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Do you think it is possible to live like this?
jll
Veteran
I really enjoyed this talk. Can you live like that? or is it just for hippies?
0
Comments
On the one hand, I know the Thai obsession with the concept of "Mai phen rai". When something bad happens to a Thai, the most likely thing they are likely to say is, "Maipben rai". There's not an exact translation to "mai pben rai", but you may hear it translated as "it doesn't problem" or "no problem" or "it's not worth worrying about". To show you how often this concept is used/mentioned, one day I was talking to a beggar on the street. He was a nice fellow that I saw almost every day, almost every year I was there visiting. So, one day I struck up a conversation with him; I asked him how he came about having one arm and one leg amputated. I assumed he was a soldier. No, an industrial accident that was clearly the fault of no labor laws. But, he said, "Mai pben rai". So it bothered (note past tense) that Thais so often brought up this up no matter what the tragedy that has befallen them. And the reason it bothered me is that it's sort of the same as the saying, "Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff." Well, it isn't all small stuff. Amputations (which are surprisingly common in Thailand) due to a lack of labor safety laws is not a small thing. But now, after decades of dwelling on "mai pben rai", the tide has turned. When the riots struck a little over 3 years ago, suddenly the concept of "mai pben rai". If you think that the battle between American Democrats and Republicans is contentious, it pales in comparison between the Red Shirts and the Democrats of Thailand. And every political difference is a source of demonstration and fighting and throwing hand grenades into the local market. At some levels, "mai pben rai" is dead.
On the other hand, I had a nephew who lived in Florida. He was illegitimate, had a bit of a tough life growing up...but not too tough. Always had a decent place to live, always had enough food and decent clothing. And he started selling drugs (at least I think that's what his felony was), went to prison for 2 years, and when he got out he found out that no one wanted to hire an ex-con. And one day he said to me, "Life is so tough." And I said, "No, it isn't. Follow society's rules and you can have a decent life. Nothing that hard about it." Yes, some people are more lucky than others. Some people get a tough break. But many people who live a lousy life continue to make bad choices.
Of course, life is not always easy. There is illness. There is bad luck. There are limited choices. But, life is full of the need to make wise decisions. Is life ever hard? Of course. But often we make it hard.
:bawl: