Growing up is difficult, we develop fears whether rational or irrational. Our fears may confine and harbor us from achieving our goals. Yet in an optimistic point of view, our fears can motivate us to accomplish our ambitions. For me, it has always been the fear of moving out and being financially independent. Ever so often this fear haunts and still continues to haunt me to this very day. Moving out is a great responsibility. It means finding a place to rent, paying the bills and medication, buying groceries and meeting our unnecessary desires. It means your mother will no longer spoon feed you. It means your mother will no longer clean up your mess. It means your mother will no longer be partially held responsible for your mischief in society.The thought of putting my wardrobe, the money in my savings account and my adult responsibilities into a suitcase puts me deeper in my misery.
My fear originated when I was in kindergarten. I was the biggest rebel in class. I was always getting into trouble and had to stay after school for my parents to discuss my issues with the teacher. Sure it must just be the process of growing up, after all, I was only a kid. However, it was a serious issue to my parents if it continued to persist.
During a long weekend, me and my family traveled down to Seattle for a short trip. We stopped in Chinatown for Chinese dinner. We parked our car in a dark alleyway. As we approached the meter to pay, I witnessed a group of homeless teens. Their skin was blistered and scarred. Their hair was greasy and long. Their clothes were filthy and grungy.
At the restaurant, my father strictly told me. I still remember this vividly to this day.
"Do you see those boys out there son?" my father said I gulped and held my breath.
"This is what happens when you don't do well in school. When you don't do well in school, you become homeless or you end up working in fast food. Working in fast food means no money. No money means no fancy car or luxury mansions. No fancy car and luxury mansions means no good looking wife. No good looking wife means misery. You decide son, you are making the choice"
My father's words has made me very fearful of the day when I move out and I become responsible for myself. Even though this fear is so raw and bloodcurdling, it motivates me to become confident for the day I become independent. I contribute to my motivation by trying my best in my studies, building a rich resume and being active in my community.Yet my fear of moving out and being financially stable haunts me, it inspires me to become to become hardworking and ambitious.
I think you bring up some very intresting points about fear motivating us. We know that our culture has been run by fear for as long as we can remember. There has always been extrinsic motivation that threatens harm and uncomfortability to those who do not conform. We have all these views about what we want to achieve in our existence and when we do not achieve them (as we often don't because most of our prestigous class have basically destroyed peoples lives to get to where they are) we become destitute. These days the problems are becoming even worse, simple middle class working folk are forced to take out massive loans and lines of credit to buy cars, houses... and even eat. This post by you raises the question to me, is it right to be motivated by fear. Or is hell not such a bad place when we work together to find a new way of percieving it.
ReplyDeleteI hope that one day we all learn to love Satan, because god isn't helping anyone except the rich.
@Rowan: I'm really interested at the last point you made about how only the well off members of society are benefiting. I spent a lot of time drawing connections. So I'm going to start with this one. If you are updated with the news, Gordon Campbell has actually addressed HST and income British Columbia. I'm sure you've been greatly impacted by the HST as a taxpayer. However, large businesses and corporations are not required to submit their HST as they are now harmonized. Basically, the HST favors the large business owners and is a burden on taxpayers. Anyhow, Campbell is postponing the election on vetoing the HST until next year. Throughout this time, businesses can gain Campbell's respect so there will be higher chance that the HST will not be banned. Also, to add to his address. Campbell is trying to gain respect by reducing the income tax by 15%. Sure it may seem like a break, this is only beneficial to the higher income citizens. As a middle-class member like me, a tax 15% reduction isn't a lot compared to how much I spend on consumer goods and having to pay HST. So here's just some evidence that only the rich are being favored and the poor seem to be penalized.
ReplyDeleteHere are the links if you are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ProvinceofBC#p/u/1/TFwb5aWGxRg - address on HST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7pCHISFC0
-address on income tax
I know. I hear them saying that "they saved the film industry in BC with the harmonized tax", well isn't that dandy. Just take our money and give it right on to the righteous pockets of the monsters who whisper in our ears telling us to rape murder and steal.
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteAlthough your father’s words have motivated you to work harder, they also seem to contain an avariciousness that has instilled in you the belief that money is the sole ingredient for happiness. His remarks have an underlying superficiality, suggesting that a “fancy car,” “luxury mansions,” and a “good looking wife” are necessary to lead a good life. These upper class possessions, at least the first two, are not often attainable by the middle class majority; therefore, your fear may go beyond what you suggest of simply being unable to survive independently. Perhaps your fear is really of being unable to attain the wealth of the upper class, which your father seems to aspire in you. Your actions of “building a rich resume and being active in [your] community” obviously reflect your high ambitions that may be an unconscious result of your father’s aspiration for your wealth. He tells you that “you are making the choice,” but by directly relating not doing well in school to eventual misery in all aspects of your life, your father implicitly instils in you the necessity of success in your studies and more.
In regards to Campbell’s income tax reduction, it only applies to those with annual earnings of $72,000 or less, so it really does benefit the middle class and not higher income citizens. I also question your criticism that fifteen percent is insignificant as an extra $10,800 per year at the high end seems to me to be a considerable amount. As well, the only impact that the harmonized sales tax has on everyday expenses is that of dining out and those with financial difficulties should not be dining out often anyway. Therefore, I do not see the evidence of a bias in favour of the rich that you suggest exists in Campbell’s tax policies.