Taking things for granted — how far can you go?
The last post was about how taking things for granted could be seen as a beneficial feature that allows people to dream beyond what they already have.
However, when can taking things for granted become harmful to one’s livelihood? One instance could be when you take someone or something so much for granted that you want it out of your life entirely. When someone or soemthing is so expected at some point that you don’t really care for him/her/it anymore. An example could be your parents. They’re always there for you, yet sometimes their nagging really gets on your nerves, and you really wish they would go away and never bother you again. Yet, at the end of the day, you cna’t forget the fact that even if no one in the world hated you, your parents would still love you (well, at least mine would, I hope yours would too). Thus, cutting yourself off from your parents would most likely be a bad decision, although sometimes you may feel like doing so. Thankfully, most parents won’t let themselves be cut off.
However, is there ever a moment when you really didn’t appreciate someone or something as much as you should have? And when you made it go away, you really wish you hadn’t? How would you identify when something or someone is in this category versus something that really needs to be ended or changed? The only distinguishing feature I can think of is that for the former, when you imagine yourself without it, you would feel fine. However, for the latter, when you imagine yourself without it, you realize you really couldn’t live your optimal livelihood without it. Is this the only difference?
Taking things for granted?
“Don’t take it for granted.” This is such a common phrase often heard. It’s supposed to mean that you don’t appreciate something you have as much as you should. In any moment, that something could be gone forever and that’s when you realize how much it meant to you. How many somethings do we take for granted in life? Christians say that humans are born sinners; are we also born to take things for granted? Is it a natural inclination that can’t be helped? Almost an adaptation to our environments?
When something becomes routine in our lives — whether it’s food, shelter, friends, or family, wouldn’t it be natural to eventually “take it for granted?” After all, once these things become expected in everyday life, it would be maladaptive to be thankful for those things every minute of every day. Sure, we should all take at least a few days out of the year to count our blessings. That’s what Christmas and Thanksgiving are for, right? Arguably, prayer at every meal or once a day would also help as a reminder of all the fortunate people and things in our lives.
But ultimately, we all want improvement in our lives. We want things to get better and better, which results in the perception that we do not appreciate those things we already have. But isn’t it in the best interest of our species that we continue to improve? That we don’t always maintain status quo and be complacent about what we already have? Sure, we should be thankful for everything we have, but that doesn’t mean that change isn’t good either.
What I’m trying to say is that maybe “taking things for granted” is an adaptive feature that humans have developed over the years which allows people to adjust comfortably to out lives and potentially to dream big. This ability allows us to think beyond what is right in front of us, to make changes to those things that we were “taking for granted.”
As for me, I’m thankful for being able to take things for granted.
