Everyone IS NOT You!

General rule of thumb is to always treat people like you want to be treated, but that means that I know I expect myself to find solutions to problems and be an active participant in figuring out how to fix problems in my life. If that's the expectation I have for myself, why should I treat others like I expect less from them?

I respect that people are capable of doing for themselves in almost every situation. Why should I assume less because they look poor?

Now, none of that means I expect that people do it all alone. People do need help from time to time, but that doesn't mean people should always need it all done for them. It's a partnership. As a family, when we help out, it's because the person being helped is also working toward fixing their situation.

In fact, nothing is worse when you're working a job to make ends meet than to be patronized and treated like an ignorant stupid sot who can't do for yourself because you're stuck behind a register.

"OH, you poor, poor thing!" Since you're the register jockey, you must be trapped and mired in a life of horrid squalor and uneducated ... so I will condescend to you and talk down to you and generally treat you like an incapable boob because obviously you're working a register job.

I was involved in the medical field for many years in a few capacities. My last job was as a First Responder on our Resue Squad team. Loved it!
Until I responded to my sister in laws frantic call to come and help her find my niece.. When we found her she had hanged herself from the barn.
After that I had to stop because each scene brought back horror.
Currently I work in a injection Molding factory.
I am a factory worker.
I'm still the same person that completed the college courses with a 3.9 but I'm also the one that slaves for a living now.
Yet, there are people who look down their noses at me, while I envision how to break it And set it for them.
I can relate to this post

a reply to: FreeFalling
There are many reasons why people end up in low paying jobs. It shouldn't be a reflection of their worth.

I had a difficult time retaining information and would never have gotten into College. I worked very hard for a living in factories and met some of the most amazing people along the way. Many have inspired me with their philosophies, wisdom, kindness and compassion.

a reply to: ketsuko

Kind of depends on the locale though.. Now, as far as I know, actual sewer networks will be maintained by governmental means, but the rural corollary would be septic systems.

Either way, it was more of an over-arcing philosopical statement. Being "paid more" is not really what I was aiming at, more the consequences of being involved in businesses and general systems that generate more money than others.

Even in an impeccably managed government, with superstar workers, its unlikely at best we will see one of them pulling in the money that say, a star quarterback would. Yet, I think it could be successfully argued that a sewer maintenance worker holds more real world value to society.

While I believe pay "should" reflect that real world value, I cant really think of a way to achieve that without wrecking up the place (so to speak).

I think we can have a fundamentally flawed approach in so many ways on the topic. From perceiving an objectively low value job equating proportional human worth, to thinking all occupations have the same real world value, to thinking the "ends justify the means" in fundamentally transforming paradigms.

a reply to: SeaWorthy

So we aren't all one?

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Thank you.



People do as well as they can. They should not be criticized for it, if they try. Not everyone can succeed, not everyone can be rich, and not everyone can make ends meet, because there will always be people who are poor and struggling try as they might, and as much love as they have for their children or their country or their community, or their family or their neighbors.

But they are still PEOPLE. WE are people.

a reply to: Night Star

There are many reasons why people end up in low paying jobs. It shouldn't be a reflection of their worth.

This.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Kinda depends on the apocalyptic scenario we are talking about here.

Zombies? Oh yeah, big value there.

Nibiru colliding with Earth? Not so much..

a reply to: FreeFalling

Very sad for your Family mine went through something similar with a lose of a young one to the misery of this world.

I'm still the same person that completed the college courses with a 3.9 but I'm also the one that slaves for a living now.

You are still the same intelligent person and your work is still needed or no one would pay for it to be done.

a world where you make millions to throw a ball or pretend to be a person in a movie and you can't even get people to stop saying you are worthless if you have a job where you do break back work! People who REALLY work! Those should at least be paid a living wage!

a reply to: SeaWorthy

I recall once a professor went around saying "Work hard and become a success", so when he said it to me I replied "What makes you think that I am not a success?" He did not reply.

Some people's ideas of success hinge only on position and monetary status. What about a person's value in other ways?

"Success isn't just about what you accomplish in your life; it's about what you inspire others to do." -- Unknown

Remember Boothby in Star Trek?

"He's the groundskeeper. One of the wisest men I ever knew." – Jean-Luc Picard, 2367 ("Final Mission")

a reply to: InTheLight

"He's the groundskeeper. One of the wisest men I ever knew." – Jean-Luc Picard, 2367 ("Final Mission")

Wonderful! Thank you just what I have been trying to clumsily say!