There's something wrong with you

[Tracy Riddle]

If you live in America, or see a lot of American culture, media and advertising, you've probably noticed that the basis of our society is essentially negative: money-hungry, materialistic, competitive, selfish, aggressive, miserable. And most of what drives people every day is the idea that's been put into their heads: There's Something Wrong with You, or Something is Lacking In Your Life. And if you buy a particular product or service, get that promotion, purchase some more insurance, get your nose fixed or achieve those six-pack abs, get that big-screen TV or expensive sports car, or that cute outfit and shoes, someday you'll be happy and life will be wonderful.

Obviously this idea isn't something people are born with. They've had it pounded into them all their lives from almost every direction: family, school, churches, television, popular culture, work, and especially advertising. The problem has existed since the early 20th century, but in the last few decades it's grown much worse. On those rare occasions when I turn on TV, or I'm forced to watch an ad on a website, I'm truly stunned at how blatant it is now.

Obviously it's a great formula for making money. If people were content with their lives and what they own and the way they look, they wouldn't need to consume so much. They might not need to spend their lives furiously working at "careers" so they can make a higher income so they can afford a "lifestyle" that someone else invented for them.

I recommend reading Vance Packard's books (written in the late 1950s and 1960s) like THE WASTE MAKERS, THE STATUS SEEKERS and THE HIDDEN PERSUADERS, and see how he predicted where all of this would lead.

[Magda Hassan]

Yes, it is all on the individual that there is some thing wrong with them. Not that there is some thing wrong or lacking with society and how it is structured. The English had a 'problem' in South Africa getting willing workers for their mines, ports, domestic servants etc. For some unfathomable reason the lazy natives did not flock to the mines to work. They were quite happy to be with their family and their cattle and crops. Much like the crofters in Scotland before the forced enclosures were happy with their land and work. They had every thing they needed and were well able to provide for themselves and had much leisure time. They saw no need to break up their family and for some to live with strangers in foreign places with strangers spending their time in the dangerous underground in the heat and dark sweating from hard labour. To do such a thing was madness in their eyes. So the British introduced a hut tax. Every hut had to pay this tax and it was only payable in British currency or be imprisoned. So in this way they compelled at least one person from each family to participate in the British economic system. With out participating in the madness they (tbtb) can't do it. It doesn't work without our co-operation. In the west we believe we are willing co-operate to fulfill our own needs and not theirs. We have the media to reminds us constantly what we want.

[Tracy Riddle]

We've definitely inherited a lot of this mentality from the British (and to a lesser extent, from the Germans). It's a terrible, dehumanizing system. It's no wonder our society is so unhealthy and unhappy, and we don't know how to view our natural environment as anything but a resource extraction system.

[Tracy Riddle]

When people are finally exhausted from all of this stress and turmoil, and they turn to "traditional" religion (especially in America) for solace, they encounter the same message: There's something wrong with you! You're a sinner and you need to be saved! Pile on the guilt and shame.

On a metaphysical level, the earth is like a giant mind control project. Being able to develop your own mind, one that's not controlled by others, is an enormous achievement.

[David Guyatt]

On a metaphysical level, the earth is like a giant mind control project. Being able to develop your own mind, one that's not controlled by others, is an enormous achievement.

Well said Tracy.

That, for me, is the first step on the road to self knowledge.