I'm so paid

When I was a kid I remember trying to sort out all of the why's. I wanted to know why I had to wake up at six o'clock every day, make a lunch, and carpool to school. I wanted to know why it mattered that I went to school. "You go to school," adults told me, "so you can go to middle school and then high school and then, if you have good grades, you can go to college." College? Oh, there's a reason for that too. College, of course, is for gaining an education that will allow you to get into graduate school. And graduate school is supposed to help you get a "good" job. Why do I need a job? Oh, so you can earn enough money to buy the big house in the cul-de-sac and have a dog and a spouse and three kids and a minivan. So that those kids can go to school and get jobs and get dogs and minivans. It all just seemed so circular to me then. And, sometimes, it does now too.

I'm not trying to say that we're all wasting our time here, and that educating ourselves in order to secure decent jobs in order to live comfortably is totally ridiculous. But it begins to sound a little stale. If I drop out of college today and move into my parents' garage, society will most likely label me a failure. But if I finish my degree and land a really great job that pays so well that I am able to buy every new piece of Apple technology as it becomes available and vacation in Barbados every couple years, I will be successful. I will be successful because I have the ability to buy things I want. But what if I do move into my parents' garage and don't have a job to support my spending habit? No big deal. Just get a credit card. Or two. With credit, I can maintain all appearances of success when I'm around my friends: I can drive a cute new car and buy $5 lattes at Starbucks every day. This culture of consumerism has become so much a part of the American Dream that we seem to value stuff more than people. The other extreme would be if I did get that incredible job, but I worked so much in order to advance my position in the company that I never had time for people. In that case, I would appear successful, driving around in that cute car that I can afford, but at what cost? Would I be happy? Does happiness matter?

Success or nothing

Ask yourself all of the things you wish to have, and calculate the bill. I think its fair to assume that your bill is over one million dollars without the addition of gratuity yet. Every time we turn on our television or look at our browser homepage there is a new product on the market that usually requires us to extend beyond our budgets to purchase them. If you travel backward, from primary school days I'm sure many may recall playing the game MASH which everyone wanted their luck to fall on "M" which meant that they would live in a mansion; house (H) was satisfying however landing on the "S' was never an option as it meant you would reside in a shack. Fast forward a little to high school when it was time to explore career options. Often times, speaking from personal experiences, we disregard our passion for practicality. For example, many young Bahamians would disregard the desire to study art or social work in college because these are the careers that are not "successful." Of course by successful, we simply imply that they do not achieve the net six figure salary that is needed to acquire the house, much less the mansion. Therefore, one consequence of success' definition today is the deterrence it becomes to pursuing true passions in careers.

As humans we seem to have an ever growing void that increases because we try to fill it in with the world. With this is mind, doesn't the definition of success tend to shift as we draw closer to its previous definition? One of today's most popular rappers, Drake, hit song entitled "Successful" brings one of the clearest definitions possible. He plainly states "I want the money, money and the cars, cars and the clothes, I suppose, I just wanna be... successful." On that note material possessions now become the next method by which we gauge success. But at what cost to ourselves and those around us? We are no longer satisfied by a car that takes us from point A to point B without being killed by excess carbon monoxide or hypothermia. Sincere apologies to the poor chap who did not realize that we live in an era in which our cars must be voice automated, able to make phone calls and change the song currently playing through the stereo. Do not mistake me for believing that we should not enjoy the "finer things in life" however, are they really necessary? Why should the car we drive determine our level of success rather than the difference we made in the life of another human being? We have become so success driven that we have been blinded to one of the essential messages throughout Jesus' entire ministry. I say this especially because we as Seventh Day Adventists, more often than not, read the same dictionary in the library of the world than we would wish to admit. Nevertheless, we have become selfish and inconsiderate people subconsciously. Although we may not be the primary cause behind poverty and hunger in our societies, we must ask ourselves when was the last time we tried to assist in its alleviation.

