“For
Your Most Kind Consideration: Approval, Satisfaction, Happiness, And…Joy!”
10/14/12
Part
V of V
(Comprised
of more raw data, presumed inferences, arbitrary historical comparisons,
subjective implications, and relative conclusions and their meanings)
In parts I-IV, attempts were made to separate
,‘needs’ from ‘wants’, by practicality and how—to either a greater, or lesser
extent—they subsequently affected what we perceive to be the emotive qualities
of, ‘satisfaction’, to, ‘happiness’.
But first, another statistic for your consideration,
including its implications, and most reasonably questioned accuracy.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, and the
Social Security Administration, in 2011, the ‘average’ income-per-worker in the
United States was: $41,650.00.
By comparison, ‘minimum wage’ = $15,340.00
Therefore—at a reasonable first glance—to achieve
parity between the two sums, minimum wage would have to be multiplied by a
factor of approximately 2.72, which would increase the present, minimum, from
$7.67 an hour, to $20.86 an hour!
But, our very dear friend, ‘Tenar’, made a very
cogent comment to my last diary entry, which was, part IV in this series, regarding
the interpretation of, and the often desired inferences of compounding datum.
Any similar datum, can be collected in a relevant
whole, as data, can be achieved by calculating the number of items, things, and
then quantifying them by mean (average), median, or mode, statistically.
For purposes of examining yearly income in the
United States, an, ’average’, wage may be found by summing up ALL various
incomes, and then dividing that total by the determined number of workers.
Although it is—perhaps—the easiest way to quantify
like datum, to be able to compare it to again, like datum, the, ‘average’, does
not address the frequency of very highest numbers, or, the frequency of the
lowest possible numbers, though both are used to obtain the ‘mean’, or,
’average’, number.
Again, regarding the sum of $41,650.00 as the
‘averaged’, annual income for all workers in the United States, is hardly
relevant to a particular worker who may earn more or less than that considered
as average.
For example, say you have a ‘test’ group of five
individuals, with five yearly incomes listed.
Should ALL five earn $41,650.00, then the computed,
‘averaging’, of incomes reveals the exact, same number. Economically speaking, theoretically, no one
person will be better off, or lesser off than any of the others.
Now, should you gather
together another five-person, ‘test’ group, should they—for example list the
following incomes:
Test Group of 5
Annual Income
Worker #1 $100,000.00
Worker
#2
$27,000.00
Worker
#3
$27,000.00
Worker #4 $27,000.00
Worker
#5
$27,000.00
Total # of workers: Total, Annual Income:
5 $208,000.00
If in the consideration of, ‘average’, annual
income, you would take the sum: $208,000.00, and divide it by the five members
of the, ‘test’, group.
Your result would be consonant with the figures obtained
by both, “The Internal Revenue Service, and the, ‘Social Security
Administration, even though—at first glance, and at reasonable inference—NONE
of the, ’test’, subjects earn anything even remotely near the averaged sum of:
$41,650.00.
In fact, it can be clearly seen that—in this
case—80% of the workers earn significantly less than the, ‘average’, yearly,
while only 20% (herein, represented by the ‘one’ individual) earn more.
And if you pause to consider the yearly incomes of
corporate C.E.Os, or that of Pop Stars, who routinely earn millions upon
millions of dollars, in order to reach the figure of: $41,650.00, as,
‘average’, annual wage, then quite common sense should convince you that
probably the majority of workers in America make—in fact—less than the national
average. The more important question
emerges…how much less?
Even the ‘Median’, adjusted yearly income, where
the, ‘mode’, income is determined by the greatest number of like incomes earned
by all workers in America, might give--perhaps—a better idea of what the
greatest number of Americans earn yearly.
In computation of the, ‘mean’, or, ‘average’,
income, one worker, whose income is $1,000.000.000.00 (one million dollars) a
year, MUST be balanced out by 100 workers, earning 10,000.00 annually. And for
every worker who earns $10,000,000,000.00 (ten million dollars) a year, 1,000
workers, earning $10,000.00 annually are needed to arrive at a 50% balance, or,
‘averaged’ balance.
