Many in the West are infantile in their often consumeristic and essentially
narcissistic self centered thinking/ doing/ believing/ living.
This is a fundamental problem.
Perhaps we can riff on "we don't control our lives" to something like "many
people, infantile consumers, do not realise that they do not control their
lives".
This too is a problem.
A favourite line below: "The word ‘prudence’ is not trending very high in the
public’s vernacular these days".
Penalizing Prudence
By
Cognitive Dissonance
2020-10-01 - 15:17
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2020-10-01/penalizing-prudence
“Economy, prudence, and a simple life are the sure masters of need, and
will often accomplish that which, their opposites, with a fortune at
hand, will fail to do.” – Clara Barton
“Affairs are easier of entrance than of exit; and it is but common
prudence to see our way out before we venture in.” – Aesop
One of my conceits, of which there are many, is the belief that because I
have entered the third trimester of my life, I am now in possession of great
volumes of wisdom and perspective. Thankfully Mrs. Cog is always nearby to
efficiently and surgically remove any such thoughts of grandeur and
omnipotence. That said, at some point during the flight of life, even birds of
prey eventually turn their thoughts to the comfort of a nearby nest rather than
their next fearless fight.
Even the most reckless among us begins elevating to greater importance the
preservation of resources rather than mindless squandering, especially when we
are closer to the end than the beginning. This is a good thing, by the way. It
adds balance to the socioeconomic system, both personally and collectively, as
well as countering the self-destructive tendencies of those obsessed with
endless consumption.
There’s a reason we’re no longer referred to as ‘citizens’ in mainstream
media or political speech, but rather the more personal-responsibility-evading
‘consumer’. If given even a minimum of thought, one quickly realizes this
subtly propagandized term (consumer) is a significant, if not the only,
component of the obvious agenda to infantilize the US (and global) population.
Like the one year old who eats, sleeps, plays, defecates, eats, sleeps,
plays……with no personal responsibility other than to be self-indulgent and
consume food and attention, we are being reduced (distilled down might be a
better term) to our most base impulses. I suspect most people, if told this to
their face, would not react well to my observation, assuming instead I was
being critical of them personally.
Like mama always said…if the shoe fits, wear it.
The word ‘prudence’ is not trending very high in the public’s vernacular
these days, at least not until recently and still only by a few. The massively
disruptive socioeconomic changes thrust upon the population in the name of
saving the world from the COVID boogie monster reminds me of a famous quote
from the Vietnam War.
"We had to destroy the village in order to save it." – Peter Arnett, New
Zealand-born journalist, quoting an unnamed Major during the Battle of Bến Tre.
I’m not exactly the bastion of fiscal, emotional and professional prudence.
Not by a long shot. If anything, over the last seven years Mrs. Cog and I have
ramped up our spending when cash flow permitted in order to improve, expand and
maintain our little homestead up here on the mountain. While we do indulge on
occasion, our work is our play and we rarely spend frivolously on consumer
treats.
Except, of course, when we do.
Overall, our focus has been squarely centered on sustainability, in essence
the exact opposite of consumerism just for the sake of consumption. A prudent
person considers the exit long before entering, knowing full well in advance
(or at least making an honest effort to do so) what is, and is not, within
their control. A mindless consumer thinks little of the exit, assuming it will
always be there simply because it has always been there in the past. The very
act of mindless obsessive consumption precludes any probing deliberation and
thought.
This is infantile thinking at its most basic, putting any naval gazing
toddler to shame with our own audacity and hypocrisy. Today’s ‘adult’ is little
more than an overgrown child with a credit card and an oversized sense of
righteous entitlement.
While we all love to point to this or that ‘authority’ as the entity
responsible for our own self debasement (a typical infantile response) it takes
two to tango. Just because we can purchase something doesn’t mean we should.
Somewhere along the line “We the People” lost the ability to understand the
difference between needs and wants. Or more accurately, we lost the desire to
understand.
Prudence and thrift were, not so long ago, considered admirable traits.
Cultural phrases such as “A penny saved is a penny earned” or “A stitch in time
saves nine” demonstrated the value assigned to conservative thought and
practice. The viral spread of consumerism over the last several decades,
turning exponential since social media exploded onto the scene, has branded
conservatism (criminally conflated with the Republican political party, which
long ago abandoned its core conservative roots) persona non grata in society.
The cultural, political and financial pressure to disregard prudence and
thrift, essentially abandoning time-tested practices by the side of the road,
endlessly bombards us via every glowing screen we own or encounter. Today’s
freshly minted crop of children have never been introduced to conservative
thinking and practices unless their parents and guardians deliberating and
consistently pushed against the overwhelming tide of profligate squandering
promoted by everyone everywhere all the time.
It is now considered a matter of national security that “We the People”
(individuals, corporations and governments alike) continue our spendthrift
ways, less the economy crater and the depression boogieman emerge from under
the bed. In a finite world, infinite expansion and consumption lead to only one
exit.
National (global) bankruptcy and social disaster.
As anyone (or any corporation for that matter) who has gone bankrupt can
attest, one simply cannot spend themselves out of imminent bankruptcy. And yet
this is precisely what we as a nation and as individuals are confidently told
can, and will, occur from various conflicted and corrupted authorities and
entities. A perfect example is Modern Monetary Theory or MMT, just the latest
rationalization for unrestrained spending at all levels well beyond our means.
https://www.investopedia.com/modern-monetary-theory-mmt-4588060
Sadly, tragically, we believe what we want to hear and there is no shortage
of con artists, propagandists and politicians who will leverage our collective
denial for their own personal benefit.
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It is said that any government can do pretty much whatever it wants for as
long as it can shield the population from the consequences of its actions. The
longer the shield holds, the harder the eventual fall. At some point, when the
general population is mostly dependent upon the government for basic services,
distribution, protection and order, those most vulnerable to personal disaster
will defend and support the very entity that is destroying them.
While reading about historical events that led to individual and collective
disaster, I often wondered how and why they didn’t see it coming. From my
historically distant and disinterested point of view, it’s obvious to me what
was rapidly approaching for those who would soon be pancaked between a rock and
a hard place.
I think I understand now. Life experienced from within the boiling stew pot
is not the same when viewed from an external perspective. Our tendency to
rationalize and justify even the most insane conditions is beyond logical
explanation. This psychological pathology, the so-called human condition, is
precisely why while history doesn’t repeat, it most certainly rhymes.
Welcome to the insane asylum.
