Americans lack gratitude & perspective
Americans lack gratitude & perspective
We take it for granted in the United States that we aren’t concerned with rockets, drones or suicide bombers.
In Iran this week there was a tragic honor killing of 20-year-old Alireza Fazeli Monfared. He was beheaded by his half brother and cousins for being gay. There is escalating tension in south Iraq after activist Ehab al-Wazni was assassinated by pro-Iran militias. Thousands of Iraqi protestors, activists, journalists, students and community leaders have been kidnapped or killed since 2019 for demanding freedom. A series of bombs in Kabul killed more than 50 girls (the death toll may be over 80) between the ages of 11 and 15 for the crime of going to school. This is all in the past week and the norm in so many countries.
As I sit on my couch doomscrolling, trying to make sense of the world, the escalating Israel Palestine conflict, the senseless deaths—I am reminded just how incredibly fortunate I am to be born where I was in the world. It was a crapshoot I had nothing to do with. I could have just as easily ended up in war torn Syria or in a country where it is completely acceptable to be married off as a child bride.
We take it for granted in the United States that we aren’t concerned with rockets, drones or suicide bombers. We take our freedom for granted; our ability to speak against our government; a woman’s ability to wear what she wants and get an education. You will not be killed for being gay in our country, you can hold hands in public, get married and generally speaking not fear for your life.
We are so fucking lucky. And the question I’m constantly asking myself—and what keeps me up many nights—is what do I do with that luck? In an upcoming interview on my podcast Walk-Ins Welcome with social psychologist, author and professor, Jonathan Haidt, we discuss the skyrocketing instances of depression among young women and men in the United States. As I scroll through the news, I ask myself, how could this be? How could an entire generation of young adults be depressed and nihilistic knowing how good they have it? Do they even know?
What we are missing in America today is gratitude and perspective—and the lack of these two qualities might be our undoing. So when you’re reading the news wondering what you can do, start by looking around and counting your blessings.
Speaking of which, where the heck is my Postmates?
With Love & Gratitude,
Bridget
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