Why do we, as a society - as a culture, enjoy seeing people win lots of money? Is it because we are truly happy for these total strangers who are winning cold hard cash via illusive lotteries and game shows like Deal or No Deal?
Okay, so yeah... my friend won $4000 on Wheel of Fortune this year, and it was a blast watching him on TV. I'd probably go on Wheel of Fortune too if I lived in California!
But what motivates people to sit in front of the TV, often on a daily basis, to cheer on contestant's decisions or abilities? I understand why we do that when we watch a sporting event, but game shows? Reality shows? Fear Factor reruns?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire! I do, I do!! I mean, c'mon! Don't YOU?!
But instead, I sit at home and get excited about other people becoming rich. Wow. That is sad. Especially when some of these contestants get real greedy and shout no deal!
...poverty is the curse of never having enough. Poverty is not the state of being poor or needy, it is the state of wanting, it's the torment of never having enough. Two Hebrew words for poverty are translated as "want" or "poverty", not to be mistaken with "need". If one has plenty but is always wanting more, that is poverty. Wanting is the opposite of being content, those who cannot stop wanting are entrapped by desire.There is a difference between being poor and needy and living a poverty lifestyle. The Bible says, there will always be poor people in the land. [Deuteronomy 15:11] Even Jesus said, the poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. [Mark 14:7]
Throughout our lifetimes we all experience financial limitations being imposed on us because of circumstances and challenges that we face, but the common lie of the enemy is to believe that we will be satisfied with more money!
In his book Never Enough: Breaking the Spirit of Poverty, David Holdaway says,
Poverty is a state of always being in need - no matter how much comes in, more always seems to go out. But it is more than not having, it is an attitude that is always fearful of not having.So how do we break the spirit of poverty - in our lives and the lives of others? President Bush believes that entrepreneurship helps break the cycle of poverty. [September 15, 2005] But Mr. President! Wouldn't it be much easier if we just all went on a game show and won lots of money?
I'm getting off track. Yet I remain frustrated for two reasons: 1) I, personally, battle this spirit - but usually overcome it by bringing the truth of God's promises to the "I need more" lie; 2) I feel so helpless watching people live poverty lifestyles - you know, spending money before they get it from the welfare office, living to drink away their money on the weekend, neglecting their children's food and clothing needs by purchasing a new video game at the pawn shop, renting gigantic widescreen TVs and satelite dishes for their subsidized houses...
These people are not poor, but they are living in poverty.
[Sigh.]
Yes, I do believe we have poor and needy people among us, but most of them live in other countries. On the other hand, there is a poverty epidemic in North America, the wealthiest continent in the world.
But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.Deal. Or no deal.
If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, September 30, 2006 at 2:29 PM.
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4:34 PMI do, I do too! :o)
12:05 AM
I use to watch "Wheel of Fortune" (before they took it off) but for me it was more about trying to solve the puzzles that about the money/prizes.
Now I sometimes watch Deal or No Deal. I knew of someone who went on the show who said they only air the more "exciting" shows. So if you are really boring and take the money early they probably won't air your show and then you don't get the money anyway. This possibly explains why some people keep going longer than they should. Though I'm sure greed plays a part too.
1:00 PM
Susan: Yes, I understand how people can enjoy shows like Wheel of Fortune. I must confess, I love to watch Jeopardy! But not to see how much people are going to win, but for the trivia and strategy. It would be interesting if Deal or No Deal actually hypes the show by not airing the less greedy folks. What would THAT tell you about our society and culture!
12:09 PM
There are many reasons for poverty in our culture ... I understand totally what you are saying here ....the bible says the eye is never satisfied.
As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man. Prov. 27:19,20
Here is an interesting story about a woman named Roever. She had lost her 24 year old daughter to rape and murder. Her second husband left her a short time later with two children still at home who were also grieving the loss of their sister. So on the tail of her daughter's death she suffered the trauma of a husband letting her down. She soon lost her job and her home .... it's an interesting story ...
Here's the link to copy and paste into your address bar if you would like to read it.
http://www.csindy.com/csindy/current/cover.html
This is the point I would like to bring to the surface from this article ... She had been seeing a psychologist off and on throughout this affair and this is what he has to say ... His name is Hoffman.
"After meeting with Roever recently, Hoffman made a number of recommendations. With limited skills, he indicated, Roever would benefit from a vocational assessment — and she has indicated she would like to go back to school. A psychological evaluation was also advised, specifically to assess trauma and possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Hoffman has offered to personally accompany Roever to Focus on the Family to try to rectify her employment history. ( she had worked for Focus on the Family in their mail room and was fired for tardiness and time away from work)
But mostly, Hoffman says, Roever would benefit from compassion, and a society in which people take better care of one another. The down and out, he notes generally, are neither sociopaths nor criminally minded. And some people, he says, are far more sensitive to trauma than others."
And I've noticed that some down and outers are still holding their jobs but not coping in other ways ...
Compassion, love and tenderhearts all around ...
1:44 PM
Good Post
10:02 PM
Sheesh I haven't hung out in the blogging community forever - I come back and there you go stepping on my toes already! :) I stood in line all night this summer to try and get on Deal or No Deal. Crazy I know. Always good to read your stuff - thanks for putting it out there!
10:30 PM
Do you know that we are also bogged down with these kinds of programs on Brazilian TV, these and soap operas!
But what surprises me the few times I've actually taken notice of what was going on, is the fact that most people on these shows seem to be pretty well-off or well-educated for starters and all they seem to talk about is all the goodies they would love to spend the money on if they won. Most of them already have the basics but they simply want more!
I would just love to appear on one of those shows and win the jackpot, just to chuck it back at all the viewers when I tell them how important this money will be for my social development project for street children and other children at risk in Brazil. I have never heard of anyone giving away their prize money to some humanitarian cause, which I'm sure there are so many worthy ones who would benefit a great deal more than just a single individual fattening an already fat lifestyle, but then again, I suppose most of us are egoistic when it comes to money matters.
It's always been a tough job trying to keep my program alive and we've been around for 14 years now. Give me a million any day and I'll solve the lives of many street kids!
- Gregory J. Smith, Founder, Children At Risk Foundation - CARF
12:47 PM
He said "Chuck." Somebody other than me said "Chuck" I could cry.
There was that dude that won big on Jeopardy. He did give 10% of his 2 million dollar winnings to his church. It may just be one person doing it, but a wise man once told me "A journey of a thousan miles begins with one step, the song of a thousand people begins with one voice.
1:47 PM
I saw a program where they interviewed people who were waiting in a soup kitchen line. They asked them if they were poor. Of course, they all said yes. Then they asked them if they had tvs? Yes. Cable? Yes. Phone? Yes. Stereo? Yes. Microwave? Yes. Yes? And they're poor? We as a society have not idea what poor is. And then there are those who earn very good salaries and live a very nice lifestyle, but yet cry poor because they have to pay more taxes? And of course, their life will be much better, once they win the lottery!!!
1:55 PM
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