It is no secret. The 99% get the short end of the stick in many ways. The poor (relatively speaking) live shorter lives and suffer from almost every social problem -- from lack of decent housing, to lousy food, to no healthcare, to being isolated and reviled. Poverty results in toxic levels of stress (dukkha).
Among all the countries in the world, the US ranks in the top five in stress, according to an ongoing Gallup survey. Consumerism and the "good life" are elevated to an idyllic plane. But selfishness leads us to an emotional dead end.
It is time to move beyond empty slogans like "I'm just looking out for Number One." Cooperation and collaboration are healthy. Why does it make medical and moral sense to have a healthy society? Source
