At this time of year, especially in America, everyone joins together to give thanks. Sure, there's those who don't, but for the most part, the religious and even the atheists take the day off to celebrate the good bounty and to give thanks for all they have.

It's at this time that people really are happiest. That's because grateful people really are happy. Those who are not grateful are generally miserable. That's just the way it is.

Lack of gratefulness leads to misery -- for more than one. When one person gives and another receives, being grateful leads to happiness for both. When the receiver is not grateful, that leads to unhappiness for the receiver and the giver tends to be resentful.

This also shows why government cannot be successful in giving programs. Government, as an agent to redistribute wealth, is utterly impersonal. The recipient cannot truly show that they are grateful to the giver, because they are insulated from the giver by the government agency. At the same time, the giver cannot see or receive the gratefulness of the receiver.

Before the years of the "great society," givers and receivers were not insulated from one another. Charity and helpfulness was done at a local level by local people. People could give voluntarily and receivers could show their gratitude.

Such is no longer the case. Now people feel they are owed things that are given to them and do not show gratitude. Those who do attempt to show gratitude cannot because of the impersonal nature of the government and the forced "giving" by the taxpayer.

So maybe that's one reason why there's so much anger, conflict, and unhappiness in this country. Yes, the government, through welfare and other associated programs, really does do more harm than good, no matter their intentions.

I truly hope you are grateful -- today and every day.

Posted by: Ogre at 01:29 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Hope you are having a great Thanksgiving Ogre! What do Ogre's eat on Thanksgiving?

Posted by: Sissy at November 24, 2005 02:30 PM (gCk3+)

2 Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: vw bug at November 24, 2005 02:33 PM (Xl/Yt)

3 Happy Thanksgiving to you both as well! And Ogre's eat whatever they want on Thanksgiving, just like every other day! (Especially Oddy's Pumpkin Pie..)

Posted by: Ogre at November 24, 2005 03:15 PM (uSCkp)

4 Maybe ogres consume Socialists for Thanksgiving. Hope so, somebody's gotta do it. They're tough chewing though. That's why we need ogres. Have a superb holiday, and I hope you found some of those brews we recommended.

Posted by: Laura at November 24, 2005 05:08 PM (h4Lez)

5 Thank you, Laura. And socialists taste bad... I'm taking my shopping list out tomorrow (shudder).

Posted by: Ogre at November 24, 2005 05:17 PM (uSCkp)

6 Mmmmm... is that llama pie I smell cooking? :-)

Posted by: Harvey at November 24, 2005 11:13 PM (ubhj8)

7 It might be rabbit, it might be...

Posted by: Ogre at November 25, 2005 08:37 AM (uSCkp)

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