Leatherhead Matters

 Am I the only citizen in the UK who thinks price inflation is rampant?

 The “official” figures released today show consumer price inflation at 2.2%. Really?

Well this consumer is experiencing around 30% inflation in car fuel cost, gas & electricity has gone up 10-15%, bread prices have gone up close to 50% surely all this can’t be offset by people buying cheaper iPods & LCD TVs? Even the price of islands in Second Life have increased by 35% for goodness sake. Oh sorry Gordon, I forgot your Golden Rule: Nobble everyone at the Office of National Statistics (ONS) so that the “basket of goods” they use to measure inflation is constantly changed. ….then actual comparison between two periods is meaningless. If you want to see the amount of CPI basket “weaving” the ONS engage in, download the file from the ONS site and visit Table 3.

“Happiness is an emotion in which one experiences feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy. This definition is, however, a synonymous one. A more clarified one is almost impossible to conceive due to the capacity by which a human can allocate the correct words into an appropriate and meritable sentence that would describe happiness.” (Wikipedia)

Over the last few years a whole movement has dedicated itself to the pursuit of happiness. It was started by psychologists - who should know better. Type “happiness” into Google search and you get almost 80 million results. We all want it but, how do you get? There are millions of people consumed by the active pursuit of happiness. But, it’s not something you can buy at Tesco, Amazon or, Wal Mart (many people use shopping as a route to happiness but, find it is transient) There are now plenty of people making a career out of happiness through Happiness Clinics, Happiness Coaching, Courses & Studies. Continued below……

CLICK IMAGE TO SEE LARGER VERSION

The demand for happiness arises from our media driven society which tries to sell us the dream that “we can be anything, achieve anything, have everything”. Consequence? The alcohol & Prozac generation! Lots of disappointed, unhappy people. We are witnessing the wholesale flight from reality, through drink,drugs and ultimately suicide. Binge drinking has  become a lifestyle choice, millions seek prescription drugs for depression, mental health issues have reached epidemic proportions and suicides amongst the younger generation have never been higher. Perhaps the sign of a society which is unhappier than previous generations although, it’s not possible to scientifically measure this generational change.

This is what happens when people are promised they can achieve their dreams. It becomes an entitlement…… and at some point the reality of our ultra competitive world  dawns on this totally un-prepared population. Parents, educators, politicians and the media are all selling the dream without equipping individuals to cope & survive in the real world.

Happiness can never be a permanent state for an individual. Happiness transiently results from physical, intellectual and social performance or, achievement. These all require wise choices, self sacrifice, compromise and from time to time subjugating personal wishes for the greater good of family, friends, colleagues & the general community.

Perhaps also it’s the very pursuit of happiness which may prevent you from finding it. Wisdom means knowing when to stop chasing the impossible and settle for something less. Unfortunately, wisdom is like happiness…..you can’t teach it!

(H/T Maggies Farm)

For another view on what happiness is, watch this Beatles video

“SHUT UP”

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In his “Britishness” speech before the election that never was, Gordon Brown heavily emphasised he wanted British Jobs for British Workers.

Today’s  Telegraph reports that there are now 2 million foreign-born workers in the UK, but there are half a million fewer  British-born people in work  than at the start of the millennium. Most of them appear to have been employed in national and local government.

So Gordon really meant to say “British Tax Payers PAY for Foreign Workers Jobs” !