The truth is, we all love being comfortable. We love the good things in life. We love having to get things easy, to live a life of bliss, go on holiday, relax in a hotel, live in a mansion, use branded items, wear designer products, use luxurious cars, drink some good wine, eat exquisite cuisine, go to cinemas and site attractions. Our ideal life is a comfortable life, and the idea of being comfortable is every man’s dream. No doubt, comfort is good, but the question is, to what extent? From what age? Under what circumstances?
The message of this essay is not to downplay the importance of comfort in life but to expose the dangers of overindulgence, especially at a young age.
Foremost, being comfortable is a state of physical ease and a good standard of living. It is a choice in the quality of living that is not necessarily measured by wealth or riches. It is largely determined by an individual preference irrespective of age, income or status. This explains why some people who earn less live larger than some who earn more. For instance, Mark Zuckerberg who is one of the wealthiest CEOs in the world, chose the lifestyle of an average person, opting for modesty in his materialistic acquisitions.
Therefore, being comfortable is not necessarily determined by a person’s social or economic status but by the ideologies that guide their living. Hence, modesty as a choice should be the ideal living for every parent (rich or not) in raising a child. Modesty is advised generally in life, and excess comfort is not an exception. Evidently, a person’s character and personality tendencies are largely determined by the kind of upbringing and the environment he was raised. Therefore, children who seek to live a life that’s beyond their age got influenced largely by their upbringing.
Nowadays, a teenage child desires a phone that an average civil servant or someone in his middle age cannot afford. He desires to buy expensive things, use branded products and live a luxurious life. He is enticed by anything high-priced and goes for it not minding the cost or value. He’s only drawn to rich people and enjoys only their company. He thinks that the world belongs only to those on top and forgets that the majority on top started from scratch. He desires to jump the queue not knowing that it is a universal law to stay in the queue and wait till it’s your turn. This is a big error and the implications are becoming so glaring in the lifestyle of today’s children and youths.
Research has shown that this generation works much less than the earlier generations. Yet, they feel more overwhelmed and stressed, and suffer more psychological and mental crises compared to the past generations. Why? Because studies also revealed that too much comfort has overcrowded the real problems and what is perceived as problems today are factored by the habits of a wrong lifestyle. Modern Western society is designed in a way that the tolerance for problems, setbacks, and challenges is fast declining making the slightest discomfort a big problem. That means that the threshold of tolerance has decreased because of too much familiarity with comfort.
Obviously, accommodating little discomfort and leaning slightly on what represents it lies the key to challenging excess comfort and getting out of its zone. This way, it will be easy to put excess comfort to the test, to readjust perspectives, to realign with values, to regain confidence and finally, to give each problem the place it deserves.
Being comfortable in the sweat of another is another big error, even if it’s an inheritance. One who enjoys comfort should be able to have a work routine that’s commensurate to the level of comfort he seeks. Taking responsibility for the outcome of being comfortable shows accountability and demonstrates integrity. But living beyond your means and depending on the support of others is the height of irresponsibility. It makes the essence of the comfort purposeless, imposing and taken for granted.
Therefore, over-seeking comfort in children and young adults is a fundamental issue that needs to be tackled on time. Habits are formed from a very young age. From the time when a child begins to throw tantrums and gets out of control to either eat unhealthy food filled up with junk, desire everything, dodge study time or become addicted to screen time, toys and so on. They avoid unpleasant situations and gradually, they enter into a world in which they dictate for themselves and face the world unprepared.
A child can be supported and raised to be empathetic, to be engaged and be guided to thrive amidst discomfort. Indulging children in excess comfort and shielding them from life challenges affects their coping skills, leads to complacency, increases their anxiety, and robs them of opportunities for self-discovery in the world they live in.
Francis Chan captured it so well when he wrote, “But God doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.”
And Winston Churchill added, “This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
