It's not my fault that I bought a lottery ticket really expecting to win. It's not my fault that I have not received a Pulitzer or Peace prize for my writing. It's not my fault that some people don't have a house in which to live, a car to drive, and AC on these hot summer days.
No, it's the default setting that my life is following that leads me to believe that I can get rich quick, have overnight success and fame, and say, "I'm OK, even if you're not."
Though I do not believe that humankind is depraved, let alone evil by nature, I do think that our default setting is selfishness. Sure, there's various templates of selfishness with which we're working, but the setting is centered on the self, or ego as it were. This is not a good idea because the more we look at ourselves and the less-than-perfect lives we have, the more fault we assign to ourselves and others.
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That's why I'm opposed, in principle, to the Olympic Games, here or abroad. When the selfish pressure of the perfect scoring is configured with the noble patriotism of representing one's country, the tendency is to fall back on the default setting. A gold medal is hitting the lottery, a hockey victory is both documentary and movie, and the lure of endorsements is really OK.
Somehow it's only natural to want to win and so unusual to be a good loser/learner. It's important to take the competition to the next level and so tempting to enhance the growth as well. It's for your country and so much like professional sports.
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The USSR then, and many a country since, suggest that the dream is a reality when you have a team that cannot lose, especially starting positions and professional salaries back home.
Can we change our default setting as selfishness corrupts the efforts of students to make the grade, of contestants to make the cut, and of our country to make us proud? Can we see winning at all cost as a variation on the theme of obsessive-compulsive stalking of a prize or person? Can we stop finding fault with ourselves and others for the default that we're finding is setting the stage for frustration and failure?
It's not my fault that I don't know much about the default setting on my computer. But I do know that Denise and Denephew are the ones to look to, rather than fault, for what needs to be changed. I'm looking forward to picking something wholesome and healthy from the setting menu. I just don't trust myself with the default setting any longer.
