I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.-- "Self-Pity" by D.H. Lawrence (via G.I.Jane)

As people become aware of what their lives might be instead of what they are, it leads them to despair.

Also, some of people's views of their lives are based on lies.

Hollywood is really bad about this as it presents "middle class" people as all having cars, being in 750,000 houses, and in new clothes. In reality, 99% of real people make less money and live more restricted lives than the "middle class" characters. "Ugly" people are beauty pageant contest winners in glasses or with braces.

The fact that I'm aware that people in America make $100 million dollars a year while destroying the lives and companies of thousands of other people really pisses me off.

See, I wondered this too. The increase started as TV and media started to saturate people's lives, particularly young people's lives. When you're constantly hammered with a bunch of crap you don't need and didn't know about before, and are told all the best brightest and happiest must have all these things ... it takes a strong will to resist that kind of brainwashing. And kids particularly are vulnerable to peer pressure, appearances, and wanting material things and popularity - all weaknesses TV caters to.

Just a thought.

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.-- "Self-Pity" by D.H. Lawrence (via G.I.Jane)

Typical Lawrencian crap. How exactly would Lawrence know what that bird is feeling? It's just projection - he doesn't believe in "self-pity" (which is in itself a projective term), so he insists nothing in nature ever feels it except for those people he contemptuously labels with the term. It's that English stiff-upper-lip bullshit that American culture inherited and sadly champions. One of the most narcissistic and mean-spirited concepts in our culture. No thank you.

It's a valid insight.

Let's put in terms you might understand- the car gift.

I give you a car. Your happy.

I give your co-worker two better cars.

You still have a car. But, if you are like most people, now you are unhappy.

There is a reason companies and the military manage morale. People can develop bad morale and perform poorly or kill themselves and others.