December 23, 2006

What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Equality

Chris Cree wrote this at 10:43 am


“Once the game is over, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.”
–Italian Proverb

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Today’s quote is a great commentary on status and that final equalizer, death. It doesn’t matter whether we’re rich or poor, female or male, lazy or hard working, successful or bumbling, Donald Trump or Rosie O’Donnell, eventually all of us will breath our last breath.

You see in spite of Thomas Jefferson’s lovely sentiment we are not all created equal. It’s an empowering idea, to be sure. It’s the kind of thing that inspires a nation to seek it’s independence.

But it is simply not true.

In fact we are hardly equal at all. I’m taller than many folks and at the same time shorter than others. So we aren’t equal in height. Really most of us aren’t even close to equal physically.

Me, I’m not a very fast runner. Nor am I particularly handy when it comes to fixing things.

We all have differences in education, work ethic, economic resources, ethical understanding, and family size. We’ve all heard different messages when we were growing up, were given different amounts of encouragement to pursue our passions, and had different options presented to us along the way.

And that’s not to say that folks can’t overcome some serious handicaps in any or all of these areas to accomplish tremendous things. Or that folks of great privilege never experience big falls.

That old investment disclaimer always applies. “Past performance does not guarantee future returns.”

However, in spite of all of our immense inequalities that proverb above is true. When it’s all said and done, each of us will end up effectively in the same box. The probability of each of us dying is exactly 1. It is one way each and every one of us is created equal.

Think about that the next time you pass someone on the highway with a much nicer car than yours. Or one that is nowhere nearly as nice. Or someone who doesn’t even have a car.

Think about what really is important when it’s all said and done.

–Chris Cree, SuccessCREEations

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7 Comments to “What is He Talking About? Chris Cree on Equality”

  1. December 23rd, 2006 at 6:41 pm
    Tony D. Clark said

    Excellent post, Chris. When I’m talking to folks about their future, and they start getting bogged down in past issues, I bring up he “past does not equal the future” message. I like to remind them of the fact that in reality, they’re not the same person, mentally OR physically. The way our bodies make new cells every few years, you’re actually a completely new person.

    Kind of like a do-over…

    BTW – Have a great holiday and New Year.

  2. December 23rd, 2006 at 7:20 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Tony,
    I sure like the way you look at the world!

    Do overs often are a great way to problem solve.

  3. December 23rd, 2006 at 7:46 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Yeah, Tony that’s a reality that cuts both ways, doesn’t it? I like your idea of life do overs too. Good stuff. Merry Christmas!

    Liz, I’m laughing on the inside!

  4. December 24th, 2006 at 7:35 am
    Dave said

    Nice post! It makes me think of the values of perspective and gratitude - this was from an article I wrote:

    “Attitude of Gratitude”

    * If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep….you are richer than 75% of this world
    * If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and space change in a dish someplace…you are among the top 8% of the worlds wealthy
    * If you woke up this morning with good health you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive the week
    * If you have never experienced the danger of battle unfolding all around you, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation…you are ahead of 500 million people in the world
    * If you can attend a church meeting without fear of persecution, harassment, arrest, torture, or death…you are more blessed than three billion people in the world
    * If your parents are still alive and still married…you are very rare, even in the United States
    * If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all

    The one thing we do have in common - we are all dying.

  5. December 24th, 2006 at 9:04 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Dave!
    Welcome!
    Gratitude and generosity two of my most favorite words. If you have one the other almost always follows. They’re like two sides of the same coin, a currency of understanding what makes the world turn.

    Thank you for this beautiful comment. It’s a joy to read on this Christmas Eve morning.

    Happiest of holidays to you and your family!

  6. December 24th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
    Chris Cree said

    Dave, you are so right. We all have so much to be grateful for. I think there is at least one other thing that we all have in common; the tremendous potential inherent in the day we were born.

    Liz, I like that, “a currency of understanding.” Good stuff.

  7. December 27th, 2006 at 7:04 am
    A Moment To Focus on What Really Matters at SuccessCREEations by Chris Cree said

    [...] I wrote recently over at Successful-Blog how death is one of the great equalizers in this world. And it is true. [...]

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