All the world's social and economic problems are the result of a single problem. Fix that one problem and all the others will be resolved quickly. Every single individual holds the power to fix that one main problem in their own life, and if we can all do it, the world will become the best place it can possibly be. No more wars, poverty, pollution, over population, injustice, etc. There would be peace and prosperity for everyone.

That one fundamental problem is self righteousness. It's I being more important than you, me and mine more important than you and yours, we more important than them. I or we matter, you or them don't matter. I or we are right, you or them are not right.

Self righteousness is the source of greed. Greed can be defined as acting to benefit oneself at the unfair expense of others. In other words, if I benefit, I don't care if it hurts you in the process - me more important than you. Greed is responsible for the unfair distribution of wealth in the world. With less than 10% of the U.S. population owning more than 90% of the wealth in this country, the standard of living would DOUBLE for 90% of the population if the most well off were willing to get by with just 80% of the wealth. The fact that the most fortunate are not willing to give up that tiny piece of their pie is nothing short of self righteous greed. Watch poor children starve in third world countries, the homeless on our streets, the tens of millions without health care, and tell yourself it doesn't matter, it's not your problem, because you are more important than them. Pure self righteousness.

Muslim countries insist that everyone adhere to their strict religious codes of behavior, because that's what it says in the book they believe in. My beliefs are more important than your beliefs - self righteousness. The west has no desire to be compelled to follow such arbitrary moral dictates. Divisions are created. War is brooding.

Every year the U.S. locks up nearly a million people for smoking pot because Christian morality is more important than the morality of free choice. But we are not like Muslim countries because we are guaranteed freedom of choice here, at least so long as we restrict our choices to those approved by our religious morality as imposed by law, which is exactly how it works in Muslim countries. There is no difference.

It always comes down to self righteousness. When the demand is constant and the supply is controlled, competition no longer exists and any price can be charged. It's easy to see this happening with the prices of oil and education, and the cost of medical care in the U.S. has increased at 10 times the rate of inflation for decades. Like robbers in white coats, medical professionals say, "What is your life worth to you, because that is what I am going to charge." My wellbeing is more important than your wellbeing - self righteousness. 40 million Americans have no medical insurance, and unexpected medical expenses are the number one reason for bankruptcy.

"So what if my factory pumps out pollution? If you want the products you have to live with it."

"Of course I understand that over population is the real cause behind global warming, pollution, deforestation, food shortages, wars over natural resources, the oil shortage that will soon have the world on its knees, and much more. I will have all the children I want."

The list goes on and on. We are all self righteous in some way, and most of the time we don't even realize it. But if we as individuals remain self righteous we have only ourselves to blame for ALL the socioeconomic problems in the world. Without self righteousness the world would live in peace and prosperity, guided by reason, fairness, freedom and opportunity.

"There are two kinds of people in the world,
Those who make it better, and those who don't.
The dividing line is fairness,
Those who apply it, and those who won't." (Koda)