The other day, someone said “I’m very worried about McDonald’s food.” “Why?”, was the astonished response. “Because it’s not good for you.” was the utterly sincere answer.
When reminded that half the people in the world would give anything for a big Mac, fries,and milkshake that would keep them alive for a day, the worries were seen, at least for the moment, to be about something insignificant.
But, such fearful thoughts are everywhere. All of us have been concerned about various aspects of life that have absolutely no serious consequence. Young people are led to read and discuss the lives of celebrities whom they’ll never meet. Older people get involved in political discussions about activities over which they have absolutely no control.
One reason we all gravitate toward conversations about things we cannot affect is that we like to think that we can affect them. And, sometimes, we can. It is as bad not to get involved in making a change that we can make as it is to get involved in trying to do something we have no hope of affecting.
So, our degree of involvement relates directly to our hope of making a change.
