I’m going to preface this post by stating I have never been abroad and my life experience is limited to the US.  With that said I find my self growing more and more curious and almost envious of other cultures and the lifestyles or assumed life styles and value systems.

The Hastag firstworldproblems was introduced maybe a year or two ago and is a product of our post modern/ironic culture here.  With this hastag people make observation of situations that are supposed to be little annoyance of living in a first world country with quotes like:

I hate when I run out of things to look at on my phone before I’m ready to go to sleep #FirstWorldProblems

 

Statements like these are meant to funny and some what enlightening of our fortunate situations.  In a half joking have serious kind of way.  Statements like Firstworldproblems fall into same area as a humble brag for me because  ultimately they lack sincerity and the enlightened insight that they attempt to convey,however ironic it is.

Recently the Firstworldproblems campaign took on this problem by producing a video were people who actually live in “third world” countries read back post with the hastag, therefore pointing out the ridiculousness of American excess.  I can only assume this campaign’s aim is to force people to think about the own bloated lifestyles in comparison to other countries.  Also the might possibly get some to engage and donate to causes that help.  Which by all means is good but…….

I feel like there may be a bigger issue lurking within this simple hastag.  For me the real problem I have with it, is that it brings to light all that is wrong with our perceived happier more successful “first world problems”.

Like the statistic that 767 million people lived on less than $1.90 a day.   I really do not know what is more troubling about this statistic.  The fact that I know that my first world life is made possible because 767 million people live on less the $2 a day or that I immediately  make an assumption that these people cant be happy.  Or that i have a better life than them.  Or the fact that my selfish pursuit of trivia material objects is responsible for the financial  suppression.

We reside in a system that has produced great vast amounts of wealth.  But i do not feel that directly translates into happiness.  I admit I thought that this system would generate happiness and success for me.

I Recently graduated from graduate school with a masters degree in architecture. After which I moved to a city and excepted a job in my field of study.  I studied  long hours while working 1-2 jobs through college and lived in a small apartment because I wanted to better my life.  I choose this route because I enjoy furthering my education but also because it is the American path for success.   Well now that I’m finished and moving into the next stage of my life I can say that i do really enjoy the city i live in and the house I rent is a great upgrade from my previous place but….   While i do live in a big city and a nice house, These things cost more and because I choose to pursue higher education I now have 70 + thousand in student loan debt that I will have to pay off.  All in all I feel like I am in the same scenario with different, albeit better scenery.

Ultimately I realized I  enjoy the vibrancy of the city and the unique sites I get to see.  I enjoy the people and the culture.  I enjoy time spent with my wife and when family visits in this positive environment.  Not the  cost of this  huge debt, unnecessary amenities, and the stress of bills living paycheck to pay check. I set out on my journey to success by pursuing a false baseline for happiness and success.  Set not by myself but by our own collective society.  I have realized everything that most things that make me happy don’t cost and the things that cause me stress and anger are in a way self inflicted.

In a way we pursue happiness through inanimate objects and material based pleasures.  We have built and engineered a system that demands it.  Its the same system that brought us to where we are today as a country.  It is also the same system that relies on exponential growth and things like for profit,    well everything.  All in all i question whether we are as happy as we think?

This brings up tough  questions for me.  Like how do i feel knowing that my elevated lifestyle is directly proportional to someones lowered lifestyle?  Or the fact that life choices i make don’t necessarily lead to happiness and may lead to the opposite.  Its making me consider why these people cant be happy with 2 dollars a day.  I have no idea how happy they are.  I can only judge from of the money the make which is now our ridiculous barometer of happiness.

……So yeah its complicated