20 July 2014

This time ISN'T different

I enjoy volunteering with an organization called Junior Achievement. One of its main objectives is to teach financial literacy to young people. I often include a comment about how young people today are not satisfied to wait until later in life to enjoy the standard of living enjoyed by their parents. I have always assumed this to be a more recent phenomenon, especially given the reputation of the younger, supposedly less patient generation. Then I read this:


One thing … that I would like to call attention to--young people, when they marry, are not satisfied to begin with a little and humbly, but they want to receive just about as much as their parents have at the time they, the children, get married. … They want to start out with every convenience under the sun to make them comfortable. I think this is a mistake. I think they should begin humbly, putting their faith in the Lord, building here a little and there a little as they can, accumulating piecemeal, until they can reach a position of prosperity such as they wish to have.
-Joseph Fielding Smith

That statement was made in 1958. Apparently this is nothing new, and teaches us something about human nature. As a rule, we are impatient, and often unwilling to take the slow and steady approach that seems more likely to lead to long-term happiness.

Societal norms have changed, and not for the better, but our challenges are not that dissimilar from those of the past. I once heard a talk by famous biographer David McCullough. He said that with regard to history, we often say "this time is different." Usually, it isnt.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Well said, son! Love reading your blogs. They are insightful and to the point. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings. Love you with all of my heart!!

Unknown said...
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