Dissatisfied America?

Here is a quote that hit me 'square in the face' that I had forgotten about for a couple of days from Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow:

"It was evident to him that the world composed and recomposed itself constantly in an endless process of dissatisfaction" (118).

Dissatisfaction.  A little scary, isn't it, to think about our world never being satisfied?   And we are our world, meaning that this translates into us never being satisfied.  Is this possible?  Is there nothing that can satisfy our wants? Our needs?

I know that one of the basic principles in economics (class thoughts overlapping here) is that human wants are unlimited.  But can we get something and be satisfied, not want any more of that one thing, but still want something else?  Does the wanting ever stop?

There are so many trails that I could go on with this quote, that I will have to contain myself a bit here.  In relation to the book...the ragtime feeling of the text was that of dissatisfaction.  Nothing was ever quite right.   Someone was always unhappy.  America was in a bit of an uproar.  But isn't it still?  All over the news, even today, are articles about how people are unhappy, articles about all the wrong that is happening in the world.  Corrupt politics.  Corrupt businesses.  Corrupt people.  

I try to imagine what would really happen if there was never satisfaction.  Would this mean destruction?  That if we humans were so unhappy with the way things were (or are) that we would try to destroy ourselves?  Is that what (maybe) some of our authors and historians and even current reporters could be getting at?   A dissatisfied America is one that falls apart.  And to some, it could seem like America is falling apart these days.  

Perhaps something that, as a society, we need to work on, is being more satisfied with what we already have.  Noticing what we as Americans do have, and allowing that to be enough.  We have all grown up (I'm pretty sure, regardless of generation) thinking that we should always want and expect more.  I am reminded of an Anne Frank quote that I love... 

      "Think of all the beauty still left around you, and be happy."

I suppose I am making this statement, in conclusion:   Americans need to realize how good we have it. Be thankful for it, and allow ourselves to be satisfied.  Because it is with satisfaction that we learn to work together in a democracy.  And if we are satisfied with ourselves as individuals, we can be satisfied with one another as a whole country. Not to say that everyone will be happy and in agreement with what is going on, but maybe, at least we would have peace within the country and be able to bridge the gap between different political parties, social classes, etc.