Why do we strive for noteworthy credentials when in reality, they rarely matter. We’re used to elections which come down to “popularity contests” and employment opportunities based on how “connected” someone is. So what about those hard-earned experiences? Why do we even bother fluffing up our vitas with activities, when another individual with virtually no qualifications has just as much of a chance to “win” by some other means?
“Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer” (Proverbs 14:30). Think about that. We’re all familiar with the emotional and medical pain associated with cancer. Now try equating that to something ALL of us are guilty of – the evil known as jealousy. Jealousy is marked by an uncharacteristic envy of another’s possessions, lifestyle, etc. While we like to consider ourselves independent people capable of making it on our own steam, we hold bitter sentiments towards those who, for better or worse, have something we desire.
It’s a phrase which we’ve all heard our friends say and may have said ourselves. The moment something goes awry, the immediate follow up is something along the lines of: “Ugh, I hate my life! Life sucks!” Even after I’ve finished my undergraduate studies, I still hear college students stating the aforementioned as if it’s some routine expression inherent to civil conversation. Well come hither, oh-life-hating-individual… I’ve got some words for you.
In a world where we ascribe quantities to everything, it’s common to venture into the realm of intangibles. For example, it’s easy to say that “I’m richer than him”, for one’s bank account balance could easily illustrate this claim. There are concrete measurements to ascertain one’s wealth, and this can be directly compared to another’s. However, how do we make similar claims about abstract traits like intelligence?
Wikipedia, aka “the website which will get me through medical school”, defines a pet peeve as something which meets the following criteria:
- The annoyance is “insignificant.”
- The annoyance is “experienced by all.”
- The annoyance is specific to “only you and a few others.”
