Our societies are structured – wrongly – to benefit the few at the expense of everyone else. Innumerable conflicts, promoted by institutional “values,” reduce awareness of cooperation and mutual benefit required for true prosperity and success.
Vast amounts of resources – material and human – are diverted from industries (and careers) that satisfy genuine human needs to enable the death and destruction of seemingly endless wars.
Regimentation and indoctrination, in the guise of “education,” hamper the development of the skills and abilities required to create and sustain decent lives for ourselves and our loved ones.
One result of this crippling of our inherent abilities is a pervasive attitude of anger and fear, which in turn is used to reinforce the “need” for the structured society, complete with its “guarantees.” Careful observers, however, note a consistent reduction in the quantity and quality of the guarantees, even as the rhetoric increases.
The long-standing "American Dream," in which each generation tends to become more successful and go farther in life than the one preceding it, has stalled.
Some may find these observations controversial or even offensive. Admittedly they are not pleasant. But what is the alternative explanation? Are we to believe that the same species that has produced so many technological miracles is inherently incapable of living as reasonably well-adjusted, capable and competent individuals?
This is the heart and soul of the issue: is the original goal of a decent life and a decent career possible?
This is the most important question of all. If it isn’t possible, there’s no sense even worrying about it. Just do whatever you can to survive and hope for the best. (The fact that many do achieve satisfying careers for themselves is, however, a pretty powerful opposing argument here.)
If you do believe, however, that the goal mentioned above IS possible, this leads directly to:
