I don't know why I've been thinking about this lately, but I have.
I think we all know what a first world problem is. Generally, it includes something that might be considered a luxury, or if not exactly a luxury, perhaps a product or service often taken for granted in the industrialized world, of which, presumably, many people in developing countries can only dream of having.
In other words, they'd rather have our problems than their own, apparently, because it means your standard of living must be pretty good if all you have to complain about are trivial matters.
I will admit, there are times where it is just a little over the top—your favorite coffee shop messed up your triple espresso, or your 1 Gig Internet service was 10 mbps slower than normal, or your Lamborghini Huracan was dirty so you had to take the Mercedes Maybach instead.
And by dirty, I mean it didn't get washed and waxed to your high standards by the new guy you hired to replace the old guy who went and started his own luxury vehicle detailing service 2,000 miles away. Which isn't much of an excuse, but your girlfriend used the cargo jet to go on a shopping spree in the Caymans, and the leer jet just isn't big enough to carry a lambo.
But I digress.
There are certainly degrees of 'first world problems' that many of us, even living in the 'first world', will never have. Is that supposed to be bad?
Whining about something trivial isn't exactly exclusive to the more affluent areas of the world, and in reality, I wouldn't consider whining in any instance to be something to aspire to. And I don't really think those in developing countries aspire to have 'first world problems,' either. I think they would rather have a better life, whatever that might mean for the individual.
Situations where I have complained about something can certainly fall into the whining category, but there are also times where the problem stems from something you don't expect to find in the U.S. or wherever you consider to be 'first world', but actually the norm in a developing country.
I can't tell you how many times I've actually had to resolve an issue myself that was supposed to be the job of someone else to do. I've spent hours on the phone or the internet, or in person, attempting to get someone just to do their job. Is that a first world problem? Is it okay to be that way? Should I just shrug and be grateful I have electricity, running water, sewer, satellite, internet, etc., regardless of the service I actually get?
I don't know. I believe we should just all aspire for something better. Feeling unfulfilled in a dead in job where you're under appreciated and under paid might be better than no job at all, or for that matter, having no options for a job, but come on. That doesn't mean you have to just be grateful for anything and take it, or never vent about it so you actually stay sane long enough to find something else.
There certainly are people living in horrendous conditions in many parts of the world, and something should be done to help them, if at possible. Acknowledging that, but doing little else other than to momentarily pause from perusing your feed to chastise a soccer mom on Facebook who mentions how her day went from bad to worse after her Honda Pilot broke down on the way to practice, while you swig on your luxury coffee, from the back of your limo as you travel across town to an auction for Beetle Memorabilia—well, I hope you get the picture.
They need the same opportunities to rise out of their current situation to something better. There are times where individuals from afar can help. There are too many other occasions where either the help doesn't get to those in need, or where the situation continues to perpetuate or go from bad to worse because of the government, or the all too powerful gangs, or some other form of corruption.
It seems that the rise of the use of the phrase first world problems has actually become more of a thing since social media really got going, which kind of comes after we stopped referring to the first world or the third world in such terms. Now, it's developing countries, or the industrialized world.
Also, from what I can tell, while there certainly could be more of it, there's been progress in many places that may have been considered third world before. Just being able to get on the Internet from your home or smartphone in any capacity could very well be a step up from where things were just five or ten years ago, while there's still many other places where accessing the Internet is still a dream.
I know there can be all kinds of feelings about what I'm going to say next, so I'll try to say it as clearly and as honestly as I know how.
While we should always be grateful because our circumstances could certainly be far worse, we should also be mindful of the fact certain things had to happen for us to even have 'first world problems' to begin with.
We could debate forever why certain places have prospered over others. Rather than doing that, and not getting much of anywhere, anyway, I think it would be more productive to figure out ways to help as many as possible to have an opportunity to prosper, too.
That said, if what we're really wanting to do is create equality, I'm not sure how that's ever going to happen. Those in power and those with resources will have to be willing to give up more of it than they seem to be doing now, and with history as judge, it's not likely enough of them are going to do it. At the same time, with that same history to look at, there will always be people who either want to take advantage of the situation, or who don't want the help, for one reason or another.
Prosperity can't be imposed on others, just as democracy shouldn't be, either. Exerting will over someone else runs counter to what democracy or prosperity actually mean. And there are some things that a higher standard of living, beyond the basic essentials for maintaining good mental and physical health, can actually detract from the current state of affairs.
The simple life, if it's not being lived in squalor, can be a good thing.
Whining is whining, 'first world' whining or otherwise. If you feel something should be done about the plight of others, don't wait for someone else to do it. Flaming someone on Twitter does not generally equate to doing something.
We should be grateful for where we are, but constantly striving to improve. Not only should we expect better from others, but also from ourselves. We should seek ways to bring opportunities to as many as we can, knowing that not everyone can or wants to be helped. We should do what we can, anyway.
Image source—Pixabay
