It is generally known that life is not fair. There is starvation in Africa and amazing wealth in California. Some people have blessings of a great jobs, health, and loving family, while there are others who are dumb, sick, and unattractive. If life was fair those who commit crimes against the innocent would always be punished. If life was fair businesses who pollute would pay for their crime. If life was fair we would never be governed by leaders who are oppressive or incompetent.
But the problem is our attitude and expectations, not that life is unfair. We expect fairness from life and are disappointed, dejected, and depressed when we don’t get our way. We are deluded because we expect the impossible. This delusion, based on socialist and humanist notions that life must be fair for everyone, is the height of absurdity. Life is not fair and its time to get used to it.
Life may not be fair, but it still has immense meaning. We need to understand that we are all interconnected to each other and the reason why some do may be poor is so that others can have more. People are poor in Africa because ecological and economic systems were unfairly distributed and has made it impossible for everyone to become wealthy. Some are born with terminal and crippling conditions because of an unfair distribution of genes and has made it impossible for everyone to be healthy. This unfairness results in the haves and the have-nots. It is unfair but it is necessary because we are interconnected.
I believe that there is some kind of metaphysical reason why this is necessary. It comes from the Ying-Yang symbol of Taoism where balance expects there to be as much dark as there is light and that for every good there is a bad. Yet don’t be mislead that just because it is meant to happen does not mean we should be insensitive to people or things who have less.
Being interconnected means that a mindfulness can develop that helps us realize that when I enjoy something, I am getting it because somebody or something else is providing it, sometimes willingly, sometimes not. We need to appreciate this regardless of where it comes from. Instead of complaining that things should not be this way, just express appreciation and gratitude that you have what you do. See everything you have as a gift. It is an opportunity for true openness.
When this openness develops, I believe that solutions to the problems of inequities or injustice will materialize. Life no longer becomes a dual notion of fair/unfair or good/bad but becomes a recognition of relationships and choices. Suddenly, Life is not something to be distracted with but something to be lived and felt.
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