Human beings are complex creatures that tend to get bored easily. We are rarely content with what we have and we envy most what we ourselves lack. So it's very easy for us to get caught up in the 'Grass is Greener' mindset. Take the following, for example: a friend decided to explore other opportunities and quited the job at the company she works with. One thing that pushed her to move to another company was the salary. But once she began working in her new office, she learns that the management is not very good to work with and that makes most of the people there grouchy. She is doing fine with the money that she is making now but she is not happy with the working environment and missed her colleagues in the previous company.Another story, a couple in their mid fifties, seemed to have everything. A huge house with amazing home decor, three kids who were all graduated from overseas and they are all married now, a car and a driver to take the wife shopping in the city, expensive haircuts, clothing, traveling and so on. Viewing them from the outside, it would be easy for outsider to be envious of their good life. What we don't see is the amount of debt that is supporting their lifestyles, and their struggle to overcome it. Now with the marriage on the rock, the wife has developed an addiction to spending, and putting a pretty heavy burden on their credit cards balance.
I try to remind myself that just because someone appears to have it all doesn’t mean they do, because not everything is what it seems. We always want what's on the other side, and when we get to the other side we always want our side. Do you think the grass is always greener on the other side?
5 comments:
Similar experience long time ago when I decided to move to another company for higher income. It turned out that money is less important that people you worked with.
No, because wanting more and wanting something which one’s doesn’t have is characteristic for human beings. Things look more attractive when you don't posses them. The art of a content life is being able to conclude that you have enough (that’s way I love to think about Nrimo attitude, the Javanese Philosophy). There is also another answer for your question: the standards of the society could drive people to do things they can’t reach/afford (according to the example you mentioned in this entry). Nothing is what it seems…
yaaa..rumput tetangga selalu lebih hijau :) bikin goyah iman saja hehehe :)
I used to think that the grass is always greener on the other side, but as I matured I realised that everyone, no matter how perfect their lives seem to be, have their own problems and issues.
To think that just because one person is rich, therefore she/he must not have a single problem in his/her life is already being judgmental towards them - I believe everyone has fought their own battle, and when they have succeeded and enjoying what they've earned, that's their right to do so.
So perhaps now I'm still fighting my own battle, trying to succeed, and when I get there, it's my life that will be thought as "perfect" by others who were fighting their own battles too ;)
I think grass doesn't always have to be green.
Am I making any sense here? Heheh.
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