A greeting card company (Hallmark) has a motto: “When you care enough to send the very best.” There is a lot of wisdom in that, especially if one can understand that the “very best” is not always the “most expensive.” Unions have long gone by the philosophy of answering the query “What do you want?” with the liturgical response “more, we want more.” Organizational climates in which people feel victimized give such a philosophy legs. An organization that manages to cultivate a sense that it keeps employees best interests at heart makes nugatory the psychological drive for the eternal quest for more. “The very best” does not always mean more money, it can mean more consideration. I would much prefer working as a worthy contributor in one organization rather than a highly paid victim in another. In terms of spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and attitudinal rewards, the benefits of the former far outweigh the latter. Sometimes youth find themselves away from home and alone. A letter now and then from home including money is greatly appreciated, but a letter now and then expressing love and concern is essential. To be loved and thought after away from home is far preferable in my book to being a reject receiving a get lost allowance. A sense of worth in its most reliable sense does not depend on cash.
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