The Problem with the Problem with Western Society

Avid readers of self-help or New Age/spiritual books have heard it often. The way we do things in Western society (i.e. that inspired by European and North American traditions) is broken. Suboptimal. Not as good as it should be. Wrong. Evil. Et cetera. Et cetera. Et cetera...
We're too obsessed about our looks. We think of money as the be-all and end-all of life. Advertising is everywhere. We're passing on questionable values to our children. And so on and so forth.

Now while the complaints of the top authors today might be true to an extent, here's why I think lambasting Western society is not the best way to go about things:

1: It doesn't actually solve your problems. Yes, maybe our medical profession puts treating the ailment ahead of treating the patient. Maybe there is too much of an emphasis in our society on how you look, what car you drive, how much you earn, how your favourite football team did last season. But does blaming those things for your situation get you any closer to solving them? No, it doesn't.
If you're overweight, don't blame your low self-esteem on some perceived attitude towards overweight people. If your income isn't that great, don't whine about how people think you should be making massive five, six or seven-figure sums per year.
Those things are disempowering to focus on. If you want a solution, focus on something that does empower you. What if your health isn't good, but you're very disciplined when it comes to work? You can use that positive work attitude to help turn your health around! There you go, something positive for your mind to chew on.

2: How do you think the rest of the world has it? In the Western world, we are actually very lucky where we stand. We are some of the wealthiest people in the world, with massive resources which we can command. Virtually everyone has Internet access. Education is widespread. We can exercise freedom of speech, a right denied to hundreds of millions around the world.
Not everyone has it as good as we do. In some countries, it's a struggle to even feed one's family properly. Governments often act in their own interests, against those of the people. Many countries have women's rights records which are far from stunning. And Internet access? Only for the rich.
We should be grateful that we live in the world that we do. If we started thinking about what we can do as a society, what we can change about ourselves, who knows where that might lead? Instead of focusing all our attention on problems, we begin to focus on solutions, both on an individual and a collective level.

Another way to think about it is this: If you have so much wealth at your disposal and there are big problems in the world, you almost have a duty to use that wealth to solve those problems.

3: This kind of thinking can lead to cynicism. This is especially the case if you're young (early 20s or younger), and you don't have much life experience to go on. Once you start hearing about all the ills of the mainstream, you start to prejudge things around you- books, people, pasttimes- as things which fall under that umbrella of "Western" or "mainstream" or some other label you associate with negativity. This kind of prejudice can cause you to relate to the world around you in a disconnected and cynical manner.
This may sound like I'm playing Devil's Advocate here, but you have to remember: this Western society that you like bashing so much is actually the society you live in. Interact with your world. You will soon know through experience what resonates with you and what doesn't. Even if it's typically considered "mainstream", you might end up liking it. The key here is to consciously create a life that you know you like, that fits with you. This is a process that continues through life, and you may never get it exactly right. Experience will teach you more than prejudice will.

4: Is 'Western' philosophy as bad as people say it is? People that write about Eastern philosophical concepts in a New Age context find it very helpful to criticise the Western way because it helps promote what they're saying as an alternative- dare I say it, as something "better". Even if they're not trying to actually sell you on their idea, they will still criticise Western ideas to get you to think.
Firstly, no spiritual tradition is superior or inferior to any other. In this world, we are all looking for the same things: happiness, spiritual fulfilment, inner peace, success in life (however defined). That applies to us whether we're Westerners, from the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, the Siberian wilderness or even from Mars. All spiritual traditions have asked, and tried to answer, the same big questions since the dawn of humanity, and all tried to find those things we've all been looking for. If you come from a Judeo-Christian background, look into your religion. What can you find in it that is good and has real value, even if you don't agree with everything your religion teaches? You might not agree with the idea that God sends all gay people to Hell, but you might agree with Jesus's teachings about forgiveness. I quite like the parable of the man who built his house on sand: you can apply the concept and the metaphor almost anywhere. (I wouldn't call myself a Christian either, so that's saying something :) )
Secondly, in my opinion, Eastern and New Age traditions are also flawed. There will be plenty amongst that bunch which you don't agree with. I have found it very hard to accept all the lore about crystals. I also think karma is a bit of a disempowering thing to believe in sometimes. You will find things in these philosophies which you don't agree with, I promise.

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So that's my two cents on why it's not always wise to criticise Western society. Granted, it's far from perfect, but it is what it is. And, quite likely, it is the world you find yourself living in. Interact with it. See it for what it is. Maybe the way we do things isn't so bad after all.

And if you wouldn't say you live in a Western society, you can still look upon the society you live in in a similar way.