March 2011
Happiness and society 3
Education and culture
We have become powerful. Many people can do things that appeared as impossible a few decades ago. We have realized dreams. But by crudeness and ruthlessness we endanger our environment and finally our survival. The result of our efforts is not attractive, because there are only few happy people. Someone who is substantial well equipped, is not automatically happy. He needs a vision of his future, the dream of an improvement and the hope to achieve some steps in the right direction. There are people who manage to live their lives independently, some people need help and some succeed only as a part of a group. A good culture should not ignore these differences.
Our education intends to make us able to understand and to dominate the world. But we do not really learn to understand ourselves and to manage our proper life. Thus, we are very powerful, but on the other side very dangerous. Because we have not learned to manage our own lives properly, we are not able to do better with any other thing. This is a fundamental mistake and a big problem. A combination of advanced technology and personal and social stagnation or even stupidity is dangerous, because we act irresponsibly and tragic, because we get for a maximum of investment a minimum of happiness.
Our daily life is often determined by economic pressure. Someone who does his daily work only for money, becomes dissatisfied and unhappy. He will believe that his daily burden ruins his life and even, if he gets more money, he remains dissatisfied and unhappy because his discontent feeds his greed. Whoever can identify with his work and sees that it makes sense will be satisfied and happy, even if his income is relatively modest. He will also be willing to renounce or to work overtime if it is necessary. All the education is not really beneficial, if our culture leads people to do things they can not honestly endorse.
We have different opinions on what is desirable and what is right. But we can understand and define with sufficient precision what would be a really good progress. A good culture looks after everything. Each person must learn that he must do something for the community to find his peace. Time killing entertainment is not enough.