Time to Grow Up
It’s like watching Nero fiddle as Rome burns. After years of deregulation, our government flounders in the face of an astounding economic collapse and responds with a combination of disbelief and helplessness. Congress authorizes unimaginable sums with which to address the crisis but nothing seems to work.
Meanwhile, the institutions that colluded with borrowers to create this mess turn to taxpayers–many of them the selfsame people who have been so poorly served–for a bailout. “Never mind,” the financiers say, “that we foolishly lent money, created byzantine packages in which we passed unsustainable mortgages on to each other, and paid our CEO’s obscene amounts. Just never mind all that. We need help–and we need it now!”
Following their lead, automakers, having for years ignored consumer demand for more fuel efficient cars, come to Washington hats in hand to assert they stand at the chasm of bankruptcy not through any fault of their own, but simply as a byproduct of the current global train wreck. Narcissistic CEO’s arrive, each in a private jet, to plead their case before a skeptical Congress.
There is, believe it or not, more than one upside to all this. First of all, with a new government that shows promise of a mature approach, we may be able to compel changes that benefit the electorate (upgraded mass transit, sensible lending regulations, infrastructure construction) and begin to get the stampeding influence of special interests under control.
Just as important, perhaps this crisis will impel us to reassess our personal values and expectations and provide the motivation to grow up. While the flagrant poor judgment and excesses of those who wield financial and political power are stunning, the fact is that many Americans have lapsed into a stagnant immaturity. How else to explain the rash of bad decisions that led millions to purchase homes they couldn’t afford, charge up thousands of dollars for discretionary buys, and neglect to save for that proverbial rainy day, thereby creating conditions that produced the current deluge?
Why this has happened doesn’t matter. the causes are many and complex. What’s important is to recognize the characteristics of maturity and grow in that direction. Maturity is one of those words that take on different meanings for each of us, but the basic qualities include . . .
- the ability to delay gratification
- the foresight to identify likely outcomes of a decision
- freedom from irrational prejudice
- acceptance of those with whom we disagree
- the willingness to understand and consider different points of view
- the confidence to engage in independent thought
- the ability to admit mistakes–and change course if that makes sense
- the willingness to act in the best interest of others
- self-knowledge and self-acceptance
The list could go on and on. What else would you add? How would you measure up?
Grown-Ups in the White House
There’s been a whole lot of hype about the coming arrival of kids in the White House. I like kids as well as the next person—and find the Obama girls charming and vivacious—but I’m much more excited by the prospect of having a real grown-up set the tenor of our national dialogue again.
Long before the current outgoing administration took power, I had noticed a decline in the quality of both discourse and social interaction as I went through the most mundane activities of my day. And in both those arenas—the way we talk and the way we treat each other—it seemed many had lapsed into a frightening mindlessness that looks alarmingly like simple immaturity.
Immaturity, in other words, seemed to pervade not only the highest levels of government, but society as a whole. What happened politically during the last eight years was both a reflection of our current decline and a catalyst for further juvenile behavior.
As we’re led by a thoughtful, articulate commander, I hope that old adage that “a high tide raises all boats” proves to be true and we all become improved versions of ourselves. It will be better for all of us personally, better for the country as a whole, and better for our kids.