And…importantly, NO distinction is made between,
‘gross’, or, ‘net’ income, the former being the total yearly income from which
taxes have been subtracted!
Subsequently, one might therefore, ‘infer’, that—in
consideration of the wide disparity of wealth in this Country—a enormous
percentage of our populace earns significantly less than the National
Average. Of them, many earn minimum
wage, or less. And that a
disproportionate—and growing—percentage of our peoples live in abject poverty,
at a subsistence level scarcely above that of mere survival.
I may seem—at first, or even second glance—to be
abnormally preoccupied with income.
However, since Man first began trading goods or
services for money, rather than barter, our available monies, that which we
EARN is crucial to what we can afford to meet even our basic, ’needs’.
In thinking about one’s levels of satisfaction to
levels of happiness as they may relate to, ‘need’ fulfillment or ‘want’
fulfillment, and beyond, it is necessary—first, where possible—to characterize
the basic elements of, ‘need’, and, ‘want’, in hopes of being able to integrate
them into a single, more or less manageable equation—that, while subjective—may
yet attempt to shed some revealing light as to our behavior; a greater
understanding of our priorities, and of ourselves, and—hopefully—to a better
recognition of what truly makes us happy.
To begin with, I have chosen—as a definition of,
‘need’, and, ‘need fulfillment’, as those qualities, or requirements upon which
our very survival depends.
Such, ‘survival’, requisites, might look something
like this, in terms of assumed primacy:
1)
Water
2)
Edible/nourishing food
3)
Procreation (as a biological imperative,
and gene pool—variation)
4)
Shelter
5)
Transportation
6)
The establishment of Tribe
A)
Recognition of the, ‘Alpha’ ( ? )
And so, I put to you, my very, very dearest friends,
the following social equation:
(Need+Need Fulfillment) + Comfort, Choice,
Availability = (Want+Want Fulfillment) +Luxury, Immediacy, Availability =
(Status)
And for purposes of mutability, direction,
necessity, as they may pertain to satisfaction, and/or happiness, I refer to
our ‘old friend’, Neanderthal man; ‘men/women’* in the year 1923’ (about which,
more explained in due course), and finally, to, ‘men/women’*, in the year
2012’.
·
It has never, ever been my desire to be
labeled as prejudicial, preferential, sexist, or, a hater. Nevertheless, at differing times in our
history, men and women have been treated quite differently, and expected to
conform to then-current social roles,
with different responsibilities, Rights, and opportunities. Nonetheless—as an extension of personal bias
(in which I would rather address issues based on similarity and strict
equality)—I prefer to denote this equality by using the ‘/’ mark, instead of,
‘or’, or even, ‘and’.
Oh
well, my friends…sigh…let us proceed as best we can. J
In an attempt to establish basic, ‘need’, within a
social group, let us take a quick look at the Neanderthal. Please refer to our established so-called,
‘hierarchy of needs’.
The Neanderthal
1)
Water [ water from streams, rivers,
tide-pools, run-offs, melting ice, juices from edible fruits ]
2)
Edible/nourishing food [ prey animals
(meat, marrow), non-toxic plants, nuts, fruits]
3)
Procreation (as a biological imperative,
and gene pool—variation)
4)
Shelter [ caves, rock-outcroppings,
similar, ‘non-constructed’ shelters ]
5)
Transportation [ walking ]
6)
The establishment of Tribe [ perhaps a
naturally occurring sub-set of being a social creature ]
A)
Cooperation in hunting
B)
Recognition of the, ‘Alpha’ ( ? ) [
while it is not clear in my mind whether the general recognition of a leader,
or shaman was a co-establishment of the, ‘tribe’, certainly there must have
been some ordering of authority, in organizing and directing tribe-member,
‘roles’, to hunt with more efficiency, or, strength of purpose.
7)
The necessary expansion of Tribe
A)
Rare: the joining of tribes together
B)
As a consequence of tribal war: the slaying of males, and the capture of
females
C)
The domestication of wolves to help with hunt, better ensure tribe safety
1) Protection of offspring
The question remains—however:
Was Neanderthal, ‘satisfied’
?
