"It's bad enough trying to keep up with the Jones; when you have trouble keeping up with the guy living on the wrong side of the tracks, it's a source of constant aggravation." -- from an old blog entry by a fellow named Philip Brewer
There have been a lot of sob stories in the media lately, revolving around high gas and food prices and the mortgage mess. The one people are discussing in the forums happens to be about food stamp recipients. When you're feeling stressed about your own finances, it can be really irritating when you're asked to feel sorry for someone else who's made dumb choices yet still enjoys luxuries you don't have, or has walked out on the kind of responsibility you are fulfilling, or is getting help you aren't getting. I know I've gotten riled up at times.
But Mr. Brewer says something I hope I can remember:
"When people around you make unwise choices the appropriate emotion to feel is compassion, not ire. When you find yourself wishing for better crap the appropriate emotion to feel is gratitude for the crap you've got, not envy for someone else's."
He says it's the Buddhist perspective. All I know is, I'd rather learn to think that way than have my blood pressure spike up!
He also has a good piece on how voluntary frugality and poverty are two different things--even if the poor person and the frugal person are living on the same budget.
www.wisebread.com/voluntary-simplicity-versus-poverty
May 22nd, 2008 at 01:50 pm 1211464254
May 22nd, 2008 at 03:13 pm 1211469222
May 26th, 2008 at 01:00 am 1211763613