Valentine's Day is one of the most important days of the year in the Western world. It is to remember St. Valentine, a priest who risked his life to marry couples in secret. Soldiers were forbidden from becoming married because Emperor Augustus believed it would make them weak. While there is nothing wrong with celebrating love, it is important to remember what is the true meaning of love and marriage.
The following is a social satire I have made up. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share it!
A couple was planning what they were going to do on Valentine's Day.
"What to do you want to do on Valentine's Day, honey?" the man asked his girlfriend.
"To go shopping at IKEA!" she answered, her eyes all teary.
To his surprise, the man replied, "Shopping! Why would you want to go shopping on Valentine's Day? I thought we had done enough shopping!"
"Don't worry," his girlfriend said with a wile. "It will be the best day of your life. I promise. Just do what I say, okay?
"Alright." he replied. What else could he say?
Soon enough, it was Valentine's Day. The woman had been planning their wedding to be held at IKEA all along. The man was shocked, for he had not expected her to propose to him. So they got married at IKEA.
"I told you it would be the best day of your life," she said.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before Valentine's Day?" he asked her. "I would have brought you some chocolate and a cake."
Angered, she yelled "It doesn't matter whether we are married or not, you should buy me something anyway. How dare you say that!"
So she immediately called for a divorced and they were divorced immediately.
It was the world's shortest marriage. It lasted for only 2 hours.
Showing posts with label Status. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Status. Show all posts
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
It used to be...(5)
It used to be that people who served the community because they truly wanted to make a positive difference were revered. These people made sacrifices for serve the needy, the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed. Power, money, fame and career meant nothing to them. Desiring these things were regarded as desires that contradict the desire to serve others.
Now, people can serve others and their personal needs. It is now normal, and even, fashionable to claim that one wants to serve others through their career where they can also gain power, money or fame. Serving others can be done while serving power, money or fame. Former Attorney-General Nicola Roxon stated in her resignation speech that she encourages young people to consider public serve because one can fight for what one believes. This may be true, however, it does not show an attitude that seeks to serve others although to may outwardly claim to. Instead, it is out of pure selfishness - to fight for what one wants, not what is right.
What people want is not necessarily right. In fact, what people want is often self-centred and has no regard for what others need. The most popular phrase in Australian slang is "I can do what I want". Really, it is not about what one wants. This is evidence that the Australian society is individualistic, self-centred and arrogant. No wonder relationships break down, people fight and, above all, people get hurt. All sorts of people get hurt, not just the groups that are popularly considered to be vulnerable.
The media has contributed to such an individualistic, self-centred and arrogant culture. It portrays the idea that people can serve their own personal desires and the needs of others. It exults rich, powerful or famous people when they act generously because they are not expected to. Although this is realistically true, it reinforces the false idea that people can serve both personal desires and others at the same time.
Helping others now seems hypocritical thanks to the media and an individualistic culture. Helping others can only be truly regarded as serving others when it is done in love for others, not out of selfish ambition.
Now, people can serve others and their personal needs. It is now normal, and even, fashionable to claim that one wants to serve others through their career where they can also gain power, money or fame. Serving others can be done while serving power, money or fame. Former Attorney-General Nicola Roxon stated in her resignation speech that she encourages young people to consider public serve because one can fight for what one believes. This may be true, however, it does not show an attitude that seeks to serve others although to may outwardly claim to. Instead, it is out of pure selfishness - to fight for what one wants, not what is right.
What people want is not necessarily right. In fact, what people want is often self-centred and has no regard for what others need. The most popular phrase in Australian slang is "I can do what I want". Really, it is not about what one wants. This is evidence that the Australian society is individualistic, self-centred and arrogant. No wonder relationships break down, people fight and, above all, people get hurt. All sorts of people get hurt, not just the groups that are popularly considered to be vulnerable.
The media has contributed to such an individualistic, self-centred and arrogant culture. It portrays the idea that people can serve their own personal desires and the needs of others. It exults rich, powerful or famous people when they act generously because they are not expected to. Although this is realistically true, it reinforces the false idea that people can serve both personal desires and others at the same time.
