People are like babies; one can say whatever he wishes to another and as long as it's presented in a positive tone with a smile on one's face the content matters very little. Don't believe me? Try saying this to a baby with a high pitch and a smile: "You're a stupid little baby! Yes, you are! Nobody likes you!" Did the baby smile? Of course he or she did. As children we respond to sounds and tones long before we understand the meaning of words. We learn to react to the energy and reactions of others as we grow- A toddler falls and immediately looks up to see who notices...adults show concern: toddler cries...adults laugh it off: toddler sucks it up. The problem is most of us never outgrow this and fail to control our emotions without outside influences.
Case in point: Occupy Wall Street. The economy is in bad shape. We are all painfully aware of this...but what if we weren't aware? What if no one ever told us the economy was bad? What if the tone in the news and among others was not one of sorrow and frustration and was instead one of, well, normalcy?
For our parents and grandparents the economy is drastically different than what they're used to. Things are extremely difficult, by comparison. What they've known to this point is: "if I purchase a mutual fund, it goes up over time; if I purchase a home it will be worth more in the future than it is today; if I get an advanced degree I will get a higher paying job..." and so on. Things are not that way any longer and for those of us who have or are entering the work force from roughly 2004 on we don't know any better. For the rest of us the economy is not bad...it just IS.
I don't believe the economy is in bad shape because I, personally, have no reference point for comparison. All I know of the world is the way things are currently and, as a result, I know if I want to excel, thrive, or simply survive I have to work hard (seems odd to present this as some sort of revelation). We are no longer part of the "if I go to law school I will get a six-figure job" era. In fact, for most of my peers we were never part of that era, even if we went to law school expecting this outcome. So what if no one told you the economy stinks? What if people, instead, told you this was the way of the world? What if all you knew the economy to be was the way it is currently and not what you read or heard about historically? What if social programs and subsidies didn't exist? What if you had to compete for a job as opposed to simply landing one out of college? What if? What would YOU do?
I understand there are unfortunate circumstances and bad things happen to good people. Such is the way of the world and I feel very fortunate to have not landed on that side of things to this point. However, I have zero sympathy for people my age who expect what has not been earned. This, by the way, includes a job! The sooner you accept the economy is simply the way it is and learn to fight for what you want the better off you'll be. Think about it: if you can learn to thrive in today's climate imagine how great things will be when the economy returns to what our parents and grandparents grew accustomed to! You'll be so far ahead of the curve no one will ever catch you! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and blaming others for things you can control. Get to work. Can't "find" a job? I'm hiring...call me.
There is a fine line between optimism and ignorance and successful people walk through life with one foot on each side.
