreigners take away their sovereignty. Interesting times, indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnother point - interesting to consider - is that as the interest in consumerism grows less and the urge to buy homes (e.g Tiny Home Movement) goes away and low paying jobs continue, the tax base erodes. Where, I wonder, is that money to pay for all of the things that are not economically feasible going to come from?
DeleteA certain "governor" of a certain "progressive" "nanny" state said that he had to raise the gas tax and the car registration tax to pay for the upkeep of the roads. His reasoning; I sh*t you not; the only way we're going to be able to keep up the roads is to raise these taxes so that less people will use the roads... Uhhh... "governor...." if you raise the taxes and less people use the roads, they won't be using as much gas, and will not be buying newer cars (since the older ones won't accrue mileage as quickly). Doesn't that mean that LESS MONEY will actually come in? How about saying it this way: "I let all these illegal aliens in. They all work under the table, so I have no income tax revenue coming in. But wait; they still gotta drive to get to those UTT jobs, the welfare office, etc! I got a GREAT idea!"
DeleteTHIS is how they these people think...
Pete, we have the spectacle of our local government encouraging water and electricity rationing - and then losing money because everyone was so effective that they have to raise rates. This is foolishness, a no-win situation for anyone paying taxes.
DeleteSigh. I cannot wait to depart the urban environment.
The time for testing is indeed coming. If a good portion of our citizens can't handle the fact that their "horse" didn't win, how can they possibly be expected to handle true hardship?
ReplyDeleteThis will be interesting...
Sadly I do not know that many can, Pete. We can barely handle Starbucks being unable to accept our payment if the computer network is down. What happens when one has to deal with figuring out where food comes from?
DeleteLet's put it this way; poverty is a great teacher...
DeleteIt focuses the mind wonderfully.
DeleteHave to agree with everything you have said. I shared it on my faceless book page, too, haha. Had to, sorry.
ReplyDeleteFirst it was common sense, now resiliency, following the dodo to extinction.
It is all good, Linda. Thanks for the share.
DeleteHaving seen people fall apart at the slightest of inconveniences, I fear for the future.