Helping others now seems hypocritical thanks to the media and an individualistic culture. Helping others can only be truly regarded as serving others when it is done in love for others, not out of selfish ambition.
Monday, 11 February 2013
It used to be..(4)
It used to be that work was done to serve the family and community. The husband and wife would distribute out the work as to who would work at home and who would work in the community. Either way, work was done to serve others.
No longer has work become a service to the community. Work now needs to be a career, especially for women. There has been many expectations placed on women to have a career and family. Those who can have both are successful. Those who can't are unsuccessful. Work that is not capable of being a career, that is, work that is not intellectual, or involving leading others, is not valuable. Such work is regarded as non-work.
Interestingly enough, a career, as the term is understood in the postmodern world, does not have to be one that is lucrative. It can be one that has much power or fame. Many of the powerful politicians and public servants, such as commissioners, are really just after the fame and power, in the guise of wanting to help others. Many of the powerful women politicians use women's rights as a pretext for their want of fame and power. It is an easy pretext to use because half the population is female, such that they can get more votes, and that such an issue is regarded as a sensitive one.
People have become so focused on their careers at the expense of relationships. Parents have neglected the needs of their children by letting other people look after them. Young people are becoming increasingly arrogant about their prospects. Women have become extremely proud about their careers that they look down on stay-at-home mothers.
That work has become a status symbol means that helping others is choice that people make depending on what they can gain. Our humanity has gone. Welcome to the postmodern world where there are very few who truly serve others through their work.
No longer has work become a service to the community. Work now needs to be a career, especially for women. There has been many expectations placed on women to have a career and family. Those who can have both are successful. Those who can't are unsuccessful. Work that is not capable of being a career, that is, work that is not intellectual, or involving leading others, is not valuable. Such work is regarded as non-work.
Interestingly enough, a career, as the term is understood in the postmodern world, does not have to be one that is lucrative. It can be one that has much power or fame. Many of the powerful politicians and public servants, such as commissioners, are really just after the fame and power, in the guise of wanting to help others. Many of the powerful women politicians use women's rights as a pretext for their want of fame and power. It is an easy pretext to use because half the population is female, such that they can get more votes, and that such an issue is regarded as a sensitive one.
People have become so focused on their careers at the expense of relationships. Parents have neglected the needs of their children by letting other people look after them. Young people are becoming increasingly arrogant about their prospects. Women have become extremely proud about their careers that they look down on stay-at-home mothers.
That work has become a status symbol means that helping others is choice that people make depending on what they can gain. Our humanity has gone. Welcome to the postmodern world where there are very few who truly serve others through their work.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
It used to be...(3)
It used to be that friendship was about respecting others. It was about helping each other through the hard times. Now, friendship is dependent on how the individual person views one's friends, rather than how the person is viewed by others. This is evidence of how we are becoming increasingly individualistic.
We treat our friends as people to be used. It is all about how many friends we have, not how many people who we are a friend of. The idea of friendship is to give each other personal pleasure and to gain personal desires. Friends are now, as understood in the postmodern sense as people to have fun with. One has to have more friends to have more fun, meaning more pleasure.
The activities that we enjoy with friends has become a status symbol. Gaining, not making "friends" is a point-scoring activity. People talk about who is their friend, not who are they friends with. Social life has become a norm to show-off one's popularity, instead of helping others with their needs. As a result, gaining friends has become a political tool for people to gain influence and control over others.
No longer do we feel satisfied about ourselves, but we are concerned with what others think about us. To feel more popular, we look at how many friends we have to feel assured about social status.
We treat our friends as people to be used. It is all about how many friends we have, not how many people who we are a friend of. The idea of friendship is to give each other personal pleasure and to gain personal desires. Friends are now, as understood in the postmodern sense as people to have fun with. One has to have more friends to have more fun, meaning more pleasure.
The activities that we enjoy with friends has become a status symbol. Gaining, not making "friends" is a point-scoring activity. People talk about who is their friend, not who are they friends with. Social life has become a norm to show-off one's popularity, instead of helping others with their needs. As a result, gaining friends has become a political tool for people to gain influence and control over others.
No longer do we feel satisfied about ourselves, but we are concerned with what others think about us. To feel more popular, we look at how many friends we have to feel assured about social status.
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