Insulation from reality may be the root of our spiritual malaise.

John Leake

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/on-living-in-accordance-with-reality?publication_id=1119676&post_id=150886862&isFreemail=false&r=1fkpmf&triedRedirect=true

The French abbot and mystic, Bernard of Clairvaux, famously remarked that “A wise man is one who savors all things as they really are.”

I was reminded of this remark a few days ago in a conversation with my younger brother, who lamented how hard it is to find young skilled labor for his general contracting business on Maui.

“All of my skilled guys are now old,” he said. “My electrician is a Vietnam veteran. He loves his job and is very good at at it, but I can’t find anyone to replace him.”

“What do the youngsters on Maui do for a living?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

“How do cover their cost of living?”

“I think a lot parents of our generation still support their grown children.”

“What does the younger set do with their time?” I asked.

“Look at their phones.”

To be sure, my brother’s sample size on Maui is very small. However, his personal perception seems to find confirmation in the remarkable fact that, out of a total U.S. population of 340 million, only 161 million are employed, or less than half.

Of the 179 million who are not employed, 50 million are retired and receiving Social Security benefits, 11 million are stay-at-home moms, 74 million are minors, and 44 million are apparently none of the above.

I wonder about the social and political outcome for a society when less that half of it does remunerative work and pays taxes. Could this be a major factor in the rapid and steady proliferation of debt to finance America’s high standard of living?

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