Very interesting analogy. I am a centrist, and whi...

2009-02-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

Very interesting analogy. I am a centrist, and while I recognize the hard work and sacrifice of the Early Arrivers I also find it very abusive when they take way much more space than they going to need.

We live in a limited resource world, now more than ever, we should leave space to others to some extent.

One that I used to hate back in school is when you arrived "middle class"-type and you found not early arrivers BUT THEIR BOOKS. This also happens in society, the "early opportunists" that lock down resources, cut monopoly deals, etc. I look at these with a critical eye.

Keep up the writing.

What you wrote is a clear illustration of division...

2009-02-11T21:46:00.000-05:00

What you wrote is a clear illustration of divisions of society. There are the fair ones and the opportunists. There are those who worked hard for what they have and those who come in and demand a share without contributing anything at all.

What a great analogy! It is so relevant to the goi...

2009-02-01T19:37:00.000-05:00

What a great analogy! It is so relevant to the going philosophy with the new regime. I continue to be flabbergasted by remarks that I hear (repeatedly): (That person) does not need all that money. They SHOULD give it to people who need it more. It's not that I have a problem with charitable giving. It's the mentality that one person believes they or another person is ENTITLED to the profits/wealth that another person has created by their hard work, industry, commitment, dedication, and ability. In psychology, if a person indiscriminately does for another what that person needs to be doing for themselves, we call it ENABLING behavior, enabling others to continue harmful, self-destructive behaviors. The one enabled typically develops the attitude that they are entitled to be provided for and become demanding, unappreciative, and even aggressive when their demands are not met. Those around them become intimidated and afraid to set firm, clear boundaries - just like in your Gasparilla experiment. We know that children thrive from firm, clear boundaries, yet, as a society, we teach blurring those boundaries and creating dependent, underachieving, ineffectual individuals. This is not a recipe for developing mature, independent, self-confident, citizens who can be proud of who they are and what they have achieved. Certainly, there will always be those among us who are truly disabled and in need due to unfortunate events in their lives. Those are the people for whom we happily help through various charities and government programs. These are not the people we are talking about who steamroll over others with their attitudes of entitlement and those who enable them to do so. I don't know about other parts of the country, but in Mobile, it has become a generational belief system and lifestyle that is passed from one generation to the next. I do a lot of disability evaluations, and I see so many who are applying based on what I would call minimal types of medical/psychological concerns. One of the questions I always ask is for the person to give a description of a typical day in their life. It blows me away how many people will say they do absolutely nothing all day every day but sit and watch TV or talk to their friends on the phone. I have no idea how social security makes their determination. I am simply commenting on the mentality that it is someone else's responsibility to provide for their livelihood, without so much as lifting a finger to do anything at all to provide for themselves, improve their health, give to the community, etc. On the other hand, I see so many who are truly disabled, physically and/or mentally, who do whatever their limitations will allow, whether it is cleaning one little area of a room at a time, walking to the mailbox to get the mail, following doctors' prescriptives for diet and exercise, or a myriad of other things.

You really hit a nerve, here, Dan, because I believe that the best way we can truly help someone is to help them in ways that foster feelings of worth, and that doesn't come from taking from others what they have earned and giving it to those who believe they are entitled to have just as much as the person who earned it. Unfortunately, our new regime does not encourage productivity, accountability, or self reliance.
In answer to your questions, professor, I offer the following:
1. The late arrivers may have this sense of entitlement that may have been modelled and passed down by their parents, whereby they come from a belief system that ordains that others are not entitled to more than what they have,. This makes it okay for them to take from those who have more. Deep-seated belief systems are not necessarily based on rational thinking, and are many times irrational. Our core beliefs are what drive our behavior. We tend to have confirmatory/ overlooking biases with regards to our belief systems, zeroing in on evidence that confirms our beliefs and overlooking evidence that does not support our beliefs. This allows us to hold on to irrational beliefs in the face of disconfiming evidence. Thus, a rational discussion about the pros and cons of the early arrivers versus late arrivers may not be possible between the opposing groups. The children, then, learn by the model of their parents what is acceptable behavior and beliefs. I am so thankful I was raised by parents who taught me to work for what I wanted in life and not expect things to be handed to me on a silver platter. (And in today's times, we would probably have been considered part of the unfortunate have nots.) I am very happy with my life and proud of who I am thanks to the example and guidance that they gave me.

2. I do not believe that the reason for the wealth would matter at all to one with the sense of entitlement to which I have been referring.

3. I think both sets of terms are overgeneralized. I think it is more a matter of this entitlement belief system than early/late, rich or poor. Wealthy people can have this belief system as well, as evidenced by all the white-collar embezzlement and scams that exist.

4. I definitely believe that government sanction would and does increase the boldness of those with this entitlement mindset. I don't know that it would reduce the number of early arrivers, well maybe for Gasparilla. However, people who believe in working for what they want and providing for themselves are probably, for the most part, internally motivated. Having their wealth taken from them may cause all kinds of upset, but I don't know that many of these same people would just choose to become demanding, aggressive, entitled non-achievers. They may, however, seek out another country where their wealth would not be confiscated by the government. In the case of the parades, they may just stop going to the parades.

5. I think that taking a vote before the parade might motivate the early arrivers to seek other solutions, stop going to Gasparilla, or simply join the crowd and become a late arriver as well. I don't know that this would apply to the rich/poor concept, although it has happened where some entrepreneurs have opted out of the hassel and gone to living on a beach somewhere.

6. That's why it's so important that elected officials understand that if they cut off the head of the food chain, they hurt all of those they supposedly care so much about. However, I don't see it as caring. I see it as political maneuvering to be in power, not doing what will help people to be self-sustaining and able to be proud of their efforts. What ever happened to the words of John F. Kennedy, to which we only give lip service now: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. That was not enabling speech. That was motivating, inspiring, wise, and empowering speech.

7. I think it can definitely bring down a society if the early arrivers decide to join the group and become late arrivers. Then we can all just duke it out and destroy each other. The scary part is, I have seen this even in myself, going to Mardi Gras parades. I have scrapped with 12-year-old boys who ran in front of me to grab a moon pie or a necklace. None of us are exempt. Everyone has a threshold for violence. My decision? I don't go to Mardi Gras parades anymore. Let the late-arrivers have it.

Comments on Florida Venture Blog by Dan Rua: Spread the Wealth: The Gasparilla Experiment

Very interesting analogy. I am a centrist, and whi...

What you wrote is a clear illustration of division...

What a great analogy! It is so relevant to the goi...