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Human nature is the same all over the world. While its imperfections certainly do contribute to the causes of misery in all societies, I believe that the sources of misery differ from one society to another.

People in a society of plenty may be miserable because they always want more. This is also true of people in societies where poverty is rampant. The difference, obviously, is that we cannot blame people who are miserable because they are hungry or cold. And while this incessant need for more when one already has enough may lead to stress syndromes and depressions, in poor societies it often leads to increased violence, higher crime rates, and a startling erosion of moral values.

The causes of misery in today's poverty-stricken societies are twofold. The raw misery (hunger, cold, ill health, illiteracy etc) caused by galloping poverty in a globalized economy is compounded by the misery caused by jealousy or envy - envy of societies where every child can go to school and where owning a car is the rule rather than the exception.

Modern media, especially television, feeds this envy. For the poorest of the poor all over the world are always able to access a television set. They will squat in the dirt outside shabby coffee houses in remote villages to catch a glimpse of 'the other life'. The more ignorant among them will believe that people in other parts of the world lead the lives portrayed by shows such as Dallas or the Bold and the Beautiful.

This is where human nature comes in. A burning desire is created. The desire to find work, to be warm or to feed hunger is transformed into a craving, a need, to own a cell phone and a pair of Nike shoes! Since these are largely unattainable goals, frustration builds up among the young. The frustration is more palpable than the hunger.

A woman who spends her whole day working for the price of one meal that she must feed to six children may pretend not to notice if her eldest daughter does not come home one night. She will not ask questions when, in the morning, this daughter silently hands her a few crumpled bills as she pulls out a cell phone from the pocket of a new pair of jeans.

Poverty compounded by the frustration that results from our covetous natures is a lethal combination. Together, they are not only the causes of misery in many societies; they are also a festering danger that must not be ignored any longer.

Learn more about this author, Sawsan Elzayyat.
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