“ Has all this progress led to more happiness and well-being ? And particularly for those in the professions ?
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others , losing many skills . How many of us can still fix a problem in our homes and cars , cook our meals , build , fix or grow the things we need ? It reminds me of a book , The Last American Man , by Elizabeth Gilbert , about a man ( Eustace Conway ) who escaped suburbia to live , in essence , how our ancestors of a couple of generations ago used to live : mainly from the land .
Many of us have also lost our connection to nature , where things are circular : the seasons , the water cycle , the passage of the sun , the planet itself ; our lives have become boxes : rooms , cars , food containers ,
work cubicles , entertainment venues .
But then , individual selfreliance results in lower living standards . Take the example of an automobile : How long would it take a Robinson Crusoe to build a modern motor vehicle ? ( We disregard what he would have done with the car on his remote island !) From acquiring knowledge to obtaining materials like steel , glass and rubber , the process involves manufacturing intricate machinery , surpassing the capacity of one person within a lifetime , even a hundred times .
Yet , collaborative efforts enable professionals today to afford a car with less than a year ’ s income , showcasing the substantial rise in per capita material prosperity achieved through collective endeavours . This progress , driven by professionals advancing technology , has elevated living standards across socio-economic levels , allowing even those at the lower ranks to enjoy luxuries unimaginable to our royal ancestors .
Has all this progress led to more happiness and well-being ? And particularly for those in the professions ?
At PPS , we link our purpose to something broader than only developing and distributing financial services solutions to the professional market segment . Because , what do these solutions try to achieve ? Is it not to hedge against uncertainties and catastrophes , to protect dreams and ultimately to allow our members to live the lives that they want to live ? Our staff gain much satisfaction from linking their various jobs in their multiple roles , specialised to a degree that I am sure would have impressed Adam
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