Written from the present tense, but based almost entirely off of three tiny note pad papers that I scrawled on, front and back.
Day 2
The Middle of Nowhere
One of the things I do like about myself is my ability to turn weaknesses into strengths. For example, it is very hard to upset me these days. My temper was once a huge obstacle. Also, I'm unattached to material things.
How much of what I've told myself is a lie? I mentioned before that I am not friendly, but am kind. That I'm not confident, but am brave.
This is going to cost me a ton, but it's a lesson well learned. I'm in a tow truck right now. The entire thing - replacing a tire, from a flat in the middle of Nowhere, California, will cost me about $400. But I don't see the cost as a tragedy. I see it as a learning opportunity. I think I really am adaptable. Also, I think I do good things for good reasons.
Like this. I was waiting for the tow truck, which took a while to arrive, and I saw all this trash on the side of the freeway. I noticed it all while I was walking to the call box to ask for assistance (I love Cali's call boxes. Such a good idea.). From bottles of Guinness to broken cell phones, there were all these pieces of rubbish littering the freeway. And while I was waiting for the tow truck, I pulled a trash bag out of my car and started picking up the trash.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that, should help have been farther away, I would have been okay. I have enough water and rations in my car to survive a few days, at least. That's very reassuring to me.
This tow truck driver is arguing with his boss about a decision the boss has made that lost the company business, and saying "I don't mean to butt into your business, but it's my business too. It's my paycheck. It's all of our paychecks."
This brings me back to another subject of contemplation, which is what my exact political beliefs are. I've always described myself as a capitalist, when in reality, that is just because I'm very pro-business. I thought that these two things were synonymous, when more recent information (as opposed to definitions I've been given since I was a kid) was given to me. I want business, and I want business to function at its best.
I know I'm pro-democracy, and I know I'm pro-business. Anarcho-syndiclism seems like it could be compatible with these things. I really want to study it more. In its way, it seems like a more democratic version of business.
In my contemplation, I'm thinking that the driving principals of Capitalism are like the "Divine Right of Kings," as opposed to democracy. That one individual is ordained and will do better than the collective group of individuals who are impacted. That one individual, or small group of individuals, knows what's best for everyone.
This isn't something I've made up my mind on. I'm definitely not a socialist at this point, but merely undecided. There are little holes I keep poking in socialism, but most of them seem pretty easy to repair if the system is given enough flexibility. Oddly, one of the larger holes I've been able to prick is that it could degenerate quite rapidly into capitalism . . . which I can't really say is much of a hole when I'm comparing it to capitalism, which doesn't need to degenerate much to become capitalism. :)
The idea of Adam Smith, that the individual protecting his own interests will motivate him to create a better product or service, and thus serve the group on the whole better, is definitely an appealing one. (I haven't studied much Adam Smith, and this is a paraphrase, but it's a concept that I would tend to believe in, even if I didn't state this quite accurately).
But then, if this is what Adam Smith is saying (maybe he is, maybe he isn't) and it's true, wouldn't it also be true that we have to bring business down to a more individualized level? That in its current state, the owner of the company doing what is best for himself still leaves out a large portion of the company? If better business is in everyone's best interest, then everyone will be more motivated. Right now, some work for better job security, or a promotion, and are thus motivated. I feel the majority, though, only work hard enough to not get fired.
Day 2
The Middle of Nowhere
One of the things I do like about myself is my ability to turn weaknesses into strengths. For example, it is very hard to upset me these days. My temper was once a huge obstacle. Also, I'm unattached to material things.
How much of what I've told myself is a lie? I mentioned before that I am not friendly, but am kind. That I'm not confident, but am brave.
This is going to cost me a ton, but it's a lesson well learned. I'm in a tow truck right now. The entire thing - replacing a tire, from a flat in the middle of Nowhere, California, will cost me about $400. But I don't see the cost as a tragedy. I see it as a learning opportunity. I think I really am adaptable. Also, I think I do good things for good reasons.
Like this. I was waiting for the tow truck, which took a while to arrive, and I saw all this trash on the side of the freeway. I noticed it all while I was walking to the call box to ask for assistance (I love Cali's call boxes. Such a good idea.). From bottles of Guinness to broken cell phones, there were all these pieces of rubbish littering the freeway. And while I was waiting for the tow truck, I pulled a trash bag out of my car and started picking up the trash.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find that, should help have been farther away, I would have been okay. I have enough water and rations in my car to survive a few days, at least. That's very reassuring to me.
This tow truck driver is arguing with his boss about a decision the boss has made that lost the company business, and saying "I don't mean to butt into your business, but it's my business too. It's my paycheck. It's all of our paychecks."
This brings me back to another subject of contemplation, which is what my exact political beliefs are. I've always described myself as a capitalist, when in reality, that is just because I'm very pro-business. I thought that these two things were synonymous, when more recent information (as opposed to definitions I've been given since I was a kid) was given to me. I want business, and I want business to function at its best.
I know I'm pro-democracy, and I know I'm pro-business. Anarcho-syndiclism seems like it could be compatible with these things. I really want to study it more. In its way, it seems like a more democratic version of business.
In my contemplation, I'm thinking that the driving principals of Capitalism are like the "Divine Right of Kings," as opposed to democracy. That one individual is ordained and will do better than the collective group of individuals who are impacted. That one individual, or small group of individuals, knows what's best for everyone.
This isn't something I've made up my mind on. I'm definitely not a socialist at this point, but merely undecided. There are little holes I keep poking in socialism, but most of them seem pretty easy to repair if the system is given enough flexibility. Oddly, one of the larger holes I've been able to prick is that it could degenerate quite rapidly into capitalism . . . which I can't really say is much of a hole when I'm comparing it to capitalism, which doesn't need to degenerate much to become capitalism. :)
The idea of Adam Smith, that the individual protecting his own interests will motivate him to create a better product or service, and thus serve the group on the whole better, is definitely an appealing one. (I haven't studied much Adam Smith, and this is a paraphrase, but it's a concept that I would tend to believe in, even if I didn't state this quite accurately).
But then, if this is what Adam Smith is saying (maybe he is, maybe he isn't) and it's true, wouldn't it also be true that we have to bring business down to a more individualized level? That in its current state, the owner of the company doing what is best for himself still leaves out a large portion of the company? If better business is in everyone's best interest, then everyone will be more motivated. Right now, some work for better job security, or a promotion, and are thus motivated. I feel the majority, though, only work hard enough to not get fired.
