The 100%

I don't believe in the 99%, or the 1%.  These are numbers people have come up with to advance their agendas. The result is that we are separated. We see the world in terms of who's good and who's bad. We blame.

A one-sided view does not create solutions beneficial to the whole. For example, some people are screaming for an large increase in the minimum wage. Yes, people should be paid a living wage. However, you cannot ignore the effects of such an increase on hundreds of thousands of businesses that are not owned by the so-called 1 %. You cannot ignore market forces that determine what a company can charge for their products. Unless a company makes a profit, it cannot remain in business.  Wages are an investment and there needs to be a return on investment.

On the flip-side, the every-person-for-themselves view toward earning a living doesn't work either. No one makes it completely on their own. We all need help. The question is: "What is help?" There needs to be a balance between helping and the expectation that people take an initiative.

The more we demonize conservatives or liberals, the 99% or the 1%--the more we create separation and conflict. The question is not "who is guilty?" The question is how can we help? How can we help people who are down find their way up? How can we help people who have a lot understand that to whom much is given, much is required?

I have worked with "poor" people and with "rich" people in my career. The biggest issue I had with "poor" people was finding individuals who were motivated to make a change. It was frustrating. The biggest issue with "rich" people was them not seeing (and sometimes not caring)  how their decisions impacted others. Yet, in both situations, I met caring people who wanted to do the right thing.

I am not interested in anyone's article or posting on the 1% or the 99% because these do nothing to solve the issues--they only create more conflict. Self-righteous indignation is self-deception. We are all human, and we are in this life together. We are not defined by how much money we have, but by our ability to self-reflect and to take full responsibility for our emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and the results that we produce. Everything we say or do helps, or hurts.  You and I are part of the 100%.
Let's stop taking sides, stop judging,  and start listening and exploring alternatives that benefit both the short and long-term well-being for everyone.
William Frank Diedrich, author of
Beyond Blaming
http://noblaming.com