We've reached a point where the formerly very natural act of spontaneously helping one another within one's community has to be bought and exchanged for a price, and nothing comes naturally and free anymore, it's every man for himself.
But humans were born to cooperate and be communal, not to compete our whole lives. The system we live under has divided and conquered us.
And when even the concept of help is commercialized and businesses coldly come in to fill the void created by the disappearance of spontaneous organic community, and money is paid for the services offered, this is then recorded by governments as an economic activity which is a contribution to a country's GDP and by extension, 'economic growth'.
'Economic growth' is then considered a determinant of 'quality of living', because economic growth has increased by the provision of this service in exchange for money, 'quality of living' is therefore taken to have increased.
The reality is that this service is only filling a void created by the disappearance of organic community where this help would have been provided for free. This service also probably fills that void less adequately (would you be rather taken care of by a community of friends and relatives or by strangers) and is conditional - offered only to those who can afford it.
In actuality it is a decrease in quality of living, but is measured as economic growth. This is one of many aspects of modern life in developed countries that reflect how economic growth does not necessarily mean an increase in quality of living (in fact it can often reflect a decrease) and is only offered to those who can afford it. The need for a service often reflects the void created by the disappearance of organic community.
In fact many things such as consumption and the materialism drive serve as an artificial but ultimately empty attempt to fill the emptiness created by a lack of community and the obliteration of public space for spontaneous communal activities, usurped by governments and corporations for commercial purposes.
PeterAndrewNolan wrote:Hi Winston,
actually a colleague and I talked about this 2 years ago. I have a bad back and I injured it and slipped a disk. I was confined pretty much to bed for two weeks. My mate came to bring me food and also to take washing to the laundry and things like that. This is because I do not have any friends in the building I was living in.
I was thinking at the time that some enterprising man should start a service where he offers help to single men (or even women I guess) who are ill or in need. Just a cell number to call in the local area. In most cities in Europe people live so closely together that a cell phone number to call in case of need would be a useful thing. This is the sort of job ANY man could do. Especially students or men working from home.
I would really encourage young men to start businesses in their local communities. The businesses that could be started are endless. Another example is simply doing normal household chores. For example getting the shopping or washing and ironing shirts or taking them to the laundry to be washed and ironed. I would pay a student EUR5 a throw to bring my shopping to my place and EUR5 a throw for taking my shirts to the laundry and bring them back. Since I live mostly in an area with HUNDREDS of apartments around me I am surprised some enterprising young lad has not figured out to print up business cards, create a web site, and offer these kinds of services to the people living right around him. Single men value their time over their money mostly. Especially older single men like me.
Another example of how society is breaking down. My fav#3 went home to the czech republic for christmas a couple of years back. There was a LOT of snow. So much that she could not get out of the house. Her brother refused to dig the snow and clear a path because he did not want to go out and "women are equal" anyway. So she dug the snow. Because she is female and she is smaller and weaker she got a very bad cold that turned into pneumonia when she was back in Frankfurt. As per usual we were trading texts etc and she did not say one thing about being sick.
When we caught up for a dinner date she was in TERRIBLE shape but said she was MUCH IMPROVED. I asked her what happened. She said she ran out of clothes and almost ran out of food in her apartment because she had been in bed FOR A WEEK!!! I was FURIOUS AT HER. I berated her severely and told her that she should have called me or some other friend to help her. I was just ONE HOUR by train away at the time and had nothing else I was doing. I would have been more than happy to stay at her place and look after her of hire a car to bring her to my place to look after her. My place is much larger so it would have been easier.
After I calmed down I asked her why she had not called me or any of her friends. She said "If I called someone to help me when I was sick then if they were sick and called me I would have to help them."
I was STAGGERED at the comment. I really was. I explained THAT IS WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR!!!
That is how bad it is getting. And this is the NICEST woman I have ever met. The nicest temperament I have ever seen in another human being. And HOT too! Men would fall all over themselves to help her.