loss of faith

"i am more and more convinced that Man is a dangerous creature, and that power whether vested in many or a few is ever grasping, and like the grave cries give, give. the great fish swallow up the small, and he who is most strenuous for the Rights of the people, when vested with power, is as eager after the perogatives of Government. You tell me of degrees of perfection to which Humane Nature is capable of arriving, and i believe it, but at the same time lament that our admiration should arise from the scarcity of the instances."
- Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams (second president of the United States), November 27, 1775, The Building Up a Great Empire

every single day i lose a little faith in humanity. every single day i see too many instances of luxuria, gula, avaritia, acedia, ira, invidia, and superbia. simply put, the seven "deadly" sins. on top of that i see too much stupidity, distrust, separation, hate, ignorance, etc. etc. etc.; too many other things to count or process. this world is an awful place to live in, and i do not envy those born into this world at this time. we are a consumerist planet full of get-rich-quick schemes, cutthroat competition, and longing desires of wealth. we're destroying our earth in order to feed our ingratifiatble desires in an impossible attempt to satisfy our need for instant gratification. the concept of the blue-collared attitude, hardworking, unselfish, benevolent, charitable, noble, and chivalrous character has turned into an abstract, and such people who quietly carry their humility are left in the background as the assholes who step over those people star in the forefront. what's the point of being a nice guy if you'll only finish behind someone who'll stab you in the back to get ahead? why should one make sacrifices for others if it only serves to drag them down in the end? what motivation is there for someone to work hard, bust their ass, and cover for other peoples' bullshit if it all goes without recognition? why should one trust if they know that the chances are affirmatively negative that the feeling will be mutual? why should one love if they know ultimately, like all good things, it will have to come to a crashing end. why should one care, when they know the rest of the world doesn't? why should one live a virtuous life if in the end, all they're left with is a small piece of rock as a tombstone and a history that will never remember them?

because it's the right thing to do?

bullshit.

232 years later and we're still the same; human nature doesn't change. if it does, it only gets worse. i hate thinking like this, but it's hard not to when you so often witness so much evidence of it.