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    1. #1
      Member WhiteUnit's Avatar
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      Every now and then I seem to get on these depressed little rants. It's not really related to depression towards myself, but the way I take everything for granted.

      If you look back a few hundred years, you see that pretty much all the way up until that time, what a person had could always be viewed as an equivelant to their effort. What I mean is that if you were a corn farmer, you could have X corn. Then you could trade a certain amount of your X corn (which is represented by Y) to receive Y of some other resource in return which usually takes almost the same amount of effort to produce as your Y amount of corn.

      Some people like to say everything cost money, however the truth is everything cost effort, even money (its just not a constant ratio).

      However, today it does not seem that I actually accomplish the work for what I own. I have satelite television, a nice car with good insurance, good health insurance, a cell phone with a good plan, a nice home, a nice bed, nice cloths, great computer and internet conection, and an absolute ABUNDANCE of luxuries. Yet, my role in life right now is customer care representative in a call center. I talk to people. I put minutes on their cell phones. While, someone else is making my cell phone, car, tv, computer and everything I own, I'm taking phone calls from miserable people, repeating the same message 8 hours at a time.

      Now, dont get me wrong, I love my job. But, the fact is, if Im not putting out the effort for these things that I own, someone else is. Some one in the world is suffering for my comfort, and its hard not to feel like a coward about that. A third of the world suffers from lack of food suply, and I've never really felt hunger. It seems that most people are aware of this, but not in any real sense. I mean, the media puts a sad face on these things, but that never really resolves the issue. It's like the media is only making us except what is out there, as though its just the price we pay (yes its portrayed as the price we pay when its really someone else) for our lifestyle.

      Maybe I'm just being whiney. But, if anyone else feels like this let me know. It's kind of been haunting me for a few months now.

    2. #2
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      All those luxuries from working as customer care in a call centre? where do I sign up?

      Well who will add the minutes to all those people with cell phones if it wasn,t for people like you? I wouldn,t discredit your position. You say you love your work but u don,t feel like you contribute to society, well I think you require job fullfillment. I don,t know how old u are but I wouldn,t let it bother you like that. I,m sure it,s not a life long career for you.

      Suppose you went on to work in the auto industry, would you feel more fullfilled knowing you contribute to transportation for people or upset that your part of polluting the environment?

    3. #3
      - Neruo's Avatar
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      I see your point. The american people often are poor. Not poor in a materialistic way, they often have -like you said- an abundance of luxuries. However if you look at how many anti-depresion-pills are sold in the USA, you can say that all that 'wealth' doesn't make you happy. There is no real goal in having an expensive car just for the sake of looking more rich then the person that lives next to you.

      Good thing is that, unlike most americans, you realise somewhat that even despite of your riches alot of people do not even have food and clean water.

      My advice to you is: Try setting your goals differently. You don't need all those luxuries, just enjoy simple things, but sometimes luxuries too. Do something you really like. For instance do that hobby you allways wanted to do, or make that trip you allways wanted to make. Allso try to live as a person you think is a good person. Care about the environment and other people. Being a nice person to others really often makes you feel better.

      -

      That all did sound cheesy, I know.

      Good luck.

      -

      P.S. The american dream is a lie ^__^ <3
      “What a peculiar privilege has this little agitation of the brain which we call 'thought'” -Hume

    4. #4
      MSG
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      Haha, it&#39;s funny seeing the person who get&#39;s all the luxuries rant, as opposed to the person who gets the raw end of the stick.

      I get what you say, there&#39;s gardeners making a quarter an hour (I don&#39;t know the real wages, but I doubt they&#39;re high), but meanwhile Tom Cruise is making millions of dollars acting, and rappers are making even more by simply talking nonsense and calling it "art".

      And yeah I know, acting isn&#39;t the easiest thing in the world, but still, it&#39;s not like they earn every single penny they get.

      As for me, I am ... a semi-skilled Motion Graphic developer with no job, not because I can&#39;t get one, but because my mother believes that a Job would not be in my best interest right now.

