Dear Nicole, (and anybody else interested.)
Fairy tales often have deep wisdom, as you say. I've a book called "Women Who Run with the Wolves" that unveils some of the wisdom in fairy tales. Today in a
1990's sociology text I read an analysis of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and
I've been thinking I should compare it with the same story in the book mentioned
above and another book I have about fairy tales. That might make an interesting post here, so maybe I will. Ben is going to Germany for a week, so I'll have more time to do it.
You introduced a topic about "What Women Want." I don't think the answer is power over their husbands and others. The question came from a fairy tale. Maybe
women want different things at different ages. I know that I want our descendants to flourish, and to all be good and noble minded people. I want to be so myself, and to continue to be able to do things that help the world become a little happier, a little easier. I don't want ever to be bored and unable to see and
hear. I hope I can always read. I want my husband and I to have a long, healthy and loving marriage, and I don't want either of us to be alone without the other at the end of life. I want us to have a merciful death.
How's that for what a woman wants? Is it so different from what a man might want?
I love fairy tales, and I guess you do, too. I think the story about the fish king who granted a kind old husband's wishes, even when his greedy wife sent him
back for more and more wealth is an example of a specific kind of woman. Is that possible? If I remember right, the old man and his wife were at first deprived; people living close to the brink of poverty. Poverty can distort. I've seen
that happen.
Why are some people extremely greedy? For instance, people who are billionaires
?
Why do they put their wealth in a tax shelter like the Cayman Islands so they save taxes? They use what the taxes provide, and also it would be kind and decent
of them to contribute to the health of their society, because they can. Personally, I think tax havens should be abolished. I also think that
places like Switzerland, that keep secret numbered accounts for any crook, criminal, despot and dictator should not be allowed to do so.
It seems to me sometimes that extremely greedy people must have a big hole inside that they try to fill with wealth, and that no amount of wealth can fill the hole and make them feel satisfied. They must feel unloved or something.
Probably a more fair international order, and wiser and more loving parenting and schooling would make a big difference to the greed level.
What do you think?
Affectionately, Mary