The Dumbing Down of America

The Dumbing Down of America


After going to see Game One of the World Series
with my son last week - I got a couple hours of
sleep - then boarded a plain for Beijing, China.

Upon my arrival I turned on my iPhone and found
amongst the many emails forwarded to me - one
in which a reader advised me AGAINST
telling anyone that I am enjoying myself while
so many others are in pain due to the depressing
economic news.

At first I saw the man's point. Not saying I agreed
with it - but I did SEE IT.

Then I looked at reality.

I was one of TENS of thousands of fans at the World
Series. And as much as I could see, hear and feel -
no one at the game was crying about the economy
or the political con game going on in Washington,
with the help of the media.

Nope. The focus was on baseball, hot dogs and many
other things - like t-shirts, caps, jackets, pennants and
a host of other totally unnecessary purchases.

It's funny, but in a ten-day span I attended two pro
football games - each with sold-out crowds of more
than 60,000 fans - and one World Series game - also
sold out.

I did not do a "luxury" check of everyone sitting near me
or anywhere else in the stands - but I am sure of one thing:
I was neither the poorest or the wealthiest person in the
stands - financially speaking. I also believe that many of
the fans tapped into their non-luxury pocketbook to attend the
game - regardless of whether or not they had a job to earn
more dinner or dinero the following day.

As for my trip to China - I was almost as snobby as Sarah Palin
is being accused of. How dare she have a $150,000 wardrobe
in these times - as if it would be A-OK with the media if it
were good times - forgetting of course that many of them
ALSO wear clothes they don't pay for - and none of them
are donated to charity after being used.

Lucky for Sarah that her clothes are donated to charity after
she wears them - otherwise it would be a sin of the highest
order - that every POPE commits.

Ah, how dare the Pope wear Gucci and Prada shoes made
from crocodile skin - as well as name brand sun glasses
as he rides around in his bullet proof mobile.

Doesn't he understand that everyone on this earth is supposed
to be the SAME.

We're all supposed to be at the same level - especially when it
comes to trinkets and toys. Everyone should have a house - even
if no money to pay for it.

Ouch.

Not only that, no one - and I mean absolutely NO ONE should be
happier than anyone else -or healthier. And if you are, shame
on you. Don't you know you're supposed to dumb yourself down
in order to be liked by people who don't love you and never will.

Don't you know your mission in life is to be everyone's
friend. To never stand out. To make sure that no one
ever has hurt feelings because of your success.

Dumb yourself down, mate. Be the same as everyone
else - then you and everyone on this planet will be
happy.

HOLD IT.

Something is wrong with this picture.

Visualize it for a moment.

Imagine over 6 billion people on this planet all looking
the same and having the same amount of money, the
same clothes and the same level of fitness and education.

Go read Dr. Seuss' book on the Sneetches and you'll quickly
see that SAME is not equal. It's a disaster. And trying to create
it is evil.

Karl Marx was wrong. And being I was born on the same day
of the year that he was - I feel it's high time I put together
the Fureyist Manifesto.

Here is a slice of it:

If there is a mission for you in this lifetime - it cannot take
place unless, first and foremost, you are true to yourself. If
you are addicted to other peoples' approval MORE than fulfilling
your goals - then you are NOT true to yourself and you cannot
ever be truly happy.

Happiness does not come from friends, or from making sure
you dumb yourself down to be liked. Happiness doesn't come
from m-oney, either. It doesn't come from good or bad economic
times. It doesn't come from going to the World Series or flying
first class to China. And it doesn't come from what you wear or
have decorating your home.

Happiness comes from being willing to live life with gusto and
enthusiasm while pursuing goals that matter to you; goals that
also benefit your fellow man.

You don't make yourself or anyone else happy when you dumb
yourself down. All you do is pay homage to the adage, "Misery
LOVES company."

Be ONE of US and all will be okay, the masses say.

No it won't.

What is the world without examples of people rising to great
heights despite all the cat-calls and attempts to stifle you to
a life of mediocrity. What would the 2008 Olympics be without a
Michael Phelps winning 8 gold medals. Imagine no medals at all
for achievement - and there won't be anything worth cheering
about - in any endeavor.

Being sad or depressed because someone else is doing well is
no way to go through life. A far better choice is to celebrate
others' success and to set a goal and create a plan that will
help you do likewise.

That's what I did long, long ago - when I had nothing but an
imagination to steer me toward where I am today.

I never sulked when I was broker than broke - nor have I ever
treated anyone with disrespect because he happens to be where
I once was - or worse. Instead, I've made it a mission to do my
best to help lift others UP. That's what I try to do with every
book I write; with every email I send.

And if talking about being at the World Series - or flying to
China is the ticket to expressing what I have to say on the
subject of success, I'm going to say it.

When my children come home from school and show me their
report cards - I want to know where they stand. I want to know
how to make them better. And if they ever have a teacher or
coach who wants them to be average - to dumb themselves down
so that no one else feels bad - then that teacher or coach will be fired - immediately - and I will not care if this hurts the teacher's feelings.

Never pride yourself on poverty. Never melt toward mediocrity.

Rise UP - in every sense of the word.

Rise up personally. Rise up professionally. Rise up spiritually.

Be MORE than you think you can be. Stretch yourself to new limits.

Regardless of what is going on before you - you can still choose to
be BIGGER than your circumstances.

-Matt Furey 10-28-2008