Is Life Fair?

The countless debates about life's fairness has led mindless people to believe life has more than one meaning. Perpetuating a falsified fact that life is a double-entendre. While the literal meaning of life has already been decided on. The dictionary defines life as the process of growth till death. Yet, many philosophical mistakes created a falsified answer to the most straightforward question, "Is Life fair?" Life is fair, but people who live, dictate, and control society are not. Misinterpretation between life and society is the basis of why life is fair, and society is not. Life is scientific, but morality, ethics, and general state of mind amongst humans are not. Thus, life is theoretically fair, but people who control, live, behave, or rebel within society's constructs are the very reason why society is not fair. 

Perception and perspective are synonymous, but society and life are not. The meaning of life is the science behind the process of growth and death. However, society is a formation of mixed groups that create classes and beckon unfairness. Life did not dictate our greed, ethics, or morality, but the society we consume did. Society made the inequality and injustice suffered through today. Yet, we confused the inequity of society with the behavior of our lives. The movie 'I am Sam' by Jessie Nelson showcases how society's perception of differences between individuals beckoned the unfairness of the main character's experiences, not life itself. In 'I am Sam,' it portrays the main character, Sam as a single father who is autistic, fighting to keep his child's custody. Sam has to go through a series of obstacles to keep his child because the court and the rest of society perceive him as an inadequate parent. Sam was an amazing father and a better father than most. But he was perceived as an unfit parent because of one neurotypical difference. Thus, creating unfairness in his life because had he been perceived as "normal," no one would have questioned his parenting. Life did not say nor claim he was an unfit parent, but the barometer of society did.

Perception of society and life can make or break the answer to 'Is Life Fair?' But the idea of life being fair or unfair is unhealthy. Deciding on whether or not life is fair allows unruly comparisons to pervert the mind. Happiness is within understanding and perception. The article 'Life  Isn't Fair- Deal With It' by Mike Wyatt elaborates with a different approach about the fairness of life. The article eludes that life is not fair, and we should change how we perceive our plights! Mike Wyatt notes, "Fair is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind'', showcasing how perception of the cards society deals  formed the varied answers to whether life is fair or not. Perception is key and the topic of fairness begets comparisons from others lives to the life of your own, which is unhealthy. According to Mike Wyatt, "My subjective assessment is that fair is an entitlement concept manufactured to appease those who have been slighted'', which showcases how our perception that has been impacted by society controls what we believe is fair. Society beckoned plights to adhere to those born with a paper plate by making them feel lesser than those born with a silver platter and appeasing them in the same way to create an unhealthy questioning about the fairness of their lives compared to others. Humans have developed too far to break from the societal chains of what is deemed fair and unfair. The philosophy of society will forever be unjust because of the battle between ethics, morality, and perception.

Some may argue that the science behind ourselves allowed for the unfairness to begin. However, science can not explain ethics and immorality in society. Thus, life can be fair, and people can not. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinback introduced a set of oppression, but one particular character stood out. The storyline is based on migrant workers trying to survive in a collapsing economy, featuring sexism, racism, ableism, and capitalism's effects on underprivileged workers. George and Lennie, the two main characters, are migrant workers fleeing from a sexual assault accusation made on Lennie's mentally slow character. During this novel, being mentally slow was not discussed in society, which showcased Lennie's oppression to fit into a nonacceptable society to those who are different. Yet, because Lennie was mentally slow, he could get away with crimes neurotypical humans are imprisoned for. Science created the differences between him and a neurotypical human being but did not play a role in Lennie's ethics. Lennie was a deranged groper for both human beings and animals. The warning signs first stemmed during the first chapter when Lennie found a dead mouse and said, "I could pet it with my thumb while we walked along.'' If Lennie were a neurotypical mind, that statement would have revolted a humane society, but because he was mentally slow, society allowed his ethics to be perverted and twisted; science did not. Throughout the novel, the warning signs continued as he professed his love to touch soft things, which is the exact reason why he sexually harassed a girl and had to flee to another town. Lennie's behavior was defended by his simple-minded nature, which should not have been the case because his differences did not speak for him, unlike his ethics! Also, in chapter one, Lennie speaks on the matter by stating, "Jus' wanted to feel that dress- jus' wanted to pet it like it was a mouse."Thus showcasing how Lennie's behavior was genuinely appalling because he associated groping a non-consenting female with a rodent. It further explained how science did not play a role in his ethics, yet society allowed his immorality to continue. The science behind life was not responsible for Lennie's ethics and the unfairness he beckoned, but society was.

While the confusion and the debate about the fairness of life continues, the critical analytical message displayed is that life is more clear-cut than the eye displays. Perception and concise thinking are why life is fair, but the constructs society beckons are not. Thus, showing the difference between morality and science, which will never be equal.

By : Editor Nadia M.