In the terrible plot written film of 2009 "Drag me to Hell," a young bank worker had the option to extend the mortgage period for a single elderly woman or reject the extension, save the bank excess money and be promoted to assistant branch manager. The decision she made is quite obvious from the film's title as she was cursed and the movie goes on. More importantly, this is a blatant example of what I find to be the most prevalent consequence of today's definition of success and namely its correspondence with wealth as Veblen describes. This situation may seem similar to making the choice between purchasing a new purse to add to your collection or purchasing can goods to donate to the local salvation army. However, the difference comes in the fact that even when we are given an obvious chance to help someone else we do what we assume is best for our own preservation. But what are we really preserving other than our greed and materialism? In other words, because we want to be, as Drake said, "successful" there is no other alternative in life than to do just that. It is quite alarming when we begin to ponder about our very own ideas about success and realize that we may be leaning towards the very same things we claim as Christians to despise. Honestly, who wants nothing when they can have success? :/

True Success

During out reading of Veblen over the past couple of weeks I have been struck with how closely he describes the society we live in today. We are driven by money. Much of the world is completely engrossed in accumulating more and more “stuff” so that they can be happy. However, as we talked about earlier in McKibben happiness does not seem to come, at least statistically, from money. So why do we keep pursuing it? If we have our basic needs met why do we need more? I believe that one of the reasons is due to our self worth. If we do not feel satisfied with ourselves then we think that accumulating money and material possessions will help us feel more confident and successful. I have seen this phenomenon occur in myself and in those around me. During my teenage years I felt insecure and as a result of those feelings tried to fit in with my peers. One of my worst fears was that I would be classified as “different” or “unique”. In order to avoid this fear I tried to fit in by purchasing specific types of clothes. However, I soon realized that this did not increase my success or my self worth. I, like many others, fell into the trap that Veblen talks about in his book—invidious consumption.

One of the consequences of falling into this trap is that it rarely brings true success or self worth. This is due to the fact that there is always something better, newer, or greater that can be attained. Society claims that the more wealth you attain the more successful you become. However, I believe that this can lead to dire consequences. If you use this mantra as the backbone of your life, God is unnecessary. In fact, his principles for success seem to go against those held closely by the world. The principles of kindness, gentleness, and self-control all differ from what many hold as principles vital to success. Instead the world says to work hard, play hard, sleep less, and be kind to only those who help increase your wealth. These principles have been shown to increase wealth but are they purposeful effort? Do they make you feel more successful? I do not believe they do. In contrast, I feel that purposeful effort and success come from doing things for others. As a volunteer at Andrews University Outreach I have found that success does not come from your net worth. Instead, it comes from doing things for people in your community. Thinking about some of the “pillars” in our word’s history I can name several that had little net worth but great success. Mother Teresa lacked wealth but if you were to ask the people she served they would tell you of her success. Martin Luther King Jr. also lacked wealth but the civil rights movement he started is still a success today. I believe that these examples help remind me that success comes from helping others and promoting a cause worth living for. If our society would take this principle to heart I feel that more people would attain true success from their efforts and avoid the trap of invidious consumption.

Success vs. Success

We pray that God will lead us to influence someone's life, and in reality, we all affect those around us without even knowing it.  The roll of peers in each others' lives has increased profoundly; our mentality success is no longer tabulated against the standards of one's own personal best, but has shifted to the values of those around us.  When Veblen says we want to result "in a more creditable showing of accumulated wealth," he is cutting to the chase on the inner most desires that each individual will face, and then will choose whether to follow or take another path.  Success is now known as a destination, not the journey.  There are many individuals who would immediately back away from their hard work and effort if they were informed that all the "creditable showing" waiting at the end would not be there.  No matter how nice or naive a person may seem, everyone has that streak within them to desire acknowledgment or recognition for something.  

One of the consequences I thought of from Veblen's definition of success can be found today.  We are already seeing the effects of this mentality: people are losing trust within one another.  Technology, knowledge, and more avenues of ranking has catapulted our society into a "competitive war."  From advertisements to slogans, all have the same underlying theme that bigger/more is better!  We will begin to lose the significant value in the individual if we keep trying to compare the individual to the community.  Everything starts to be labeled black and white, yours or mine, and the spirit of unity and teamwork so prevalently displayed in history's stories will begin to fade until our society becomes "every-man-for-himself."  

Personally, I don't think it is bad to aim for success even when one knows the "creditable showings" that will come out of it; I feel that what brings the sense of nobility is if an individual would be willing to put another individual above himself, if it means otherwise having to "step on him."  Moral tests for cases like this don't come around too often, but when they do, it is so easy to see different individuals mentality on their approach to success.

Filling the Void

The concept that ‘purposeful effort’ means working towards more wealth really describes the human condition quite well. This is true assuming we don’t hold a terribly tight definition on wealth, but think of it as more than what I had earlier or more than he or she has. This loose definition of wealth is really at the crux of most activities.

