Sociological Imagination
Sociological imagination: Peter L. Berger
It is very easy to take our own way of life for granted because we tend to fall into the same routines or patterns every day, sometimes without even realizing it. With society always advancing everyone has the ideal image of “keeping up with the joneses.” We have gotten so comfortable with all the advances and luxuries and all we tend to think about is “the latest and greatest” and “how can we can it.” In fact, more often than not, it is usually not until we’ve come across a spiraling downfall or have come to the realization that not everybody has it as good as others do we actually realize how good we have it ourselves. Look at the car you might drive, the home you might live in, and even the phone you are using. All these products have come a long way since they were first invented and will only continue to grow! Are you so spoiled to the point you realize that you just got the iPhone 4s and then a few months later upgraded to the 5s? Did you earn it yourself or did you have to beg someone for it? Why was it that you even had to update it? We know every few months something newer and greater gets released and shoots to the top of the wanted charts for many civilians. Now look at the situation through someone else’s eyes. They man on the corner holding the homeless sign. He has only one leg, and whatever he can fit into his knapsack yet he still manages to smile? Why is that? He doesn’t have the newest upgrade of a phone and probably doesn’t even have one to begin with, no car, and appears to be without a roof over his head. His only worry is when he will get his next mean and who is generous enough to help him. Every day there are people like this in the streets at the lowest of lows. In some ways I honestly think they are trying to prove a point. You don’t have to have all the nicest things to be happy you just have to be alive. Sometimes we tend to forget how to even live because our lives are so consumed in the
It is very easy to take our own way of life for granted because we tend to fall into the same routines or patterns every day, sometimes without even realizing it. With society always advancing everyone has the ideal image of “keeping up with the joneses.” We have gotten so comfortable with all the advances and luxuries and all we tend to think about is “the latest and greatest” and “how can we can it.” In fact, more often than not, it is usually not until we’ve come across a spiraling downfall or have come to the realization that not everybody has it as good as others do we actually realize how good we have it ourselves. Look at the car you might drive, the home you might live in, and even the phone you are using. All these products have come a long way since they were first invented and will only continue to grow! Are you so spoiled to the point you realize that you just got the iPhone 4s and then a few months later upgraded to the 5s? Did you earn it yourself or did you have to beg someone for it? Why was it that you even had to update it? We know every few months something newer and greater gets released and shoots to the top of the wanted charts for many civilians. Now look at the situation through someone else’s eyes. They man on the corner holding the homeless sign. He has only one leg, and whatever he can fit into his knapsack yet he still manages to smile? Why is that? He doesn’t have the newest upgrade of a phone and probably doesn’t even have one to begin with, no car, and appears to be without a roof over his head. His only worry is when he will get his next mean and who is generous enough to help him. Every day there are people like this in the streets at the lowest of lows. In some ways I honestly think they are trying to prove a point. You don’t have to have all the nicest things to be happy you just have to be alive. Sometimes we tend to forget how to even live because our lives are so consumed in the