Of Little Importance

Of Little Importance

In Alain DeBotton's article "The Shame of Failure" she writes that "Our sense of an appropriate limit to achievement and wealth is never decided independently." She continues to say that we ask others their thoughts on our lives and we are forever comparing ourselves to the successes of others. DeBotton sees this behavior as normal, acceptable. I believe that achievement and wealth is decided by the individual.

DeBotton says that Americans have the freedom to choose their lifestyle and in doing so can comparatively be better than or worse than other Americans. In order to solve this ongoing dilemma, DeBotton suggests that people can choose to either make more money or restrain their desires. She goes on to say that "modern societies have succeeded spectacularly at the first, but...have negated their achievements." Americans do fight to attain wealth, but will not say no to their desires.

I do not believe that one can solve this status anxiety by making more money or restraining desires. Any given person will have desires for simple to ludicrous things. Money is a fact of life, a necessity. To fix status anxiety I believe that you should stop inflicting importance on not-so-important things. Why does you job make you a bad person? It doesn't. Every job has importance and the key to fixing this is to make wages more equal. Why should the athlete who just plays a game all day be allowed to make millions when a teacher who gets these kids through to the real world makes a meager $30,000? (Starting teaching salary according to www.aft.org/salary/) Society brought itself to these standards and we are now unhappy with them. I also believe that their really should not be a problem with status. What does it matter if you make $25,000 a year and are a divorced father of 4 with a 1987 Jeep Wagoneer? It doesn't matter to people, unless they are shallow themselves. As long as you're happy it doesn't matter!

Achievements are individual. DeBotton believes them to be comparative to others. When one has made their personal achievement, they have satisfied themselves for the moment. They will then shoot for a new goal. This in no way shows a need for co-dependence. This is showing that we have independent desires, proving DeBotton wrong.