Collectively...How to Make our Lives "Easier"?

It's obvious that tax redistribution is no longer making life easier, in spite of government's protestations to the contrary. What's more, social security is not sufficient for the kinds of assistance that matters most, as one gets older. How then to think about collective means of support for groups and individuals, regardless of age? Aggregate time value and personal choice in this regard, are key. However, it's going to take a while to regain time use perspective, before progress can be made.

A few days ago, my cat (of all things) got me thinking about present day expectations regarding time and resources. As a general rule, cats tend to "lean libertarian", one might say. Normally, they're good at taking care of and "entertaining" themselves! But as they get older, it turns out some of that independence starts to disappear. At fifteen years of age - for instance - a delicate stomach seems to mean wanting a few bites of canned food at a time.

So recently, after the umpteenth mini snack, and way too much restlessness on her part when I needed to get some work done, I chided my little furry senior citizen, "Come on...make my life a bit easier!" And then I immediately thought, ouch. It's a good thing I said that to a cat, instead of a person. For the most part, this reaction generally remains unspoken, even though it is an underlying given for human relationships.

To be sure, much of work and life in general is about being of service to others. Independence, valuable though it is, needs to be considered in context. Is it possible for individuals to be independent and (happily) dependent at the same time? Most individuals want to make life easier for others, even though everyone needs to be able to do so on their own terms. All too often, it doesn't happen that way.

In order for relationships to remain viable, commitments and independence need to go both ways. Otherwise no one can remain strong enough, to be able to continue as a source of strength for others. Can anyone safely assume there are enough who are strong, to also be a source of strength for others? Not necessarily. A lot of individuals end up abandoning one another in diverse relationships, in part because societies are losing the means to make life easier for the whole. This matters even more, as governments have begun the process of pulling back on the earlier support they believed themselves capable of providing to their citizens.

Learned helplessness is just one result, when a growing number of individuals become incapable of providing support either for themselves or others. When purposeful time use becomes devalued across a broad spectrum of choice, love and appreciation don't always suffice, for much needed reciprocity in a demanding world. How can anyone assist others through services, when vital service definition has too little context or access to provide choice? From Greg McKeown (HT Farnam Street).

The ability to choose cannot be taken away or even given away - it can only be forgotten.

Indeed, this is what has happened. Much of what had been societal coordination in agricultural times was replaced when manufacture was primary, with other forms of coordination which sufficed until only recently. However, as much of group organization has shifted towards cities and prosperous regions, that loss of coordinated time use is keenly felt, everywhere else.

Like the cat which slowly becomes more dependent on (and appreciative of) humans: as one gets older, there comes a time when it is not as easy to remain independent. For this inevitability, there are no hard and fast solutions. However, finding means to renew time coordination while mind and body are strong, would mean more who stay strong to begin with. This could make it easier to reach out, to those who struggle to take care of their needs. Presently, it is still difficult to know, who could be strong once again. This is what needs to be found out, first.