Rat race

I woke up today, thought it would be just as another Monday, start of the entire week cycle again, mere routine. Something was different this morning. I thought about life. Something that most people neglect is what do we actually live for? Are we just following the social norm to participate in the rat race we're in unknowingly?


Most of us are unaware that we're actually in this endless, self-defeating pursuit. What do people pursue? Fame, fortune, power. Ultimately, what does it shape you into? A better man? Sadly, it is the nature of humanity that we're insatiable, we will never be satisfied with our possessions. I once came across a quote: Show me a satisfied man and I'll show you a failure.

From young, we were told that we should stay educated, so that we would have a better life in future. Note that our lives have already been dictated by this social norm, and we're unknowingly stuck in the rat race since young. Now that we're grown up, educated with qualifications, we pursue a job, in which we're never satisfied with the salary. Then it is time to buy a house, a car, start a family. Then you spend the rest of your life slogging to repay the debts you owe for house and car. The next phase of life would be slogging to send your kids to a top school or to upgrade your house or car. When you reach your death bed, what have you achieved? The mansion that's in utopia? Or that Ferrari everyone is amused of? Ultimately the question lies whether you're happy living your life the way it is, to slog for all your life to find that it all amounts to nothing but possession of wealth, fame or power.

My point is, people live their life thinking that fame, fortune, power would bring them happiness. People living in the past were generally happier and easily contented. The very reason for that is the absence of affluence. Some poor people in more unfortunate places in the Earth could be contented with just a bread, for them to share with their families. This would never happen in a first world nation. We're barely happy with our possessions, always grumpy and wanting more. The utility level (happiness level) is inversely related to the wealth of a being. That means the richer you get, the less happy you get. How ironic.