Whether you want to believe it or not, you are a citizen of the world. That guy in Laos and that woman in Chile are your fellow patriots. Never mind our sibling rivalries about who’s got more oil, land, and money. We’re all in this together, so why not start acting like it?
Scarcity mindset is for crybabies
Much of patriotism comes from a scarcity mindset. There definitely is an element of pride, which is good and bad. Good because it motivates people to strive for a better quality of life or to protect beautiful traditions, bad because it encourages the attitude of being better than everyone else on all levels (whether it’s true or not).
The scarcity mindset is what really hurts everyone. People are more concerned with keeping their own doorstep clean and comfortable … and at first glance, it’s warranted. When everyone around you is so self-centered, how can you trust them to have your back? How can you trust them to share their resources if and when you’re lacking? It makes sense that you’d want more and more for yourself and your country, even if it’s at someone else’s expense.
But if someone else pays for your resource hoarding, who are you really hurting? Obviously, you’re hurting them. And, yeah, maybe you might get away with it. But eventually, someone is going to flip. Then what? What about your children and your children’s children? What about other people you may care about but get caught in the ‘crossfire’?
Not giving back to the community is for suckers
We all know that in order for the world to change, people need to change and give back. But if they don’t give back, why should you, right? Well somebody needs to start. Governments the globe over try to force citizens to give back through taxes and entitlement programs, but it rarely works. Why? Well because people, including the politicians that vote for these programs, are still operating on a scarcity mindset. They still have their own agendas to hoard as much as they can for their own causes.
You have poor people whining and pointing fingers at rich people. You have rich people b*tching and finding tax loopholes. Then you have the middle class caught in the middle (ironically … or not), wasting energy on junk, and pointing fingers at everyone else. The icing on the cake is the politicians who try to keep the peace with no clue about what really goes on the outside their comfortable government buildings. And most don’t care (that much) as long as they get their vote during the next election.
Giving back to the community is necessary, but it can’t be forced. It starts with people realizing that there is something out there that’s bigger than themselves, their mental constructs, and their country.
Be the change you want to see in the world
People want change, but don’t want to lift a finger or lose anything as a result of it. We see this contradiction in America all the time. People want universal health care, but not on their dime and not if they have to lower their standards of living. They want freedom of speech, but not if people are going to disagree with them. The want more government regulation, but not if the government is going to tell them what to do, god forbid.
Gandhi said it eloquently, and despite my attempts to delve into it deeper, it still boils down to this: You need to be the change you want to see in the world.
Waiting for other people or the government to tell you what’s right is going to get you less than you want. Furthermore, what you want for America – what you want to give back to the country – should only be an extension of what you want for the world as a whole. Because whatever happens in America is going to impact other countries no matter which way we slice it. No matter what you do, it’s going to impact someone else.
The truth is even if we lose something in the process, we gain something else even if it’s not through the same channels we expect. I guess the give-and-take expectation is not so wrong after all if we see it in a certain light.
I know what I want to give back to the world. I know that I can’t be everything to everyone and I’m not going to try. Basically I want to contribute to others before me who have shown, by example, that people DO have control over their lives, that life is not supposed to be all misery and suffering, and that there are opportunities galore for those willing to take some. I want to show, by example, that unconditionally loving others, whether you know them or not, and giving to them IS worth all the effort and the risks involved.
None of these things are easy for me by a long shot. It’s as much as a personal journey to overcome my own self-imposed limitations as much as it is a social cause. But that’s what I want to see … and so that’s what I’m going to be even if many people, myself included, aren’t exactly the living ideal of any of these things. Does this make my vision any less valid? Of course not!
Taxes, taxes, and more taxes (and socialism?). Help me, gawd, it’s the end of the world!
That said, I don’t hate America. Do taxes annoy the isht outta me? Hell, yes. Do I want to sucker punch about 98% of these politicians into the middle of next week? No doubt. Do I sometimes go into a conspiracy theory mode about the degradation of America due to the apparent inability of many Americans to take responsibility for their own actions? You bet.
But those same problems, or something like it, exist everywhere.
Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the opportunity I have here: to choose what I want, work hard for it, and benefit from the results without threats on my life and much harassment from others. That in itself is a privilege, but many people seem to confuse opportunity and privilege with something else – that is, the ability to wake up and have everything handed to them on a silver platter without having to lift a finger. They confuse equal opportunity with equal outcome. It’s not the same.
