Tearing down our institutions

Just because it’s 8:30, doesn’t mean I hate the clock.

These words were spoken by a friend while chatting about personal experiences with the institutions that impact our lives. We live by the structure of institutions, from the federal government, on through our everyday network of schools, medicine, and neighborhood businesses where we shop. The best institutions enhance our quality of life.

Some institutions stand out because they are unfair or out of balance. Institutional organizing of our government, schools, religious denominations is meant to bring order and prosperity to us individually, and society as a whole. Life often isn’t fair.

In our chat, the topic was how compensation is handled in different organizations. In the US work force there are huge differences in how employees are paid. Wages don’t have to cover the cost of living just because you have a job. At some point many people, but not enough, get ahead in their work life, get that big promotion, or become a successful entrepreneur. With a big leap to an affluent stage in life, comes a memory loss of how life was before one got there. It’s as easy for a person of good will toward all to forget how it was when they were coming up the ladder, as it is for one who is self centered. Institutions function with people standing on every rung of the ladder. If you work for one…