Modern morons

What does the word "moron" make us think of these days? The dictionary meaning of the word denotes stupidity and idiocy. For me, however, it has evolved into a connotation of laziness, lack of empathy and overall irritation.

In the endless quest for happiness and attainment in modern life and the interminable quest for perfection, have we all turned into morons?

While I think many women continue to subscribe to the idea of wanting equality and independence in terms of career and financial security, a common conversation I seem to keep having is that woman did not actually expect to be the main breadwinner in a relationship. Not that they ever thought they would have a problem with being the breadwinner in the event that this turned out to be the case. But.....it turns out that they do have a problem with it...

Several friends have told me in recent weeks that they are exhausted from working long days and coming home to find their partners slumped in front of the TV (having been at home for several hours longer than their female counterparts)....only to find the sink full of dishes, the washing still in the basket and the bed unmade. On top of this, when it comes to paying for holidays, meals, cinema tickets, these women find that the default is often for them to pay for everything.

This seems to be the ultimate role reversal. Historically, the role delineation between men and women was clear: men went out to earn a crust while women stayed at home to look after domestic duties and take care of children. In a society where it is totally acceptable for these roles to be reversed, has it in some cases gone too far? Have some men become used to using their women as a gravy chain for an easy life? Or are women being unreasonable in their expectations of what a modern relationship should be?

Surely everything has to have some balance and if anything becomes too one-sided, there is a danger of reaching a tipping point. These same friends of mine find themselves with  questions such as: what would happen if I wanted to return to education in order to fulfil myself? or what happens if I want to take three years out of my career in order to care for young children? Are these reasonable rights for women to expect their men to provide for? Or have we gone too far to the point of wanting it all?

Many of my friends have deliberately opted for men in traditionally less financially secure roles because these guys tend to offer more emotional security than those men striving for financial world dominance. They have enjoyed emotionally rich relationships with guys who always have enough time to spend with them, never needed to cancel an evening or a weekend because of work, and are more able to talk about their feelings and emotions. But now that other factors are coming into play, this is not enough either.....

So...where do we draw the line of always wanting more in relationships? Is "happiness", which is what everyone is chasing, ultimately an unattainable ideal? Is it time for us to accept that we must settle for being content with what we have in our relationships, our jobs, our lives as a whole?