The Pursuit of Wealth

The individual’s right to making decisions concerning the distribution of one’s wealth in the U. S. is that individual’s decision alone. Most tycoons of industry distribute some of their wealth to noble causes, while living lives of the luxury they have earned through their labor. Often, trust funds are set up to ensure the hereditary distribution of wealth. In contrast, Andrew Carnegie, mogul of the oil industry, set out to distribute his wealth to charity in his lifetime. He was one of the few wealthy industrialists to see the positive effects of his charity.

Perhaps Carnegie and other tycoons who followed his example had read what the Roman Catholic theologian, Thomas Aquinas, authored concerning the pursuit of wealth. Among his many various interests, Aquinas examined the factors which are typically associated with happiness including wealth, honors, power, health, and pleasure. Thomas Aquinas argues, “For wealth of this kind is sought for the sake of something else, as a support of human nature.” Pursuing wealth, therefore, is insatiable, for there will never an amount after it’s been acquired that can satisfy the soul. There is always a new technology, luxury, or pleasure for purchase. Wealth only offers the gratifying of wants and needs that continuously reoccur throughout a lifetime.

               Thomas Aquinas views the soul of a human as the only eternal element existing in a human. Therefore, the soul can understand eternality and finds happiness in the vision of the Divine Essence. It naturally seeks to know and understand its cause, or God. Only when a soul achieves this understanding of eternal law, or the inner workings of the universe can it attain its final happiness.

               From this one can imply that Carnegie understands the transient nature of life, and he nobly desires to rid himself of his wealth in his lifetime. He did not find happiness in wealth. Maybe this is something that the modern American can take into consideration when he chooses ambitious goals over virtue. The pursuit of wealth is not necessarily the pursuit of happiness.

Inconveniences

      There's something thrilling about boarding a flight. Whether it's to a foreign country or a conference for work or in my case, a flight home from Greenville, South Carolina to Fernandina Beach, Florida. Once you finally board the plane, you find your seat and gaze out the window. You watch as the proportions rapidly change, shrinking cars and trees, and buildings until you can see an entire suburban neighborhood from your seat among the clouds. Usually a flight attendant hands you a cold Coke product and a tiny packet of pretzels to thoroughly enjoy your flight. This entire experience is dependent on one simple fact, one must first make his/her flight. 
       On my journey home to Florida, it's necessary to connect in Charlotte due to the unavailability of direct flights. This particular trip home, I ran into a number of issues making my connection in Charlotte. Once I boarded my first flight, we took off 35 minutes late. Once we landed in Charlotte, I realized that I had a grand total of 15 minutes until my connection took off. I grabbed my shiny red suitcase and sprinted from Gate E to Gate A. Unbeknownst to me, one of my wheels broke off my suitcase, so I dragged a 30 pound suitcase for ten minutes to my Gate. Sweaty and exhausted, I made my flight by 3 minutes. 
      This narrow escape from having to shuffle all my travel plans made me question the efficiency of air travel. Passengers pay through their teeth for tickets, and yet are victims of gate changes, delays, flight cancelations, inept workers, and overall inefficiency. In a normal business structure in the United States, this inefficiency would not tolerated. The monopolistic power of airlines is difficult to break. There are often limited options concerning travel. Travel by air is the most direct and speedy option. Therein lies the power of the monopoly: consumer dependence on this service causes our demand to be inelastic. There is no other form of travel that can compete as a substitute service. Therefore, this international inefficiency continues to effect travelers in every continent. 

Meet Lammily

The typical American girl plays with Barbie dolls from the beginning of her childhood. Since 1959, Barbie dolls have been a staple in the every American girl’s toy box. Young girls sit around miniature tables and attend imaginary tea parties with Barbie as their guest of honor. They brush her long platinum blonde hair and dress her in the latest fashion. Barbie is perfect. She is tall, has long tan plastic legs, a miniscule waist, huge breasts, and flashes her plastic smile at the world. She possesses unobtainable measurements, yet serves as a role model for young girls everywhere. Barbie’s impossible standards are damaging to the developing mind of a young girl. Girls strive to achieve this unobtainable perfection that they see in Barbie, and this is an impossible task.

Last year, Nickolay Lamm developed an alternative take on the typical Barbie doll. She’s called Lammily. Lammily was created by taking the average weight and measurements of an American 19 year old teenager. The Lammily doll sets more realistic beauty standards for young girls. She has toned-down makeup, brown hair, and looks fit and strong (WIKIPEDIA). She is marketed by the slogan, “Average is Beautiful.” The company takes this slogan seriously. Lammily’s clothing is less extravagant and appears to look like the clothing of the average American. There is even a sticker pack that you can purchase which contains stretch marks, freckles, acne, moles, scars, and casts to place on your doll. The developers made Lammily into the “normal Barbie.” She represents real girls in the real world.

The “normal Barbie” promotes self-confidence by representing real life. Real girls have muscle, scrapes, and bruises. Real girls wear comfy clothing and get acne. Becoming a Barbie is an unrealistic expectation imposed on young girls who look up to this flawless figure and desire to have a tiny waist like she does. The Lammily doll is a step in the right direction for establishing self-confidence at a young age by providing an alternative role model for girls to follow because average is beautiful too.