If there’s one thing my friend Kelley taught me (okay, she’s taught me a truckload of other stuff, too), it is the power of asking good questions.
And then the power of shutting up long enough to listen to the answers.
By nature, I understand that a blog is a place where I, the wanna-be writer, typically “speak,” and you, the web-browser, typically “listen.” But sometimes, honestly, I get tired of my own voice. And I want to hear yours. Truly.
So every Monday (if I can remember and if we have internet access and if I don’t have kids climbing on me too much), I will post a question–sometimes funny {If you could have any plastic surgery, what would it be?} and sometimes thought-provoking {What makes you angry?}. And you get to speak a bit by commenting.
But please do. Speak, that is. I’d love to know more about who’s stopping by. I promise, I’m all ears.
So without further ado {I know, I know, I can hear a drumroll, too}, here’s this Monday’s Question:
In your opinion, what or who do you think a majority of Americans adore (worship, esteem, spend time/money/energy on) most?
ALifeOverseas.com / LauraParkerBlog.com.
Destined Traveler.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Okay, I’ll go first. But just this time! Cuz next time, I’m shutting up!
I think most American probably worship SELF first and foremost. I know I do more often than not. I see the world through how things can go the best for ME. I try to manipulate things to make MYSELF look good. etc, etc, etc.
I also think we adore appearances. And money, and the stuff it can buy.
I think we spend the most on ourselves. Most of us are a selfish people that think of our wants and needs above others.
We spend our money on things that don’t last, to impress people we don’t really know. I think that is one reason there are so many divorces. We don’t consider the other person’s needs and feelings.
Daline, good point that what we value/worship will inevitably affect our relationships–marriages, friendships, parenting. It definitely brings home that what we adore really matters as it will play out in every aspect of our lives. For good or for bad.
I think we, as a nation, try to obtain two main things: power and security. It seems we’re trying to police the world to make it “safer” for everyone, which seems to underhandedly equate to an increase in power and wealth for America (and often has the opposite effect). On an individual level, I think people are always looking for and investing in ways to make their lives safer/healthier, (insurance, weight loss programs, etc.) which is good a lot of times, but some times it puts an emphasis too much on this world, and doesn’t allow enough room for faith.
Power. You bring up a good point here, Elizabeth. And comfort, another good point. I think it is our human nature to scramble for those two things, often to the detriment of the people around us.
I agree with Daline; before I read her response I knew mine would be “self”. someone once told me to look at my check book to see where priority was; man was that humbling! Food, eating out, clothes, etc….Think about it, what do I/we spend the majority of our time/focus on? I spend it on MY family. I am getting better…getting more global minded….and Laura, reconnecting with you this way is awesome! Your writing is inspiring~!
rebekah
Oh, I like that, Rebekah! The idea that if we look at what we spend our money on, we can get a good picture of our values. I’m afraid mine would say that I care a lot about convenience (eating out!) and appearances (clothes and makeup!). Ouch.
Self. Without a doubt.
Money.
I work in the corporate world and see it every day. People will compromise anything and everything for the almighty dollar.
Rachel, HEY! Thanks for commenting. I hear you, we are so consumed with money, and I bet in your job you are surrounded by that. We are such a wealthy nation, compared to other countries, but I guess we rarely spend that money on others or for the global common good.
Matt said the other day that we wonder why God lets people go hungry around the globe, but we don’t realize that He has given us all the resources for everyone on the globe to eat. It’s just that we have been poor stewards of distributing the wealth.
Thanks for leaving your thoughts . . . .
Laura
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but not in the pure since it was intended. It has been perverted. Life is assumed, misunderstood, and selfish. Liberty is taken for granted and abused to control, promote and manipulate personal agendas. The pursuit of happiness is about materialism and surrounding ourselves with meaningless stuff that we think makes us look good and successful. Why is it that all great ideas get twisted and perverted by people? Although most Americans belive they have these things, in reality, they are dead, slaves, and unhappy. Perhaps that is a natural consequence of worshiping ourselves or other underserving things.
Thanks, Kevin for commenting. I know that living overseas you have seen other cultures and have gotten a view of Americans, outside of America. An eye-opening perspective, for sure.
I love your comment that good ideas so often get twisted. Absolutely. It’s an interesting thing that our pursuit of “more” and “better” has led us as a nation to accomplish a lot, though, in terms of business, progressive ideas, developments.
Just wanted to say that I DO LOVE AMERICA. I’m thankful I was born here, and though we do as a nation (or just as humans) tend to adore the wrong things, I recognize that we come from a place of great opportunity.
I’m grateful for that. Truly.
Self it is. What is power about? Self. What is MORE money about? Self. What are appearances? Self. What are MORE things about? Self.
But really, none of these things are evil in and of themselves, only when our fallen-ness corrupts them. Power can be useful to accomplish good for God’s children. Money is necessary to provide for our families and also for others. Appearances DO help us open doors! Some things are necessary . . . . ok, more and more things being good is a bit of a stretch!
Thanks for the question and the opportunity to think and write.
Love that differentiation, Tamara. I agree that it’s important to remember that the money or the strength or the ability is not the “evil” in and of itself. It’s more about when those things take too high of a place that things start to get broken–within us and in our relationships with others.
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