Is the United States a nation of whiners? Just what is a whiner anyway? In the army I learned that a soldier has the right to complain. Hang around a bunch of soldiers for a while and you will get the idea. There is always something to bitch about. It may be the food, or the weather or a change in orders or the inconvenience of a field training activity. As a young private I learned that it was a soldier’s right to complain, but that is not whining!
Most soldiers won’t hesitate to let you know what’s bothering them. Then, they go ahead and get the job done! Whiners don’t do that. They don’t complain and then “get ‘er done.” Whiners complain and cry about it and then try to put the responsibility on someone else. They whine and make a habit of whining. These people have learned to make a career of being a victim.
Our nation was not built by whiners. It was built by people who were willing to accept personal responsibility for changing their circumstances. The Bible tells about Joseph who was sold into slavery but made the best of the situation. He never threw in the towel or threw up his hands and sacrificed his faith in God. In the end, God blessed him. Young Abraham Lincoln was born to poverty, but he overcame his circumstances and became president of the United States. Many Americans have overcome early losses or initial unfavorable circumstances to become successful. They put their shoulders to the wheel and made the most of their circumstances. They were not whiners.
More recently, I knew a man who was laid off by a carpet manufacturer. He had spent much of his adult life manufacturing carpet. When he was laid off he hated it. His life was thrown into turmoil, but he did not whine and cry for government assistance. No! He accepted the lay off as a set back and then decided to make the best of it. In fact, he went into a carpet related business. He scrimped, saved and borrowed so he could open his business. Then, he worked sixty to eighty hours a week to make it successful. Today, he is a self-employed success.
Throughout our history, America has rewarded those who stayed the course. Those who accepted responsibility for their lives and committed to overcome unfavorable circumstances. One might even say that adversity actually produced tenacity and the drive to succeed.
Lately in America I have seen a trend in the opposite direction. Whining is accepted as normal and in many cases it is even encouraged. Continued whining encourages the victim mentality. Here we are not talking about the kind of complaining that creates tenacity and the drive to succeed. Rather, we are talking about acceptance of the fact that our society is comprised of victims. If you are a victim, you have the right to whine until someone else takes action to ease your pain. Never mind about accepting personal responsibility to change your circumstances! And who does the victim look to for help. The government, of course.
Where adversity once energized and motivated people, it is now seen as a flaw in our society. The more victims are created, the more need there is for a federal government that will solve society’s problems. To make matters worse, our government encourages this. Instead of encouraging self-determination and personal responsibility, the government has begun to tell people that their circumstances or situations are not their faults. It is our capitalistic society that has paved the way for their problems and the only solution is for government to regulate those aspects of society that made this situation possible. Never mind personal responsibility. Never mind pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. An all-powerful federal government has the responsibility to solve your problems and provide for your welfare. With a strong and powerful central government, society can be fixed. We can all be equal. Of course, no one will be exceptional. Innovation will cease to exist. And America will become a part of the global community in which everyone is equally poor, but in which no one will face adversity.
No comments:
Post a Comment