Systemic cultural problems are causing us to have underlying stresses that need to be addressed.
Talking Points:
- 6 ideas that create angst in our society if not properly balanced:
- Meritocracy – This idea tells us that everyone is able to be successful if they have the talent and energy. The problem with this line of thinking is that we start to view successful people as more deserving compared to those who are not currently successful. The remedy is to recognize that luck is usually a factor in success as well as having the ability to show compassion for those who fail.
- Individualism – An individualistic society teaches the individual and their achievements are everything and that the community does not matter. It suggests that being ordinary – which most of us are – constitutes failure. Instead, we should learn to appreciate the good, ordinary life, and the pleasures of the every day.
- Secularism – Secular societies do not believe in anything bigger than themselves. So, there is no belief in a higher power to help us or to hold us in check. The cure to this line of thinking is learning to regularly use sources of transcendence to help us gain a realistic perspective that the universe is big and we are small.
- Romanticism – The philosophy of romanticism tells us that each of us has one very special person out there that can make us complete. Yet, mostly we have to settle for moderately bearable relationships. We need to adjust our thinking to realize that there is no perfect person and we shouldn’t be guided by unrealistic expectations.
- Media – The media routinely directs our attention towards things that scare, worry, panic and enrage us. The media typically attends to the least admirable sides of human nature and often pushes us towards a mob mentality. The cure would be news that focuses on solutions rather than generating outrage.
- Perfectibility – Modern societies teach that it is within our abilities to be profoundly content, sane and accomplished. As a result we end up loathing ourselves and feeling weak when we do not meet perfection. Rather than chasing perfection, we should focus on building a network of supportive friends who can help us work through our imperfections.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Do you agree that these six ideas are detrimental to society? Why or why not? How do ideas that do more harm than good develop in society? Why are people so quick to buy into them?
- Do you feel that your life has been impacted by a belief in any of these ideas? Has the impact been positive or negative?
- If you were to rank these from least detrimental to most, what would be at the top of your list, and what would be at the bottom? Why?
- How can you combat these ideas from influencing you?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