I try to live my life to make a positive difference in the world and help other people. If I tell myself that this is the only reason I am loosing sleep to finish up all that work, I am not being entirely truthful. In reality, a lot of what I do, and I would guess the majority of Americans, is aimed at making myself look and/or feel better, or to bring pleasure to my living experience. If through this I can improve the lives of other people it comes as an added bonus. Although I may not be explicitly flaunting the things I have in what I do, the underlying reason, although several rationales distant, can often be brought back to a prime objective of ‘make me better’. So we then ask, “How do I make myself better? With this question we start looking for answers. The world provides so many options that we get lost in trying them all. The bible is possibly the greatest positive source at showing us that there is much more beyond the present state of being. This sort of longing for more I believe is wired into human nature. God programmed us to long for Him.

The problem that so much of the world faces is that they long for God, but substitute other gods/things which are not capable of fulfilling the longing. Thus we need more in our attempt to fill the void that only God can fill.

Where we are wired with this longing, it is natural that we purpose to fill the void with the wrong things, namely stuff and material wealth. Global economies and marketing departments help by providing all sorts of things to throw into this void. None of these solutions lasts, since filling a void that an infinite God fits in, is impossible without that God.

I realize that this idea may not directly address the topic from the perspective that Veblen wished. It does, I believe, help me see why people who really know Jesus and have God in their hearts seem to be really happy and satisfied people even though they don’t have much stuff. If the ‘God void’ in one’s life actually has God, then one can stop trying to satisfy the void and look around at others and genuinely help them out. On the other hand though, if there is a gaping hole in one’s life, most of one’s purposeful effort will be directed at filling the hole, which usually amounts to ‘a more credible showing of accumulated wealth’ just as Veblen said.

What Does Your Measuring Stick Look Like?

Whether it be monetary wealth, wealth of intelligence and knowledge, wealth of friends and family or wealth in leisure, abundance is our measuring stick for success. It's a cycle that never ends, sucking in everyone and everything along its path. As a part of today's society, everyone of us longs to be successful and every time we think we've reached success, someone else trumps us, putting us back into the race to fight some more only to be disappointed all over again. We are aware of the consequences of our actions and the likelihood that we will never be the best or the most of anything, but we continue on through the blood, sweat and tears.

Why then is it so hard for us to give up? Why is it so unpopular to sit back, relax, let it go and measure our success by other standards?

In the Christian life we are asked to think in the opposite direction. Christ directs us to go against the grain, to not conform to the ways of the world and to not adapt to their ways of thinking, all of which seem to point towards a hopeless cause. But it doesn't have to be if our goals are based on other foundations. Success is not abundance in the way that the world refers to it, but an unseen heavenly abundance. When we break out of the worldly cycle, we focus less on ourselves and our achievements and more on Christ and the blessings that we receive from Him, to no credit of our own.

Why then is this seemingly 'easy' plan so difficult to follow? Because as we take a hold of this concept and force our way through the crowd, with every step we are confronted and challenged, told to turn around and go with the flow. But if we turn our eyes upon the one who knows what success truly is, we will get through all of the pushing, shoving and suggesting of others and end up on the other side with something that is immeasurable.

A values centered life, in a world that is constantly measuring us, is one founded on Jesus Christ.

"Getting There"

       Last semester, one of our family friends passed away from pancreatic cancer.  He had just gotten married a few years prior, become a theology professor at Pacific Union College and fathered a beautiful baby boy.  Everything changed, however, when he was told he had less than 4 months to live.  Being a goal-orientated, driven person, I was so bothered by the idea that Dr. Ha was being stripped away from everything he had ever worked for. It just wasn’t fair. What was the point of his life? I thought. Why was his life cut short? He never even got to indulge in his successes. Did his life even serve a purpose?

       Whoa, hold on! Since when did our society (and myself) become so focused on “getting there” that we question the value of an individual’s life based on what he gained or who she became—to the point that our lives are not worthwhile unless we can prove with some tangible items that we are significant?  According to Veblen, success is materialistic; it is something to show off like status, career, wealth, family, leisure, etc. But what happens once you gain everything?  Or, in Dr. Ha’s case, when your life is cut short?  So much of our focus is set on “getting there” and too little emphasis is placed on the days we live in right NOW.  Upon hearing of Dr. Ha’s death, these words ran through my mind: if we don’t enjoy the whole process of being college students, finding someone to marry, becoming career professionals, etc., we still won’t be happy when these dreams come true. We must label our own personal success and not let others manipulate our definitions of a successful life. 

       Life is momentary. So why waste time buying the newest generation Iphone, designing the biggest house on the block, or focusing on other materialistic things to determine our success. We need to be happy with our lives and accomplishments as if we were dying the next day.  Because today is the day we were worrying about yesterday.