Not getting any better…

My blogger-friend in the US shared this on Facebook sometime ago…

…and I guess this is indeed something to think about.

True, it takes all kinds to make the world and there are, of course, the optimistic ones but on the other hand, there are some of us who are somewhat pessimistic about life and everything around us . Like when I shared on Facebook the link to my post where I mentioned that pork prices here had increased, instantly there was someone who made a comment on that, raising some racial and political issues. I just quietly deleted it.

There is a saying that says that we should cross the bridge when we get to it. There is no point worrying unnecessarily about things, some of which may just be a figment of our imagination and even if they’re not, pessimists tend to moan and groan till kingdom come like prophets of doom…and such negative vibes will undoubtedly bring about repercussions that are, in my humble opinion, not so desirable.

Friends may start to avoid them when they get really sick of all that whining…except perhaps, if they are birds of the same feather. All right, the members of the family have no choice – like it or not, they’re stuck with them and the worst thing is that, some may even become like that. Somehow, it does seem somewhat contagious. That was why when I was teaching and the students expressed something along such lines, I would ask them straight away, “Has somebody been putting those ideas in your head or do you speak on your own accord?” Children are born tabula rasa like a blank piece of paper and their parents and all around them will eventually fill it up and sadly, there are many who do inherit the ways of thinking, all the prejudices, and the behaviour and habits of their elders.

Anyway, if there is concrete evidence pointing towards a a certain direction, of course, it is good to be aware of that and brace ourselves for what is to come. I would think we should not be too optimistic and be like an ostrich and bury our heads in the sand and think that everything is going to be all right…like if, for example, there is news of a price hike for sugar, should we go out bringing all our kids and the neighbours’ kids as well (as usually, there would be a limit of 2 packets per person) and cart home some 10-20 kilogrammes or more and start hoarding the commodity? In fact, even if it is just a rumour, this kind of reaction all round will cause a shortage and the price will go up, like it or not. In Economics, it is said that when demand increases or supply decreases, the price will increase.

Well, let’s just say that what has been predicted has happened…and it is something that you cannot change. Should we go grumbling about it left, right and centre?

Everyone is in the same boat and everyone will have to face the same situation…and they certainly do not need somebody to be harping on it on and on and on like a repeating groove in an old broken record. Please, Lord have mercy, we’ve heard that same thing a thousand times before!

All our lives, we have had problems – who hasn’t? And all our lives, we have worked to overcome them or to go around them. All right! There is a problem. Ask, what can you do about it?

Cigarette prices have shot up overnight to RM12.00 for a packet of 20. Well, it is good to cut down or stop altogether…and if one chooses not to, then he or she will just have to quietly fork out the money. It still is  a free country, isn’t it?

Pork prices have increased too – eat chicken or go vegetarian…or eat less. It’s as simple as that…but no,  some would harp on the domino effect it would cause. That would cause the prices of your regular plate of noodles to rise and others would follow suit and increase the prices of everything, no matter how remotely related, to cope with the rising prices all around. Of course, there may be a lot of truth in what they say…but does it help in any way? Not at all, I would think! In fact, if we get down to some serious action about the problem, like not eating pork (which is not all that healthy, anyway)…and everyone does the same, eventually the pork sellers will have to reduce their prices. Remember the aforementioned law of Economics? It works the other way round too – when there is a decrease in demand or an increase in supply, the price will drop.

From my personal point of view, people complain about things more out of habit than anything else and I would not think it is a very desirable one at that. They complain about the escalating prices but look at the number of people in the fancy restaurants with all those astronomical price tags on everything in the menu…or the people shopping in the malls, many buying those expensive branded imported stuff and so on and so forth. If they are so badly hit which is the impression that they seem to give, they should be trying to do something about it, shouldn’t they? Shouldn’t they change their lifestyles, their daily or usual routines to cope with the problem they face? Shouldn’t they start being more prudent and spend less lavishly? “Look after your pennies; the pounds will look after themselves.” This, for one, would help fight inflation which, in fact, is a reason for the inflating prices all round. But no, they would rather go on singing the same ol’ tune, blaming everybody but themselves.

Well, like I said right at the start, it takes all kinds to make the world. Not everyone’s the same and no matter what anybody says, there will still be pessimists and optimists and realists all around. THAT is something that would stay constant and never change – after all, as the English proverb goes, a leopard cannot change its spots…but the world does not revolve around us and us alone and not everyone subscribes to our ideas and convictions so perhaps, it would be good sometimes to be a bit more considerate and sensitive to the feelings of the people around us…and keep our feelings and sentiments to ourselves. Confucius says: when one has nothing nice to say, then, it is time to remain silent…