The sky is the limit on what the complications can cost.
Our institutions and values are in jeopardy as the mores of the market pervade all social life in this country. Loyalty, honesty, courage, discipline, patriotism, and commitment to family are being crowded out by the goals and rules of economic rationality -- do whatever makes the most money.
The unbelievable catastrophe that is (the Medicare situation) is a prime example of ideology dominating sense. Here the unquestioned assumption that you're making people better off if you give them more choices is just plain wrong. Some people who can't process the intricacies of Medicare are making the choice not to participate at all.
The assumption is that if choice is good, more choice is better. That's not necessarily true.
It is a daunting challenge if you have 100 funds to choose from. People are terrified that they will make a mistake. They say that they will figure it out tomorrow. But tomorrow will be no different than today.
There's an ice cream place in Vancouver that has 200 flavors, if you can believe that. But the people who go there end up less satisfied with their purchase than the people who buy their ice cream at a place with only 20 flavors. Yet people are lined up out the door at the place with 200 flavors because it seems like you're more likely to get exactly what you want.
Yom Kippur is about personal and community transgressions. The fasting remains a compelling element. The purpose of the ritual observance is to change our ethical observance.
The most important thing is to learn that good enough is almost always good enough; you don't need to find the best. You'll be happier if, once you find something that meets your standards, you stop looking and don't worry about it.
This is just not a world for amateurs. The stakes are higher for things like health care and retirement plans than jeans or cereal.
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