I refer to the CNN article “Orphan boy lives in garbage dump” dated 14 April 2008, retrieved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/04/09/rubbish.boy/index.html
Lin and his adopted mother have been living in the garbage dump in Thailand ever since Lin was 7 years old. Other refugees just like Lin and his mother also reside in the same dump. They live in makeshift shelters and collects bottles and plastic for a recycling firm to make a living.
Lin’s biological mother passed Lin to his adopted mother because she could not look after him. Life in Myanmar was very bad because under the military junta the economy was collapsing, people were torture and raped. Lin’s adopted mother came to Thailand in search of a better life and found a rubbish dump instead. She claimed that scavenging for food in the garbage dump is an improvement on her previous life.
Lin’s adopted mother used downward social comparison to compare herself with her people back in Myanmar in order to judge herself. She compared herself with the people back home because the people in Myanmar are worse off than her as they are constantly tortured and raped whereas Lin’s adopted mother is living in a rubbish dump where she is not tortured or raped. These Myanmar citizens are similar to her because she is a citizen of the country who is taking refuge in Thailand. Now, Lin’s adopted mother is feeling better because her life now is not as bad as the lives people lead in Myanmar.
3 comments:
In such social issues, I don't blame Lin's foster Mum from using downward spiral attitude.
How do you comfort yourself when you are in dire period? Only way is to look in a positive way else one would never be able to survive in such periods.
Truly agreed. Instead of looking how bad one is in, why not look in another direction there are people far worst then you. There are all kinds of attitude and there isn’t any right or wrong in having this attitude. As we are in different kind of culture and living condition one cannot comment on one attitude. As people in need to survive, whereas in another country people use this kind of thinking to make themselves look outstanding.
Its really a pitiful situation while fellow human conrades undergo suffering, we consume meals or release waste in Air-Conditioned setting,travel in saloon cars and waddle in clean swimming pools..............................Welcome to reality i suppose the world is never fair...but how do we adapt ourseleves to such unfairness? Simple... as mentioned by fellow bloggers as well it is vital to have down-ward social comparison so that one can be grateful that they atleast are better off then some others...but this is not good for long term run if not Lin's foster mum n himself will never see improvement in future....it is important to also have upward social comparison so that one can have an aim to work on...Andre'
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