      That&#39;s the biggest pet peeve of mine, the fact that there&#39;s this woman (my mom) who tells me what I need to do and when to do it. Sure when I was 8 it was fine, I was far from able to make my own decisions, but now I&#39;m trying to move on, get something done, make money but god... And the worst part is her reasoning, "oh you&#39;re not responsible enough yet"... I ask her why, "because you&#39;re 15".

      As you can probably tell, this gets on my nerves more than anything else. But, SIGH, It&#39;s only another 3 years then I can move to England or possibly canada or maybe kill myself, I don&#39;t know.

      I have a few words to say about the educational system in America (or lack thereof) too but it&#39;s cold, my fingers can barely move and nobody is reading this anyway.

    5. #5
      Dream Architect Alucinor Architecton's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by MSG View Post
      Haha, it&#39;s funny seeing the person who get&#39;s all the luxuries rant, as opposed to the person who gets the raw end of the stick.

      I get what you say, there&#39;s gardeners making a quarter an hour (I don&#39;t know the real wages, but I doubt they&#39;re high), but meanwhile Tom Cruise is making millions of dollars acting, and rappers are making even more by simply talking nonsense and calling it "art".

      And yeah I know, acting isn&#39;t the easiest thing in the world, but still, it&#39;s not like they earn every single penny they get.

      As for me, I am ... a semi-skilled Motion Graphic developer with no job, not because I can&#39;t get one, but because my mother believes that a Job would not be in my best interest right now.

      That&#39;s the biggest pet peeve of mine, the fact that there&#39;s this woman (my mom) who tells me what I need to do and when to do it. Sure when I was 8 it was fine, I was far from able to make my own decisions, but now I&#39;m trying to move on, get something done, make money but god... And the worst part is her reasoning, "oh you&#39;re not responsible enough yet"... I ask her why, "because you&#39;re 15".

      As you can probably tell, this gets on my nerves more than anything else. But, SIGH, It&#39;s only another 3 years then I can move to England or possibly canada or maybe , I don&#39;t know.

      I have a few words to say about the educational system in America (or lack thereof) too but it&#39;s cold, my fingers can barely move and nobody is reading this anyway.
      [/b]
      why do you want a job when you&#39;re fifteen? doesn&#39;t your mom still provide for you? it could be seen as greed if you want a job just so you can have lots of cash. you should live your easy right now, hanging out with friends and partying or something. worry about a job when you need to provide for yourself. as for why you would want to move away, i dont know. bush will be out of office before you&#39;re eighteen, so you&#39;ll probably rethink that life choice .

      that statement about the irony of who&#39;s complaining, it just goes to show you that you can be happy without all the luxuries of wealth (or it shows you that those people can&#39;t really afford to complain about poverty on their blog )
      Sweet Dreams
      Adopted by Ex Nine, who probably isnt here anymore

      AND GestaltAlteration, who is back

    6. #6
      56 QwinsepiaSquared's Avatar
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      I&#39;m only 14 *gasp&#33;* and I want a job. I want to have a little money I earned myself to have in the bank once I move out.
      "It was a dream! Can you control what you dream about, Hermione?" -HP7
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    7. #7
      Badass Member badassbob's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by QwinsepiaSquared View Post
      I&#39;m only 14 *gasp&#33;* and I want a job. I want to have a little money I earned myself to have in the bank once I move out.
      [/b]
      I doubt that the amount you build up will be much by the time you get a full time job. You may as well enjoy the money you have while you&#39;re free of taxes, bills and mortgages.

      -If you need some cash, you can always borrow a car radio

      Adopted Megabenman although he disappeared a while ago.

    8. #8
      Member WhiteUnit's Avatar
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      All those luxuries from working as customer care in a call centre? where do I sign up?

