Paternalism Produces Whiny Babies August 4, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, People, Sustainable Living.trackback
Did you hear the one about the check-out girl who thought “they” should provide free insurance to people who didn’t bother to purchase it for themselves?
I can no longer remember whether she was talking about homeowner’s insurance or auto insurance.
The clerk in question had sustained a loss due to an act of Mother Nature. She had no insurance because she had chosen to spend her money on other “more important” things (e.g., clothes, shoes, handbags, and the latest gadget and gizmo). Rather than paying for the repairs herself, she felt “they” should chip in to fix the problem for her.
Who is they???
She sounded infantile in her naiveté ~ like a toddler crying “that’s not fair!” when the planned picnic is canceled due to impending rain.
Perhaps we have been treated paternalistically for so long that we have forgotten how to think, act, and evaluate actions and consequences for ourselves?
Sure, we’re all “guilty” of being the grasshopper at times ~ living for today, focused on momentary pleasures, without concern for the consequences.
That’s fine . . . as long as we recognize our contribution to the consequences if and when they ultimately arise.
Obviously, she didn’t.
Instead, somewhat like Paris Hilton, she wanted “daddy” to step up to the plate and protect her from herself.
In like vein, people who complain about the unscrupulous practices of credit card companies sound more like whiny babies than adults to me.
Yes, credit card companies try to lure in unsuspecting consumers, just like barkers on the mid-way try to lure in gullible circus goers to see the Fat Lady, Rhinoceros Man, and the Snake Charmer.
From my perspective, the problem is not the fisherman tossing out the bait ~ although they may have some karmic baggage to deal with down the road.
The problem is the gullible “fish” taking the bait.
When we learn to think for ourselves, we no longer bite at offers that sound “too good to be true,” and unscrupulous lenders (and circus barkers) are forced to either develop scruples or go out of business.
If we all behave like whiny babies . . . who gonna mind the store?
Quote: If the whole world followed you, would you be pleased with where you took it? – Neale Donald Walsch
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Yes, I concur and only from personal experience. When you are used to growing up having “them” (parents) do it for you, you don’t know at what point it becomes your own (my own ) responsibility. It has been difficult switching that mind set. It is rewarding as well but hard to re-train the brain. It creates a new pattern of thinking about your own life. 😉
I’m lucky . . . my parents insisted that we think things through for ourselves, taking them to their “logical extreme.”
It’s tough work, at times, but it’s worth it . . . after all, our freedom is at stake.
Well, from up here, you don’t get a ‘mortgage’ without having house insurance, and you don’t drive a car without having ‘auto insurance’. I don’t think this is paternalistic unless investment practice and everything else is paternalistic. I know there’s some very good women in the insurance business, and they too ‘make the rules’.
Same here. But people sometimes cancel auto insurance if they don’t have a car loan.
And sometimes people cancel homeowner’s insurance if they no longer have a mortgage.
Where’s your ‘like’ button for this post? I can’t see it anywhere!
Right under the post, next to the butterfly.
Like the Oompa Loompas say:
Who do you blame when your kid is a brat
Pampered and spoiled like a Siamese cat?
Blaming the kids is a lie and a shame
You know exactly who’s to blame:
The mother and the father!
Up until kids reach so called adulthood, it is the parental role to teach everything from money management to self sufficiency. Who else is going to do it?
Bless you, Jo!!!
You and the Oompa Loompas!
Not being a parent myself, I didn’t want to point fingers in that direction. : )
People who have it all, and don’t want to be taxed like everyone else, are also whiny babies. Ahem.
-=Chad=-
Agreed.