stockvault_12758_200808041The word fair is regularly cited throughout our society as if it is a fundamental right, and as such, must be experienced at all times. We somehow think that everything in life should be judged according to whether it is fair, and if deemed otherwise, then it should be changed with expectation it will turn out more to our liking. If persuasion or negotiation can not provide an outcome to one’s favor, then prepare for the invoking of the “it’s not fair” argument.

The problem with this thinking is that the concept of fair is subjective, what is fair to one is not to another. It is simply a righteous notion or concept that is programmed into our heads as we are growing up. We are taught such notions that all will be fair and just in the world, and many of our normal expectations as adults rely on this premise. Regrettably, the world does not depend on such outcomes in practice. The public’s pursuits are mostly geared toward the advancement of their own best interest or agenda, and it’s great if it happens to subscribe to fairness with others, but there is not much concern given if it doesn’t.

We can all go through our lives on a daily basis pointing out things that don’t seem fair; it’s like the proverbial broken record. The truth of the matter is that fairness is not a requirement in this world. Life is full of rules, laws, and norms that we are expected to obey in our pursuits, but they are used more as guidelines in reality. We often see actions or agendas that appear contrary to the notion of fairness, but these proceed onward anyway with the purpose of accomplishing a goal, and if it can be successfully manipulated, it prevails regardless of being judged by something as ambiguous as fairness.

Searching for things to be fair is an exercise in futility. It can easily be stated that life is not fair and it never will be. Conversely, it can be seen as life is always fair, certainly that is the case if you are fortunate enough to be on the prevailing side of that in question. They are two sides of the same coin, and it simply comes down to how you manipulate your circumstances to get yourself on the right side of that coin. This seems unfortunate in a civilized society that you would expect fairness to be universal, yet having nothing more than that expectation is certain to work against you. It is up to the individual to navigate their own obstacles in any manner reasoned to be legitimate in order to attain their desired outcome. Remember; the next time you hear something stated as not being fair, just think to yourself “what does fair have to do with anything.” Instead, spend your energy on how you can influence positive outcomes for yourself, because the only fair you will encounter regularly does come around once a year for about $15.