"I guess I will get things started off here
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The first line of any book is always important. If it captures are attention chances are we will keep reading but if it is dull and uninteresting chances are we won't get to far in the book.
I love love love the first like on "Anna Karenina"
In Russian it is ""Все счастливые семьи похожи друг на друга, каждая несчастливая семья несчастлива по-своему."
In English it is ""Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way"
This line captures my attention and makes me think already. What is happiness? What makes a person happy and unhappy?
This is a very interesting statement. First off are the any truly happy families? In my opinion no. Every family has their own problems and difficulties but working together and solving these is what makes us a family. Every family is in some sense unhappy. We don't see any of those cookie cutter families. Life is full of problems and difficulties and we all face unhappiness."
This got me thinking... People have needs and when certain needs are met we seek other desires, such as the need to secure food and shelter before I buy a car stereo - if I'm smart. So what's needed to make a happy family? We all have character flaws so there is really no helping that beyond a steady regiment of morally correct and ethical behavior. But we all know that morals and ethics are a luxury! I will steal a loaf of bread if my family is starving and I hope you would too as long as it's not stealing the one I've just stolen. Food and shelter are a necessity for life but not being secure in the knowledge that you will have these necessities tomorrow causes extreme stress. Stress, if serious like this one, can become an obstacle to happiness. They can make a person reject or forget about other desires and concentrate on that one thing. A drowning man may pull down someone he loves in panic. We're not talking really about personality flaws anymore... we're talking about tangibles that can be readily changed.
If the nation is worried about the decline of the family unit, why is it making living on one income close to impossible? Why is the disparity between rich and working class incomes increasing? Why are the rich getting tax breaks while teachers are losing their jobs? If I'm losing my job - you can bet my level of family happiness will probably soon go into the toilet because I will be without means to provide my family with food and shelter.