What a strange world we live in

Essay on the evolution of society

What a strange world we live in.  I am grateful that with all of the technology and machines, there are still places on the planet devoid of all of it.  Places where one can still see the stars at night, even the smallest stars, as there is no other light to wash it out.  There are still places where one can hear silence.  I am blessed that I get to know one of those places and have the pleasure and the means to go there on occasion.  My spirit longs for the freedom of a simpler life. Bartering, services for goods and goods for services.  The definition of neighbor as one who lives in the same community, is known, and helps and is helped when the need arises, is revered and felt a blessing. 

Even though there is the silence, stars and goodness there, I have found that the human race is becoming one of every man for them self.  The community spirit is dying.  We don’t know our neighbors in the true definition of being a neighbor. They are the people who live in the next house or X amount of houses away from us.  Those that have been neighborly in the past are more cautious and reluctant as they have learned from past experience, that most will take advantage of that good nature.  Those that would help are reluctant for fear of a lawsuit, that even though they may have helped save a life or a person or belonging from death or destruction, a person or property may be damaged, and a law suit will ensue.  People are set up for accidents to gain the insurance money.  Is there any hope for our society, perhaps, but everyone would have to be willing to go back to the simpler ways.  People would have to choose compassion over fear, caring over apathy and possess a desire to put others before themselves.  We have evolved to this point, and I doubt this is going to change.

Corporate America has played a huge role in this evolution of the human species.  With their addiction to the bottom line rush, layoffs and dissolution of positions have become common place.  Those that lack the ability and desire to perform their jobs as defined are retained as they will go above and beyond when it comes to finding a scapegoat to take the blame for their errors or their work that is not completed.  They will spend countless hours of energy buttering up the boss. The outpouring of compliments and doing insignificant tasks for their superiors far exceeds the time they would have spent doing their job and meeting their deadlines.  Yet they retained their positions, and those that did perform their job as expected and defined are in the unemployment line.  This favoritism teaches us that we are not valued on our skills and merit, but instead by our ability to suck up to the boss. 

I have seen many practices in Corporate America that defy logic.  Case in point, if you retain all of the a*s kissers, whose skills and abilities leave something to be desired, who is going to do the work?  What is going to happen to your business when those that haven’t a clue what their position requires of them do not have a scape goat or the skilled and efficient to dump their work on? 

If the skilled and able are retained they suffer the disdain of their employer over the slacker.  Their inbox (so to speak) is over flowing with the work of those socializing at the water cooler or playing golf with the boss.  They find themselves under the constant threat of replacement.  They fail to meet deadlines due to performing the tasks their superiors have not a clue how to perform.  These supervisors are also the ones with less seniority, but because they extend special favors to the owner or boss, are promoted, compensated in wage and receive special attention and benefits over the one with seniority, skills and knowledge of the business.  These are the same supervisors who toot their own horn as being the most knowledgeable about a function or task, yet they will seek the knowledge of those with less authority and compensation, to do it for them.  This is usually done in private and undercover to maintain the appearance of the knowledge and the task is requested that it be sent to them so they can deliver the work as their own.  To complain or file a grievance about this behavior will make matters worse for the one who accomplishes the task.  The friend/wife/ girlfriend/ family member, will deny and accuse and create a huge commotion, pointing fingers and in general diverting attention from their own inadequacies and spot light those of the performing employee.  The minutest of mistakes is blown out of proportion, and for weeks following, the minutest of errors will be found and presented on a silver platter to the boss.  All the while their own lack of performance is being pushed farther and farther into the shadows.  How did we ever evolve to this sad state of affairs?

Those that were abused become more self serving as they learn their skills and abilities will get them no where, and the negative, self serving behavior will give them precedence.  Once off the job, they carry this behavior home with them and convey it to those around them; be it family, friend or neighbor. 

You also have the lazy and self serving who will seek any action to file a law suit.  Easy money is better than hauling your lazy a*s out to make an honest living.  Their defense when this is questioned, “the insurance companies can afford it,” or “the insurance will pay for it.”   As these people rarely feel the responsibility to pay for and carry insurance, they do not feel the pinch of rising premiums, and reduced coverage.  As these people exist, those that take responsibility for their actions, have to carry more and more coverage to protect themselves from the suing individuals.   Perhaps these individuals were created when they did perform their job as expected and lost it anyway.  Perhaps they were kind, compassionate and caring individuals, but that was mangled and stomped out of them by those who used and abused their good nature; either way, more and more of us are becoming the self centered, whether by choice or in defense.

As I look around me and observe our society I am baffled.  We have pharmaceuticals to adjust our body chemistry to feel like everyone else.  If we are afraid to be in public, there is a pill to dispel that fear and make us more social.  If we are depressed because we lost our job or have an incurable malady, there is a pill that will make us happy again.  If we find that we have fear of anything there is pill to counteract that fear.  It seems to me that if we took all the pills to react and perform the way society expects, we would all become drones.  In a work of fiction, the Borg assimilate individuals into their hive, to act and work in a manner that is consistent with each other and beneficial to their society.  All individualism is lost.  There is no art, creativity, personality or emotion, be it good or bad.  Is it a work of fiction?  I think not.  I believe it is a prediction of what our society is to become should we continue on the path we are on.  If the self-serving keep squashing the compassion and creativity out of those that do still have it; those that are compassionate and creative will become as self serving as the rest.  Where will our society be when no one cares about another?  Where will our society be when creativity and individualism are eliminated?  Where will our society be?  It will be a huge machine of anarchy and unrest, filled with anger and retaliation.    Prove me wrong!  Please, prove me wrong.