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People are told that they have an obligation to 'fulfil their potential'. Potential to make someone else richer?
Little children are shoved into a boiling pot of 'education' where they must 'do well', whatever that means in pre-K, or for that matter, high school. It's just daycare with some idiotic memorization. But I will save my school rant for another time.
Why should we do anything other than being kind to those around us? There is no obligation to the Country, the Society, the Humanity at large, or anyone/anything else. It is just complete garbage.
The only ones who gain are the privileged few, who get to collect rent on each of the 'competitors' in the race to nothing. They don't care who gets stomped in the way, and they've coninced you that neither should you, because you want to rise to the top (stomping everyone in your way).
Money? Sure, you can make more if you sell your soul, but what is enough? You can't stop - you will lose all those stock options, pensions, whatever. And if you do, your money will be inflated out of your pocket, so you have to constantly make more, or figure out how to invest it - which becomes a full-time job. Maybe into some businesses that exploit and pillage, spinning off excess profit to shareholders. And keeping others from taking it requires bashing some heads around you. Congratulations, you are now an asshole.
Fame/Status? You'd have to be an idiot - or badly damaged -- to want that. Show me someone seeking fame, and I absolutely guarantee something is wrong there. I certainly don't want to be near these trainwrecks - successful or wannabees. And I have nothing that interests them, thank god.
Change the world? Unless you are a kid, you are dangerous. You can't, and if you do, it will not be for the better. Just don't.
The best I can do is find a balance and lay low. Enjoy people and things that I love. Minimize waste. Avoid shit that requires unpleasantly-spent time and effort. Enjoy the quiet.
Enjoy less more.