Having come from India, a land of diversity and a tribe that still discriminates people based on who they are born to, not just culturally but through the facilitation of constitution, I am sometimes amazed and most often dismayed at the complaints I hear in United States.
I will use some examples to contrast things from India to US and throw in my opinion to show why I think Americans in general and Young Americans in particular should lose their sense of entitlement and get a broader perspective.
There is color discrimination in US, yes, but you have laws to fight
We have color, gender, region and caste discrimination in India. If your kid is brilliant mathematician with top most percentile rank, he/she will not be guaranteed a seat if he/she is not born into a specific caste in India. What started out as ‘uplifting’ of backward classes is now a political uplifting agenda in India even after 70 years of independence.
So be glad that your color discrimination is not protected by constitution!
There are office politics, where are they not? but US values proactive hard workers.
Whether we admit it or not - our country’s hierarchical structure ‘uses’ proactive hard workers to supervisors own personal advancement. If you have a good idea, you cannot bring it to your boss, you have to run it through your immediate supervisor who will duly use it as his/her own idea. Not to say everyone is like that or that US doesn’t have its share of ass holes, but the ratio is what matters.
So, next time you complain about office politics take a second to think that it could have been worse.
It’s difficult to find a good life partner but it is not due to lack of choice but too much of it and because of your insistence of ‘no compromise’.
In India, majority of marriages are still ‘arranged’ and people have come to learn to love and live with the partners that they are ‘chosen’ to live with. Is this fair or efficient? Depends on the perspective but it does work and works better than the choices people make when they have too much to choose from.
Next time you complain about not finding a good partner, see if you are basing your decisions on such mundane things like who sleeps on which side of the bed.
Note: there is no prince charming who will sweep you of your feet but there are charming people with few flaws who will gladly lift you up when you slip in life.
People complain too much about system failures!
Even to this day, most of India has scheduled power cuts which go up in summers when people need it most to run their fans (not ACs, mind you). You have to bribe the guy to pass your ‘pension’ for which you worked all your life.
US has 24 hours, 365 days of uninterrupted supply of electricity and water. When it is time, government reminds you about your pension and duly sends it to you.
What system failure are you talking about?
Traffic is a problem, why?
Traffic, the most annoying and most persistent topic of choice of complaint whenever people meet.
Try being stuck with 150 people in a bus of capacity of 70 people, all sweating, and trying to hold onto anything while the bus makes snail and swirly moves in traffic when it’s 100 degrees outside.
For every mile of traffic in India there maybe thousands of people stranded but in US for a whole mile of traffic - there maybe 500 stranded with people in big ass SUVs sipping starbucks, listening to FM with AC set at preferred degree; do us all a favor and quit complaining and if you want to help the situation - take public transportation or carpool.
Entitled to?
Did you cringe at the idea of carpool or public transportation?
Unless you served the country or spent your prime working and building the country, you are entitled to nothing.
Whatever privileges you have now for being born in this land of opportunity are not brought by you during your birth, these privileges are here because someone before you has paid it in blood and sweat.
If you are able you cannot use your poverty as an excuse.
If you have physical ability to work you should not be in line for free lunch.
Only those who have worked their share are entitled to anything free from Government.
Lose your sense of entitlement, it is not what this country is built on; hard work, discipline, sweat and labor, that is what made this country great.
This country owes you nothing, it may owe your granddad or your dad who served the country but not you.
So, work for it. And STOP complaining. Things are way better in America than most places!