Candy is punishment, as is more stuff. Vegetables are reward, as is less stuff.
I see people rewarding themselves and others with candy or other similar sources of pleasure.
The idea used to make sense. For most of my like I saw baked goods and sweets as rewards.
Now I see candy as punishment. Vegetables are reward.
More material stuff is punishment, less is reward.
Flying is punishment. Discovering the nature around you is reward.
I can think of many other examples where my view of reward and punishment are backward from mainstream — TV versus exercise, being busy versus having free time, and so on.
If you behave otherwise — craving sweets and bucket list vacations — your values may be twisted from what you think they should be.
Today, we have to realize when we’re causing suffering. That’s why future generations will look at our behavior with horror. With any luck, we’ll collectively see the backwardness of teaching kids to prefer candy and disposable stuff, and prefer a local salad.
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