      Well who will add the minutes to all those people with cell phones if it wasn’t for people like you? I wouldn,t discredit your position. You say you love your work but u don,t feel like you contribute to society, well I think you require job fullfillment. I don,t know how old u are but I wouldn,t let it bother you like that. I,m sure it,s not a life long career for you.

      Suppose you went on to work in the auto industry, would you feel more fulfilled knowing you contribute to transportation for people or upset that your part of polluting the environment?[/b]
      You can pretty much get a job as a Customer Service Representative (CSR) anywhere. Look for staffing agencies (also called temping agencies). The pay is usually great, but you have to have the right mindset really.

      Yes, I do feel that my job is a little pointless, however I also think its awesome because all I ever really do is draw comics and talk on the phone. But even if I did leave and get a job doing something else, even if I world just as hard and long as some other guy doing the same job in another country, somehow my American Dollar is worth significantly more than his? The fact is, Im benefiting from his low wage. I getting more because he is getting less. The world is a piece of toast, and wealth is a limited amount of butter. Its just not getting spread evenly. You cant apparate more butter, you can only change the way its spread.

      I really like your last sentence, too because its a strong point on another great topic. Maybe you can make more wealth? But its at the cost of something else? (E.I. polluting the earth, burning unrenewable resources)

      However if you look at how many anti-depresion-pills are sold in the USA, you can say that all that &#39;wealth&#39; doesn&#39;t make you happy. There is no real goal in having an expensive car just for the sake of looking more rich then the person that lives next to you.
      [/b]
      This is the truth that everyone learned growing up and yet no one really seems to take heed. We keep fighting to get more and more, telling ourselves it will make us happy, yet we already know it wont. Don’t people realize that everyone is in this race to get more stuff like were trying to prove something but our wealth. Just because everyone tries harder doesn’t mean that we’re better off overall. Things just get more expensive to accommodate it. In the end were still talking to our counslors because were depressed, but "dont worry, we got a pill for that too."

      Haha, it&#39;s funny seeing the person who get&#39;s all the luxuries rant, as opposed to the person who gets the raw end of the stick.[/b]
      Thanks for bringing this point up. Because isnt it true that America is on a moral and emotional decline? And would it be incorrect to associate that with the accumlation of wants we have developed. Especially back before television, or at the least the early stages of it. At least then families could stand to be near each other. Eating at the dinner table is a huge thing. Up until recently families at least had that one time during the day to meet up and discuss their day and concerns and such. It seems for most families now its a do-your-own-thing day every night. So these people with the "raw end of the stick" dont really complain too much. Because even in their bad situations and discomfort they still feel happy for what little they have.

      As for me, I am ... a semi-skilled Motion Graphic developer with no job, not because I can&#39;t get one, but because my mother believes that a Job would not be in my best interest right now.

      That&#39;s the biggest pet peeve of mine, the fact that there&#39;s this woman (my mom) who tells me what I need to do and when to do it. Sure when I was 8 it was fine, I was far from able to make my own decisions, but now I&#39;m trying to move on, get something done, make money but god... And the worst part is her reasoning, "oh you&#39;re not responsible enough yet"... I ask her why, "because you&#39;re 15".

      As you can probably tell, this gets on my nerves more than anything else. But, SIGH, It&#39;s only another 3 years then I can move to England or possibly canada or maybe kill myself, I don&#39;t know.
      [/b]
      I understand your situation completely. Im nineteen, and was saying that too a few years back. But, then I got a taste of what it means to be independant, and it knocked my feet out from under me. I understand your desire to work, and I entirely support that. I got my first job as soon as I turned 17 and it made me a little more aware of what responsiblily is.

      It&#39;s okay to disagree with what your mother tells you, but at least respect her guidance. Shes not always right because no one is, but "there is wisedom in a multitude of counselors." It seems that Im always at my parents throughts, yet I seem to forget, that parents are most likely going to be the only people in your life that have your best interest in mind, as Im sure you will too when you have a child.




      These are all great comments, and it&#39;s really great to discuss this. Thanks&#33;



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