Here is
this week’s “Ponder This” picture. As I mentioned last week, these are meant to
be exercises in free-flowing philosophical thinking. Though eventually I will
post these with no comments or questions, I will share with you what this
picture made me think about.
What does
it mean to sacrifice? Is this mother giving her child what little she has to
help sustain the child’s life? Why should anyone go hungry in a world where
there is a surplus of food? How can developed nations better help developing
ones in terms of alleviating hunger? Are we doing enough to aid others in our
own lives, in our own communities? How can famine be prevented? Why can we not
prevent it with the advancements we have made technologically? We waste nearly
50% of the food produced in the United States; how can we do so knowing that it
could be used to offset hunger in other places around the globe? What can I do
today to reduce anyone’s suffering, even if it is not from hunger?
Please
share your questions and comments below for others.
When I first saw this picture, the first thing that came to my mind is that we really do take our lives for granted. I know you talk about this a lot, and it's so true. I hate the fact that in this world, everyone is so selfish. I know so many people that have all the necessities of life and then so much more, and they are still so selfish. It really bothers me that there are people like that in the world that refuse to help others who have hardly anything. This picture makes me sad that there are so many people in the world like this, that have hardly anything, yet it would be so easy to bring them the resources they need. It is so sad to think that we just take our lives for granted so much.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it, this picture also makes me feel very, very grateful and blessed. I do take my life for granted a lot, honestly. Even though I do have hard times in my life (we all do), I still live a great life. While, yes, I am going through a tough time, I still have all the necessities of life. I still have everything I need to survive and I still am beyond blessed with everything in my life.
ReplyDeleteI think it's only natural that we take many aspects of life for granted. Part of the brain's function is to be on the lookout for new stimuli, and so we quickly get accustomed to the parts of life that are routine and/or have been fully explained and comprehended by us. The trick is to view everything as new everyday. The birds I hear outside my window may or not be the exact same birds I heard yesterday, but my ears still listen to their song because I find it fascinating. As I mentioned in the "Cultivating Curiosity" post, we must try to build up this capacity within ourselves each day. It makes life more meaningful and enriching when we treat each day, each moment as something new, something fraught with potential.
DeleteAnd as far as being selfish, this isn't necessarily true of everyone. There are many people who are, but there are many people who are generous as well. What's crucial is for us to recognize and increase our generosity on an individual level. By doing our best to help those in need, we inspire others to follow our example. Don't give up hope, Casey! All we can do is try our best to make the world a better place for its future inhabitants and help them realize the blessings and bounty that this life offers.