Taupō Letters to the Editor: There's easy and there's living

One reader says an easy life does not bring contentment or self-actualisation. Photo / Getty Images

Never in the history of the world has there been such a lack of discipline.

I'm not talking about the killing, the wayward parties, drugs or alcohol, because let's face it, the Romans pretty much nailed all that with Dionysus and those goats.

No, I'm talking about an entire society that has so much comfort they can just opt-out of everyday life.

If a historic Roman was cold, they could either freeze or chop some wood to build their fire and find a goat. Admittedly, the debauchery may have occurred due to a lack of Netflix, Fortnite and wifi, but hats off to them for creating their own entertainment.

Today, we have a global nation of ease. We don't have to scrub our clothes and dry them with the mangle. We don't have to sew our clothes by hand. We don't have to ride a horse to town, or even catch a goat for fun, no we just sit down and turn on a power button to get places physically or in our minds.

We don't even have to struggle for our food. We aren't tracking, slaying, harvesting. Some of us aren't even cooking, we talk into a little box and someone makes that processed food in minutes. We complain if "they" take too many minutes.

Easy. Life for the majority of Western countries is really easy. Yet we are the unhealthiest we have ever been. Sure we have eliminated the plague, leprosy, smallpox and a host of other heinous diseases that extend our lifespan past 40, but are we really alive for that next 42 (give or take) years?

Are we vibrant? Are we engaged? Or are we a nation of people who have just forgotten that a bit of struggle brings self-esteem?

The feeling of reeling in a fish you caught. The satisfaction of a home-cooked meal. The connection of actually playing with our kids rather than just pressing a button and letting some multicoloured American cartoon raise them.

There's easy and there's living. Statistically, mental health issues are at an all-time high worldwide. Why?

Most of us have our five basic needs met (and some don't, which in a society of ultimate wealth could be solved). Warmth, food, shelter, water, clothes. Yet one in four is mentally unwell.

The two things that we often don't have (in Maslow's hierarchy of needs) are self-esteem and self-actualisation. Both come from doing things that make you feel worthwhile.

Life is funny. The things that we work for, and the obstacles we overcome, are actually the backbone of our development. Striving, struggling and overcoming are firmly set in our DNA as part of our need to feel purpose.

Imagine all the memories that wouldn't have occurred if the Romans had Netflix. Wine probably wouldn't have even been invented, because nobody would bother to step on those grapes every day. Everyone would be saying, "I've only got one more episode, I just need to finish the series". Or when the fields needed to be ploughed for planting: "Can you just get fish and chips tonight instead?"

Easy does not bring contentment or self-actualisation. So are we unwell, or just really bored so our minds create some fight or flight for entertainment? If only the animals in the zoo could talk, we could ask them if they would rather sit in that cage all day safe for years, or be chased by an ancient Roman party goer in the wild.

I think the answer would be freedom and excitement versus a slow safe death.

Katie Jolly
Taupō

Letters to the Editor

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