Who came up with this bit of positive behavior reinforcement? Be good all year and some fat guy with a red suit and some reindeer will deliver some of the latest and greatest crap that toy manufacturers have cranked out for the masses? Aren't most of us pretty good for the most part? Save for that vast minority that are truly bad, most people at least try to do what's best. Do we really need a Santa-inspired guilt trip to "be good."
I read somewhere one time that living a good life is a reward in and of itself. I paraphrase something from the philosopher Aristotle who said, "Virtue is its own reward." We should live right for no other reason than it's the right thing to do. The Santa "good list/bad list" philosophy flies in the face of this thinking.
Don't get me wrong. I remember many a time using that Santa thing as a motivator with my own daughter. "You'd better eat your veggies or Santa won't come to see you" or "If you keep throwing those tantrums you'll end up on Santa's bad list." Yeah, I'm no better than anybody else ever was in propagating this do good and get a reward way of thinking.
If a reward is necessary for one to do good, where's my cookie at the end of each day? I show up at work. I try to be a hard worker. I try to use my employer's time wisely, except when I'm cranking out these silly commentaries. I obey the law and am polite and at least pretend to care about the problems of my friends and co-workers. Why do I have to buy my own cookie if I want one. Where's the "work Santa" to reward me for being on the good list.
Santa, of course, embodies all of the joy and happiness of the season. He's a generous guy, ready to fulfill your wish list – IF – you've been a good boy or girl and only IF the parents sign off on the gift. How many kids have asked for BB guns, ponies, bow and arrow sets or drums through the years only to have their mom or dad cancel the order? It happens. Even if the kid was on Santa's list of good little children, they still have to settle for some new underwear and socks and a pet rock.
It was always hard for me to understand how the school bully or the kid who cheated on homework or the boy who smoked cigarettes in 5th grade would always come back from Christmas break with some new toy or other great gift. Surely they were on Santa's bad list, weren't they? Why do those who do wrong get rewarded? Santa has to know, right? He's the one keeping the list and checking it twice. Right?
This all goes to show that you should find joy and happiness in doing what's right. Don't worry about what your friend or neighbor has – or enemy has for that matter. Be content in what you have or don't have. There's always going to be somebody better or worse off than you.
Oh and Santa, in case you happen to be listening, for the record I have been a very, very good boy this year. Now bring me my Corvette!
It's at least worth a try!
That's what I'm thinking.
Rick Hadley
24/7 News
