I cannot change the ignorance of younger generations. It is not my fault, nor my responsibility that the rest of society has failed these children. I cannot change the fact that members of the younger generation feel that they are right, even when it is glaringly obvious that they are wrong and not only that they are wrong, but that they are completely and utterly stupid, because they defend their factually incorrect positions with phrases like “Whatever.” and then proceed with the argument.
If you claim you are not going to argue, then don’t. That means you have to shut up first. That does not mean you get to say, “I’m not going to argue” and then go on about how you are absolutely right. That’s not how it works. Either you are arguing, or you are not. Commit to one course of action or the other.
If you claim that you are right, maybe you could do something simple like… check wikipedia and post a link to back up your point of view, and then if you should happen to prove yourself wrong, which you will find will happen a LOT more than you think it will right now because you are young and think you know it all, and I know that you do because, believe it or not, I was once young too, then admit it and apologize for being a jerk.
If you really are that ignorant, get out there and educate yourself. I am sorry that your public school system failed you. I am sorry that your parents failed you. I, however, have not failed my children and my children and do not feel that I should be held accountable for the failings that are not my own. These things are also no reason for you to fail yourself.
My children know things like correct grammar and the fact that the word “grammar” does not have an “e” in it. They have large vocabularies and do not walk around acting like the world owes them anything. Everything that my kids come to in this life, they have earned and will earn. My kids have been raised on the idea that no one in this world gives you anything. If you want to succeed, you will have to fight for the things that you want. They know this, and I am here to tell it to you now.
The world does not owe you anything. This concept of the government owing you health care or new cars or new homes that are far more expensive than you would ever be able to pay for within your life time is precisely why our economy is in the toilet and is why many of your parents can’t find jobs. The government giving people hand outs does not work for our financial stability as a nation. It does not make this country a good investment. It does not make this country a good place to work or live. All it does, is make things more expensive. It drives prices up and income down. A system like this is unsustainable and will eventually collapse under the weight of demands for “more”.
The solution to the problem is for you to quit asking for things for yourself. Stop asking the government for things for other people.
Get up off your lazy, entitled ass and start doing things for someone else.
I’m not talking about doing things for the benefit of foreign nations. I’m talking about asking how you, yourself, can do something to change someone’s life today. What little thing can you do?
A few weeks ago, I paid for the order of the woman behind me at Starbucks because I saw that she was sitting in her car crying. It was obvious to me that she was having a bad day, so I did the only thing that I could to make her day brighter. I didn’t know her, had never met her or seen her before, but I know that what I did made her smile. My five dollars for her mocha changed her outlook on the world, even if it was only for one day. It showed her the kindness of strangers. It showed her that some people do care, no matter how bad things looked to her right then.
Another example, is that I helped a friend of mine, who is a new mom, move into her apartment last weekend. It was hard for her to take care of the baby and move house at the same time, but her friends came out for her. We showed up, we got her kitchen unpacked and found her diapers. It wasn’t much. It didn’t require a single penny to be spent on my part, and I know that it made her day.
There are all kinds of small things that you can do to help someone in need. These are the sorts of things that we should be doing. If you want to help your fellow man, then start reaching out to your fellow man. You, yourself, the individual. Do not expect the government to take care of the homeless in your community. There is a reason that we live in communities. It’s so that we can help each other.
Look at what happened in New York City on September 11th, 2001? The entire country rose up in support of New Yorkers that day and the courage and the kindness that they showed continues to be an inspiration to me, almost a decade later. I will never forget the sacrifices and the goodness that Americans did in the days following 9/11. I will never forget Red Cross blood donation centers having lines out their doors that went down the streets. Everyone pitched in to help, everyone.
The world would be a better place, and everyone would be happier, including you, who thinks the world owes you a living, if everyone would reach out and help the people that they can see and touch.
Now get off your butt. Stop whining about not knowing anything. Start learning and start showing the world what it is that you have to give.
That, my dear child, is the road to happiness. If there is one lesson that you should be taught, out of all the lessons you will ever earn in this life, it is that you aren’t entitled to happiness. Happiness is something you have to make for yourself.