Yes, the static is heavy and the ego is strong – the detours and distractions are many – but don’t be a tool and ultimately blame America or anyone else for it! That’s the dark side of equal opportunity: you need to figure it out what works and what doesn’t on your own.
Readers: Do you see yourself as an American citizen or as a part of something much bigger? How do you see yourself contributing to the American community and the world community at large?
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Valerie, my name is Richard Riley (…you did say introduce yourself). I’ve read your blog for a while now but haven’t really commented on anything yet. I reall like the points you’ve made in this article, especially that equal opportunity should not be equated with equal outcome. Many people see successful entrepreneurs or successful employees and think that everything is handed to them or that success, for some reason, instantly fell on them. They fail to see all of the man hours done behind the scenes to get them to where they are in life.
To answer your question, I consider myself both an American citizen and a global citizen (pretty vague, huh?). That is to say that, since I was born in the U.S. I definitely have a certain mindset when it comes to my world view. However, I’ve traveled to China and Mexico and dated a girl from Vietnam for two years, all of which has drastically changed how I view my place in the world. It’s all too easy to think that the world stops when you are not involved in a certain aspect of it, but once you get the chance to see ‘the world’ you realize that everyone in it is just like you. I like to think it’s made me more compassionate to see other people’s points of view.
To answer your other question, I’ve recently started my company, Worthy Cause Apparel, with the intention of giving half the profit back to charity (kiva.org, the Nu Nu project from In Search of Sanuk, etc.). My goal is to, not only help people less fortunate than me, but also promote these charities to Americans that may not have had the chance to know about them before. My site is still 2 weeks away from launch, but I hope that I can at least make a positive impact in someone’s life.
Love it Valerie – and so relevant to the issues being faced in the world today. I think most people have heard someone around them griping about government. Whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or in person, I’ve seen many that constantly belittle government – yet are doing nothing in their own lives to propose solutions – or to give back in their own way to others.
I’d relate this attitude to people thinking that their voice (or ramblings a lot of time really) will somehow make positive change in the world and they will be heralded as heroes. I am fortunate to have realized this is incorrect at this stage in my life. I realize now – which you have said even better than I can – that doing your part and making the change for yourself is of supreme importance.
You’re right about problems existing everywhere in the world. No matter where you are, there is going to be the challenge of creating lasting and positive change and growth. I think it is somehow part of the life process – to overcome these challenges – at least individually – and hopefully society as a whole will make progress over time – and if we’re diligent, we’ll become like the human society in Star Trek (which still isn’t perfect)
Jeremy Johnson´s last blog ..The Insightful Valerie Mondesir
@ Richard: Welcome! Interesting history you got there. I’ve left the country a few times but not for particularly long. I’d agree that a lot of Americans are shielded from what goes on out in the world, but it isn’t because of the lack of information. There definitely has to be some initiative. I love seeing people with goals who have gone somewhere with it. I’m still in the ‘baby’ stages of creating goals/defining dreams and acting on them, but it’s still unfortunate that many people don’t know what theirs are in the first place. I need to put a reminder to check out your site and come out for support.
Also, I am definitely a firm believer in equal opportunity, so watching this administration and the political issues going on has been frustrating to say the least. I could go on and on, but you know what… it is what it is. I see I’m preaching to the choir here.
@ Jeremy: I have to say I’m no angel either with the griping about the government. But I do realize that whatever they do, I can still choose how to react. It’s gotten to the point where I’m caring less and less about what they do (not to mention it helps my sanity). There are too many mixed messages and disconnects, it’s a wonder that some people manage to pick out what really matters and really focus on that. But hey, again.. we have to start somewhere, right?
PS – I like to believe Star Trek represents a society where people believe that imperfection is perfection — something we don’t have right now, since many of us are constantly striving for a perfect ideal (usually set by someone else).
It’s a great reminder that you can’t get rid of problems, but that you can become a more effective problem solver. I think just that mindset alone makes a big difference … instead of getting squashed by your problems, you eat them for breakfast.
J.D. Meier´s last blog ..Cheat Sheet – Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, and Friday Reflection Pattern
I like that J.D. — about being a better problem-solver. It definitely is all about reframing your life (internal) first before expecting external changes.
Wow! Thanks for the reply Valerie. Yes, I’ll definitely let you know when my site is complete. I appreciate you wanting to support it. I can use all the support I can get!
Keep up the great work with the blog. As always, I look forward to your next post!
Rich