Certainly to the extent
of finding shelter from the ravages of Nature, such as rain, snow, ice; and—within
that shelter—become better able to keep members of the Tribe together. And of
being able to wear sufficient animal furs to keep warm against freezing cold.
And, theoretically, to
find some, subsequent sense of satisfaction in that feeling attendant upon the
success of the hunt; of having an over-full stomach in the very real face of
starvation.
Regarding, ‘happiness’,
I would imagine a certain celebratory, ‘joy’, in successfully bringing down a
prey animal, large-enough to completely feed the tribe for several days at
least. Or, at least before the meat
began to putrefy.
Unless I am mistaken as
to relevant time periods, for Neanderthal, such, ‘joy’, and, ‘awe’ resulted in
the development of a cosmology, wherein the prey animal was deified.
We can see this
expression in surviving cave paintings, which are—without doubt—glorious examples
of man-made art; in these, as in unrecorded, tribal storytelling, we see—perhaps—a
spiritual conceptualization, quite apart from the actual mechanics of eating,
procreation, and the inherent need for shelter, etc.
As important as these
painting may be, I find most compelling those instances (in addition to cave
painting) in which numerous, different hand prints can be found.
Often, you will note in
these hand prints, hands that are missing fingers, or parts of fingers. It was not an easy or comfortable life at
all.
But of these, if you
look most carefully, you will see prints of hands with six fingers that occur quite
frequently, arguably with greater frequency than is found today in our general
population.
To my mind, these hand
prints are not part of any, budding cosmology, but rather, they are an
affirmation of being, and of Life. In
effect, they seem to say, “I am here.”, “I am now”, “I am alive”. Taken in totality, the most wonderful
expression of, ‘I AM’.
I imagine—too—that with
the discovery—not necessarily of fire, but—more importantly—of how to
successfully create and maintain fire, that survival, living, the improvement in
nutrition certainly got better.
Of course, those of you
among my very patient, and ever-loyal readers who are more familiar with, and
subsequently more conversant in cultural anthropology will be able to make
comment to, criticize, and correct any errors or misassumptions that I have
made; and I—of course—greatly welcome them!
Thank
you!
Owing
to length, and press of time, and required exposition, Part V of this series
will have to be further subdivided.
Thus—in this fashion—the
sections labeled “1923”, and, “2012”, along with implications, and conclusion
will most likely—now—be composed in two, separate sections.
With that, the section
entitled, “1923”, will follow directly.
To my very precious
friends, and wonderfully loyal readers,
Although I have rambled
on, and on, and on in the past (perhaps unbearably so), in an attempt to first
establish an theme, and then to provide sufficient exposition necessary to
explain that theme.
Admittedly, this
five-part series on, approval, satisfaction, happiness, and, joy has become--unabashedly—my
most ambitious, and involved endeavors to date.
However, with
increasing frequency, I have found that what I, ‘want’, to say combined with
what I, ‘need’, to say result in interminably long, tedious posts that require
hours and hours, and hours to write, and over-taxes both my mental and physical
resources.
That is NOT to say that
I do not enjoy thinking, and writing about various notions that are not only
important to me, but—I hope with all my heart—prove to be of interest, or of
need to you, my dearest friends.
In having to, ‘work
through’, mental states profoundly affected by despair, and depression, and a pronounced
slowness of thought, and marked lethargy of mind.
Combined with such
lamentable physical states such as illness(es), horrendous pain, migraine, insomnia, etc.
In this regard, I am a
failure. And I ask—please—for your most
kind forgiveness.
I rely most heavily on
your comments, criticism, corrections, and affirmations, as they provide me
with purpose, validity, and a sense of perseverance.
I find gratification
and joy if ever I should prove to be of some use, and possible help.
My very, very dearest
friends, I think of you so very often, and want—really—nothing more than for
you to be safe, well, and happy!
And—as always—please,
please know that I love you dearly!
‘Zahc’/Charles
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