People are screaming it from the rooftops.
With rampant inflation, wage stagnation, outrageous healthcare costs, and minimal worker protections, the average American worker is struggling.
Yet millions of others refuse to hear their desperate cries.
Americans Struggling
Millions of Americans are struggling to get by. Over 60% of Americans now live paycheck to paycheck, and consumer debt is soaring as more and more people rely on credit to pay their ever-rising bills.
Meanwhile, wages remain stagnant, and layoffs continue to rise.
Everyone’s Ignoring It
Far too many people turn a blind eye to the plight. They refuse to acknowledge the very real problems most people face and how those problems seep into every aspect of society.
Why do so many ignore the problems that are glaringly obvious to the rest of us?
We aren’t totally sure, but we have some ideas. Here’s why half the population ignores society’s problems.
Lack of Empathy
Many people who refuse to acknowledge the problem haven’t actually faced it. They aren’t struggling, so they can’t fathom that others are. They worked hard for their success and don’t realize that’s no longer a viable option for others.
These people can’t empathize with the struggles of others. They sit in comfortable bubbles, waxing poetic about how folks simply don’t want to work anymore.
Rugged Individualism
The United States elevates rugged individualism above all else to the detriment of community and collaboration.
It’s an every-man-for-himself free-for-all, where we can’t stop to think about those with less because we’re one small problem away from running in their shoes.
It’s Your Fault
A lot of Americans believe in a Just World.
In this worldview, bad things happen only to bad people, while good people are showered with luck and riches. Therefore, if something terrible happens, it’s your own fault.
The idea of a just world makes it easy to scoff at the less fortunate and ignore their suffering. It’s their own fault, after all. It also gives us a built-in excuse to do nothing.
People are Dumb
The average IQ is 100. That means nearly half the population has an IQ of less than 100.
As much as we’d like to believe most humans are intelligent and capable of rational thought, the truth is a lot of people lack the cognitive ability to understand these systematic problems.
Ignorance is Bliss
Some folks refuse to acknowledge the struggle because acknowledging it would mean they’d have to do something about it and doing something about it would make them very uncomfortable.
It’s easier to bury your head in the sand and enjoy your wealth.
Cognitive Dissonance
Some people’s brains literally won’t let them see the truth. They tie their self-worth to the lie they told themselves, that they succeeded because they were more talented and worked harder than everyone else.
To acknowledge that much of their success was due to an unfair system that held others back would destroy their sense of self.
Therefore, they keep telling themselves that anyone can succeed, and those who don’t just didn’t try hard enough.
But America is the Greatest Country in the World
Our propaganda tells us that America is the greatest country in the world. Acknowledging that some countries treat their citizens better and that we could, too, is also recognizing that we may not be the best at something.
We can’t solve a problem without admitting we have one.
Propaganda
American news networks feed off the lack of intelligence. They pump out propaganda on a 24/7 news cycle, filling people’s heads with false information. It’s hard to see the truth when the news network you trust most pushes a false narrative.
Propaganda surrounds us.
It attempts to sway our thinking in both mundane and critical ways. Can you even recognize the propaganda filling the airways?
They Literally Don’t Care
A lot of folks know the truth. They hear the stories and see people struggling. They watch as the homeless line the streets of their cities.
But they’re doing fine, so why should they care?
America has a Poverty Trap
We often think of third-world countries when we talk about poverty, but it’s thriving right here in the US.
Here’s the truth about America’s Poverty Trap. Maybe exposing it will help you stop ignoring it.
We Need Change
America needs a paradigm shift to change her ways.
We could do such much better. But until the majority of society acknowledges the very real problems their neighbors face, nothing will change. Society will continue getting worse, the disparity between rich and poor will only grow, and we’ll be at each other’s throats.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Americans need to stand together and show the powers that be that this isn’t right, that we won’t take it, and that we demand change. Together, we can achieve the impossible.